Final day in Haiti with our camp and team. What a week it has been!
We checked out of the guest house and loaded up like Sanford and Son in our tap tap. A final goodbye to our guest house and on the road to our final "party" day at camp.
Today was a day of showcasing everything we learned during our camp, letting the children do any special songs or dances that they had made up on their own. Oh and guess what?! Bob was back for the party! Check Bob out chasing the chicken during the showcase.
We finished the camp celebrated with a meal of chicken and rice and fruit punch. Our team got to hand out several prizes for our "superstar" students of the week and everyone left with a Taking Shape book bag full of school supplies to start the new school season. A huge thank you to Showcase Dance Studio and OBX the Studio Karma Kids program for the generous back to school donations.
Also a HUGE thank you to the amazing translators and volunteers from Cepras and their president Benson Jean. Benson is also an extremely talented photographer and captured the pure essence of our camp this week!
We left the camp after a huge water balloon fight and many hugs and goodbyes that we will return next year.
A last hour stop at Lephare to eat lunch and pick up Greg before we left for our flight. Look what Greg completed while we were at camp all week! A gazebo for shade and shelter for the orphanage children and a resting area for our future mission campers that will be housed at Lephare during our next camp this December. The materials for this project were donated by Leo Perez from Lee Summit, MO.
What a week it has been. A week of growth with our team, relationships with so many wonderful people in Haiti and love in our heart! It is always hard to say goodbye but we will be back soon. Until next time in December our friends!! We learn more from you than you learn from us!
It's Thursday and another full day at Cepras. Our tap-tap rolled out from the guest house at 8:30 am to head to camp. The drive is one of our favorite parts. Everyone is Haiti has a purpose, they are all up and doing something. It may be to set up a couple of milk crates to sell bananas or it may be a walk across town, dodging the crazy traffic, just to visit a family member. Everyone here has a definite mission!
We arrived at camp, greeted with all of the kids who were behind the gate waiting for the entire team with hugs and high fives! It was so fun to see them proudly wear their SDA passport lanyards and sunglasses we gave out to them the past several days.
Today our surprise activities included Sumo wrestling with inflatable inner tubes, dream catchers for arts and crafts and a group dance to Cotton Eye Joe. Oh and we can't forget the younger kids got to put on a show with some fancy costumes!
We were a little sad at the beginning of camp because we didn't see Bob today but found out that he was so wiped out from the last two camp days before that he overslept. Bob needed some rest!
After the third day of camp it was so neat to see the growth of these kids not only in their activities and skills, but the relationships and friendships they were building among each other. The children of Cepras live a good 20 minute tap -tap drive from the children of Lephare orphanage. These kids are brought together only by our camp. Very grateful that they have had this experience together this week making friends.
We finished the day with a drive up the mountains of Haiti for a delicious dinner and incredible view over the entire country of Haiti. What a beautiful country!
Breakfast on the deck at the guest house is always one of our most favorite parts of the trip. Juicy mangoes, fresh pineapple and bananas along with scrambled eggs and assorted peppers cut in detail to the smallest squares. Brunet’s beautiful wife is always the best cook!
Off to camp we go packed with our suitcases on top of the “tap tap” (the Haitian name for taxi). We have 10 of us riding to camp looking a little like Sanford and Son. Tight quarters, no AC but it doesn’t matter. The liveliness of the streets of Haiti keep us totally entertained on our journey to camp.
Taking Shapes hosts the camp for the children of Cepras, a Haitian ran organization whose mission is to grow young Haitiain children through education and Christian faith. We combine Cepras kids with the children of Lephare orphanage for the entire camp week. Total kids in the camp are 75!
Haiti children don’t have the exposure to organized activity, sports and fine arts. We quickly saw once they were introduced to the activities, they were like sponges! We divide the kids into 3 rotations according to age and they rotate to arts/ crafts with and bible stories with Savanah and Beth, sports and games with Ben, Same and Isaac and dance with Crystal and myself. These kids love art and are so artistic! The detail and time they put into their work is so amazing.
Favorite dances are the Chicken Dance, Baby Shark and Tootie Ta! It doesn’t matter the ages of these kids, everyone is participating, laughing, enjoying time together and learning. Such a cool experience! Oh and also keep in mind it is 95 degrees and no AC.
Meanwhile while we are busy with our kids at camp, Greg is back at Lephare Orphanage helping complete the building project at Lephare. Taking Shape will be housing it’s future summer mission campers in the expansion of the Lephare Orphanage, giving them a total immersion inside the Haitian culture.
Another full day at the Cepras Camp! Today we arrived at the camp with 23 Lephare orphanage kids and a 9 month baby in the Tap Tap (another name for Taxi but it is a short bed Toyota truck painted in vibrant colors). We met up with the remaining children attending the Cepras camp at the CMAS school where the camp is being held.
Such a variety of ages from a 9 month old to 24 year old boys and girls coming to camp to learn, grow as leaders and make friends.
Today our campers learned some American favorites; The Chicken Dance, YMCA and the Wobble. We also joined both ages together for a Cotton Eye Joe production number. Yee haa!
Musical chairs, public speaking using a microphone and several crafts and art contests throughout the day!
Benson the President of Cepras conducted a very creative bible skit focusing on the story of the prodigal son. Haitian children are quite entertaining and great actors!
What an experience this has been so far! Haitian children are so similar to Americans in that they are like sponges, they want to learn. They love to play and they take care of each other. I have seen our leadership team grow as young leaders themselves as they instruct activities, games, songs and lessons to children that don’t speak the same language. Leading others in example rather than words!
Today our Taking Shape Team arrive in Port-au-Prince Haiti for our first mission camp trip. We would like to give a BIG thank you to all of those that donated supplies for our dance, sports and leadership camps. Our suitcases were loaded with so much love from our community and our team is now fully equipped to provide a great experience for the students here in Haiti. Our team is looking forward to a week of growth and service with some amazing children!
Keep up with us on our taking shape FB page this week as we post of our camp!
A last hour stop at Lephare to eat lunch and pick up Greg before we left for our flight. Look what Greg completed while we were at camp all week! A gazebo for shade and shelter for the orphanage children and a resting area for our future mission campers that will be housed at Lephare during our next camp this December. The materials for this project were donated by Leo Perez from Lee Summit, MO. 
