We arrived in Haiti the Thursday before last and noticed that there have been a lot of changes made in the country starting with the airport. Things seemed to be a lot more organized as they guided us through customs to baggage claim. We had no problems getting our luggage and making it out without having to pay someone.....which is definitely different than last time! Once we walked out of the building to find our ride, we noticed that there were fences up holding back the Haitians from grabbing our luggage and trying to help us to our vehicles in hopes of getting money. We quickly found our ride and made our way to the Foursquare base camp. It was nice to see all the changes made around the church as we passed by on the way to the house. The wall we had helped move rock for last time was completely up around the church with a huge gate in front. Ground had been leveled out and all the grass and weeds behind the church had been cleared out. It was so amazing to see all the hard work that had been done in just 3 months!
Once getting to base camp we received instructions for what we would be doing for the next few days. We were invited to hike up to a village out of Port Au Prince called Lascahobas. There is a Foursquare church located at the top of the mountain and they asked us to put on a Vacation Bible School program for the children up there for a few days. We planned projects for the kids along with lessons, and lots of games and other activities. Early the next morning we packed up our stuff and began our 2 hour journey in a Tap-tap (the vehicles that transport people in Haiti). Once we were at our destination we were greeted by about 30 Haitians that were going to be walking up the mountain with us to their village, Lascahobas. We unloaded all of our supplies and personal luggage along with ten new wooden benches that another team had made for the church. As things were being unloaded, the Pastor of the Foursquare church began calling kids over to pick up the benches and then he placed them on their heads. They carried these benches along with other items we brought up the mountain on top of their heads. I still don't understand how they did it, but I saw it happen and I am amazed!
I took a look up at the mountain in front of me and was not sure I would even be able to make this hike. The trail was almost straight up and it just kept going. This was by far the hardest thing I think I have ever done. We hiked up the mountain for an hour and a half and all the trails were straight up. I of course was in the very last group and we took our time....stopping along the path at any shaded area we could find because it was so hot. The Pastor stayed with us the whole time, making sure we were going the correct way. I kept telling him that he could go on ahead of us, but he insisted on walking slowly with us and making sure we made it!
Once at the top I was blown away by the view. It was one of the most amazing places I have ever seen. It was absolutely beautiful. We set up our tents and placed tarps around the toilet that sat on a slab of cement behind the church. It looked like it was going to rain a little so we put the rain flies over our tents and then joined the Haitians in the church. While sitting in the church, which is a building made of a tin roof and tarps for walls, the wind started to blow and the rain started to fall. The storm was beginning to hit and we all scattered throughout the area where we had placed our tents, making sure everything was secure. The wind picked up and the rain was coming down even harder. The tarps we had placed around the toilet were blowing away and it took everything we could do to stand there making sure we didn't lose the tarp. Because the rain was coming down so hard we decided to put the tarp from the bathroom over our tent to keep things dry. By this time we were all completely soaked from head to toe. Once everything was finally secure, or as well as we could make it, we went back into the church to wait the storm out. I can honestly say that I have never been in a storm like that before.
This is a few of us at our camp in the midst of the storm, completely wet!
All three nights that we were in the village, the Pastor invited us to a prayer meeting. The Haitians would all sing worship to the Lord, which was by far one of my favorite parts! They would sing with everything they had in them and it was beautiful. After a few songs, the worship leader would then read a Psalm. Then they would all sing a few more praises to the Lord. Each night one person from our team would share what the Lord had put on their heart. Our interpreter, Robenson, was there to help us out!
During the day we would play games with all the kids of all ages. We had relay's which was so fun to watch them participate in. Even the older women in the village joined in the games! Our team played in a few soccer games, one of which was in the mud and everyone was slipping and falling all over the place! Everyone in the village would come out and watch the games being played and would cheer and laugh with all of us. Basically we were up in their village to love on the people, but really what happened was they loved on us just as much. It was an incredible week of learning what community really is all about. These families live together, eat together, play together and love each other. It really was amazing to see!
While on the mountain the Lord spoke to me a lot about His presence. I was sitting up on this mountain looking out at the Lord's beauty and resting in His presence. He instructed me on what we needed to be doing the whole time we were up in Lascahobas. Without Him I would have been so lost and not really knowing what we could be doing for these people.....but He showed me that we were up there for a specific reason and He guided our steps along the way. I don't want to ever leave His presence. In His presence things happen! When we are in His presence, He gives us instruction and we, in obedience, get to move see things happen that wouldn't out of His presence. As I learned a lot about the presence of the Lord on that mountaintop, I realized that I need to bring that down into my every day life.....the valley. I don't want to go anywhere without being in His presence. I want the Lord to invade my life completely....and I want to see the unbelievable happen.
There were so many more things that happened in Haiti, but really this was the part that impacted me the most. Thank you for your prayers and support as our team went to Haiti. This trip will always have a special place in my heart.....it really did change me and for that I am so grateful!
~Kim~
