Our Final Day :(

Ala bon sa bon pak! (Happy Easter!) Today was our last day in Haiti. We woke up to a beautiful morning. After an amazing week of service, we took today as a day of relaxation and unwinding. We started off going to church at Grace Village at 10 a.m. Church here is one of the best things to experience. There was a lot of singing, both in English and in Creole. After the Easter Service, we headed to WAHOO! It was a little weird at first being at the beach and relaxing once you know that the children you held the day before were struggling to make ends meet. A quote that I always keep in mind says, “If you can’t feed 100 people, feed only 1.” – Mother Theresa. This helped me understand that there is only so much 1 person can do. But, only 1 person can set off a chain that can start something.
                When we arrived at WAHOO, I was surprised that we were still in the same country. The first activity we did was snorkeling, we went on a little boat and most of us jumped in and explored the ocean, which was very cool to see. When we arrived to the waters where we were going snorkeling, I looked right outside of the boat, and saw a jellyfish, so I did not participate, but most of the group did, and everybody made it out of the water without injury. This part of the Bay was beautiful because you can sit out in the ocean and look out into the mountains and see every distinct crack and bump, it was truly beautiful, as is most of the country.

                After the group went snorkeling, We all went out and jumped in the Ocean! When we all went in, some people decided to go on the water trampoline and others just swam. I was one of the people that just swam. While I was in I took a step back and really looked at my surroundings. I saw beauty all around me. I couldn’t believe I was actually in HAITI. I was surprised on thinking back on the whole week that happened. I floated on the water and looked at the sky and the mountains around me.

                As beautiful as this was, something just did not seem right, there were many people in need of help and we were on the beach with a DJ and a bunch of other dancing people around. There were many amazing things that we experienced and with leaving, we will also miss many of the things from the trip.

There will be so many things that we will miss. We’re going to miss playing “chicken” on the bus. We’ll miss Val, Manu and Maxim. We’ll miss playing soccer with the neighborhood boys and talking to them from our balcony. We’ll miss holding children, Bringing water to Cite Soleil and SPECIALLY those bumpy rides from one place to another. But, there are so many things that we take from this and each one of us knows that.

Lupe –

I’m sad to leave but happy to return. I’m thankful for everything I went through this week. S/O to my mom, I miss you and I’ll see you soon, for letting me go on this trip that I will never forget. My quote for the week is “God wrecked my life. He shattered it into a million pieces. Then, He grabbed each piece and put it back together even more beautifully. It hard knowing that all the people I’ve met and talked to, I may never see again. But I promise myself to come back to this beautiful country full of beautiful people.

Mat Rabida-

Today was a very hard day to wrap my head around, the first reason being it is the last day that we will be here and in 3 days we will be back in a high school filled with drama regarding PROM and spring sports and all of that fun stuff. And the other thing, was not working today, not working today was kind of relaxing, but if I had the choice, I would have loved to hold some more children and need and help some more people carry their water buckets. But, today was a good day. The absolute hardest thing for me was the thought that I will not be living with any of these great people that really changed the trip for me. I have made so many good relationships that I will miss very dearly, but I can not wait to be back home to my parents. Love you Mom and Dad. 

For the TG chaperones, this will be a week that we won’t ever forget.  This was Mr. Thibodeau’s first trip to Haiti and there are some visions that he will carry with him forever.  One cannot “un”see what one see’s.  What to do with it is a much larger question.  The beauty of this trip has been to watch our student’s grow-closer as a group and closer to God.  It’s always a privilege to be part of such change in these young adults and we both consider it a gift to have been a part of this growth.

We will all leave a little bit of ourselves behind, but take a much larger part of Haiti home with us.  Be patient with your student as they adjust back to their “reality”.  Each and every one of these students has brought compassion, empathy, kindness and love to each and every person they have met.  We are proud of them, and even more proud of what they have accomplished while in Haiti.

