Well, here we are! Spending our last few hours in Haiti.
Things are a <i>little</i> crazy as we try to pack things up, and get ready for our soccer game with the locals.
In just a little while, most of us are going out to play "football" with some people we promised we would earlier in the week. I'm so excited, as I didn't get to the first time (:
This week has been, for lack of better words, <b>amazing</b>. We have done so much each day, that it feels like each day has been two days. And yet, none of us can believe that the week is already up. It's really sad. A few of us want to stay forever. Some of the others cannot wait to be home. But all of us have grown so much this week, and wouldn't have trade our experiences for anything. God is so good, and He has proven so faithful to us this week. Reflection last night with our team was really, really beneficial, and we really needed it. It was good to wrap up the week by just observing and praising God for what He has done. All of us have grown so close together; we're like a family.
Some big things I've learned this week are these:
-God has a plan, and a purpose. It sounds so vague, but He knows EXACTLY what He's doing, and He knows exactly where he
wants us to be.
-Haitians are beautiful. So many people portray them as poor, pathetic people, which is just not the case AT ALL. Two
traits that stood out to me are that they are joyful, and they understand the word "community" <b>so</b> much
better than we do. Sure, some of their country may look like a dump [but some of the land is so, so beautiful as
well], but it doesn't take anyone long to realize the true beauty of Haiti is in its people.
-Be where you are, and focus on the relationships. It was so easy to be distracted, even by other things that were going
on where I was. For instance, a lot of the time I got caught holding a three year old girl, who was asleep. It was
easy to think, "Man, I should be out playing with the kids, that would make more of an impact." That is not the
case at all. God has you where He wants you to be. And you are making a HUGE difference. Just let Him use you
where you are.
With that, I ask for your prayer. Transitioning from Haitian life to American life is NOT going to be easy. Sometimes I forget that when I go away on trips, life back home is still moving on. We need prayer to help us remember that even though we have just had this <i>incredible</i> experience here in Haiti, no one else back home has. So please pray that our reentry will rely completely on God. I'm almost a little nervous, but I know that if I can just focus on where God wants me to be at home, it will be alright.
Thank you so much for reading, and praying. Your prayer is the biggest impact you can have. Also, please pray for safety in the airport and plane. [Also, you can pray that I don't throw up on the plane ride home...that would be good.] God is so good, and He uses His people!
Can I get an Amen? (:
-Clarissa
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Final photos
Here are the last of the photos (for now) from the group. They travel home to Pennsylvania today. Please pray for safety and for them to be able to continue to grow in the Lord as He reveals His plan for their lives to them individually and as a group. It was an awesome week- MANY were blessed and God was glorified! I will be forever changed.
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| For those of you who know our driver Peterson- this is him with his daughter Crysta. :) She is getting SO BIG! |
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| Sorry this one is a bit blurry- someone took it for us. Hope Tim's is clear. |
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| Bartering for items to take home. |
Friday, July 5, 2013
Jacob's blog
Today we had planned to go to the orphanage in the morning for part of the morning. However, it had rained a bit the previous night, and the road to the orphanage was supposedly not drivable. We decided to drive to the orphnage, getting as far as we could crammed in the bus, and then walk the rest of the way. Instead, our bold driver, Peterson, maneuvered the bus down the trail-like road, through a muddy patch and up the steep hill, all the way to the orphanage. We were very thankful that we got there without incidence, since we weren't supposed to make it. Unfortunately, we did run into some trouble on the way home. We literally ran into trouble, scraping against a tap tap as we drove home "Haitian style". This was only our second accident this week, the other not being our driver's fault. I say "only" because with how the Haitians drive, sliding past each other with literal centimeters to spare, it is a miracle that we didn't have to deal with more. We also went to the beach today, which was a breath of fresh air. The water was a brief relief from the heat, and most of the team got to experience the barter system with the beachside vendors. /many of us are sad that this is the last full day, but we know that we will soon be home.
God Bless
Jacob
Our Last Full Day in Haiti - Emily Sensenig (aka Shorty)
Hello again everyone! So I got to do the blog for our first whole day here in Haiti and now I get the privilege of doing it again for our last whole day! :)
This morning we got to sleep in a little bit after being out late at the church service last night. That was really nice because we're all exhausted from this amazing, crazy week. After a wonderful breakfast of Haitian spaghetti, prepared by our amazing cook Madam Josee, we all loaded up the bus and pulled out to head to the countryside one last time. But right as we were pulling out, we got a call from Pastor Martin. He said that it had rained really hard last night and washed out the dirt road that leads to the village very badly. He didn't think we could make it up the mountain. So we talked about other possibilities for the day, but we all really wanted to go back up into the countryside for one last time. So we decided to risk it and head there, even if it meant that we would have to walk the last part of the way to the village. We made it to the dirt road and our driver, Peterson (aka Son Son), just kept right on driving. He just kept going and going and going...all the way up to the top of the mountain! We didn't have to walk at all! We were cheering for him the whole way up.
