We were needed and they were loved!
It was an awesome day full of God's blessings and love. Today we went to City of Soleil, known as the slums of Haiti. Our first encounter for the day were the smiles of children wanting to jump in our arms and be loved. We held and played and danced with each one, many not wanting to leave our arms when we needed to leave for the next water spot. We saw desperation in the eyes and the action of those waiting in line to get their water for the week. These children, some not older than four or five were carrying buckets of water back to their homes. These homes were made of cardboard, some tents cities, some tin homes and some less than that. In the midst of this desperation, starvation, malnutrition and filth we saw people appreciative of the water they were receiving. None of us felt unsafe. We all felt a sense of wonder -wanting to know about these lives we were encountering and what their lives are like once we leave.
We were truly blessed to be able to visit the site where the first church in City of Soleil will be built. Two weeks ago, Healing Haiti was given permission to build a church on the site of the city dump. It will be a blessing for these people and it will be challenging for Healing Haiti. There are some who will not be happy that Jesus is building a home in their city. Prayers will be needed for the success of the builiding and sustaining of the church. We sang with the children and prayed over the site. It was surreal, emotional and awesome all at once.
After our exhauting day of pouring water from the large water truck, playing with the children, holding and loving on all of them and carrying 50 pound buckets of water- we played soccer with the neighborhood boys. We took ten boys in the tap tap with us to a regulation size soccer field. All these old white people played these Haitian boys. Ha! What a hoot that was. They were not very gentle with us either. We had a wonderful Haitian boy be our captain and tell us all what to do. Without him we would of been a total disgrace. With him we were only half.
We had a delicious dinner prepared by our cooks and then seven of us went to the hotel pool. A beautiful hotel is up the road and we swam in their pool. Very happy to cool down and get the dirt and grime off of our bodies. It was a total contrast from what we saw in the city. Here they had a beautiful pool with tables with white table cloths and a hotel any of us would be happy to stay in, in the states.
It is so difficult to share exactly what we saw, felt and experienced. We saw past the filth and garbage and saw God's family. We saw that we all are the same, we just have different color skin and live in a country that has so much more materialism. We are all God's children and He loves us just the same.
Tomorrow Nicole and I will go to Gertrude's Orphanage and pick up some of the disabled kids so we can do water therapy. It will be less physically exhausting and just as rewarding.
God bless,
Nicole and Lis
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