Written by: Jen Beres, Haiti Team Member in Disaster Response, Distributed Journeys, News and Inspiration on August 16, 2010

It was Friday the 13th, and we rose early to walk to our final service project at a nearby orphanage. Our plan for this visit was to train a group of translators in some basic first aid. Mick, one of our team members who is a paramedic, did a great job providing some hands-on training for treating injuries. As we were waiting for the the translators to arrive, “Jaguar” the man in charge, told us a breathtaking account of his experience of the earthquake. Jaguar was born in Haiti and has lived part of his live in New York; he has returned to Haiti with a passion for the recovery and future of his country. With tears rolling down his cheeks, he described his experience of loss and his vision for the children of Haiti. We were held captive by his passion and story.

As we continued to wait for the students, a young Haitian man picked up a guitar and began to sing some hymns. He continued playing and singing songs that he had written that tell the story of that day on January 12. Our team stood speechless and tearful as this passionate musician poured out his soul in music. We came to minister, but we stood there being ministered to in ways that are hard to put into words. We knew we were standing on holy ground, a rare moment we will not soon forget.

Part of our team played with the children. They made paper chains to decorate the kids’ sleeping area, played football and basketball, and sang together. We watched as one of the boys shimmied up a coconut tree and dropped coconuts to the ground. He then cut off the tops with his machete and served us fresh coconut milk.

We wrapped up the day with a trip to a market to purchase a few souvenirs and dinner at a nearby restaurant. After much discussion, we discovered that most things on the menu were not available. It was quite the dinning experience with “complicated orders” and much fun and laughter. In wrapping up our trip, we have bittersweet feelings. We are longing for home but at the same time, we realize that we have all fallen in love with a country in great need ... and a people who precious and a joy to be with.