Thanksgiving in Haiti

Thanksgiving in Haiti

While America celebrated Thanksgiving today and turned their attention to Black Friday, we went to the beach in the morning and to a Haitian orphanage in the afternoon.  The trip to the beach is a great way to decompress a bit and gain a greater appreciation for the beauty of Haiti.  We left MOH by 7:15 am, so we could spend a couple hours at the beach, eat lunch and maximize our orphanage time.  Our team is always amazed at the beauty of Haiti, especially at the beach.  Sometimes it’s so easy to focus on the problems and struggles of Haiti, that you can easily miss the incredible beauty of the country.  The mountains are captivating, as they seemingly go on forever, leading hearts to want to know what’s beyond those mountains and what stories they have to tell.  The beauty of the Haitian people is always missed in the news stories about a country riddled by corruption, natural disasters, and hunger.  The children are so warm and loving and parents are trusting, knowing a village is truly raising their child.

After lunch, our team loaded up for a brief journey to Barbancourt, a village where the orphanage that my daughters’ came from is located.  Our teams have been able to visit the Barbancourt orphanage on each of our last four trips.  Our visits are always bittersweet, as we are able to love on those precious children, yet our hearts break for them every time we leave. 

Below are some insights from Maddie and Jillian about our trip to the orphanage:

Maddie
            Today was a day I’ve been looking forward to for almost a year now. It was an amazing day for two reasons. One, I got baptized. Two, my little girl remembered me.

            I got baptized in Wahoo Bay today by Mr. Henderson, Villarson, and Delmonte. Last year when I came to Haiti, is when God first came into my life and my faith became real for me, I found a relationship with God. From then to now, my life has gone from being completely about me to completely about following Jesus (wherever, whenever, whatever). I’ve seen Him work in incredible ways in the past year, I knew I wanted to get baptized but I could hear God tell me to wait until I’m back in Haiti when I thought about doing it at the baptism church service. To me, there is no better place than to be baptized in Haiti, a place that is home to me, and by three of the biggest role models in Christ that I have. I’m so thankful for it and excited about where God has brought me in just one year and where He will take me in the future.

            On another note, I’ve waited a year to go back to the orphanage in Barbancourt where Hendo found Jaline and Marie-line. Last year, God broke me with Jaline’s story and transformation, then later that week He broke me even more at the orphanage. Tonight, my heart is on a little girl in the orphanage, my heart will always be on her. Her name is Clenusa. I met her last year. Then, I spent the afternoon with a little girl that I saw such brokenness in her eyes, even if she smiled. Last year, when I left her, she held her hands behind her back and looked right down at the ground.  I left knowing that she would be going to bed on a cement floor. The reality of that for Clenusa and the rest of those orphans wrecked me.

Since then, I’ve seen God move mountains even though I’ve been back home, through a perfect stranger agreeing to help us get bunk beds into Barbancourt, after we raised the money, and again through Kids Against Hunger. Today, I wanted to run up to the orphanage. I tried to make myself afraid that she wouldn’t be there to sort of protect my emotions but I knew she’d be there. Julia wrote me a letter telling me that she hoped I’d see her again, but she knew I would because I’d go to the end of the earth to find her again and today, she remembered me. I couldn’t help but break down crying as she jumped right up into my arms and held on to me so tight. She showed me her bed and we put new sheets on it that we brought down for the kids. There was also a Kids Against Hunger box in the corner of her room. Getting to love this little girl for four hours were the best four hours of this trip, because in reality, she needs this love, she’s an 11 year old girl who does not have a family and does not go school, but spends her days in a dull orphanage. One girl on our team asked if I thought she was better than last year, physically, yes/kind of, she looked a little better, definitely didn’t look worse than last year. A year ago I could fit my index finger to thumb around her upper arm (I can’t even do that on my 5 year old little peanut of a cousin). This year I couldn’t do that and her hair wasn’t as orange, but still she wasn’t in any way great. But emotionally, I see her as much worse. The way she has to grow up breaks me and I can see the sadness in her eyes. 

I’m so lucky to have spent the afternoon with her at my side, anything we did she held on to me so tight… and so leaving her this year, was a million times harder. Four hours last year and four hours this year built a bond with this girl. When I had to tell her goodbye, I told her goodbye and I love you in creole. She buried her head in me, after a while, she ran off into her room. I followed her to find her sitting on her bed quietly, with tears coming down her cheeks. I had been trying not to let the kids see me cry, but at that I just lost it, I sat there as long as I could just hugging her. But this time, I left knowing she had a bed and wouldn’t be sleeping on cement. I don’t know where God’s taking me, but I do know that I love that little girl, I do know that my heart is for the orphans in this world, and I do know that I will follow wherever He leads me.

