Friday, Day 6

We had a great, long last day here. We had a casual breakfast, and as we ate we each shared what God was doing in our lives. It was a time of honesty and reflection. God has been working in so many ways, and it was really good for each person to have a chance to share a different perspective. We cleaned up, did a bit of packing, then headed off to the disabled children's home. For those of us who had never been before, nothing that Teresa said could have prepared us for the visit. Some kids were walking around, others were in wheelchairs, and many were just laying or sitting in a crib-like bed. Some members of the team hung out with a few kids who were more aware of what was going on. They laughed, sang, danced, gave hugs, and really brought joy into the lives of the children. Others walked around to different beds, talking to the kids and singing worship songs. When we got in the van to leave, many of us broke down and wept. It was so hard to see the kids. It was so hard to leave them. After the children's home we needed to stop at a grocery store to get coffee and cigars for the people who financially supported the trip. It was a humorous sight--13 Americans with shopping carts full of coffee, trying to figure out prices in dollars and wondering how to fit all the goods into the van. We returned to the house and spent the afternoon doing work for Jim and Teresa. We painted, weeded, organized, and more. We ate some fabulous pork chops and had a fantastic time watching the antics of various group members. Eddy spilled tea all over the table, Ben mopped it up and gave it to Eddy to drink again. Zach and David mimicked each other's accents. I won't name names, but there was definitely some talk about problems with the digestive system. We also had Jim and Teresa's grandchildren over for the evening, which was really nice. After dinner we gathered in the living room and Jim and Teresa shared stories about his time in prison in Haiti. God has done incredible things in their lives, and it was so encouraging to hear their testimony. Mark closed our evening with a devotional about sin, about the way we let it take hold in our lives. We had a late night, and will be on a very early plane ride home tomorrow.