I will backup some and start from the beginning.
This summer we will be hosting 20 teams and the first three arrived on June 12th. I had learned at our staff meeting that I would be traveling with the team that would be going to Haiti. I felt a mixture of emotions ranging from excitement to nervous anticipation for what may lie ahead in the following days.
We arrived in Dajabon, the border town on the D.R. side and walked with Arcenio Jimenez across the border into Haiti where we piled in the back of trucks to get to our final destination about 10 minutes away. As we drove through the streets of Haiti, or rather, the dirt roads of Haiti, my heart was pierced with sadness. Naked children everyone, women and men who looked twice their age, standing on their front porches as the truckload of "blans" drove through the village of Ounamenthe, swollen bellies, hungry eyes, the evidence of destruction surrounded us.
We arrived at the dormitory and the team began preparing their first VBS for the kids at "Le Orphellinat," the orphange. 38 kids live here, and recieve meals, schooling, and some are even learning a trade like sewing. There is quite a lengthy process for a child to live at the orphanage. The kids, undoubtably, were thrilled to see us.
At the orpahange
The team leader was fluent in Creole, so she was able to communicate with the kids in a way that us "blans" were unable to do thus far. We also had Romano, a Haitian who works with G.O., and several other translators with us, but their was something magical and spiritual about hearing the leader speak to the little ones in their native tongue. The team sang songs, played games, and told the story of God creating the world, and how he created each one of them very very special. That evening the clouds turned black and it poured down rain, turning the little dirt road that seperated the orphange from the dormitory and church into a river, that was untravelable. I sat there wondering how many houses were flooded... how much more damage did the rain bring?
In Haiti no one has electricity. Imagine when the dark falls, your day ends. People go to bed very early, and something we were not prepared for was just how early they get up. 5am is the usual time. The light is a precious and valuable commodity to the Haitians.
The team leader was fluent in Creole, so she was able to communicate with the kids in a way that us "blans" were unable to do thus far. We also had Romano, a Haitian who works with G.O., and several other translators with us, but their was something magical and spiritual about hearing the leader speak to the little ones in their native tongue. The team sang songs, played games, and told the story of God creating the world, and how he created each one of them very very special. That evening the clouds turned black and it poured down rain, turning the little dirt road that seperated the orphange from the dormitory and church into a river, that was untravelable. I sat there wondering how many houses were flooded... how much more damage did the rain bring?
In Haiti no one has electricity. Imagine when the dark falls, your day ends. People go to bed very early, and something we were not prepared for was just how early they get up. 5am is the usual time. The light is a precious and valuable commodity to the Haitians.
The second day we awoke we saw the effects of the rain, the orphanage was flooded and the water was up to our ankles. The kids in the orphanage made trip after trip walking to the dormitory/church grounds with buckets and trays and piled them high with dirt and walked with them on their heads back to the orphanage to fill up the water. Many others were busy that morning bucketing the water out of their houses.
bringing sand to the orphanage
Over the course of three days the team prepared for VBS in the morning at the church, and then in the afternoon they held a soccer camp. Kids lined the fence just waiting for us each day.
Soccer camp
One afternoon I was working on a project at the dorms and I heard this group of children shouting from down below "jackleen, jackleen, jackleen." As the time in Haiti was dwindling every day, my heart grew more and more sad. One of our last days in Haiti we spent doing a VBS at Elonce Bernandin's church. Elonce is a Haitian pastor with 6 kids. He and his wife have recently adopted a child. She had malaria, and now she is having other problems with a tumor/ cyst that if it does not go away with treatment, they will have to operate. This man of God is supported by my home church in Las Vegas. I had only been to his church once before and a picture of it hangs on my wall. It was about a 25 minute walk to his church and kids came out from everywhere. Many naked. we piled over 200 kids into the church to tell them about Jesus. We gave out dolls, candy, and toys to each child. When we left the kids followed us, hand in hand, to the other side of town.
At Elonce's church
The team was such a blessing to our Haitian brothers and sisters. We attended church with them, led worship, we sang songs in Creole, and a pastor on the team preached 2 nights in a row.
One evening the women from the church walked up to the Dormitory, and stood there in a line. We wondered what they could possibly be doing until they opened their mouths, and the most beautiful song came forth. I imagined in heaven it would sound as beautiful as it did that night.
We spent time with the kids in the orphanage one last morning before it was time to pack up and head out. We left Sunday morning after tearful goodbyes, and promised returns at the church.
I was a broken person. I sat in church each night and Sunday morning, unable to stop from crying as I looked around, as I heard the sounds of my Haitian brothers and sisters worshipping God in a way that I could not. With nothing they had everything. I had so much, and yet, so little.
I am so thankful to CCC for their hard work and sacrafices made to share Christ in this community. There is so much yet to be done. So many more lives to be saved, churches to be built, mouths to be fed, and G.O. has just barely touched the tip of the iceberg in Haiti.
God is so good, amidst all the tragedy and suffering in Haiti, he is still the LORD, who will one day, redeem his people and all in the world will know they are a people that the LORD has blessed.
I long to return and hope to soon.
I would ask you to please continue to pray for our brother and sisters in Haiti, and ask how God might want to use you to meet the needs of his people. If you are interested in partnering with me and the ministry in Haiti, please email me at jackie.douglas@go-ministries.org, and I will get you more information.
I have created a video of the team's adventures in Haiti, please watch it. The link in in the Ministry video section or you can scroll down to my past blog and there is a link there as well.
There is still much espwa for Haiti.
God bless you all.
Jackie
The team was such a blessing to our Haitian brothers and sisters. We attended church with them, led worship, we sang songs in Creole, and a pastor on the team preached 2 nights in a row.
One evening the women from the church walked up to the Dormitory, and stood there in a line. We wondered what they could possibly be doing until they opened their mouths, and the most beautiful song came forth. I imagined in heaven it would sound as beautiful as it did that night.
We spent time with the kids in the orphanage one last morning before it was time to pack up and head out. We left Sunday morning after tearful goodbyes, and promised returns at the church.
I was a broken person. I sat in church each night and Sunday morning, unable to stop from crying as I looked around, as I heard the sounds of my Haitian brothers and sisters worshipping God in a way that I could not. With nothing they had everything. I had so much, and yet, so little.
I am so thankful to CCC for their hard work and sacrafices made to share Christ in this community. There is so much yet to be done. So many more lives to be saved, churches to be built, mouths to be fed, and G.O. has just barely touched the tip of the iceberg in Haiti.
God is so good, amidst all the tragedy and suffering in Haiti, he is still the LORD, who will one day, redeem his people and all in the world will know they are a people that the LORD has blessed.
I long to return and hope to soon.
I would ask you to please continue to pray for our brother and sisters in Haiti, and ask how God might want to use you to meet the needs of his people. If you are interested in partnering with me and the ministry in Haiti, please email me at jackie.douglas@go-ministries.org, and I will get you more information.
I have created a video of the team's adventures in Haiti, please watch it. The link in in the Ministry video section or you can scroll down to my past blog and there is a link there as well.
There is still much espwa for Haiti.
God bless you all.
Jackie
My favorite picture from Haiti:
