Our Final Day

January 19, 2013

We have reached the end of our Haiti mission, and we finished it off in grand style. After an early morning devotion at the cross for some of our team members, we "experienced" the Haitian market.   Although we did not stop to patronize the locals, we did get an up close and personal view of an important facet of Haitian life. Following our walk through the market, we visited the "basket lady" and   bought some souvenirs to add a splash of Haitian to our living rooms and the homes of loved ones. We then headed back to the mission to barter with the extremely talented Haitian artisans. The craftsmanship on these pieces was outstanding (especially when you consider the primitive instruments  that many have to construct these works of art), and we enjoyed browsing through the various paintings and hand-crafted objects to again bring a bit of Haiti back to display in the states. We also had the opportunity to buy some items from some of the young men and women that we spent many hours this week. They had woven bracelets, small bags and purses, and various other collectables, and it was truly hard to say "no" to any of them after developing the relationships with them over the past nine days. Following a quick lunch, we headed to the beach for a little fun in the Caribbean and dinner at the resort restaurant. We had a great time snorkeling, lounging in the ocean and pool, and some just read quietly or dozed off as the waves broke at our feet. After working up an appetite, our dinner was dashed with some Haitian spice as we enjoyed entrees such as chicken, lobster, fish and shrimp. It was a great way to cap a memorable week as we talked with one another and sampled the Haitian cuisine. Next, we headed back to the mission and said some goodbyes to many of the young men that we have spent time with this week. These special children of God are bright and talented in various respects, and with the continued support of those who can contribute, these individuals will have an opportunity to have productive lives in a country that is in desperate need of community leadership. This is why it is so important that we continue to help individuals, who without the assistance of outside commitment, do not have the opportunity to help themselves. We have seen this first hand this week, and it makes you want to continue the work you started to provide the necessary components to equip these young people with the tools they need to care for their families. The work and the education that is being administered in Haiti is encouraging in some areas, but the efforts need to continue for days to come. The adversity faced by this group of individuals cannot be conquered in a short span, and must be aggressively dealt with on a daily basis. After all, Jesus reached out to those who were less fortunate in many Biblical examples, and it is our Christian duty to continue his work here on earth today. Overall, it was a great nine days and we can honestly say that we left Haiti better than we found it!