Our team traveled to Haiti in January to facilitate our blood pressure clinics, visit our sponsorship children, and strategize for our summer team. We hosted a Christmas party for the area kids at Ecole Communautaire 2eme Plaine, the school where our sponsor children attend. The kids had so much fun! We told the story of Jesus’ birth, made Christmas cookies complete with sprinkles, and made jingle bell rings! We also painted a star on each child’s face as a reminder of the star that guided the Wise Men to the birth place of Jesus. Of course we also had to sing and dance! The children were introduced to the song Baby Shark!
We were also able to hold a special party for just our sponsor children and their parents. We are so thankful to be partnered with Clark Middle School in Bonner Springs, KS who volunteered to make “Joy Boxes” for each sponsor child. Each box contained a toothbrush/toothpaste, a few candies, fun glasses, and a few little toys. Every girl received a Barbie doll and each boy a soccer ball! You should have seen their faces light up! Even our most serious of kids had the biggest smiles! One little girl just kept saying “Look! Look! Look!” in the sweetest little voice. With donations, we were able to purchase more than enough rice, beans, oil, maggi (a spice commonly used, similar to bouillon cubes), and butter for each family. The parents were so grateful for this gift! Many of them expressed their gratitude for the sponsors of their children and said they were praying for your family! We were also able to do a health check for each child and provide any medical attention necessary.
As some of you may have seen, the country of Haiti has been in turmoil for the last month, but this is something that has been building for some time. The current political and economic situation in Haiti is very unstable and tensions have been rising for many reasons. This has resulted in protests and riots, which sometimes turn violent. The people of Haiti only want justice, fairness, and hope. They are some of the strongest and most resilient people we have the honor to know and love. We are praying for the Lord’s will in every situation and for His love to shine bright on this beautiful country. We want to invite you to pray along with our team for your Haitian family, their Haitian neighbors, and the country as a whole.