Off to bed for an 11 hour travel day!  Expect to hear from your student sometime after arriving back into the states.

Mrs. O’Neil and Mr. Thibodeau

Day 6- Water Truck and Pizza

SAK PASE! It's the Syd's and Jens!

Sorry we didn't blog last night! We got in late from eating pizza and then received all your wonderful letters.

Yesterday, we got the chance to go and do 3 more water truck stops. Overall, they were once again eye opening stops that portrayed the desperation for water and the poverty among Cite Soleil. You never know what you will see at each stop, and yesterday each stop really did show us a unique situation. Whether it was Hannah controlling the water hose and being overwhelmed with the people fighting to get water, or Thibs delivering water to homes and seeing the worst conditions he has seen on this trip, or even Sydnee bringing a child onto the Tap-Tap to bandage an open wound with Deb. Each experience we are so thankful for having. It was almost like this time doing water deliveries we were more prepared than we had been the first time and truly give ourselves 100% to every person we encountered.

One of our drivers, Maxim, grew up in Cite Soleil. When we were driving back from the second stop, Maxim pulled over on the side of the road and got out and bought new pants and a nice top. We were all confused on why he would be shopping in the middle of water delivery. It turned out he had met an old friend at the second stop who was having a hard time on his own and gave him food. He had told him to meet us at the third stop. There, he gave the man a bath, shaved his head and beard, and gave him the clothes that he had bought earlier. It was amazing to see the generosity and compassion from a man that had grown up in the situations these people were currently in. Not to mention, Maxim is a big, intimidating guy with a great heart.

After water truck, we went out to get pizza at Pizza Amour, a pizza place run by missionaries. It was a small quaint place, and even though it was right next to a busy street, it was extremely quiet and serene inside the gates. We all ordered our drinks and pizza, and while we waited, we played card games and told funny stories. The waiters were extremely courteous, and all seemed to be men in their early twenties. It was amazing to see that young people were able to find jobs and make money to help support themselves and their families. The pizza was some of the best we had ever tasted. After we finished, we all hopped on the tap-tap and drove back to the guesthouse. The drive was like no other because it was dark out, and since there weren't many lights to pollute the air, the sky was completely clear. We all made it home safely and ready to take on another day! We are sad that out trip is coming to an end, but at the same time we are anxious to get back home to our families. We thank you all for praying for us and keeping us in your minds as we have had the experience of a lifetime. Now we're about to head out to go to a Haitian church service, and then on to Wahoo. We look forward to seeing you all when we return, and we would like to wish you all a very happy Easter!

XOXO

Sydney, Sydnee & Jens :)

Day 5: Elder Visits and Grace Village

                Today, we started off a bit earlier than usual. We woke up nice and early at 5:45 to go to a service at the Church on the Rock. Those giving the service saw that they had “blancs” in their presence and, for our benefit, gave the service in cr-english (creole and English). After jamming out to an eight minute long bilingual version of “How Great is our God,” we ducked out and headed back to home base. After a hearty breakfast, we headed off for Grace Village. Grace Village was absolutely beautiful, a school/orphanage/clinic/neighborhood with an ocean AND mountain view. At Grace Village, we met Kiki and Sarah, two wonderful ladies with a passion for their service. Kiki pointed out a few key movements Grace Village was taking, including calling the orphanages “family houses”, because they were set up with two adults as parent roles, showing the otherwise parent-less kids a traditional and healthy family set-up. There also was the emphasis on not giving jobs to Americans that Haitians can do themselves. The Grace Village set up only included two Americans, because any other job, including the doctor, could and was taken by Haitians. Healing Haiti as an organization considers itself only a catalyst to the change in Haiti, and the Haitians will be the ones to take the country in the right direction. We as missionaries are only here to show the Haitians how they can help themselves and each other. After Grace Village we made visits to the elderly, washing their feet in the spirit of Good Friday and singing to them. We met a few wonderful characters, including a lady that claimed to be Vesta, but was actually an imposter, MeMe, a blind and nearly deaf old lady who was adorable beyond belief, Jean Paul, a twenty something year old who had severe epilepsy, and Camilla, who gave all of us kisses on the cheeks before we started. We learned at the elderly visits that despite their pain, poverty, and suffering, they still prayed for peace and help for all, not just themselves. After the elderly visits, we returned to Grace Village briefly to play with some very spirited children. The day ended with a delicious macaroni and cheese dinner, and as I (James) am currently blogging, everyone else is enjoying the slip and slide of the wet and rainy patio.

