Whitestone Church

After arriving in Haiti and getting stuck in a long traffic jam, we are finally here at Cote Plage 16, our lodging for the week! We are looking forward to getting some sleep and attending a Haitian church in the morning. We ask your prayers for tomorrow. Praise the Lord! We are here!

The sun rose over Cote Plage as we prepared for our first full day in Haiti. With a total of 67 team members, the entire group worshiped together at Pastor Samson's church literally steps away from our lodging. After a greeting from Praying Pelican, Donte shared his testimony of being more than a conqueror through Jesus Christ (Romans 8:37). Joining him on stage, over half the group led the congregation in "How Great is Our God." We were all encouraged by the joy of the Lord expressed through song and God's Word. Following a delicious lunch, two buses transported us to Good Shepherd Orphanage. Sister Mona welcomed our group by sharing God's hand in establishing this beautiful home. With over a hundred children present, hours were spent just "loving on" kids. Soccer games, jump roping, coloring and bubbles triggered a few of the smiles and giggles from these precious ones. After a good supper back at Cote Plage, our orientation meeting provided information needed to make tomorrow's first official day of ministry a great one. Thanks for your continued prayers. God is definitely at work in and through us in Haiti!

It was an amazing day for those of us that have served at Mariani in the past and also for those that are here for the first time. So much has been accomplished by all of the teams that have worked so hard on the school and church at Mariani. The church looks wonderful as it nears completion, God’s hand has truly been on this place as he guides the volunteers and Haitians in their building that will be a cornerstone of this community. The day was warm as we began our work, moving rocks in a bucket line that will provide the foundation for the front steps leading into the church. After a moving block and rocks , we were rewarded with another delicious lunch provide by Madam Samson and her staff. Our return to work was interrupted by a cool Haitian rain and we closed the work day to minister to the kids and looked forward to a good night rest and our return tomorrow morning.

Today we moved bucket upon bucket of sand and dirt. Thankfully we brought a lot of people so we could switch out as we got too winded. We also moved block from the corner of the property to the top of the roof. That means straight up three stories with large cinder blocks! It was hard work, but well worth it.

Today we finished the day with VBS and Kids ministry. We had a great time seeing the kids from yesterday and even some new faces! We love the relationships that we are forming with the kids already and cannot wait to see them again tomorrow.

Tonight we had the opportunity to participate in an everyday experience in Haiti, buying and eating sugar cane off the street. Although it wasn't actually "off the street," since our vendor came into the church compound to serve us, it was a lesson in cultural diversity for sure! The vendor would slice and skin each rod of cane until it was clean and ready to eat. Then we would grab on to the other end, tell him how much we wanted and then he would chop it off while it was in our hands! We are thankful that he is very skilled in his work and with his sharp knife. It was an awesome experience and we are so thankful to get to participate in an everyday occurrence on the streets. Plus, it tasted so good!

As we arrived on site today, we were greeted with smiling faces and willing hearts. We began our morning with buckets of dirt to continue working on the stairs for the church. Then, two truckloads of cinder blocks arrived, and we began to pass the blocks up to the church. All the while, the children of Mariani helped us in line. Their joyful spirits were a constant reminder that this community will be forever grateful for the work that we are doing.

This afternoon after our lunch of ham sandwiches and fresh mangoes, we began vacation bible school. We told the story of Lazarus, and watched Jesus bring him back from the dead. We also sang some silly songs and did the hokey pokey with the kids. They loved learning the fun American dance, and afterward sang a few songs for us in Creole. We were sad to leave the worksite, but we are excited for the trip to Jacmel tomorrow. Tonight we are praying for safe travels tomorrow.

Today we were blessed to take in some of the beauty of God's creation. After a quick breakfast, we loaded onto the bus and departed Port-au-Prince for Jacmel, a small beach town across the mountains on the southern coast of Haiti. It was incredible to begin at sea level, traverse switchback after switchback to 5,000ft of elevation in the mountains, then descend back to sea level at Jacmel. The views were truly breathtaking! Once in Jacmel, we were treated to a lunch of cheeseburgers, fries, and a coke (American food!!) on the beach, followed by several hours of relaxation, swimming, and soaking up the sun. The crashing waves and vivid blue water were a welcome relief after several days of hard work in the community. Between the beautiful mountain vistas and the incredible beach it is clear to see why Haiti was once referred to as the "pearl of the Caribbean." This evening, we returned to Cote Plage to reflect on the week with the group and our host pastors. It was wonderful to celebrate the amazing things God has done this week and also hear the vision our host pastors have for the future of their work!