by Nichole Coe, MH4H trip participant
Happy New Year’s from Haiti!
Today was a glorious day spent with children. We spent this morning with the Thrive for 5 children and parents. The team enjoyed loving on the kids and making crafts. Many team members who were self-described as not a “kid person” were overtaken with the peace and love of holding a precious child. We once again got the pleasure of feeding the families; this time with food left over!
The afternoon was spent doing crafts with the girls and playing soccer and hot potato with the boys. You have not truly played soccer until you play on Haitian rocks, with children that are barefoot. Never again will we look at a soccer ball and a field the same way. The team got nervous when we ran out of food. However, full plates once again magically appeared. The team also passed out pillowcase dresses to all of the girls and shorts to the boys. Watching the children’s eyes light up with new clothes was a sight many of us will not forget.
After the children left, the team went to the home where we poured the cement floor on Saturday. (Read about pouring the cement here.) The floor was complete and beautiful. We had the pleasure of playing with the family, and the gratitude they had for our assistance was evident. The team, however, feels very thankful that they are now going to live in a healthier environment. We also had the pleasure of visiting three other homes that have been blessed with a cement floor from Many Hands for Haiti. The home tour was wonderful, and praying with each family was a blessing to all of us.
The team is celebrating the end of 2013 by playing poker (again with beads) and sitting outside looking at the stars (amazing!), watching fireworks (awesome and scary at the same time), and continuing our nightly tradition of eating cake.
May God bless everyone in the coming year! We are grateful to be in Haiti to start 2014.
Want to hear more about this team’s trip? Click here for their interesting time getting to Haiti or here for stories and pictures from their time going to church and visiting an orphanage.