James:

                Today was light in the best ways. On a literal note, the sun was crazy bright and I think I caught myself a nice tan (or burn). But deeper than that, in reference to the service we’ve been doing (the water truck, Gertrude’s, and the home for the sick and dying), today was light spirited and happy. It was a break from the sadness we all needed, but it also taught me so much about spirituality. What stuck out most to me was that when we asked the elderly what we should pray for, all of them said peace. They weren’t thinking about themselves, when no one could blame them if they were. I also made a new friend at Grace Village named Reggie. As soon as he was in my arms he wasn’t going anywhere, and I played with him the entirety of the 45 minutes we were there with the kids. He was such a happy spirit, talking the whole time we were together despite my lack of conversational fluency in Creole. Today was light, today was good.

P.S. Shout-out to my lovely mother, and wish Luke a happy birthday for me.

Anna:

                To be honest, when I signed up for Haiti I was terrified and clueless about what it would be like. Today I realized the real reason I came here and why God allowed me to go on this incredible journey. It was not to change the people of Haiti, but allow them to change me and to be a catalyst for change. At Grace Village today, Kiki told me something that really hit me, she said “we can’t bring in a bunch of people and take over the roles that the Haitians have in their community, we can only empower them by teaching them how to make the change themselves. We act as a catalyst to get them started.” I learned so much today at Grace Village and after seeing so much devastation in Haiti, it was good to get a glimpse at all of the hope that Grace Village held for the future of Haiti. Though my emotions may frequently alter day to day between crying and laughing, my heart is constantly full of love for the people and culture of Haiti. I will truly be leaving half my heart in Haiti… along with half of my head of hair due to the constant braiding and yanking of my hair from the lovely children at the water-truck stops the other day.

P.S. Sending love to my family and especially my momma who is currently probably freaking out because she hasn’t been able to receive any emails from me. I am safe, love you. J

Day 4: Water truck and Haitian Initiative fields

                Day number four! The long awaited day arrived, water truck day! We all rolled out of bed and shortly after jumped on the TapTap. We proceeded to the water filling station where we waited for an hour for the Healing Haiti water truck to arrive. Lupe and Michelle befriended a few local Haitian boys, while Sydnee led the group in a game of Big Booty. After the water truck was full, we loaded up on the TapTap and took off to the poorest part of Port-au-Prince, Cite Soleil.  As we pulled in, children ran behind the TapTap attempting to jump on and anxiety set in. The first filling station was chaos. Dozens of hands reached up to us as we stepped out of the TapTap. It was nearly impossible to reach the water hose to help because no one could refuse to pick up children, desperate to be held. Anna almost reached the hose, but sat down inches away to allow the children to sit on her lap. For the next hour, we became jungle gyms for the children. Matt and Jens had children piled on them. They transformed into mounds to children. Others clung to children as they were their own. Hannah picked up a boy who clung to her, soaking in all the love she had to give. When we were done filling buckets, we headed to the location where the new church and school were being built. (It wasn’t far at all) It was a place where they used to bury bodies and trash was thrown, being transformed into a place of love and hope. The children that followed us sang and danced, “God is so good, Bondye mna bon”. With heavy hearts, we set down the children, climbed back onto the TapTap, and took off to the next location.

