Where to begin...
First, let me start by saying today was my favorite day. God showed his presence among each and every one of us. I have never seen the Holy Spirit work in such a powerful way within the hearts of an entire group of people, and I can honestly say, it was comforting and refreshing.
We thank God for waking us up this morning and for blessing us with the opportunity to spend another day with our brothers and sisters in Haiti. Our morning started off just right with the taste of home. Our lovely hostesses filled our bellies with southern cooking. We enjoyed fried chicken, potatoes, papaya, and toast. And yes, you read that right, fried chicken and potatoes.
Following breakfast, we had our daily devotion, which was led by Myron and Lynn or should I say, my lovely parents. Their devotion focused on humility and learning to be humble. We prayed that throughout this journey and when we return home that we will decrease ourselves and increase God. It was the perfect devotion when you look at our lives and our culture. Being in Haiti is the perfect place for allowing you to humble yourself and be more like Christ.
With the morning off to a great start, we were excited and ready. Jedlain told us that our agenda consisted of experiencing "A Day in the Life of a Haitian" in the morning, followed by the souvenir market and the Wisdom Club in the afternoon. What a great day ahead! As I stated from the first day, Satan has been working overtime since we started on this journey, and it wasn't any different today. Shortly after the conclusion of devotion, we were told that there was a hole in the radiator of the bus, and therefore, we would be unable to leave and head to Bohoc.
Little did we know that it was all God's plan. What we thought was Satan working overtime was a blessing in disguise. God was in control all along. With no where to go and nothing but time on our hands, God came into our hearts and worked on us. I spent the morning sitting outside on the patio, taking in the scenery and using the time to reflect on the experience and how God has called me to be a servant in international missions. Joey, Christi, Ramsay, Tracey, and Leah used the time to take a walk around Pignon. While they were walking, they ran into two people who were in need of prayer, and they prayed and laid their hands on those individuals.
Even though they didn't understand nor speak English, God is God in every language. Those individuals knew what was in our team's hearts and they knew the love of Jesus Christ. Just look at the way God works. God is always in control and He always has a plan, no matter what.
Dave and Carson played a game of chess. Well, it was really Carson teaching Dave how to play. Cathy, Jonathan and Ashley entertained a few of the children in the front, while Leslie conversed with Jedlain. Myron and Lynn spent the time relaxing on the patio, catching up on social media, and sending a few emails. Everyone found a way to keep busy and relax.
About 10:15 a.m., the bus arrived. Come to find out, our driver, Jarelu, was able to fix the radiator all by himself. Pretty impressive, if you ask me. So, we loaded the bus up and headed into Bohoc, where we would have about an hour and a half to spend with a Haitian family. We split into two groups with each group spending the morning with the family. Everyone took on the life of a Haitian, where we washed dishes, washed clothes, swept floors, mopped floors, dusted, made up beds, cleaned windows, folded laundry, ground coffee beans, peeled peas, and straightened up around the house. One group went to Jedlain's house and spend the morning with his family. My group went to a different house, but they were so welcoming. My group had a dance party in our house. The 14-year-old girl in the house was showing us dance moves and was playing carnival music. It was a blast! I'm sure she thought we were crazy, but we all laughed. It was a wonderful experience and a great way to take in the culture. What a great time!
The morning was complete and it was time to head back to the guest house. When we arrived back to our home, lunch was ready and on the table. Once again, lunch did not disappoint. We had a pasta dish that was similar to spaghetti, but it was HOT! My mouth was on fire afterwards. After a delicious meal, we had about 45 minutes to rest before heading back out again.
Around 2:15 we loaded up the bus and headed for Bohoc to attend the souvenir market. All of the ladies in the town had set up a market, just for us, with all of their things. They had everything from jewelry to clothing to figurines and straw purses. Let's just say, I spent WAY too much money. And, I 'm sure, I am not the only one. It's a great way for us to bless the community by purchasing items from each one of the ladies out there. They not only bless us with a gift but we bless them by purchasing their goods. It's an even exchange in my book!
What was next on the agenda was what I had been waiting for the whole trip. Many of us on the team have children that we sponsor from Bohoc through the 410 Bridge. They are part of the group of children that a team in April from newhope church helped to register for the program. Ramsay, Leslie, Tracy, Myron, Joey, Dave, and myself were all a part of that team. For those of us who have sponsored children, we were getting ready to meet them. Jedlain took the group of us who had sponsored children to meet them, while the remaining team members headed to the Wisdom Club to teach English to many teenagers and young adults in the community.
Jedlain took us to the Maranatha Church to meet the children. Each child was called out one-by-one and they were introduced to their sponsor. Dave was able to see his little girl. Joey was able to bond with his little boy, who is just two years old, and take many pictures. Leah and Ramsay had the opportunity to meet their young lady, while Cathy and I each met our children. After we spent some time with our children, we took a group photo and it was time to go.
I have to say, meeting my little girl was the highlight of my trip. She is the most precious child and I absolutely love her. Being able to sit, talk to her, and meet with her mom was truly an honor and a privilege. To see how truly appreciative and grateful they were for me was a blessing. I almost shed some tears because I was so touched. I am honored to have her as a part of my life and I look forward to the relationship we will build. God Bless Her!
We departed the Maranatha Church and walked over to the Wisdom Club to meet the rest of our team. The Wisdom Club is always one of my favorite activities because I love being able to go there, bond with the people and teach them English. They are so hungry to learn. Each of us paired up with an individual. Well, some of us had a group. And, we worked on English with them. It ranged from basic conversation to reading books to pronunciation and vocabulary.
What truly touched my heart was when my sponsored child's mother told me that my girl had a gift for me and that she wanted to bring it to me. I didn't expect anything from here. God sent me to help her. Not the other way around. As we know, God is in control. While I was sitting in the Wisdom Club helping Dieunel with his English, little Georges comes up to me and hands me a bag. Inside the bag is six eggs. She loved me so much, she wanted me to have some eggs. The love and the appreciation that showed me was beyond words. All I could do was hug her and tell her that I love her. Knowing she cared about me that much was a blessing. She has blessed me already and we've only just met. Imagine the possibilities. It just melts my heart.
After spending a good bit of time at the Wisdom Club, it was time to say goodbye. We prayed together and went on our way. It was a bittersweet ride back to the guest house because we all knew that we were coming to the end of our time in Bohoc. The week has flown by, and I think I speak for everyone when I say that we are nowhere near ready to leave. Bohoc has a way of making a permanent place in your heart. And, it is a second home.
We unloaded the bus and headed inside to get ready for dinner. A few of us spent the last little bit of time we had with the local children. Donald came over to give us the necklaces that we all had ordered. He said he had spent all night and all day working on them. It was great to see that he was able to get all of them done. We got our necklaces and went inside for dinner.
Dinner was delicious as we enjoyed turkey, beet salad, and rice with peas. To our surprise, we took the coverings off of the food, and the rice and peas were designed in the shape of a cross. It was truly fitting as we had just had one of the most beautiful and God-filled days in Bohoc. God was definitely present and he touched each of us in our own way.
Following dinner, we wrapped up with our daily debrief, where we laughed together, cried together and sung together. It was a joyous evening for everyone. And just so you know, as of yesterday, Carson had one sugar cane stick left, but I'm not sure of the status today. He has been sleeping a lot, so I think the sugar cane must be finished. I'll let you know if I find out.
And for Christi's sister ... she is alive and well! :)
Unfortunately, our time in Bohoc has come to an end as we head to Port-au-Prince in the morning. We will meet with the Leadership Council before taking off for the city. Until then ...
Reah P. Nicholson
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