Still So Much to Do!

Today is Friday and as we reflect on the week, we accomplished many things to include projects, experiencing rural Haiti, spending time with the students at Village of Hope, and with the orphans at Little Children of Jesus.  We all acknowledged that there is still so much to do!  So much to do in support of the Lazarus Project here in Haiti including the Health clinic and the Village of Hope School and on a larger scale, addressing governmental, business, and agricultural reforms designed to benefit all Haitians.  We encourage everyone to join us in a prayer for these needs.

Today, a few of us did some manual labor at Hope House.  Jim and Sarah shoveled rock in to the wheelbarrow (and no we're not practicing to do hard time!), Paul moved the wheelbarrow and dumped in designated locations for Greer and Jana to rake.  This was all accomplished before 8:00 this morning!

Then we went to Little Children of Jesus which is always a moving, emotional experience.  These orphans have mental and physical disability.  As we've learned they may have broken bodies and/or minds, but their spirits are alive.  Our experience included holding, touching, and trying to communicate each of the orphans to let them know we care.  There are 90+ orphans at LCJ ranging in age from 5 years to 40 years old.  The facility is a previous UN compound which was a vast improvement over the facility that we first saw six years ago.  It has been a blessing for these orphans.  Paul and Devin (Marshall's daughter), blew up balloons which was a big hit for all of the kids, those who could walk and those confined to wheelchairs or cribs.  It's a difficult visit but a joyful one as well.  

Following our visit to LCJ, we headed up to the Baptist Mission which involved climbing up over 4,000 feet to the mountains beyond Port-au-Prince through Petionville.  Again, the ride takes us through many different neighborhoods where Haitians work and live which is always an eye-opening experience.  The Baptist Mission itself is an interesting destination, but it's more about the ride.  At the Mission we ate lunch, shopped, toured the "zoo," and walked through the museum.  

Returning to Hope House, we had some fellowship time.  An added bonus was to visit with the family of Lucien, our driver.  This is a family that Greer has known for 8 years and it has been fun to see them grow up over the years.  We ended the evening with devotions lead by Jim and communion lead by Greer.  Our devotions time each night has been an enriching experience.  

One thing that we've learned is that everyone on the team has been spiritually uplifted through this experience.  We would encourage others to consider serving on a servant team some time in the future.

Signing off from Haiti,
Sarah and Triple S

Photos:  Jana with an orphan at LCJ, Paul doing his thing with the balloons at LCJ, Susan playing with a little girl at LCJ, a street market on the way to the Baptist Mission, the view on the drive home from the Baptist Mission