Back For a Week

We've been back from Haiti for a whole week and not a day has gone by that I haven't thought about it. I couldn't have asked for a better trip, everything went smoothly and the team got along really well. It's exciting to see how we bonded as a team and how we interact differently at school now. Although it was my second time going, there were still so many new experiences to take in. Leaving Haiti this year was much harder than last year. Although I am confident that I will be back one day, I'm not sure when that will be. Haiti has and always will hold a special place in my heart. Every day I catch myself looking through photos or thinking of something I did or someone I met on the trip. Being in Haiti is something that I will never forget and I am thankful that I had the opportunity to visit that beautiful country two years in a row!

-Brittany

Home

It was very difficult to leave Mission of Hope this year, even more so than last. In 2014, I knew I was coming back within the year. This year, I knew that I would be back in Haiti one day, but I didn’t know when that day would be. And that’s hard. It’s hard to say goodbye to a country that has had such a huge impact on your life, a place that you fell in love with and never wanted to leave.

But eventually, we have to. We have to leave places we love and return home. The funny thing is, sometimes it doesn’t feel like home at all. The one word that comes to mind when I think about how I felt in Haiti is "peace". There’s something about removing all of the distractions that seem to take up so much of our time here and focusing on prayer, worship, thankfulness, togetherness, and service.

I’m inspired by the honest, unflinching faith of the people we met in Haiti. Often, they would randomly insert sentences into our conversation like, “I trust God to provide for me”, or “God is capable of doing anything”. That kind of complete reliance is something that we as Canadians, living in a country where clean water and shoes and medicine are taken for granted, will never be able to fully understand. But I hope that I have learned to be more grateful for the things that I have and more willing to sacrifice for others.

Haiti will always be close to my heart, whether I am there or not. I will never forget the stories of the people I met and the experiences I had in a culture so different from my own. I am incredibly thankful that I had the opportunity to go twice in two years, and I appreciate the overwhelming support I received from my friends, family, church community, and even people I barely know. My prayer for everyone on both teams is that we find ways to carry on the passion for service we developed while in Haiti, and that we recognize that our mission is never over.

-Lydia

Returning to the Abnormal

It is crazy to think that a week ago we were building relationships with the Haitian people, playing with kids, and strengthening our faith. Personally, I really appreciated the morning devotions and the evening reflections as a time to pause and think about everything that was going on and thank God for the many ways we saw Him at work. We talked a lot about how we can apply our experiences in Haiti to our lives back here in Canada. I titled this post as returning to the abnormal because we shouldn't act like the trip never happened and go back to our old ways. We are called to use the incredible experience of living among a new culture as a way to enrich our lives. We had the opportunity to serve people far away, but now we have the opportunity to serve people in our own communities! In this first week back, I have missed the reflection times because our lives here at home are busy and hectic, leaving little time to pause, think, and pray. I have also missed our team, as even though we see each other every day in the halls, it is in a completely different setting. I am so thankful for the time that we could spend in Haiti, and I pray that God will show us how to continue serving Him here at home.

-Abby

Mwen Kapab (I Can)

It's been just about four days since we've been home from the trip and every once and awhile during class I'll think "What would we be doing at this time in Haiti?" My tan is vanishing much more quickly than preferred. I never thought I'd say this, but one of the things I miss the most is the Haitian heat! The last few days of the trip were relaxing from being at the beach and spending time reflecting on how we grew as a team. Our plane rides went fairly smoothly, although Nicole's suitcase got left in Miami (it was returned). If that was the least of our issues, then we were certainly blessed. During the past few days we've been asked by family and friends how our trip was. It's been fun sharing all the stories and looking back at the photos. It's hard returning to Canadian culture where everything is so civilized and fast paced. I think many of us are still trying to process everything that happened throughout the quick week. Please continue to pray for all of us that we might wrestle with what it looks like to continue serving at home. Among many things I've learned from the trip, one of the simplest but very important things has been how much that we have been truly blessed with. In Haiti it was so easy to count our blessings each day; for health, food, shade, rest, friends, Bibles, and clean water. These are things we tend to overlook on a daily basis! Although there is much poverty in Haiti, there is much work that needs to be done here in our country as well! I'm excited to see what lay in store for each one of us as we continue to seek God's will through our passions. 

