Jackie's Perspective...
There are really no words that can describe the devastation I witnessed today. I had shared with my teammates that I wasn't really sure how I would react. I have lived vicariously through my friends who had already experienced Haiti and felt that I was prepared enough from their words and also from the pictures they'd shared with me.
People who know me well know that while I am strong and independent, my heart is huge and I have a tendency to wear my emotions on my sleeve. I also love kids. Sadly, I do not have kids of my own and in an honest moment I was worried about how I might react to witnessing children who were living in such poverty. Several children greeted us as we got off the "tap-tap" (bus) with arms stretched out and yelling "hey, you;" Kids who are half clothed, if at all. Toddlers walking around bare naked asking you to please pick them up.
Amazingly, I was able to keep my emotions in tact and what felt the most natural is to simply just love on all those children, picking them up, hugging them. Their eyes were so joyous and huge; you could see the love pouring out of them without words. It was a complete Godsend that at our first stop, a little girl and boy (I believe they were siblings) gravitated toward me and taught me their dance routine (Another little tid bit about me is that I love to dance). How did those beautiful children know that about me? My word for the day was "Love." Simply love - a universal, essential need regardless of the fact that a person has nothing.
Rita's Perspective...
Today was very emotional for the entire group. We had an opportunity to not only deliver and distribute clean water which is a necessity, but also give our unconditional love. Going into this trip, our main mission is to be the hands and feet of God and give back to the poorest country of the world. We all desire to connect with others on a human level. We were able to give and receive love and truly connect with these people who look forward to having someone there to show they care. The team was very strong and was able to draw from the happiness and joy.
In the evening we shared our stories from the busy day and looked through pictures. Everyone had something to share that they experienced that tugged at the heart strings. Words can not express nor pictures do it justice.
The teams words for the day were: survival, love, God's Creation, abundance, surprised, strength, willing, overwhelmed, sweet-connections, happiness, focused, speechless, compassion, contemplative, photo.
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