That’s my heart for tonight.

Jillian

            My heart has always been with foster children. When Mr. Henderson told us we were given the opportunity to go to Barbancourt I couldn’t wait for the day to come. As we arrived at the orphanage I was overwhelmed with so many different emotions. But it didn’t hit me until I had to say goodbye to all the children.

            I was carrying a three year old boy who had such a bloated stomach from the worms that his shirt would just sit on top of his little belly. And I had a six year old girl connected to my hip the entire time, and she insisted on carrying my backpack for me as we held hands. We all walked the children back to the orphanage from the soccer field. As we arrived to the orphanage the little girl squeezed my hand and walked me to her room. She pointed me to her bed and I laid down next to her as the little boy with worms laid on my stomach. The little girl and I talked until I had to officially say goodbye. As we were talking I started to cry; She asked me, “Why you cry?” and continued to wipe my tears away. At this point I couldn’t even tell her why I was crying.

            Haiti is beautiful, but it sure knows how to break your heart. Today my heart was left at Barbancourt with a young lady named, Lakden. I simply couldn’t explain to her how I felt when I laid next to her in that bunk-bed. Knowing I had my last couple minutes before leaving her I couldn’t handle all my emotions at once. I have been away from my family for a week now, and I already miss them like crazy. But this little girl didn’t have a family. I left the orphanage knowing that I will be seeing my family soon. Lakden on the other hand goes to bed crying knowing she is all alone. This put my whole life into perspective. A six year old girl sharing her life story with me as she just wants to be loved, but all she feels is that she’s invisible. I love all the children and Haiti, but my heart will always be with the orphans.

 

Kids Against Hunger Haitian style

Some of our girls spent some quality time with the kids in Leveque, while the rest played soccer.

Walking back from the aqueduct in Leveque. 

While packing meals in Haiti, it was great to see Kids Against Hunger Meals from Michigan in Haiti

This is the Haitian meal packing process.  Our team was amazing working alongside Haitian workers.

So, Thanksgiving’s tomorrow but we’re all so thankful we have the opportunity to serve in Haiti this week.  Amazing families and amazing dinners will be missed, but we are truly blessed to be here now!  We started our day with a goal of packing 20,000 meals of rice and beans we bought from the Haitian farmers in the village of Turpin.  We were blessed to have friends, families, students, and members of our Avondale community, who have been touched by our Kids Against Hunger food packing events, donate to purchase the food.  We were especially excited to plant trees in Turpin yesterday, visit the farmer’s fields, and learn more about the farmers’ lives and growing methods.  The bigger picture in all this is a community with an expanding economy, so they can support their families, feed their children, and send their kids to school, so they can create a brighter future.  If you know the way our team handles business, it’s no surprise we took a task that should have taken us until lunch and raced to complete it in about an hour and forty five minutes.  We packed it so quick that MOH asked us to pack an additional 5,000 meals, so they could get it out to schools and orphanages they support next week.

We traveled to Leveque after lunch and spent some incredible time in the village.  Our work project was cancelled, so we immersed ourselves in the community and the children.  After an afternoon of playing with and carrying children all over the village, walking to the local water source to learn more about the women in the community, meeting with the village champion and learning more about the community, and playing soccer, we headed back to MOH.  We were blessed to spend time with a dear friend, John Marc, who is an orphan who has lived at MOH since 2006.  He shared his powerful story and challenged our team.

Well it’s 1:15 am, Happy Thanksgiving, many great conversations tonight and it’s time to get a little sleep before the 6:00 am wake up.  Wish I could share more, but our days are quite full.  Parents, your kids love you, but sometimes they don’t want to post very much because they’re immersed in Haiti, are locked into their experiences, and are processing those experiences. 

Trees for Turpin and mountain life

It’s been a busy day and it’s awful late, so this will be short tonight.  We had an amazing day planting trees in Turpin, which is a village about an hour up the mountains.  It was a great journey with captivating views and so many enlightening snapshots of Haitian life.  It’s rare to get a chance to get into the mountains, where life and people are often quite different from life in Port au Prince or lower lying areas.  We got all our trees planted and also got another incredible perspective into Haitian life.

Planting trees in Turpin

 We also were able to spend time in the fields that grow the rice and beans that are being purchased for Mission of Hope’s meal packing program. One of the most valuable experiences was listening to and asking questions of a Haitian farmer, who is part of MOH’s agricultural program.  We stood in his fields that were tilled by hand with picks and learned an incredible amount about his life and the agricultural program. 