After our adventure to the village, we had another successful day of VBS. The kids enjoyed the lesson and then game time afterwords. Many people in our group continued to help build the depot. It has been awesome to watch it being built the past three days. But at about 1:00, we had to say our final goodbyes. It was awesome getting to know many of the villages children and families.
We loaded up our bus again and headed for our final destination of the week...the beach! It was about 20 minutes away from the village. All I can say is, Haitian beaches are absolutely beautiful! We enjoyed our final afternoon together swimming in the ocean and bartering with the local vendors for souvenirs. I think we all really enjoyed the bartering, because every time one of us would buy something, we had to come back and tell everyone about how we had talked our way down to the price that we wanted to pay. But all too soon we had to load our tiny bus up for one final ride back to base.
On the way home, we told Son Son to give us a little taste of true Haitian driving for our final bus ride. (Because Crystal had instructed him to drive "American" for the week.) It was very interesting to say the least! Lets just say that our little bus could really move! We even got in a small "accident"! We kind of, maybe, sort of...ran into the back of a tap tap and then backed up into another car to move away from the tap tap. But in Haiti, it's no big deal. You just yell at the other driver a little bit and keep right on going!
It started to rain before we got back to base. We were already in our bathing suits, so when we got back to base, a few of us girls ran upstairs, grabbed our soap and shampoo and sprinted outside to shower in the rain under the rain spouts. I am now proud to say that I have officially taken a shower in the rain. It was a blast.
It's sad to think that this is our last night here in Haiti. I've grown to really love it here. It's just such a beautiful country. But I also can't wait to come home and see my family and friends! I love and miss you guys!
It's been amazing to see God working here in Haiti through out this week. We have seen God work in the orphanage, through our VBS, in the village in the countryside, in the church, in so many things. God is just so good! I think this trip has been very eye opening for each and every one of us. I'm so thankful that God kept us all safe and healthy this week.
Well, I guess that's all for this final day in Haiti. I've gotta go now...I'm off to go play a game of Signs with the team!
This morning we got to sleep in a little bit after being out late at the church service last night. That was really nice because we're all exhausted from this amazing, crazy week. After a wonderful breakfast of Haitian spaghetti, prepared by our amazing cook Madam Josee, we all loaded up the bus and pulled out to head to the countryside one last time. But right as we were pulling out, we got a call from Pastor Martin. He said that it had rained really hard last night and washed out the dirt road that leads to the village very badly. He didn't think we could make it up the mountain. So we talked about other possibilities for the day, but we all really wanted to go back up into the countryside for one last time. So we decided to risk it and head there, even if it meant that we would have to walk the last part of the way to the village. We made it to the dirt road and our driver, Peterson (aka Son Son), just kept right on driving. He just kept going and going and going...all the way up to the top of the mountain! We didn't have to walk at all! We were cheering for him the whole way up.
After our adventure to the village, we had another successful day of VBS. The kids enjoyed the lesson and then game time afterwords. Many people in our group continued to help build the depot. It has been awesome to watch it being built the past three days. But at about 1:00, we had to say our final goodbyes. It was awesome getting to know many of the villages children and families.
We loaded up our bus again and headed for our final destination of the week...the beach! It was about 20 minutes away from the village. All I can say is, Haitian beaches are absolutely beautiful! We enjoyed our final afternoon together swimming in the ocean and bartering with the local vendors for souvenirs. I think we all really enjoyed the bartering, because every time one of us would buy something, we had to come back and tell everyone about how we had talked our way down to the price that we wanted to pay. But all too soon we had to load our tiny bus up for one final ride back to base.
On the way home, we told Son Son to give us a little taste of true Haitian driving for our final bus ride. (Because Crystal had instructed him to drive "American" for the week.) It was very interesting to say the least! Lets just say that our little bus could really move! We even got in a small "accident"! We kind of, maybe, sort of...ran into the back of a tap tap and then backed up into another car to move away from the tap tap. But in Haiti, it's no big deal. You just yell at the other driver a little bit and keep right on going!
It started to rain before we got back to base. We were already in our bathing suits, so when we got back to base, a few of us girls ran upstairs, grabbed our soap and shampoo and sprinted outside to shower in the rain under the rain spouts. I am now proud to say that I have officially taken a shower in the rain. It was a blast.
It's sad to think that this is our last night here in Haiti. I've grown to really love it here. It's just such a beautiful country. But I also can't wait to come home and see my family and friends! I love and miss you guys!
It's been amazing to see God working here in Haiti through out this week. We have seen God work in the orphanage, through our VBS, in the village in the countryside, in the church, in so many things. God is just so good! I think this trip has been very eye opening for each and every one of us. I'm so thankful that God kept us all safe and healthy this week.
Well, I guess that's all for this final day in Haiti. I've gotta go now...I'm off to go play a game of Signs with the team!
Independence Day - Haitian Style
Bonjou!
