Your Pain Has Changed Me

I saw what I saw and I can't forget it
I heard what I heard and I can't go back
I know what I know and I can't deny it

Something on the road

Cut me to the soul

Your pain has changed me

Your dream inspires

Your face a memory

Your hope a fire

Your courage asks me what I'm afraid of
And what I know of love

We've done what we've done and we can't erase it
We are what we are and it's more than enough
We have what we have but it's no substitution

I say what I say with no hesitation
I have what I have and I'm giving it up
I do what I do with deep conviction

Your pain has changed me

Your courage asks me what I am afraid of
And what I know of God.

"I Saw What I Saw"
by Sara Groves
                         

Beach Party Goodbye

Before travelling to Haiti, Dan,

the orphanage director, told us that the

kids have never seen the ocean, and had never been in a pool. 

He suggested that we leave the kids on a happy note

with a beach party. 

To say that this was pure joy for the kids would be a tremendous understatement.

The morning of the party,

the kids stayed in their rooms while we decorated. 

We blew up beach balls, filled two baby pools,

hung decorations, cut fruit and prepared water balloons. 

All the while, little eyes peered at us through tiny openings in the wall, and little voices said, "Bonjour".

When the children first entered, they were given leis.

They came in silent, with curious eyes. 

Unsure of what was happening.

It didn't take long; however,

for the air to be filled with the sound of squeals.

The little girls hopped in one pool,

and the little boys in another. 

They stripped down into their new underwear,

and piled on top of each other. 

(Thanks to those who donated little packs of underwear!)

The giant smiles priceless.

Although our hearts were heavy at the thought of

leaving them at the end of the party,

their joy was contagious.

Brooke, Angela and Margaret brought supplies

for the kids to paint t-shirts. 

(Many thanks to Margaret's friend who generously donated shirts.)

The treat for the day was bowls of fruit,

cut up from our day at the market. 

Costs in Haiti are extremely high,

so this $100+ of fruit was a rare luxury.

The kids ate every bite, with no exception.

Our hope is that we also blessed the nannies this week.

These women are the hands and feet of Christ EVERY day.

Another huge hit was our water balloon toss. 

Every child smiled from ear to ear.

And at the end,

the children prayed for us. 

For us.

We have no doubt that God hears their prayers

and delights over them.

We came to bless them,

but we were the ones who received the blessing.

The Gift of God Orphanage

A place of beauty, pain, redemption, and faith.   

It is surrounded by tall, concrete walls topped with razor wire, and the entrance is a black, metal gate. 

The kids here are safe and off the streets. 

5 nannies wash laundry for 51 children in this
"laundry room".

All clothes are shared. 

Divided into boys' and girls' rooms,

the children sleep on bunks. 

Potable water is kept in giant barrels. 
Two metal cups are shared for drinks throughout the day.

Showers are taken behind a tarp,

and toilet time is a community experience.

Meals (usually rice and beans) are cooked in their
"Haitian kitchen".

The nannies prepare powdered milk in a large ten gallon bucket,
and then serve it in metal cups.

 We shed tears as we walked through the orphanage grounds, picturing the comfort of our lives back at home:

the individual bedrooms with plush bedding and bright colors, the playrooms, the loaded kitchens and laundry rooms, and the over stuffed pantries and refrigerators.  We have toys that go unplayed with and food that goes uneaten.  

Our hearts hurt for the kids.

Our hearts hurt for the way we have

lived in such abundance back at home.  

Despite the sparse conditions,

this orphanage is a place where children share, sing, make pottery, lead their own church services, and learn about the Lord.  

They learn the trade of bread making in the orphanage bakery. 

Bread is sold from a window in the "Bread of Life Bakery" and from a truck that drives through the city.   

The orphanage has endured an earthquake, two floods, a hurricane and regular unrest that frequently flares up in the streets of Port au Prince.  The children have stories of trauma, abuse and neglect. 

Still, this is a place of life. 

We'll never forget this place, and
we'll never live the same again.

Children of Haiti

We go for them.

Joy

One of our heart's desires for the kids in Haiti is to give them some moments of joy.  Some childhood.  Some giggles and some silliness.

At our retreat this past weekend,

we spent some time team-building and
practicing activities that we'll be doing with the kids. 

We'll be doing some crazy, fun "Minute to Win It" games.

There were some serious laughs as we tried to:

get five penne noodles onto a piece of spaghetti,

stack chap sticks with chopsticks,

make stack of six die on a popsicle stick,

and get a cookie from our foreheads into our mouths. 

All done in one crazy minute.

Can't wait to see the kids try these. 
Can't wait to hear them laugh. 

Thanks to Jay and Angela for the game ideas and supplies. 
Thanks to the team for being such good sports,
and STRONG "Minute to Win It" competitors!

YouTube Videos from the Orphanage

Faces.  Smiling, curious faces.  These are some of the little ones who await us in Haiti.  To see their faces makes it that much more real, that much more personal, that much more important to go and make them smile again. 

Many thanks to Brooke who found these videos taken by other mission groups at the Gift of God orphanage. 

"Looking After Orphans"

How will we spend our time in Haiti?

Loving on these little ones. 

49 little hearts, each with a story of trauma. 

Our mission will be to love on them, invest in them, and show them the love of Christ.  We'll play.  We'll do artwork, sing songs, make crafts and play sports.  We'll smile at them, listen to them, be silly with them, hold their hands, hug them and pray for them.  We will also try to bless their nannies by helping serve, and by working on minor projects. 

Our goal is to "look after them" with love.

James 1:27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.