Today we went into the Cite Soleil.  We were briefed the night before and also today inside the tap tap, but nothing could prepare my heart for what I was about to see and experience.  It's the poorest area in the western hemisphere.  When we arrived with the water truck the towns people began to line up with their buckets and wash basins to receive the clean water.  Women and children would place these 5 gallon buckets onto a rolled up shirt on their heads and take them to their homes.  I never thought of water being so precious before until I experienced this today.  Their homes consisted of walls of metal sheeting and metal roofs, dirt floors.  The children would surround you and just wanted to be held or hugged or just to hold your hand.  We were led through the homes out into an area that appeared to look like a city dump.  Jeff pointed to a building and explained that that was a public restroom and that they had to pay to use it, so those who could not pay would use the area that we were  looking at.  This was overwhelming, I could not wrap my brain and thoughts around what I saw. I am so thankful that God has given us this opportunity to serve him and hope to have this opportunity again.

The kids thought this was so funny!  I found that this worked well. It was such a blessing to serve God's children in Site Soleil. 

 Extreme poverty, yet happy kids. Amazed!

Us helping someone by carrying water to her shack.

                                         They loved to hold your hand and to be loved.

                                Oh how they love to be loved! They are precious in His sight...

Today is a tough one to just sum up in one or two sentences but if there was one word it has to be serve. Everyone in the group gave themselves up today and served the people in Cite Soleil. Getting lost in the slums was also quite the experience!

The Nelsons, the Fredricksons, and the Adams