-Victoria

Home Again

Being back home gives mixed feelings. It’s good to be back and to see our families again, but I miss Haiti so much. I miss the beautiful mountains and the picture-like water. I miss the kindness of the people and the smiles on their faces. I miss the excitement of the kids and the hugs they never seemed to run out of. I’m so thankful for the group of people who went to Haiti. We had so much fun while we were down there and our relationships with each other have grown so much.

-Nicole H.

Take Me Back

We are back in Canada. It was so hard to leave the beautiful country of Haiti. I miss it already. The experience has shown me how truly blessed we are to live in a country as well off as Canada. Being in Haiti last year and this year made me appreciate things in life that we typically take for granted, like clean water, hot water, not having to worry about having enough to eat, or worry about finding a job. This trip was a blessing to me and help me grow in my faith. I couldn't have asked for a better team. Our team was so great and I was blessed to have gone down to Haiti with them. Our reflections on the roof along with games of Mafia made my nights. I love Canada and it's a beautiful country but I think I left my heart in Haiti, and I can’t wait to go back.

-Ashley

Back from Haiti

Hi everyone!

Due to technical issues, we were not able to post on the blog while we were in Haiti. However, different team members wrote down our experiences every day and those have now been posted. We will also continue to post on this blog for a little over a week, reflecting on our time in Haiti and our thoughts upon returning to Canada.
A huge thank you to everyone who has supported us before, during, and after this trip. Please continue to pray for our team as we make the difficult transition back to regular life here in Canada.

-HDCH Haiti team

Beach Day

Today was the long awaited beach day. Although this week was very fulfilling the thought of going to the beach was always in the backs of our minds. We left to go at 8 and drove to a beautiful resort with water more clear than a pool. There were smoothies you could buy and a pool to chill at. What made my day was snorkelling at a reef about five minutes away, there were beautiful fish everywhere you looked swimming around the coral. We left at around four and just reflected on what a great trip this has been, this is a beautiful country with even more beautiful people. I couldn't be happier with the people in our group and am thankful that I got to know them more than I already did. 

-Eric Huinink 

J'ai dit oui, biensur!

I can't believe that today was already our last day in the villages. Our team has had the chance to go to many different villages over the course of the week, but everybody's favourite seems to be Mesaye. It is a beautiful, quiet village with lots of shade and friendly people. 

Nicole touched on the experience we had with the elderly blind man, which was a very emotional moment for many of us. In our culture, the elderly are respected and cared for, but in Haiti, they are often pushed to the side. It was extremely affecting for us to see this man and walk away knowing that we could do nothing for him.

Of course, we also had some happy moments today. We met a man in Mesaye who worked for Mission of Hope as a security guard. He was disappointed that he didn't know we were coming because he would've given us a coconut. It floors me when the people we visit want to give things to us, because we never know how much it means for them to give us a papaya, or a coconut, or even a chair to sit on. We were also able to serve a lady in the village by helping her with her laundry, even though we weren't very skilled in that area. 

In the afternoon, we went to the Transformation Village to play with the kids there. I met a little girl with a very long name - Condalisa? - who stayed with me for the entire afternoon. She would wipe my eyes when they started to water from the dust and gave me kisses on the cheek. I gave her a huge hug when we left and she blew me kisses through the window of the bus. It's hard to say goodbye to kids when you know you're never going to see them again, but you just have to trust that you've brightened their day the way they've brightened yours. 

It is very bittersweet to think that we're leaving Mission of Hope in a couple days, especially because I already have an idea of how hard it is to return to Canada after a week here in Haiti. I hope that our team can find ways to continue serving on the mission field at home. 

Shoutouts to my parents, my friends coming home from Florida today, and Monica, for her wonderful letters that we look forward to every day. Please continue to pray for our team as we head to the beach tomorrow and home on Saturday.

