The Brand family and the Sorheim family are the first team back in Haiti since the COVID-19 Pandemic began. Read blog entries below from Abbie Brand and Riley Sorheim on their experiences so far in Haiti.

Abbie Brand:

Being in Haiti for a second time has been an experience I can’t describe, but I’ll try to in this blog entry. 

When I first landed in Haiti, all of the chaos had begun. The Haitians were not being orderly or in a line, the heat was getting to me, and finding luggage was a hassle. After about an hour of waiting in “lines”, I was finally able to get in the van. I can’t even express how grateful I was to be in an air-conditioned van and have a cool, nice bottle of water. I then caught up on all the sleep I missed from having to wake up at 1:50 in the morning. 

I really enjoyed getting to shop at the market and handle the money. I had to convert Haitian dollars into Haitian Gourdes by dividing or multiplying by five. The Haitian dollars were so worn and felt like they were going to rip just by touching them. I saw many people trying to sell all of their items, but no one wanted to buy from them. I also learned that Haitians don’t make that much from selling at the market. 

My heart broke today when visiting families to help. I got to pray for a family that had a bad roof and let water come in when it rained. I gave them food and helped pray over them. It was amazing to be able to help those families by giving food and prayer. 

The first couple days in Haiti have been wonderful and exciting. I can’t wait to see what else lies in store for me while in Haiti.

Riley Sorheim:

There is so much that I could say about the experiences I have gone through in the past 48 hours. My word of the day yesterday was “new” because everything I experienced and did was completely different from anything I’ve done before. There was a particular experience that touched my heart in a special way though.

As you drive through Haiti, you see kids lining the roads everywhere. Sometimes they are wandering in the ditch and other times they’re running across the road to play with their friends. Yesterday afternoon our team went to the market to purchase food that would be distributed to families in need. Of course, there were children running around the market as well. Before we got on the truck to head back to campus, I saw two girls who had their arms wrapped around each other and huge smiles on their faces. I realized that the love and joy they feel in their hearts is the same love and joy that kids in America feel. I was reminded of my sisters at home and the love they share with their friends. The children in Haiti have the same love of Jesus in their hearts as children in the US. Even though they are living in two completely different situations, they have the same emotions, desires, and goals in life. I know that Jesus sees them all as His beautiful sons and daughters. As I looked into the faces of those girls in the market, I was looking into the faces of my sisters. 

I feel so blessed to be here living life alongside these Haitians. I am learning more and more every moment, and it is humbling for me to see what these people go through every day of their lives. God’s heart is definitely in Haiti and in the people who are here serving or being served.