Dan’s Youth Group Mission Trip To Haiti
On July 11, 2016, Dan took a group (along with two leaders) down to Children Of The Promise, in Haiti. It was a trip years in the making, but a trip well worth the planning and investment. They left bright and early that Monday morning at 1:00am from Prinsburg. After many hours of travel, they finally made it to Haiti!
I stayed back this time because we didn’t think Mazy would do well considering she doesn’t sleep through the night yet and at the time of planning, was still struggling with her ears. We talked about me going and taking her for about 5 minutes and that was the end of that conversation. So glad we did not plan to take her because she was sick the week before and ended up being hospitalized. I wouldn’t have felt comfortable taking her after that! And like a friend said, someone’s gotta “stay with the stuff!”
Dan had a wonderful time watching the youth group kids flourish. One of Dan’s biggest takeaways from the trip was watching the kids run a VBS solely on their own. It was like a proud daddy moment he said. Also, just watching the kids find their niche, see their strengths come through, and just see God working in their lives.
While there, the groups ran a VBS, painted a wall of one of the baby houses, made carnival games from scratch to create a “traveling carnival”, two nurses came down with the first group and they taught hygiene and prenatal care, and both groups took a day away to the beach one day and also went up to the Citadel, which was a big landmark in the area. It was HOT HOT HOT when they were there, but like they all said, they survived!
Here’s a glimpse in pictures from the trip. Dan had over 700 pictures to sift through, but I chose just a handful:
Piling in the truck with all their luggage to head to Children Of The Promise
Working on building carnival games
Planning VBS
Running VBS
One of the carnival games they made
The beginning of Plinko
The “dunk tank” they made
No words needed. Yes, that is what you think it is.
Painting the photo shoot “booth”
A view on the way up to the Citadel
The Citadel
They rode on guided horses to the top
Picture of the 2nd group