Yesterday, we went back to the countryside. The kids were all so happy to see us again! We jumped right into the VBS, with Jacqualyn, Emily S, and Clarissa leading the kids in worship. We sang Amazing Grace, Lord I Lift Your Name on High, and lastly Jesus Loves Me, which the kids all learned the first day in Creole. The team now knows the chorus in Creole, which is a really cool experience to sing exactly what the kids are singing!! After worship, the skit was performed, which focused on forgiveness. Then, Jen shared the story of the paralyzed man, and how Jesus healed him and forgave him of his sins. Dylan followed by sharing the gospel with the kids by using the large EvangeCube. Afterwords, the kids loved to keep looking at the Cube which is really cool! We helped them by making necklaces with a cross on them. After the VBS was over, we then just hung out with the kids or helped the construction men. I started by helping the men for about an hour by carrying buckets of wet cement, or hefting rocks over to where the men wanted them to go. We left at 1 to head home, since supper was scheduled for 3:30! We ate then, and left for Pastor Robby's church. We were having an International Night of Prayer. Our team each had a part in the event! Jacqualyn, Emily S, and Clarissa were leading worship, Jen was sharing the story of the paralyzed man, Kristin shared the EvangeCube, Matt and I gave testimonies, and Mitch, Caleb, Emily W, Dylan, Valerie, Holly, Jesse, and Jacob performed a drime to the song Set Me Free. Then Gospel Vision came up to the stage, which is a Haitian choir group. For Gospel Vision to come to your church is like Matt Redman coming to ours! So it was a huge hit with the church! The church comes alive with worship, unlike anything I have ever seen! All the people are singing and dancing with all of their hearts, dancing through the aisles, and walking all over the place. Billy, one of the translators, explained to me that when the Haitians feel emotion in church, they stand up and raise their arms to the skies! So much joy was being expressed, it was amazing!
Thank you all for your prayers, it is has been a wonderful trip! I am so glad God gave me this opportunity!
Au voir!
Ashley
Yesterday, we went back to the countryside. The kids were all so happy to see us again! We jumped right into the VBS, with Jacqualyn, Emily S, and Clarissa leading the kids in worship. We sang Amazing Grace, Lord I Lift Your Name on High, and lastly Jesus Loves Me, which the kids all learned the first day in Creole. The team now knows the chorus in Creole, which is a really cool experience to sing exactly what the kids are singing!! After worship, the skit was performed, which focused on forgiveness. Then, Jen shared the story of the paralyzed man, and how Jesus healed him and forgave him of his sins. Dylan followed by sharing the gospel with the kids by using the large EvangeCube. Afterwords, the kids loved to keep looking at the Cube which is really cool! We helped them by making necklaces with a cross on them. After the VBS was over, we then just hung out with the kids or helped the construction men. I started by helping the men for about an hour by carrying buckets of wet cement, or hefting rocks over to where the men wanted them to go. We left at 1 to head home, since supper was scheduled for 3:30! We ate then, and left for Pastor Robby's church. We were having an International Night of Prayer. Our team each had a part in the event! Jacqualyn, Emily S, and Clarissa were leading worship, Jen was sharing the story of the paralyzed man, Kristin shared the EvangeCube, Matt and I gave testimonies, and Mitch, Caleb, Emily W, Dylan, Valerie, Holly, Jesse, and Jacob performed a drime to the song Set Me Free. Then Gospel Vision came up to the stage, which is a Haitian choir group. For Gospel Vision to come to your church is like Matt Redman coming to ours! So it was a huge hit with the church! The church comes alive with worship, unlike anything I have ever seen! All the people are singing and dancing with all of their hearts, dancing through the aisles, and walking all over the place. Billy, one of the translators, explained to me that when the Haitians feel emotion in church, they stand up and raise their arms to the skies! So much joy was being expressed, it was amazing!
Thank you all for your prayers, it is has been a wonderful trip! I am so glad God gave me this opportunity!
Au voir!
Ashley
Photos 4
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| ONE of the highlights was at church during the program when the group did their skit- a drama/mime to "Set Me Free" by Casting Crowns. That place went CRAZY when Jesus set the man free from his sins..... they were jumping, cheering, whistling, etc..... it was soooooo amazing and a night I am sure none of us will ever forget! |
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| Some of us took a walk in the countryside |
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| The stone wall/foundation- it is finished now! Working with these guys has been awesome!!! |
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| We put on a program for Pastor Robby's church. Before the service the group walked down to the beach again. |
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| At the program we showed them some of the lessons we taught at Bible School this week |
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| Ashley and Matt both gave their testimonies |
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| We were blessed to be able to have Gospel Vision come and perform! |
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Photos 3
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| Doing a skit on the street..... |
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| People who wanted to accept Jesus as Savior after the skit |
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| On the roof of the orphanage. |
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| It was Jacob's birthday so we sang to him and had him wear a "crown" |
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| Pastor Tim got to hold this little one. :) |
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| Helping move rocks to build a foundation.... |
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| The countryside is very different from the city |
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