Thursday: Grace Village & Elders

Today we set out to Titanyen to Grace Village (Healing Haiti's Orphanage). We had the opportunity to take a tour of the Village which includes; aquaponics, classrooms, dormitories, medical and dental clinic, playground and feeding center. We then visited 5 elders of Titanyen that Healing Haiti supports. After the visits we went back to Grace Village to play with the children, and help put in test plots to grow vegetables. We were welcomed home with a huge Haitian dinner followed with Haitian ice cream. Also, our 2nd leader Lisa  who had to come later in the week had finally arrived. After some rest we then had our group meeting and completed the night with some salsa dancing lessons by Jean (the director).

For some of us, one of the more challenging parts of the day was stepping outside of our comfort zones when visiting the elders.  The elders are a group of 28 elders that Healing Haiti supports.  We had the opportunity to visit 5 of them. We brought each of the elders a pack of food and some juice, then were able to wash their hands, feet, arms and legs.  We followed that with putting lotion on them, while singing worship songs, and just conversing and enjoying their company.  For me, right when I began to wash their feet I forgot all about my personal thoughts and boundaries and just thought of it as serving the Lord and how wonderfully loved that the elder felt getting this touch.  Towards the end of the visit we would ask them what we could pray for over them, and then one of us would pray while our translator would interpret for the elder. Praying aloud was another comfort zone that we had to surpass.  This is still a new thing to a lot of us in the group, and has definitely been a challenge.  Overall, I think we are really becoming more open as a group and allowing God to really work in our hearts.  We were all incredibly blessed by the elders today, and definitely felt God with us, giving us the courage and confidence to love and pray on his children.

Bondye se lanmou,

RL & SO 

Day 4 Pictures

  The team at Grace Village

Billy and Mark discussing garden issues

Sydney and Edmond

 Edmond, Noelle, & Sydney

 Boys will be boys

 Dan and Marie

 Aly.

 Cassie, Raena & Meme

 Noelle, Dan, Elisa, and Fabrice (and kiddos)

Ben y la abuela

Aly and Anchola 

 Raena and Noelle

Hugs for everyone!

Playing some soccer (or futbol) with boys at GV. They won... 3-1

Nap time!

Raena and Idamen

Billy working his magic

Biochar the replenish the soil for over a thousand years!

 Biochar Garden

 Dancing

Everyone Dancing