Grace Village Tour and Elderly Visits

Today our team headed to Grace Village which was started by Healing Haiti. I thought it would just be an orphanage, but it was so much more: an orphanage, a school for children in town, building a health clinic, elder care, chapel, playground, aquaponics (where they were growing their own food and tilapia to eat). They also were building a pizza oven area to employ townspeople so they could sell and earn their own money. I was amazed at how this organization tries so hard to empower and employ the people in town to make a living for themselves.

So, despite the extreme poverty we have seen over the last few days there is HOPE.

We then headed out to visit the elderly in town, those who have been identified as needing extra care. They get a meal a day and are visited by teams such as ours about once a month. What a privilege to walk in their "homes" with the welcome of an old friend. I interacted most with Viergelie. We sat beside her on her bed made of plywood on cinder blocks. She had been given a mattress by Healing Haiti but it had been stolen. As we rubbed her hands and feet I was overwhelmed with the thoughts of all the years of work, care and love shared by these hands. As our group sang Amazing Grace we were all filled with tears and we all felt the presence of God. We were united through music and prayer, despite our language barriers, culture, skin color, and living conditions. It will be an image that is ingrained in my heart forever. Thank you God for opening the "eyes of my heart".

Lisa