Friendship Teams at HAFF

HAFF benefits tremendously from the participation of “Friendship Teams”, who make one week visits to the Bohoc campus. Not only are there countless opportunities for visitors to help with specific projects and activities, but the Haitian people are encouraged by their presence as well.

In December 2013, April, May and June of 2014, HAFF has hosted 4 Work-Study teams. There are still 5 more teams scheduled to come in June, July, August, October and December 2014. Friendship Teams at HAFF are as varied as the people who constitute the teams. And what teams do is as varied as the skills, talents and interests of the team members and depends in large part on the needs and activities at HAFF when they come.

HAFF desires that team members' time in Haiti should not be dedicated solely to work. Teams experience a balance of work and study. There are opportunities to visit local markets, visit with Haitians in their homes and gardens, meet Haitian nationals on the HAFF staff and in the community, and worship in rural churches – all to help team members understand the culture and the needs of Haiti. Teams leave Haiti with a better understanding of how our God transcends cultural and language barriers as He ministers to His people throughout the world. Part of what team members accomplish is in sharing their experience with others upon their return home.

The first 4 teams participated in typical team activities, including, home visitation for prayer and to hear testimonies, meeting with the HAFF Executive Committee (EC), participating in English conversation with IPB students, hearing a local pastor's testimony about voodoo, exploring a local cave, visiting a local market, shopping at Zandolit (HAFF's consignment store for local handicraft vendors) and hearing a local choir or music group.

Clockwise from top left: Praying at Haitian homes, Meeting HAFF workers, Enjoying a concert, Sharing with HAFF teachers, Team members with the benches they built and Meeting the women in the Godly Woman class.

Some of the ministry in which team members have participated this year includes: sorting donated clothing to be distributed to the needy, laying an internet cable to the Wilson's house to improve their connection to the web, laying a water line, building school benches, sharing in round table discussions on drug and alcohol abuse and sexual abuse, giving hands-on experience with physical therapy, computer repair and motorcycle repair.

The HAFF EC highly values what Friendship Teams can share in seminars and round table discussions with HAFF staff and community people. Some topics the EC would like to see teams and nationals share with one another are: women's issues, marital counseling, and spiritual growth. Other topics which would be helpful to the community would be responding to medical emergencies and dealing with high blood pressure.

A recent team made a video of their visit to HAFF where team members share their thoughts and reactions to their time in Haiti at HAFF. You may notice repeated comments about the impoverished conditions of the people. This is a common reaction among first time visitors, even from experienced relief workers who have served in other areas. Yet the joyful songs of the choir and the grins of the children point to the encouragement the Haitians draw from their relationship with God and from visits with teams.

Also in the video you will see a local church men's choir doing a concert for the team, the drive from Port-au-Prince to HAFF, visiting with children on the road outside the HAFF campus, morning devotions at the HAFF school IPB (the scenes in the green room), visiting a Haitian home, meeting with Haitian nationals to hear their testimonies, visiting the Godly woman class and seeing the crafts the women made during the year, visiting the Bohoc market and sharing a tasty Haitian meal on the HAFF dorm porch. Enjoy your mini trip to HAFF!