                The second stop was less hectic. However, there were still children awaiting our love. Within seconds, all the girls had lost their hair binders and that’s where the fun began. Noelle, Hannah, Jackie, Michelle, Anna, and Logan where all plopped on the grounds while young girls attempted to become hair stylists. Our hair was pulled out and had crazy rats nests. Luckily, a few older women came to our rescues with a comb in hand. We left with gorgeous braids, including James. Joe was the only boy who didn’t become a jungle gym, but protected a baby who fell asleep in his arms. Colleen was the only one who managed to keep her sunglasses and braid in. Her inner librarian shown through as she tried to keep the children in order. While everyone was being pulled in every direction, Thibbs befriended a Haitian man who had learned English by himself. He took advantage of the opportunities to speak English every time Healing Haiti pulled up! Once again our time seemed not long enough as we climbed into the TapTap with tears in our eyes.

                We were fortunate to be able to go the Haitian Initiative. A soccer program in Cite Solei with the purpose to bring unity and opportunity to the young boys and girls.  We pulled in and were welcomed by the young soccer players. While we waited to play soccer the players grabbed us and forced us to play a “fun” game. The boys placed their hands under ours and then tried to smack our hands before we could pull them away. They were really good and the bruises on Matt’s hands are proof! While they abused our hands, Sydney was off making a special connection with Peter, a ten year old boy. They’re married now. We then began our workout aka “warm ups”. We got our butts kicked, by kids half our age… When we arrived back at the guest house we went swimming and had a delicious Haitian meal.  

                Today was a very emotional draining day for everyone. We got to see the poorest of the poor and connect with them on a level we never imagined. We were able to reflect on our life back home and realized how blessed we are to have the things we have. We encourage everyone to take a moment to thank God for all of the blessing in their lives and to pray for the less fortunate. On the other side of things, we are having a blast and loving each other and this country more and more each day. We send our love and gratitude to those back home praying and supporting us.

With much love,

Hannah and Michelle.

P.S. We’re burnt. 

p.s.s. - internet is being stupid and not loading photos. sorry - debbie

TG Day 3: Gertrude's & The Overlook

Day 3 here in Haiti, live from the Syds:

Here is a quick overview of the day!

                Today we started the morning off real well with some fantastic French toast and EGGcelent eggs! After, we took the tap tap over to Gertrude’s orphanage. This orphanage is not like many, in the fact that it is specifically designed for children with special needs, housing few who are able body kids.  Some of us were allowed the ability to occupy the younger children in order for others to help out with a Special Olympics put on for the older kids.  At Gertrude’s  Special Olympics  they played a series of games. The first was similar to bean bag toss. One person would hold a piece of cardboard with holes, while another person would help those in the wheel chairs, throw the bean bags. The second game was basketball. A man wore a “hoop hat” and those children involved would throw a ball into the hat because ball is life, especially in Haiti J The final game involved cups arranged in a pyramid. Contestants had to knock down this pyramid of three cups with a squirt gun. To say the least, it was pretty intense.        

                But the other side of Gertrude’s contained a completely different story. Surrounded by around 15 little munchkins and monkeys, we attempted to occupy the little ones in many different ways. Activities included chalk drawing, puzzle doing, bracelet making, and using everything in us to create happiness within these beautiful kids. Although hectic, every moment throughout our day at Gertrude’s created an appreciation and acceptance for people with special needs. There is so much more to be told about our journey at Gertrude’s but it is best told from our eyes, which will touch on later in the blog.     

                After saying goodbye and giving our final hugs, we practically pulled away from Gertrude’s. We stopped back at the guest house for a quick snack break and a chance to finally catch our breath.  Upon finishing our snacks, and taking our breaths, we again boarded the tap tap and headed up the gorgeous mountains of Haiti. We were all surprised to learn that Haiti has breathtaking and completely underrated mountains. Along the way we stopped at a couple street vending areas where we were able to shop around from vender to vender.  After getting trampled with offers, we all left with things we don’t even remember buying. If you think you have self-control, come to Haiti and your savings account will be emptied from the fantastic deals offered every second by the 5 different venders surrounding you.  You haven’t been overwhelmed till you’ve tried shopping in Haiti, trust us; just thinking back on this experience has raised our blood pressure.

