Eleven staff and volunteers from the Many Hands Market in Spencer, Iowa have arrived safely in Pignon. These ladies are passionate about loving Jesus, people, and Haiti well. They are off to a great start by visiting old friends and familiar sites. Keep reading to reminisce with them on their first day back.
Many Hands Market Reward Team landed in Haiti Thursday, June 14 under beautiful blue skies! All the team members have been here before, but we were all excited to see the changes on the MH4H campus. We unloaded and ate a delicious lunch, then headed into Pignon. The first stop was at the house of a man who has been very sick for a long time. Allie Helmink is studying nursing, and she brought supplies to give this man a tuberculosis test. She’ll return in a couple of days to see the results of the test. He told us that people were telling him that his health issues are related to the Voodoo practice. Christi assured him that illness didn’t come from God, and that God loved him. He said he believed that, too! We gathered around him to pray for his healing and for his family, and while we prayed, he and his adult daughter were praying aloud as well. Christi told us that he was thanking God for us, that they were thankful for our help in their suffering. It was a wonderful start to our time here. Christi asked his daughter what they needed, and we’ll go shopping for some cooking pots for them at the market on Saturday.
ALLIE ADMINISTERS THE TUBERCULOSIS TEST.
Next we went to shop for some groceries. We walked through a few market stalls, and words can’t really explain the sights and smells of the market in Haiti. It’s noisy and crowded, and very different than what we think of when we talk about grocery shopping. Imagine 90 degrees, with 90% humidity. Now add a crowded flea market. Now add raw chicken and goat meat laid out in the open. Imagine spices, soap, cooking oil, bags of rice and beans, and flies everywhere. Add live chickens, ducks, and dogs running around through the stalls. One whiff can make you vow never to eat chicken again. And then you smell the fresh anise, cloves and cinnamon in the next stall, and your mouth waters. Fresh fruit and ice cold soft drinks make the trip delightful! We loaded the truck with bags of rice and beans, and cooking oil that will be distributed to families over the next few days.
SOAP, MANGOS, AND RICE IN THE MARKET.
When we got back to the campus, the younger team members went to the suspension bridge, while the more “mature” members finished unpacking. Christi gave us a mini tour of Irene’s Place, which has been complete since any of our team has been here. The physical growth of the campus over the last two years is astounding! The result is tangible evidence of the combined efforts of financial and prayer support, blood, sweat and elbow grease from the short term teams, and the Hand of God orchestrating the whole process. The exciting part is that we all can be a part of it! Whether you donate or shop at the thrift stores, or send your monetary contributions to the organization, if you follow the Facebook posts and website blogs, or fly to Pignon to be the hands and feet…you are all a part of this amazing mission! We are so grateful for this opportunity, and you can be proud of the work that continues here. Your hands are part of the Many Hands.
