by Nichole Coe, MH4H trip participant
This Sunday morning started with the majority of the team wishing for the roosters and goats to be quiet for at least a few hours. Sleep is very difficult when the roosters and goats carry on conversations throughout the night.
Sunday morning was spent going to church. For those of us who complain of long services interrupting our busy life and the schedule we need to keep, try to wrap your brain around a two and a half hour service in French. The service was a beautiful mixture of Bible readings and praise music from three different choirs. We were even able to witness eight children being presented to the church and congratulating two couples that were married last night. However, we must admit after two and a half hours of sitting on a backless wood bench, we were all thanking God for the walk back for lunch.
Above: Walking to church on Sunday morning. Below: One of the choirs who sang during the service.
After lunch, we drove back to Pignon and spent time at an orphanage. The couple that runs the orphanage have been here for 11 years from Kansas City. The amount of love they have for the children was evident from the moment we pulled up to the gates. The team divided up and let some play basketball and soccer with the boys, while some painted fingernails, played with sidewalk chalk, and did stickers with the girls. We were able to hear their beautiful stories of how God is truly working with and through those children. One of the boys plans on being a pastor and quoted Bible verses for us – praise God to plant that dream in an 11 year old. It was truly an amazing time just being with children that showed us what true love and faith looks like.
The orphans enjoyed playing tic-tac-toe with the sidewalk chalk.
The team then went to see the farm where Many Hands for Haiti stores the Meals from the Heartland boxes. The boxes we saw were packaged in Des Moines in February. Seeing the meals here and knowing they help children and families brought so much joy for many from our team who packaged meals back home. Tomorrow, we will get the opportunity to feed many children with the meals.
The team spent the evening playing cards and reflecting on the past three days. Sitting back and listening to how much we have all grown together and become connected in such a short amount of time is such a blessing. Thank you for the prayers you have uttered on our behalf! We are healthy; we are blessed.
To read about the team’s day at the market, click here, or click here to read about their interesting travels to Haiti.
