Haiti: Our Final Day

Greetings from Haiti once again. It's hard to believe that Friday was our last day in Duplan. After enjoying another wonderful breakfast meal at the Methodist Guest House, we were informed that there were demonstrations and protests occurring in the market area in PetionVille--which meant that, at best, our departure would be delayed--and at worst, we might not be able to make the trip at all into Duplan for our final day. The latter option was a devastating and heartbreaking possibility, so we did the only thing we could do....we prayed. Once again, as has been the case throughout the week, the grace and love of God shined upon us--and a short time later, we were cleared to take our journey for the final day of Vacation Bible School (VBS).

VBS was abundant with blessings as we enjoyed the day with the children. Gesner Paul, President of the Methodist Church in Haiti, joined us for the devotional hour. It gave us great joy to see him look out over the gathering of children with such love, pride and happiness as he enjoyed their exhuberant worship. Our daily Scripture lesson was the story of the Resurrection of Christ. Jon Bowsher revisited his role from earlier in the week as Jesus--and Dennis Franko was the perfect angel (albeit in a pink sheet). Jesus wore the only white sheet out of our "costume chest!"

Pastor Jeff led the two oldest groups of children in Bible study--telling the anointment of David as King of Israel, as well as the story of David and Goliath. His message was that God has a purpose and a plan for each one of us, but that we have to do our part for the plan to be fulfilled. He also had an open question-and-answer session with them where they asked some very deep and thoughtful questions such as, "What happened to the people who died in the earthquake that didn't love Jesus?", "Is Jesus coming back soon?", and "What is faith?"

The children made mosaic crosses in art class and played games on the playground...the older girls made bracelets from twine...and the soccer coach gave everyone a great workout, including Bob Woodward, who was initiated into gym class today! And of course, there was singing, singing, and more singing!! Maybe it was our imagination, but it seemed the children sang louder and with more passion today than ever. They sang as if Jesus was standing right before them. The heavenly sound of their voices is something none of us ever want to forget.

The day ended as it had started, with praise and song. Pastor Edzair thanked the team for their service, and the children sang a special song of thanks as we prepared to serve them lunch. The pastor also announced that the children will enjoy Bible School for three more weeks and that the donation from Reynoldsburg UMC will be enough to continue to provide lunch for the children each day.

Our departure was bittersweet. Saying goodbye was so difficult, but we knew that the gift of Christ and His love will live on and flourish long as after our departure. The children of Duplan have a place in each of hearts, and we are forever changed because of them.

For the first time, we enjoyed a beautiful dinner outside the Guest House. On our way, we stopped to see Johnny's house and his family--which was such a blessing. The love of God shines so brightly in their eyes. We were most grateful that we made it to the restaurant--especially after we mistakenly went to the wrong place the first time. (The good news is, we found a beautiful apartment complex should any of us decide to move to Haiti permanently.) The Hotel Ibolele, tucked away on the mountainside, was truly an oasis providing a breathtaking view of Port-au-Prince at sunset. It was an wonderful treat, and we were blessed to have Johnny and Lumere join us for dinner.

Our evening ended with our final devotion and an opportunity to thank each other and pray for one another. We shared laughter, tears and a great deal of love. Being together this week has bonded us in an amazing and blessed way.

Tomorrow (Saturday), we travel home knowing that God is with us--and all the children who touched our lives this week. They gave us far more than we could ever give them. Please pray for us as we journey home. God bless!