- Lydia 

I Am the Sheriff, and it's Eric

Today was a little bittersweet because it was our last day in the village. We started off the morning by doing village ministry in Mesaye, which is definitely my favourite village that we've been to. It's a lot more lush than most of the other villages and the people there were very welcoming towards us. We spent the morning splitting up into two groups and walking around the village, talking to and praying for individuals and families.  My group talked to a bunch of people, but one experience really stood out to me. We met this woman and we talked with her for awhile, and then we asked her what she would like us to pray for. She told us that she wanted us to pray for her father because he was sick, and then she took us into her home. Inside, her father (his name was pronounced E-bay) as laying on his bed and he was the skinniest man I've ever seen. He was completely blind, and he sat curled up with his head in his hands the entire time we were there and said very little. It was so clear to me in that moment just how much poverty has affected the lives of Haitians, that they have no way to care for their sick family members. When I've been in Haiti, both this year and last, I've tried not to focus on the poverty and instead on being positive and focusing on helping in any way that we can, but in that moment I felt so helpless. It felt so wrong to just walk away from that man and his family after only saying a simple prayer. And yet, that experience was such a testimony to what it truly means to rely on God. This family believed in God and in the power of prayer and it was so clear that this man was thankful that we prayed over him.  If I've learned one thing from the Haitians, it's that they put into practice what it means to have faith and completely trust in God, something I am so bad at, and watching that is something that never ceases to amaze me.

Also on a happier note, shoutout to my dad because I was gone for his birthday on Wednesday. So HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD! Love you!

And also, shoutout to my favourite friend Monica. We just wanted you to know that we are loving the letters, especially the drawings. ;) And we also wish you were here, but that's obvious of course. 

Nicole D

Peanut Butter

With stomachs full of peanut butter we headed to the transformation village for another morning of village ministry. We split into groups, and my group was able to serve a woman by doing her laundry. The woman carefully showed us the art of hand washing. Under supervision from our translator Johnny Fresh, we were able to get a lot done and complete a tangible form of service, which was rewarding yet humbling for us, and a blessing for the family. After talking with several families, we all heard the same story: there was a serious lack of water in the village. It was a blessing to us to hear how thankful the people were about our visits, after feeling questioned by those previous. We went to the beautiful Bercy Mission of Hope campus for tuna lunch, and then went to a school in Cabaret for the afternoon. We played with skipping ropes, bubbles, frisbees, and soccer balls. It is always fun to interact with kids even though there is a language barrier. We were all thankful for the partially shady playground and the language of laughter that happens to be universally known. Later in the day while having reflections, we went through the daily sharing of highlights, lowlights, and thankful fors. I have really appreciated this time, and I think that it has given us all an outlet for going deeper in our faith while working through everything that has happened in a day. We ended the day with some hilarious rounds of "Mafia," which has proven to humorously show the true lying abilities of some of the team members. For all the moms out there, we have been eating well (a lot of peanut butter), and have all been in good health for the most part. 

Shoutout to my mom; I'm having a great time and am still healthy!

-Abby 

Haiti Day Four

Today we all piled into a school bus with our translators named "Special K" and "Johnny Fresh." We drove down to Mesaye for a village ministry with our group. Although there was barely a breeze today, we were grateful that the town was so shady. We split up into two groups  and stopped at some of the houses. We talked to some of those living in the houses and prayed  for their spoken needs relayed through the translator. We had the chance to pump water for a woman and were amazed at the people carrying the buckets on their heads. Later we stopped for lunch back at one of the mission campuses before heading back to the village to play with the children. We spent an afternoon playing soccer, holding kids, and playing several games with the village children. When we returned to the campus we had dinner and headed off to a worship service at the nearby church where we sang songs. Some of us from the team struggled to stay awake :) Overall, our day was filled with learning from the village people and learning how to appreciate all that we have been blessed with. Looking forward to returning tomorrow! 

