Day 1 - Sunday March 23
I normally am not a journaler, but was challenged to journal about our week in Haiti. This was my first trip to Haiti and the fourth trip for our youth group. My son Tyler went with the first group in 2011, and my sons Tanner and Trent went in 2013 (and this year).
I felt led to read Acts Chapter 1 for my morning quiet time that day. Although I have read it many times, a part of Acts 1:1 really jumped out at me. Luke said he was writing about all that Jesus had 'begun to do.' This struck me as odd initially, because at this time Jesus had already been crucified and resurrected. After thinking about it, I realized that believers today are simply called to continue the things that Jesus 'began to do.' That was what we came to do in Haiti - to continue in Jesus' work. Just as Jesus gave instruction to the apostles through the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:2), He instructs us through the Spirit as well.
I normally am not a journaler, but was challenged to journal about our week in Haiti. This was my first trip to Haiti and the fourth trip for our youth group. My son Tyler went with the first group in 2011, and my sons Tanner and Trent went in 2013 (and this year).
I felt led to read Acts Chapter 1 for my morning quiet time that day. Although I have read it many times, a part of Acts 1:1 really jumped out at me. Luke said he was writing about all that Jesus had 'begun to do.' This struck me as odd initially, because at this time Jesus had already been crucified and resurrected. After thinking about it, I realized that believers today are simply called to continue the things that Jesus 'began to do.' That was what we came to do in Haiti - to continue in Jesus' work. Just as Jesus gave instruction to the apostles through the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:2), He instructs us through the Spirit as well.
Around 8:45 am we walked from the SMI House to the dedication and opening of the new church in Guitton. They previously met under a large tent. Last year on the same trip, the FBC team helped spread rock for the floor to be poured. One year later, we were there for the dedication. I did not know what to expect, but when we came upon the church, probably 200+ Haitians were dressed in their very best clothes. As it turned out, over 600 people attended(including pastors from other churches and some government dignitaries).
The service lasted for 3+ hours and God was glorified through music and through drama and through some speaking.
The service lasted for 3+ hours and God was glorified through music and through drama and through some speaking.
After church, we walked back to the SMI house, and many of our youth played with the neighborhood kids. The Haitian children at the church and playing at the school were so beautiful. As I looked into their joyful eyes as our kids played with them, the one thing that captured my mind was that "Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world."
Late Sunday afternoon, we walked from the SMI house to the ocean, just a quarter mile or so away. Pastor Alexandre was baptizing four relatively new believers from his church at Nanwòch. In Haiti, they generally wait a few months before they baptize, just to make sure that they are fully committed to Christ (and not just making a decision for other reasons).
After attending a new church dedication and a baptism within 24 hours of arriving in Haiti, my week almost could have ended there. But believe it or not, the week got even better after that.
Late Sunday afternoon, we walked from the SMI house to the ocean, just a quarter mile or so away. Pastor Alexandre was baptizing four relatively new believers from his church at Nanwòch. In Haiti, they generally wait a few months before they baptize, just to make sure that they are fully committed to Christ (and not just making a decision for other reasons).
After attending a new church dedication and a baptism within 24 hours of arriving in Haiti, my week almost could have ended there. But believe it or not, the week got even better after that.
Day 2 - Monday March 24
On our 2nd day, we went to an orphanage in Bon Repos. One year ago, the facility was just a tent, along with a small, crude room for cooking (that probably looks like a Haiti kitchen looked 100 years ago), and very small bunk rooms where children slept. The conditions were not ideal.
One year later, the first floor of a new building is completed. This well-built
building is where the children now go to school and play during the day. In
addition to this large room, behind the back wall are three small rooms for the
Haitian director of the orphanage, the sons of the director, and a storage/supply room. There are about 65 kids at the orphanage now. The walls of the second floor were being built while we were there. The walls were almost halfway complete.
One year later, the first floor of a new building is completed. This well-built
building is where the children now go to school and play during the day. In
addition to this large room, behind the back wall are three small rooms for the
Haitian director of the orphanage, the sons of the director, and a storage/supply room. There are about 65 kids at the orphanage now. The walls of the second floor were being built while we were there. The walls were almost halfway complete.
