To read the team’s previous post, click here.

 

Blessings for all was the theme for the day! We started the day with breakfast prepared and served to us by Drake, Doug, Kent, Scott, Brenda, and Sharon. What a blessing! We went to church and Pastor Lumanes a passionately shared a sermon. We understood very few of his words, but the Holy Spirit “translated” for us, and we FELT his sermon in our hearts. The Hope team stood up and sang three praise songs in English, in hopes of being a blessing to the congregation. For lunch, we went to a local restaurant, giving our cooks the day off, and boosting the local economy. Blessings for all.

This afternoon, the team split in two groups, each with 5 bags to share. The bags included beans, rice, bullion, spaghetti, cooking oil, and a Bible in Creole. We visited families who had been identified as some of the poorest of the poor, and families with children who have sponsors on our team. We visited their homes, met their family members, gave them the bags of food and then prayed for them. Dave and Anita got to meet their sponsored child for the first time! The toddler’s eyes lit up when they gave him a small soccer ball, and his mother’s eyes lit up when she saw the Bible! We know the food will be a blessing to them for now, and the Bible can offer a lifetime of blessings! To see the gratitude on their faces was worth more than diamonds or gold.

Todd Brockshus met his sponsored child, Djimima, too! She is two years old, and one of 15 children her grandmother is raising. Todd didn’t know that he would get to see her today, and when he did, he was speechless and frozen in his tracks. She was so beautiful and shy, but she came right to him. A quote from Todd, “ Thank you, Jesus, for the BEST Super Bowl Sunday Ever”!

Blessings. For. All.

I’ve been here three times before, with wonderful teammates, but the way this team works together is simply amazing. Everyone offers to help, usually without being asked! No one sits and watches the work being done. If someone says, “ I need a _______”, three people jump up and say, “ I have one you can have!” If one is carrying something heavy, or needing something out of reach, help is just a moment away. No one is looking for rewards. No one is looking for accolades. Imagine how hard it would be hard to gather 18 people, in close quarters, with challenging circumstances. You would expect some conflict or selfishness, right? But the way this team lifts each other up, at every turn, inspires more and more acts of kindness. To be a part of this group has been a blessing beyond what I could have imagined.

The internet and cell phone service has been more sparse than usual, and it’s been a challenge for us to have so little contact with our loved ones back home. Please know that we love you, and miss you. We are happy and healthy, and we’ll see you soon.