-Victoria

Mesaye

Today we went to the beautiful village of Mesaye. This was my personal favourite visit so far not only because it was the first time we communicated through a translator but also the village was shaded in trees. During our visit we talked with and prayed with a few villagers about their past life, prescience in a community, and future needs. This was a nice change from the other visits because I really liked learning how the littlest things can affect their lives. 

Davis

Work Day!

Today was our first day of going out into the village! We went to a small village in Cabaret with about 30 trees that we planted for some of the villagers. It didn't take long to plant the trees and the villagers were excited about them. After we finished planting the trees we played with the kids. From the moment we went over to them they wanted to be held and for us to play with them. It makes me so happy to see their smiling faces and to receive their warm hugs. It breaks my heart to see the kids that are noticeably malnourished but they don't let that get in the way of showing you how much they love you. So far it has been a great trip and I am excited for the next few days of village ministry! 

-Brittany 

Haiti Day Three

Today was such a great day! It was our first and only work day of the week and we spent it planting trees for a small village in Cabaret. As a group, we decided we wanted to buy trees that we would be able to plant on our trip. A lot of villages in Haiti don't have a lot of trees which doesn't create a lot of shade in the everyday heat of Haiti. It was such an amazing experience to just be able to plant some trees and know and see that they were so happy and felt so blessed! It was super fulfilling. After we were done planting trees we got to play with the kids which was an amazing time filled with so much laughter. We have been blessed as a group that we have had no complications and that we are getting along so well! It's been going by so fast but I've been loving every minute! Your thoughts and prayers are and will be greatly appreciated as we finish off the rest of trip and head home soon! 

See you all soon! 

Janelle

Glad to be back!

Today we got a tour of the mission and all the campuses. It was amazing! I'm so happy I'm back. It was so great to see how much the mission has done in the last year. We visited Leveque, which is a housing project for all those that were displaced from the earthquake in 2010. It was so great to see the amount of real concrete houses that have been built to replace the tarp and tin ones. The amount of change and development is awesome to see! The kids at Leveque were lots of fun to play with. I love it here, and I'm so happy to be back in the awesome place! 

Ashley 

Haiti Day One

Today was our first full day in Haiti and it was amazing! We got a tour of Mission of Hope and heard the story of how it was started. The growth that has happened here has been amazing. God has definitely blessed this mission! We also got to see the Bercy campus and the village called Leveque. We met kids in Leveque and it was really fun to hang out with them but hard to leave. We also went to the church service today and it was amazing to see their faith! They are so inspiring as their belief in God is so passionate and whole-hearted. This trip is going to be a life-changing experience.

-Nicole H

Two More Days!

I am so excited for Haiti. I am very happy with our team since we have an amazing bunch going. I appreciate everyone who has put this trip together and our wonderful chaperons coming along! We all appreciate everyone's help that has made this trip possible for us. Please continue to pray for safe travels and trip!

-Christina

SO CLOSE

I can’t believe we’re leaving for Haiti in under 48 hours. The time has passed so quickly between September and now. Final preparations are being made and now that I’ve started packing, it’s finally starting to feel real.

I am so excited to go back to Haiti. I feel so blessed and grateful that I’ve been given this amazing opportunity twice. There’s been a lot of hard work to get to this point, but our entire team has been overwhelmed by the support we’ve received from our communities, whether it be through donations, prayers, or words of encouragement. I’m so thankful for Nicole, Brit, and Ashley and so proud of all our effort in planning this trip.

I’m excited to see what God will do in our own lives and the lives of others over the course of our seven days in Haiti. Please continue to pray for our team as we prepare over the next couple days and fly out of Toronto early Saturday morning.

