Today was our first full day in Haiti and what a day it was. We started out the day with French toast, top-notch oatmeal and excitement to see how God would use us today. We all pilled into the truck and I got to ride up front with the drivers. 

            Today was water truck day. We met up with Healing Haiti’s water truck and headed off to our first destination. The minute I got out of the truck I had a little two-year-old run up and throw her arms up asking me to hold her. What a perfect start to my day out in the city! Our service consisted of delivering water to an entire neighborhood. We filled up water buckets, helped them carry them to their homes and played with all the kids in the area who were extremely excited to see us! We held kids, played some soccer, sang some songs and totally loved on all of them. Their openness and joy in the midst of some of their harsh living conditions was so heart warming to see. I wish we were more like them.

            We made three stops like this with short breaks while the water truck returned to the station to fill up. Each area of the city we visited was so thankful for our help. We got a lot of smiles, thank-yous and even some hugs. There was even a music school at the third stop where a Haitian band/orchestra played a rendition of the star spangled banner for us. Although we weren’t there as servants of America, but Christ, we still appreciated the gesture and something to remind us of home in the midst of a totally different culture.

            The entire day was pretty hot and sweaty for us pasty Minnesotans, but our entire team returned to our guesthouse filled with the tiredness, but also the satisfaction that comes from spending our day showing God’s love to his people in Haiti. We don’t speak the language, we look quite different and our culture is very different from the Haitian culture, but God’s love translates across all people groups and we’re looking forward to sharing that over the rest of the week here.

                                                                                                -John Walt

            Haiti: the poorest nation in the world. Cite Soliel: the poorest city in the world. Tent cities: incredible poverty, beautiful people, clean people, these places became tent cities after the great earthquake of 2010. They probably don’t think that they are poor.

Tuesday: water truck day. We were dispensing water to the people of Cite Solie. The children would line up at that back of the truck with 5 gallon buckets and containers to collect the clean water. Water seems to be the life blood of Haiti. People would stand in lines several hundred feet long with their buckets waiting for the water that was given to them for free. Only Healing Haiti would do this free of charge. While water would be dispensed, the young kids would want to be picked up and just held and given love. A lot of the kids had no clothes on because there was no money for clothing in their family. Healing Haiti delivers water to the Cite Solie, the place most in need of water.

            If only everyone in the U.S. could experience this type of living for one week. If they did, they would not be able to ever complain. They would have more appreciation for the important things in life.

                                                                                                -Joel Lundquist

Prayer Requests:

            -Alec: protection from illnesses we come in contact with (wants to make sure his Mom at home stays healthy when he comes back)

            -Open hearts to God’s will

            -Emotional preparation for each day’s tasks, especially tomorrow’s (will be visiting home for the sick and dying as well as the hospital)

            -Team Unity

            -Patience with each other

            -Anxiety

            -Safety, driving conditions

            -Health and restoration for the whole team

            -Direction for Ezra

            -Eyes to see people as Jesus does

            -Being present in each situation