When we first arrived, we were met with open arms by beautiful children who wanted hugs and some individual attention. The small staff of the Orphanage simply isn't able to daily hold and hug and individually love on all the kids. With 65 of them and 35 of us, many people were holding two children in their arms or laps.
While it was fun to give love and sing songs with the kids, we had some work to do there, so our young men (and some of the older guys) helped carry several truckloads of blocks and mortar upstairs to the Haitian team upstairs laying the block walls. It seemed like just about every time we had them moved, the truck would come back with more block, or it would be time to carry mortar. We walked the blocks and buckets up the back stairs, until the Haitians showed us how to pass the bricks up the ladder.
We worked until lunch. The upstairs will have three bedrooms for the boys and two bedrooms for the girls and a play room. The conditions of these new rooms, when completed, will be 1000 times better than the very small rooms they are in right now. The entire sleeping quarters for all the kids now is probably smaller than two of the new rooms upstairs in the new building. SMI has a donor who has provided new bunk beds and furnishings for the building.
We got a lot of work done by lunch time, and we were mostly able to play with the kids after lunch, with a few more sporadic truck loads of block that needed to be moved upstairs. The kids simply didn't want us to put them down. One of the ideas we had while planning the trip was to take them something tangible and longer lasting than candy or coloring books. We decided to take them flip flops, and let them decorate with ribbons, stickers or magic markers (to write their names on them).
Many of the older kids were learning English at the Orphanage, and they knew some songs in English (Jesus Loves Me, Amazing Grace, etc.). The kids did not want us to let go of them all day. We took SMI's cotton candy machine, and even some of the neighborhood kids showed up for the cotton candy when it was time for that. We also took fingernail polish, which was a huge hit with all the kids (even the boys…)
The team members that went last year said that the countenance on the faces of those children was substantially better than it was when they stopped and played with them last year. I think the new building, learning more about Jesus, and the relationship with SMI has solidified in their minds that someone truly does love them and want them to succeed in life.
It was very difficult to leave the kids, but we knew we were going back later in the week, so we told them that we would see them later. As we drove off, I wondered if the kids would still be playing on a dirt floor in a tent if SMI hadn't partnered with this orphanage.
Shane Gibson
First Baptist Church
Cleveland, TN
While it was fun to give love and sing songs with the kids, we had some work to do there, so our young men (and some of the older guys) helped carry several truckloads of blocks and mortar upstairs to the Haitian team upstairs laying the block walls. It seemed like just about every time we had them moved, the truck would come back with more block, or it would be time to carry mortar. We walked the blocks and buckets up the back stairs, until the Haitians showed us how to pass the bricks up the ladder.
We worked until lunch. The upstairs will have three bedrooms for the boys and two bedrooms for the girls and a play room. The conditions of these new rooms, when completed, will be 1000 times better than the very small rooms they are in right now. The entire sleeping quarters for all the kids now is probably smaller than two of the new rooms upstairs in the new building. SMI has a donor who has provided new bunk beds and furnishings for the building.
We got a lot of work done by lunch time, and we were mostly able to play with the kids after lunch, with a few more sporadic truck loads of block that needed to be moved upstairs. The kids simply didn't want us to put them down. One of the ideas we had while planning the trip was to take them something tangible and longer lasting than candy or coloring books. We decided to take them flip flops, and let them decorate with ribbons, stickers or magic markers (to write their names on them).
Many of the older kids were learning English at the Orphanage, and they knew some songs in English (Jesus Loves Me, Amazing Grace, etc.). The kids did not want us to let go of them all day. We took SMI's cotton candy machine, and even some of the neighborhood kids showed up for the cotton candy when it was time for that. We also took fingernail polish, which was a huge hit with all the kids (even the boys…)
The team members that went last year said that the countenance on the faces of those children was substantially better than it was when they stopped and played with them last year. I think the new building, learning more about Jesus, and the relationship with SMI has solidified in their minds that someone truly does love them and want them to succeed in life.
It was very difficult to leave the kids, but we knew we were going back later in the week, so we told them that we would see them later. As we drove off, I wondered if the kids would still be playing on a dirt floor in a tent if SMI hadn't partnered with this orphanage.
Shane Gibson
First Baptist Church
Cleveland, TN