A Friday morning sunrise church service with the people of Haiti, possibly one of the most inspirational experiences of our lives! I have NEVER seen or heard people worship the Lord so freely or so genuinely before. What an absolute privilege to be part of something so spirit filled and honest. A walk back to the guest house through the streets and slums, through garbage and smelly farm animals...this is a day to remember!
After the morning church service, we had the opportunity to visit some Haitian elders. It was a truly inspirational experience. The elders were so content and calm, despite their surroundings and living conditions. When we sang to them, you could sense the overwhelming presence of Christ that poured out through their smiles and tears. What beautiful moments those were. Our favorite elder friend, Marie, was 103 years old! She was spunky, energetic, and had a great sense of humor. Although our mission was to visit the elders, we met some adorable little children along the way.
We finished our day at the mass grave, where 200,000 people were buried after the earthquake in 2010. The grave was set up on a hillside, and marked with a large rock and several crosses that formed a very humble monument. Once again we were privileged to pray together as a group, led by Wilson, a member of the healing Haiti team. Wilson lost so many friends and his father in the earthquake, yet his prayer was filled with gratitude and joy! The resiliency of the Haitian people is stunning as is their faith. We are so blessed to be a part of this trip!
As a group, we have been reading the same passage every night, out of a book by Ann Voscamp called One Thousand Blessings. We read it in hopes of finding different meaning after our day of serving the people of Haiti. here is the passage..."We who are made in the image of God, being formed in Christ's likeness, our happiness comes, too, not in the having but in the handing over. Give your life away in exchange for many lives, give away your blessings to multiply blessings, and do it all in the love of God. The servant hearted never serve alone. Spend the whole of your wild and beautiful life investing in many lives, and God simply will not be outdone. God extravagantly pays back everything we give away exactly in the currency that is not of this world but the one we yearn for: JOY IN HIM!"
Maddie and Lori Friedrichs
After the morning church service, we had the opportunity to visit some Haitian elders. It was a truly inspirational experience. The elders were so content and calm, despite their surroundings and living conditions. When we sang to them, you could sense the overwhelming presence of Christ that poured out through their smiles and tears. What beautiful moments those were. Our favorite elder friend, Marie, was 103 years old! She was spunky, energetic, and had a great sense of humor. Although our mission was to visit the elders, we met some adorable little children along the way.
We finished our day at the mass grave, where 200,000 people were buried after the earthquake in 2010. The grave was set up on a hillside, and marked with a large rock and several crosses that formed a very humble monument. Once again we were privileged to pray together as a group, led by Wilson, a member of the healing Haiti team. Wilson lost so many friends and his father in the earthquake, yet his prayer was filled with gratitude and joy! The resiliency of the Haitian people is stunning as is their faith. We are so blessed to be a part of this trip!
As a group, we have been reading the same passage every night, out of a book by Ann Voscamp called One Thousand Blessings. We read it in hopes of finding different meaning after our day of serving the people of Haiti. here is the passage..."We who are made in the image of God, being formed in Christ's likeness, our happiness comes, too, not in the having but in the handing over. Give your life away in exchange for many lives, give away your blessings to multiply blessings, and do it all in the love of God. The servant hearted never serve alone. Spend the whole of your wild and beautiful life investing in many lives, and God simply will not be outdone. God extravagantly pays back everything we give away exactly in the currency that is not of this world but the one we yearn for: JOY IN HIM!"
Maddie and Lori Friedrichs
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