Day Three- Discovering Haiti

Sunday morning greeted us with the same rooster that had woken me up each morning since our arrival. I asked our host 'mom' if we could have rooster for dinner, but this was apparently not heeded. We got dressed and joined the children at the orphanage for their Sunday morning service. They had already begun by the time we arrived. It was such an awesome experience to see them praying fervently, singing beautifully, and preaching powerfully.
The younger children performed a song, then the older boys, followed by the older girls. Check it out... so awesome...




We also sang a few songs in English so as to contribute to the service. Two team members shared their testimonies while Dan translated. Monica shared how God has healed her, and Kristin shared how God has moved her and called her to a life much larger than her own.

After service, we quickly hopped into our caged truck for an hour + ride up the mountain side with the Baptist Mission being our destination for souvenir shopping and lunch. However, when we reached the top, the heavens opened and the rain came pouring down. Since virtually everything in Haiti happens outdoors, everything was closed. We turned around and traveled the hour back down the mountain with the cold and wet rain pouring in through the sides of the truck. We reminisced about the trip and chatted freely with one another until we reached a part of Port-Au-Prince we had not before seen.
The affects of the earthquake were everywhere. The palace was still sitting broken. Adults and children were running through the streets looking for a dry place to stay. Tents were set up everywhere- 600,000 people are still living like this because they have no home.



(Tent pictures taken by Julie Davis)

I spent the afternoon talking with Katia and learning about some of the children's stories... so heartbreaking. Kerby's mom dumped him in the toilet when he was 2 days old. Junior's dad is dead and his mom is mentally unstable. Children have seen their parents murdered and beheaded. This is the world they live in.
We were able to see the children one last time Sunday evening. They had a small presentation for us, where they sang good-bye to each team member in Creole. We bought them all ice cream- some of them had never had ice cream. Here is Jhonley's first experience with ice cream :)


What could be a better image with which to leave you?