                With shopper’s remorse, we returned to the guest house and headed to the neighboring hotel to take a refreshing swim. We returned to the guest house attracted to the enticing aroma of tacos.  (S/o to TG for teaching us to write beautiful sentences like that last one).  It’s only appropriate that learning how to salsa dance follows tacos, right? That was pretty much our day in a nutshell. Now we would like to share our personal stories from Gertrude’s.

Btw, we just took a break from blogging to go up to the deck to play in the rain and use the smooth surface of the deck as a slip and slide. You never know what you’re going to get in Haiti. But continuing…

Sydnee:

Upon our arrival at Gertrude’s, I took in the sight of a room full of teeny munchkins before heading into a space occupied by the older kids. As a group, we met everyone then split up into older and younger sections and were allowed to help with either group. Immediately, I gravitated towards the younger children, but couldn’t quite find my match. About 10 minutes into the festivities, Deb had asked me to grab a girl about 1-2 years old because she was trying to eat the beads at the bracelet crafting table. This girl was so incredibly busy; it was tough to keep up. She was always on the go whether it was wobbling from toy to toy or climbing onto the rocking horse.  Alongside all of our running around she somehow managed to squeeze in time to taste almost everything: a marker, beads, chalk, a card, a chair, and my hair, literally anything…. I can truly say I have met my match. She had this beautiful abundance of energy and was so incredibly happy with anything and everything surrounding her. Although she was only 1-2, and many kids this age are similar in activity level, she opened my eyes to recognize the power of simplistic happiness. We can find this in the people surrounding us no matter the situation we are in and the challenges we are faced with. I will never forget Kencia.

Sydney:

Today broke me.

 I have never truly felt heart break until today, and it was completely unexpected. I had been looking forward to going to Gertrude’s since meeting one because I want to work with people with special needs for a living. The moment I arrived the only thing on my mind was holding hands and partaking in the common activity of wheel chair races. After receiving the tour of Gertrude’s, I started heading to the back half of the building to be a part of the festivities; only to be stopped my Colleen, holding a baby and  in tears asking me to please grab the other baby who was by herself. I comforted her and told her that I would take care of it. I mean how could I say no to a crying Mrs. O’Neil? I turned around the corner and my heart drop to my stomach as a saw a beautiful little girl that looked practically like a newborn, sitting awkwardly in a wheel chair that was far too large for her.  Her big brown eyes locked with mine and I grabbed her and nestled her comfortably in my arms, trying so hard not to hurt her, or break her; she was so fragile.. Her name was Sarah and she has micro syphilis, meaning her brain growth is slower than her body growth.  I found out that this baby girl, which looked only a few months old, was really two years old. This hit me, as I started to think that my nephew at this age was walking and talking, and my sweet girl couldn’t even hold her head up. For the rest of the day we danced, watched the other kids do crafts, looked at the flowers and I even got her to crack a smile, which was unusual due to her slow development.  And sang baby beluga until she fell asleep against my chest. For 30 minutes, I watched her sleep and held her close to me trying to give her every bit of my love that I had, until it was the moment that we had to go. It is hard to even begin to describe the heartbreak I felt placing my peacefully rested girl back into her wheel chair and kissing her goodbye. Tears of sadness, happiness, gratefulness and appreciation rolled down my face all at once, as I couldn’t even look back when leaving the gate. I can truly say that my heart will be left in Haiti, in the arms of my Sweet baby Sarah.

Once again, thank you all for your consistent prayers and thoughts as our lives are greatly impacted every moment. We miss you all and love you too.

-Syd R and Syd B <3

PS. To Michelle’s parents- be proud of Michelle, she’s survived 3 days and only has a slight pink on her cheeks. No severe sun burn yet J