The Beginning...

Our day started with a 2:00 am wake-up and here I am blogging at 9:30 pm. It should feel like a very long day, instead all I feel is excited and inspired. In less than one day I've already been transformed in a way I could never have imagined. Everyone I encountered before arriving in Haiti told me this trip would change me, that I would never be the same. Those words are not powerful enough to express what this journey has already brought to me.

When Tom and Julie pulled in my driveway at 3 am I was greeted with an amazing amount of energy. Tom had volunteered to drive us to the airport, just drive us, he wasn't going on the trip with us. This man doesn't even know me but was willing to get up at 2 am to take ME to the airport. He was truly excited for me and my team. Our team assembled by 4am at the gate and checked our bags full of supplies for the people of Haiti. By 5 am we were through security and waiting to board the plane. After a layover in Miami and our first meal together as a team we boarded the plane for Haiti.

As I settled in for the very short flight the gentleman next to me asked what we would be doing in Haiti. We talked briefly about this being my first trip to Haiti. He had the same enthusiasm and excitement for me to experience the people of Haiti as Tom did in the car ride to the airport. I couldn't help but be overwhelmed by the passion the people that have come to this beautiful place before me possess.

As we approached Haiti I was in awe of the beautiful ocean and mountains. I didn't expect to see such beauty given the extreme poverty I had been preparing for. Quickly upon landing I saw the first tent city. Everything I had read, or picture I'd seen didn't come close to capturing the scene. To think that just two hours prior I had been in an airport with every imaginable thing I could need or want was eyeopening. I still can't find the words to describe the feeling when you first see the streets that really don't resemble anything that we would imagine driving on at home, or the haphazardly constructed tents that are homes. What got me the most was the outdoor shower that was being used by a woman amongst the tents. Such an intimate part of life that I was witnessing as we drove by.

This is only day 1, we haven't even done any work yet! We sat down to a dinner prepared by the very gracious Healing Haiti house staff, then followed up with some singing together as FanFan played his guitar. FanFan possess an amazing spirit, so incredibly God filled in his singing, I feel so fortunate to have been a part of it.

Tomorrow we will start the "work" part of our journey, delivering water to the people of Haiti. So far I have so many questions racing through my mind. Why? Why do these people have to live in such poverty? How? How can we truly help these people?

I already know that one week of my life is not enough.

Courtney McCormick

Healing Haiti Team Member

God is so good…

Five jobs. That’s what our leader, Jeff, told us we would be doing today. “When we go out with the water truck, there are five different jobs you will be doing.” Filling buckets with the water hose, moving the buckets under the water hose and out of the way, keeping the line of people and buckets moving, carrying water to people’s homes, and making ourselves accessible to the kids. Five jobs – each one important, each one meaningful, each one refreshing in it’s own unique way. With God’s strength and a lot of teamwork, we were able to perform those jobs at the end of three different roads in Cite Soleil today.

Although I knew Cite Soleil is the poorest slum in the Western hemisphere and I had seen pictures of the water truck stops before, I was not prepared for what I experienced. It was unlike anything I’d ever done, seen, smelled, heard, or felt before. Our senses were overwhelmed and overstimulated. Today we have been left nearly speechless and unable to fully process all we have experienced in this culture that is so different from ours.

Having those five jobs to do gave us a purpose in this unfamiliar environment. Filling the endless line of buckets with water was fulfilling. Watching the crowds of people desperate for free water was chaotic. Taking the heavy buckets of water through the narrow path of tin shacks was eye-opening. Being the love and playmates the children yearned for was heartwarming.

After the water truck was empty at each stop, Jeff took us for a walk to and along the beach. All I can say is “wow”! The beaches in Cite Soleil are unlike any beaches I know. As Jeff explained to us, the water truck drives as far as it can on the paved road before stopping to deliver water. Beyond the water stop is where the poorest people in Haiti live. The further from the end of the road you go, the closer to the beach you get, the poorer the people are. They are farther away from access to water, food, and services. Unlike most countries where beachfront property is considered quite valuable and where wealthy people own homes, beachfront property in Haiti is the least desirable and where the poorest of the poor live.

On our walk to the waterfront each time, we were accompanied by a small cluster of children surrounding each one of us. Amidst the endless piles of garbage, the overwhelming smells, the scene of small one room homes made with tin walls and roofs, and some children’s bare feet walking on seashells and glass was the sound of children singing “God is so good, is so good, is so good, is so good” over and over. Hearing that song from the two little girls in my arms and on my back seemed like such a contrast to what one would think they would feel considering the destitute conditions surrounding us.

During our debrief at the end of the day, Jeff asked if we sensed God’s presence today. I immediately thought of the girls I carried to the beach today. They were filled with God’s love, His hope, His Spirit. Maybe this is what Jeff was talking about when he said we need to empty ourselves completely so we can let God fill us – just like the water buckets today when we dumped any small amount of old, dirty water remaining in the bucket so we could fill it with the fresh, clean water. If we dump the remainder of our old sinful selves out and let His clean Holy Spirit fill us, maybe then we too could sing with the children without questioning: “God is so good, is so good, is so good, is so good…”

Vicki
Healing Haiti Team Member

These are the moments...

