Colts Cheerleader Cristina Checks In From Haiti
What are a handful of Colts cheerleaders doing down in Haiti to start the month of March?
Five Colts Cheerleaders traveled to Haiti last week in partnership with the i’m ME Organization to help children in orphanages by bringing basic needs to them and educating the youth.
Earlier this week, we heard from Colts cheerleader Ciarra in her trip to Haiti. Now, it’s time to hear from Cristina.
Here is an update from cheerleader Cristina in Haiti:
Day 2
Hello, Colts Fans. Cristina Here. I was blessed to go to Haiti after receiving much support from my family and friends, and wanted to share with you my experience. Today I woke up at 7:15am after spending our first night in Haiti. It was quite a shock to the system leaving the frigid cold Indiana weather to come and sleep in 90 degree weather, but one I won’t complain about. Our first stop was the i’mMe after school program where we worked on English skills with the kids. When we first arrived the kids ran to greet us with open arms and excitement. It was heart-warming to see how happy they were to have visitors. We taught the kids colors, numbers, the alphabet, the chicken dance, and the “Jesus Loves Me” song. Our next stop was the I’mMe kid’s home. There we learned a Haitian dance, colored, and played “Head Shoulders Knees & Toes.” A special moment was when one of the shy kids gave me a kiss goodbye. This melted my heart. To end the day we came back to the home we are staying, had dinner and sat on the roof top for Devotion. It was a wonderful day and I couldn’t have been happier to have shared it with my Colt’s Cheer sisters.
Day 4
Hello, Blue Nation. Cristina here. Today we started by visiting the Apparent Project where we visited with the owner, Shelly Clay. She gave us a tour and introduced us to some of the workers. Her story is truly inspiring. Not only has she adopted Haitian children, but she has provided hundreds of jobs for Haitians. After the Apparent Project we went to the I’mMe after school program to lead a dance class. It was beautiful to see how universal dance is. I loved seeing how dance lit up the eyes of the little girls. It meant a lot that I was able to be a part of the first dance class for the program. After dancing we went out in the community. I was able to learn more about the Haitian’s daily lifestyle. I was able to experience where they get water, how they transport food or materials on top of their heads, and how small their living quarters are. My favorite moment was with a little boy from the community. In my eyes he was the most beautiful, loving and animated little boy I’ve ever seen. He stole my heart. We closed out the evening with beautiful music and devotion.
Day 5
Hello, Colts Nation. Cristina here. Today was the last full day here and we visited Fort Jacques. We were able to tour the fort with a guide and learned some great Haitian history. Our guide showed us the miles of tunnel and took us to the top of the fort which overlooked all of Port Au Prince. The view was gorgeous. Later we went to the Mission of Hope orphanage where we watched the kids play, worship and helped pass out meals. We celebrated our last day by going to a lovely Haitian restaurant. The food was delicious! I am so grateful for this opportunity as I have learned so much from the beautiful children of Haiti. I am truly changed and reminded how to value the little things in life. Thank you Haiti! get this past week. I have been blessed by Haiti!
