Haiti Trip 2017 Update #4

Our Group at Teague's Place

“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” James 1:27

Today we started the day at Mupanah, the National History Museum of Haiti. Daisy and I got to go through the museum last year, but Ashley wasn’t feeling well and missed out. So it was a real treat for everyone to go through.

 

Girls at the entrance to the Museum

I am thankful for IMF and Sarah starting our week out at the Museum. It really helps to gain an understanding of the culture and people as we minister to Haitians this week. Unfortunately we could not take any pictures, but there was some amazing things to see…including the original anchor from the Santa Maria. I’d encourage you to do some research, the history of Haiti may change your perception of Christopher Columbus and the early explorers.

After leaving the Museum, we headed to a Memorial for the people who lost their lives in the 2010 earthquake. Due to the amount of lives lost that day, they buried the deceased in a mass grave. No one knows exactly how many are buried there, but the estimate is from 250,000 to 400,000 people. As I was there, I just considered that Akron has 200,00 people in it. Can you imagine the devastation of our home town? Many of the men and women we work with here have been touched by these sufferings.

Visiting the Orphans  

 

Setting Up the Volleyball net

After learning about the history and gaining a perspective on their sufferings, we headed to an orphanage. I was super excited when I realized this was an orphanage that we had visited two years ago on our first trip.

This orphanage is run by a pastor who has staffed it with loving adults and a Gospel presence. As we drove up and exited the bus, all the kids began to file out of the house and greet us with a handshake or a hug, most of them hugged us.

 

Coloring with the kids

We split the groups in half, the older children went to the volleyball clinic and the younger ones colored pictures and played with us. Sarah later told us how unique it is for us to have extended time to just be with, love and talk with the children. Most visits are short, but we were there for three hours.

 

She gave me her coloring :)

What comes to mind when you hear the word orphan? Most of us quickly think of a child without a mother and father. Here in Haiti, most of the orphans are “economic orphans,” meaning that mom and/or dad cannot afford to provide for their child and so they find them homes in orphanages. Due to this, there are a lot of bad orphanages, so we praise God when we encounter one like this.

Selfie time with Jeremiah

Everyone was well behaved, well dressed, well-fed and treated each other like family. And they were so excited to spend time with us.

 

Alexis showing some love

Ashley loving the kids

We got to hand out the dresses our ladies made!

Shane and I helping coloring 

After running around playing volleyball, soccer, jump ropes, bubbles, etc, we were exhausted when we loaded the bus to leave. Yet none of us wanted to leave.

Teague’s

After leaving the orphanage, we headed to Teague’s place. Teague is a fisherman on the ocean. When we stop and visit, he takes us out on his boats for a quick ride. It was a beautiful day and we had a blast!

Returning to the lodge for dinner, we bumped into a group from Huston Texas who missed their flight home and Delta put them up in our hotel. It just so happened that on this team was a father and daughter, the Fryhoffs, who knew the Emichs and were from Copley before they moved to Texas. It’s little blessings like this that God gives us just because He loves us!

 

I saw a Stop sign in Haiti, but they put posters all over it...they don't pay attention to it anyway haha

Tomorrow we will be heading to the orphanage we went to last year and then to the Market in the afternoon. Lord willing, we will get to a second orphanage tomorrow afternoon too.