Our team planting trees on the edge of a bean field

Our team in Turpin with Haitian Farmer

This is the view looking behind as we headed up the mountain

Tuesday night is also a powerful evening, due to MOH’s mid-week worship service.  Tomorrow, we will pack meals in the morning and work in Leveque in the afternoon.  Bonwi (Good night)

Well, today was a great and adventurous day!

Well, today was a great and adventurous day!

Our morning started early as I woke at 5 am to the sounds of someone throwing up.  Normally the roosters provide the early morning wake up call, but this morning I was blessed with very different sounds.  After going outside, I discovered it was actually two of our team members struggling with the same issue.  Within fifteen minutes, one of our leaders came down to share that she had been struggling with the same issue most of the night, and was continuing to struggle.  Of course, ten minutes later, one of our girls could barely open her eye, because of an insect bite.  Yes, it was an amazing start to the day as I sat with our struggling team members and watched the sun rise over the mountains.  The Haitian sunrise always brings such hope and promise, despite the circumstances.

As I sat and contemplated our circumstances and how they might impact our day, I knew part of their struggle was the reality that they might miss out on our plans for the day.  They knew they would get an experience none of our teams had ever experienced- extensive travel through Port au Prince, through Petionville (a very wealthy area despite Haiti’s profound poverty, and to Kenscoff (a much more successful farming area) and the drive would be flanked by the homes of many of Haiti’s wealthiest people.  They knew it was a Haiti most people never see and another ability to gain insight into this amazing country.  Most of all, they knew the end of the long drive would conclude with an opportunity to love on precious children, see a different side of Haiti’s orphan problem, and plant trees at the crèche which would bless them in the future.  That’s right, a two hour drive up winding mountain roads with team members who awoke to terribly upset stomachs, was awaiting our team.  After consulting with American nurses and a Haitian doctor, we got some help for our struggling team members. 

As we pondered the question of “do you want to stay behind”, there was a determination that defied the struggling stomachs.  We prepared to travel, in a canter fully loaded with trees, shovels, meals for orphanages, and our team and translators.  As we traveled, a number of team members battled weak stomachs, some just from motion sickness, and battled through some unfortunate moments on the canter, yet our team shown incredible love for one another and lifted one another up, reached out with compassion, and fought through this challenge together. Thankfully, by the time we reached the crèche, the stomachs had settled down considerably and our team tackled our tree planting project.  They worked together tremendously, got those trees planted, and had a moment to catch the vision of Chances for Children’s crèche. We were able to spend time with the beautiful children at the crèche, and Maddie will share some more thoughts on that experience below. 

Our kids are on mission to learn all they can and serve with everything they’ve got, despite some challenging circumstances.  They are embracing every opportunity they are given.  Everybody’s doing well tonight and eager for everything we will experience tomorrow.  Tomorrow, we travel an hour up into the mountains in a completely different area from where we were today.  We are excited to plan at least 80 trees in the village of Turpin and spend time learning more about that community.  Turpin is the area where MOH has been investing in the local farmers for the past two years, teaching them how to farm more efficiently and providing them with resources to increase their crop yields.  Tomorrow we will connect with the farmers and community of Turpin, and Wednesday morning we will pack 20,000 meals with food bought from the Turpin farmers.  Those trees and meals were paid for by donations from members of our community and friends and families of our team members. 

Maddie M

“I love Haiti. I felt so much shock being here last year but this year, it’s a lot different, I feel content in Haiti. I feel like Haiti is home. I’m so thankful for perspective; today we were able to drive through Port-au-Prince on our way up to Kenscoff, to visit Jaline and Marie Line’s old crèche. I loved seeing how different Port is from the rest of Haiti, the people don’t have that overwhelming joy about them that they do out in the villages. As much as I love Haiti and so many different parts of serving Haiti, the one thing I love the most are the orphans. Don’t get me wrong, I love all those children that we love on in the villages but at the end of the day, they go home to a family, there is just something that I love so much about those children without parents. If God’s calling me anywhere above all else, it’s definitely with those kids.

            I loved being at the crèche because those kids are in God’s healing. They’re in amazing care with proper paperwork and they’re on their way to being adopted. That brokenness that I saw among the children in the orphanage at Barbancourt was leaving the eyes of these kids. They were happy. There was one girl who had her head shaved and here hair was starting to grow back. She was beautiful. To me this represented recovery. I know that Jaline had her hair shaved off to regrow it healthy. I saw a girl who was at one point probably suffering from malnutrition badly enough to need her hair shaved off. I saw hope in God bringing this giggly little girl to a full recovery.

            Anyway, Haiti’s amazing and I have just as many bug bites as last year! Bonwi!”