Work Study/Friendship Team visit to Primary Schools

Right after the new year, HAFF was blessed to host a group of high school and college students from Redeemer Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Ada, Michigan. A special gift from this team was that they all came prepared to share a short version of their own testimony of faith, their favorite Bible verse or promise, and their favorite Bible character. These came in very useful during the week as they interacted with Haitians involved in the various ministries of HAFF.

The group visited two different schools whose teachers are involved in HAFF’s primary school teacher training program. (Above, the children of one school are welcoming the visitors with a song)

Besides giving each of the schools a chalk board made by other American teams,

they shared their favorite Bible character and how that person had touched their lives. Haitian students from 3 to 13 recognized several of these Bible heroes, and seemed interested in hearing why these American students felt a bond or admiration for that person. It really seemed to make the Bible come alive for some of the primary school students.

The schools then broke into a second activity. The older boys played soccer with the American visitors (who left the school a soccer ball)

and the younger children and older girls learned the American action song “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes”.

The teachers appreciated a new way of teaching body parts in English, and their students appreciated the action and increasing speed of the song. The Americans appreciated interacting with the winsome, littler ones and teaching beginning English conversation to some very eager older students. This kind of cultural exchange is the essence of the HAFF Work Study/Friendship Team ministry.

(Thank you to Carla Wilson for this story and to Carla and to April Lambiotte for the photos)