Blom Memorial Team – Living, Loving, and Learning

After 2 days in Haiti, the Blom Memorial begin experience new ways of living and loving right where God has them.

By Kim Blom

After two days of travel, our team arrived in Haiti on Thursday afternoon, slightly tired but so amazed by all the ways God had already been orchestrating our trip. His provision and grace were more than sufficient in many situations from finding lost items to team members recovering from various illnesses. Landing on the grass air strip, we received a warm welcome from our hosts, loaded up our suitcases, and rode in the back of a truck to the Many Hands for Haiti campus.

The beautiful Haitian countryside

We settled into the simple yet comfortable guest house where we enjoyed a refreshing lunch. We then met all of the MH4H staff and followed that with a trip into Pignon for some food that we were going to share the next day with some families. We purchased rice, beans, oil, bouillon, and spaghetti. When we returned to the campus, we were able to go for a walk in the area and see the countryside, as well as meet several local people including many children who were smiling and holding our hands as they went down the road. After having devotions as a team, we were all grateful for a good night’s sleep.

Being swamped by kids on the road

Friday morning brought us the great opportunity to bless a family with a concrete floor in their house. This family was so excited for us to be there, and we had a great crew to work with. We jumped right in with guidance from our crew, and the guys began to mix the concrete while the ladies played with the neighborhood children, painted fingernails, blew bubbles, and jumped rope. We all helped with the concrete at least a little bit, but the guys did most of the work!

The team mixing and laying the new concrete floor

In the afternoon we went out to the field to pick Congo beans that were ready to be harvested. What a peaceful time as we talked to each other and the MH4H staff! And we were able to harvest a huge fifty-five gallon drum plus several more buckets.

Harvesting Congo beans from the field

Bringing back the harvest Carrying the 55 gallon drum full of bounty

In the middle of the afternoon, we loaded up into the truck again to deliver food to five families who had been selected by a local pastor for us to encourage. We got to hear stories of how entire families have recently accepted Christ, and we shared in their joy! We also shared in the sorrow of one family who just lost their twenty-nine-year-old son. These families were all so grateful for the food we brought, and we were blessed as well.

Food distribution to a local family

Tonight as we were discussing our day, several members of our team expressed their joy in being able to help others today, but we also felt overwhelmed by the sheer vastness of need that exists here in Haiti. Poverty is not a giant to be slain in one week or one year. We discussed how we need to focus on each day and loving the people around us. As Christi said so well, “we need to live, love, and learn” right where we are. Praying that tomorrow will be another day of just that: living, loving, and learning as God directs our time here in Haiti.