Haiti Trip - Days 4/5

Monday was another beautiful day in Haiti - blue skies, white clouds, very hot. Because of our sticky situation with the mud on Sunday afternoon, we played it safe and rode in the back of Dr. Noel's truck to the orphanage.

We had prayed for Jakob on Sunday night, so why were we surprised to find him much improved on Monday morning? When we arrived, he was sleeping in the pack-n-play; then, he was alert and responsive all day. He even let me feed him a big bowl of porridge. What a blessing!

While six of our team were with the children and teenagers at the orphanage, the other two team members took nine caregivers back to our hotel for their "spa" day. Despite a flat-tire delay, they were able to enjoy ample time for their pampering and Bible study. None of these ladies owned a Bible either, so they were happy to receive one written in their native language.

Below you can see our team as we say goodbye to Madame Lucien, the children, and all of the others at the orphanage. John offered our thanks and prayed for them. Then, the children rushed onto our bus. They, along with the caregivers, prayed for us before we left.

After leaving the orphanage on Monday afternoon, we drove into Port Au Prince, where we spent our last night. Below is a typical street in this busy city. Sidewalks were packed along the way with vendors selling their wares, school children walking home, and men and women milling about. Traffic was crazy, with few traffic signals and many vehicles - cars, buses, motorcycles, bicycles, and even people riding on donkeys crowded the streets.

Here is the view of Port Au Prince from our hotel:

Here we are, enjoying our final breakfast together:

Our final team photo, taken in Miami. From here, Mia left us to fly back to Atlanta. The rest of us flew to Charlotte and on to Knoxville.

In the months preceding the trip, it was interesting to watch as our team evolved. Some who seriously considered going did not; and some who thought they couldn't go went. This group of ladies were each so unique, so gifted, and so lovely. It was beautiful to see them step into a difficult situation and offer themselves however they were required. I was blessed to watch them shine, and I'm thankful we shared this profound experience. I think if you asked each of them, they would say "yes," they'd do it again.