Another EXCELLENT day

Written Thursday, February 23, 2018

Today was another excellent day in Haiti. I’m always amazed at the incredible love that is universal in our small world. Today we visited a new orphanage (including an on-site school) near Port Au Prince. The orphanage is called No Place Like Home - Sweet Home (NPLH). It was founded by a couple of Americans after the 2010 earthquake. Many of the original children lost their parents  during the earthquake. Today, we played with the preschoolers & school age kids. Our team noticed that all the children were very well behaved and content. The teachers and staff greeted us with big smiles. It was such a good feeling to see such love and contentment.

When our team sees these great organizations working toward a better community, we have hope their future. At the end of the day, we can leave knowing that there are people taking care of these kids, giving them a chance to change a country.

So much history, hope, potential and joy in a complicated world. Sometime your have to go all in. That where the real change begins.

Jennifer L.

Can you describe a day in Haiti with one word?

(Written Wednesday, February 21, 2018)

Gratitude

Progress

Fast

Happy

Complicated

Growth

Friendly

Overwhelming

Results

One

These are some of the “words of the day” from our team members in Haiti this week. We experience highs and lows. We laugh, cry, sing, cheer, give and receive support. Every day offers something different. The one constant is that we see, first hand, that we are all children of God, put on earth for a purpose. One of the strongest statements we heard today was from Brother Simon of the Missionaries of the Poor: Disability is not inability. Inability is not disability.

We pray and hope that we remember the lessons from the week and carry them forward for the rest of our lives.

Eileen B.

"Whatever you did for one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me."

Written Tuesday, February 20, 2018

Today was water truck day, where we visited Cite Soleil to deliver water to those who live there. It was a beautiful experience. The children were genuinely excited to see the truck pull up, and had big smiles as we got out of the truck. We were the children’s entertainment while their parents filled their buckets with water. It was a day that you couldn’t help but wonder how you could be of more service to these people, and a day that challenged your perspective. These children are living in extreme poverty, yet they have the largest smiles on their faces. I have so much and it is not to say that I am not happy, but it challenges my perspective on happiness and what really brings a person true happiness. At the end of the night, our group gathered around to share our thoughts on the day and we ended our day with a wonderful excerpt from Mother Teresa’s book, “No Greater Love.” She had amazing perspective on our world and differences between being physically poor versus those who are spiritually poor.

The reality is that we need each other to satisfy those needs. Our day ended with a reading from Matthew 25, “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me. Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’ And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me.’ 

Jane F.