There are many moments that move my heart and confirm what God is doing through our mission in Haiti... this is one of them. All glory to God... for it is only through Him that we get to do what we do. I hope you enjoy. 

Glwa pou Bondye

Jeffrey Gacek

Executive Director

Healing Haiti.

Dear Mr. Jeffrey Gacek,

    To begin, this thank you message is long past overdue. In all my seventeen years of living, I have never become more excited about life than I did after going on the Healing Haiti mission trip. That may even be an understatement. I remember last spring, asking my mother about finding a mission trip that I could go on this past summer. She said she would look into it, and maybe she would find something that could fit around my busy schedule. I went on my way, and a few weeks later, she got a call from a family friend of ours in Minnesota that explained about two open positions on a mission trip going to Haiti that she heard was a "great experience". When I learned that we could possibly be going on a trip, I was thrilled - it was the perfect time - exactly a week before I had marching band practice, and had exactly two open spots for both me and my mother to fill. I knew we had to take it. So, we did.

    It was amazing to me that everything was falling perfectly into play. I would have a week to experience serving the Lord through compassion toward others, and I would be doing it with my mom. What more could I ask for? Clearly, I had no idea that God had crafted a marvelous plan with more beautiful surprises I had bargained for.

    Somewhere in the back of my mind, I want to believe it was coincidence that I lived the best week of my entire life with the most welcoming, incredible, faithful and accepting group of people I would ever meet in July. And then I think again, because as always, God creates my life plan. He just happened to slip in the most delightful experience for me and I got to reap the benefits of it all. Truly, the mission was God-sent. My mom and I live in Colorado, so we met Thomas and Shelley, Sue and Gary, Melissa, Laurene, Kristin, and Kristina over skype. It was an interesting way to become aquainted with them, but it worked. It worked well. I instantly felt like I was a part of something greater than a group of people ready to head into Haiti. We were all family instantly. This being my first mission trip, having that made everything easy from the start.

    Then came the wonderful staff living at the Healing Haiti guest house. Fanfan, Jean, Junior, and Fanisse (spelling?) all welcomed us with open arms and open hearts. It was unbelievable to think that they do that every week with different people, but are still able to love every person so much. I felt at home in Haiti. I was comfortable and safe with my family, and that's what got me thinking - "Why do I get this great opportunity?" Little did I know, the Haitian people were about to rock the boat I was so comfortably seated on. Granted, they rocked my world in the only way they know how - through love.

    It's so easy to get caught up in the fact that the living conditions in Haiti are terrible, and how children are sick and dying, and that there's trash on the ground that is affecting their clean resources and environment. But in the thick of it all, once I saw past these things, I saw grace. These people have difficult lives, and they struggle every day. How can they keep going? In some ways, I asked myself this all the time with a feeling of hopelessness. Yet I don't see them depressed with their heads hanging low. Once I thought about it, I couldn't recall one time where I wasn't smiled at or greeted with little effort on their part. Happiness and optimism comes so naturally to everyone there. My new extended family extended even further. I was cared for by people who had only one reason to smile - God.

    Caring for people, spending time with others who just wanted to be held or played with was so impactful. We didn't even speak the same language, but they understood me. I connected in more ways that I could have imagined to people there. A memory I hold close to my heart was the second water truck day: I had met a young girl about my age the first time we went, and I taught her "head, shoulders, knees, and toes". She loved it so much that the second time we came, we sang it again. Then, she brought me a music book containing songs. We began to sing and then she flipped to a page with instruments. She pointed to the oboe and implied that she wanted to learn how to play it. I pointed to the clarinet and said that I did play it, and we laughed. It was such a simple moment, but it meant more than just pointing to a book to me. It showed that she was willing to show me her treasures and dreams, but that she was interested in mine as well. I adored her willingness to share all she had with me, when she virtually had nothing but herself to offer. The best part is...that was just enough.

    So thank you.

    Thank you for allowing my mother and I to go on this trip. Not just for my benefit but for hers, as well. She has rekindled her love of Christ and her compassion towards others. It's always been in her blood, but Haiti reaffirmed her giving heart and got her excited about being apart of things greater than her own life. I love to see how excited she gets when she talks about her times in Haiti, with the Haitian people.

    Thank you for beginning this organization in the first place, because it changes lives every day, week by week. You've become an inspiration to Fanfan and Jean, your siblings, and anybody who has traveled with Healing Haiti or wishes to travel with them someday.

    Thank you for helping me change my perspective on the world and for giving me the plan for my future that I was looking for. I've always had a feeling that helping others would suit me well, and now I know. I'd love so much to pursue volunteer work after (or even during) college.