-Lydia

Hope

Hi everyone,

As I was writing the first draft of this blog post, I got some very sad news about a girl in our community that passed away suddenly. Coming back to this post, I felt that I needed to share that and tie it in somehow. In times of grief, it is important to remember that as Christians we have hope. As the name for our group is "Let Hope Rise," this fits perfectly. As we pray for the family to experience the tangible comfort of God, we are reminded that He uses circumstances like these to let hope rise. As we head off to Haiti in a couple days, we will have this mindset as we meet the people there, worship with them, and embrace their culture. Even though the people of Haiti live in harsh realities, there is hope. I am excited to see what God has in store for our team, and I think that God will use this experience to strengthen our walks with Him above all else. As a team, we know that this trip will be more beneficial for us than the people of Haiti, and I think this is important to remember as we make our departure. This being said, we are thrilled to be able to grasp every opportunity to serve the people there, spread the love of Jesus, and encourage those around us in their faith. I am so excited for this trip, and I ask that you continue to keep us in your prayers as we make final preparations for the trip. Thank you!

-Abby

3 MORE DAYS!

I cannot believe that in only 3 days we will be back in Haiti! The time has gone by so fast since September when Brit, Ashley, Lydia and I started planning this trip and it’s crazy that it’s almost here! I can’t even express how pumped I am to go back.  It’s crazy that I’ve only ever spent a week in Haiti, I feel like we were there for way longer for all of the amazing things that we experienced in that short week.  Planning this trip has definitely had its challenges, but all 4 of us have developed such a strong love for Haiti and I absolutely CANNOT wait to experience another trip with a great group! Thanks for all of the prayers and support, we really appreciate it, and hopefully everything goes smoothly from here on out!

-Nicole D.

Four More Days!

Haiti seems to be coming up under the radar fast for myself and other members of our team since we are hosting OFSAA. Although it has been in the back of my mind for some time, that first flight cannot come sooner for me as I am more than excited to get our trip underway. All of our hard work and expectations seem to forming into what looks like a life changing experience.

-Davis

A Few More Sleeps!

Only a few more sleeps! It's hard to believe that the trip is almost here! Some of us have begun packing our own suitcases which has increased our excitement! We appreciate your continual prayer that we may share our gifts with the people in Haiti and that our eyes be opened to the simple ways in which they live. Thank you for sharing in this experience with us! 

Colossians 3:17 "And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

-Victoria

5 Days Until Departure!

Hello all! Our Haiti team is so beyond excited to be heading off to Haiti in just 5 short days! We have been preparing for this trip for months and now the time has finally come! As Nicole said, we just had our packing party and were overwhelmed with the amount of donations we got! We all appreciate the love and support we’ve been shown. I am so excited to see what God has planned for us in Haiti and to see how we will each grow individually and as a group! Thank you to everyone who has helped make this trip possible whether it be prayers, donating items, or supporting us at our fundraisers. We would all greatly appreciate your prayers as we head out of Toronto early Saturday morning and make our way to Haiti! Thank you again!

- Janelle 

Less Than a Week!

It’s almost here, less than a week until I’m back in Haiti! Donation bags are packed and ready to go. Super excited! Can’t wait to be back in the warmth of Haiti, and see some of the people a few of us had the privilege to meet last year, as well as meeting some new people and helping to make a difference. We have been overwhelmed with the amount of support through donations and prayers, thank you so much for all your support! Looking forward to seeing what God has in store this year for everyone on the team!

-Ashley

Six More Days

Only six more days until Haiti!!! Our group is getting very excited for the upcoming trip. We had our packing party on Friday, where we packed all of our donations and the food we needed to bring. We had so many donations, that there were extras! We’re planning on donating the extra items to different organizations in our communities who can always use them. We’ve all been blown away by the generosity of everyone in our communities. We are truly blessed. Thank you for all of your support and we ask for your continued prayers as we prepare to head off to Haiti on Saturday.

-Nicole H.

Haiti 2015

Hi everyone!

This is a blog for the 2015 HDCH Haiti Team. We hope all of our friends and families have a chance to read this over the next couple weeks. There will be some posts leading up to the trip, a couple while we're there, and some afterwards.

All thirteen of us have been working very hard over the past few months to make this trip a success. We're so grateful for all the support we've received from so many people, and we would appreciate your prayers for us as we leave for Haiti next Saturday!

-HDCH Haiti Team