Today was our first day truly experiencing what Haiti was all about. We started the day off with church. I stood in awe of these people. They had so much pride in their faith, and I was embarrassed that I wasn't able to get up and be as confident in my faith as they were. Soon though i felt right at home, singing along to the songs and praying just as much as they were. Then was the water truck stops. We had the wonderful opportunity to spend time with the children from the tent village. Teaching them songs, dances, and new games. You could tell this was a big treat for all the kids and the happiness it brought out in them was unbelievable. Soon we had to leave and go to Cite Soleil to start passing out the water.
Cite Soleil was about as shocking as it gets. The trash was everywhere, and most children were either naked or in a shirt. One thing was true though, they were happy. Happy to be living and happy to see us. With big smiles on their faces they would exclaim "Portem" (Which means hold me)and hold their little arms out. I would give them a smile, pick them up and just start talking. It didn't matter that we didn't speak the same language, we communicated through hand motions and pointing. Most the time though we just smiled and laughed. At some point i think it kinda hit everyone that you cant hold everyone, and that was really tough on me personally. It broke my heart when i would see a child just starving for some attention, and there wasn't an extra hand to hold them. It wasn't until a small Haitian girl bent down to re buckle my shoe and dust off the sand, that i understood the love these children feel towards all people. It didn't matter the color of my skin or the color of my hair. They loved me because I showed love to them. It showed me that love is unconditional. No exceptions.

~ Zibby

                                       Some of the kids at the water truck stop in Cite Solei.

So far this trip has been an unforgettable experience, and we are only two days in! Going into this day I didn't know what to expect. To start off we had the blessing of going to a church that happens everyday at 6 am. Throughout the service we were able to see the difference in how the Haitians worship and how us as Americans worship. The Haitians where up walking the aisle and shouting praises to God. It was a great way to start our day and get our mind in the right spot for the day. As we traveled to our water truck stop in Cite Soleil I was very apprehensive, I had no idea what to expect or what to prepare myself for. As we came down the street I heard the shouts of joy of the children "Hey you!" at that moment all my worries washed away because I knew that God held these children in his palms and filled them with joy and love. The kids where amazing, smiling, giggling, and always happy. All we wanted to do was love on them and keep loving on them. This day as we gave them the gift of water and love, the Haitians shared with us the biggest gift of all. They showed us that in order to be happy we don't have to have iphones, cars, designer clothes, etc. All we need is to have appreciation for what the Lord has given us and love.

~Erin

Silly Group photo at the water fill-up station