    Lastly, thank you for keeping a strong faith. I haven't met you personally, but I know through stories of your marvelous work that you're a man of God. I know that you work very hard to keep this program running. So thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

 

You're always in my prayers and on my mind, as are the people of Haiti and those all over the world in need. If ever you have a prayer request, I'm more than happy to pray for you. Send me an e-mail or facebook message/wall post and it's a done deal. :]

 

I hope so much to return to Haiti in the future, and maybe I can get the privilege of meeting you someday. For now, may God bless you in every way. Ke Bondye Beni 'ou.

 

Love and blessings,

Laura Elizabeth Failinger

Healing Haiti Team Member

I saw God today...

Hi guys, it's Danielle.

Today was fulfilling to say the least. Our team has meshed so well and everyone has had an open heart throughout our journey thus far. To say that I felt and experienced God today is an understatement. God is everywhere here. I have never felt so comfortable in such a foreign place. As i look at each Haitian face, I see God. There is nothing like greeting someone here with a simple "hello" and getting such an emotional loving response. This is something that we don't see very often in America and makes being in Haiti such a blessing.

Today, we brought water to the people of Cite Soleil. As I rode the water truck to our first stop, I was completely overwhelmed, but that feeling didn't last long. Here in Haiti, there is no hesitations and being selfish is simply not an option. Our whole team jumped right in and to witness such an act of God was simply incredible and to see His face in each of my teammates was one for the books. I have seen transformations already and it's wonderful. Who knew water, which we all take for granted, meant so much? I think that this experience of helping fill the water buckets and carry them to their destinations will be remembered by us all.

Our time in Haiti thus far is unexplainable. Pictures and stories simply do not do this place justice. I have met so many friends and have so many "God" moments and it's only the second day. Our Healing Haiti hosts have been such a joy and have been generous beyond belief and for this I am forever thankful. God is here. Tomorrow we will be visiting the Home for sick and dying babies and I pray that God blesses us all with an unforgettable experience. 

God Bless,

Danielle

Healing Haiti Team Member

Love

Love...so much meaning in such a small word.

Today is our last full day in Haiti and as I am sitting here this morning reflecting back on the week all I feel is love. A love for a country that I had only read about in the paper, only seen pictures of in magazines and newspapers, a love for Haiti and its people. At the beginning of the week, all I could see is the garbage, the broken streets, the mass cluster of homes bunched together, the smells around me. Now I see the faces of the people, their smiles; the people on the streets saying "Bonjour", the children yelling "hey, you!", the people working in the market. It is the people.

God is present in Haiti and it is evident on their faces. God cares about the people. Yesterday, we made a second visit to the Orphanage of Sick and Dying Children, amidst all the babies and children were the workers. While feeding a baby, I observed the ladies that work there. They selflessly share their love to these children everyday and they come back again the next day and the next. They work so hard to give God's love and touch to these children.

All around me from the people at the Healing Haiti Guest House, those who deliver water everyday, the workers at the orphanages, you can see that they have a love for their country, for Haiti. It is on their faces. These people do not have much, but they praise God for what they do have. They are grateful for all that they recieve. I do not feel sad for these people, I feel sad for myself and hope to leave with a greater appreciation for what I have and remember that all I have comes from and belongs to the Lord. 

"Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat."
—Mother Teresa


Elena
Healing Haiti Team Member

Reflection and Re-Entry

It's hard to believe that just 2 weeks ago I was packing my suitcase & preparing myself for my 1st missions trip. I heard the stories from others and had a preconceived idea of what a 3rd world country would be like but never in my wildest dream I thought I would have a hard time returning back to my home.

They call it Re-Entry. Friends who have gone before to Haiti mentioned to  us first timers that some people are very emotional while in Haiti, some will be a few days after returning home and for some people it might take a year. My special friends who were guiding us said to each of us that whatever process it might take for anyone ~ it's okay!

What great advice for me because I was wondering out loud; Why is it that I didn't shed as many tears as some others. What is wrong with me? Am I not compassionate enough?

But God was working on me in a different way. He had a plan for me. We are not designed to compare ourselves to others; we are only supposed to be hearing His voice & listening to what HE is showing me in my own journey.

So, for me 24 hours after coming home to America the flood gates opened up. I am not much of a cryer so it was so liberating to cry it out. I sat on my deck and marveled at my backyard. It was a quiet morning, the birds were singing softly, the green trees swaying lightly in the breeze, even capturing a butterfly was inspiring to me. I couldn't help but keep thinking of the word "blessed".

We are so graciously blessed - Words can't even explain it.

What do I do now? Should I be feeling guilty for living in America? Absolutely Not!

A friend said to me recently and it really stuck in my 50 year old brain, that we are NOT to block any of God's blessings but we are to acknowledge them, To Give HIM Thanks and to Pay it Forward.

So as I reflect after my 1st week of being back home and all of the milestones from my journey...I hope & pray for God to help me stay humbled and thankful for all of my blessings, to stay true to not only myself but to my family and friends and to serve others as Jesus has served all of us.

To all of my "12" disciples who embarked on this incredible journey with me I thank each of you from the bottom of my heart. I can't wait to return back to Haiti once again.

Love,

Barb Curtis

Healing Haiti Team Member