On the way to Haiti I was praying for God to steal my heart. I knew we were entering a country with a deep level of poverty, and I was ready to experience this country through His eyes. He answered my prayer in the sweetest way of all- through the Haitian children.
Jean Carie:
On Friday we got a tour of Mission of Hope (MOH). We left the main campus, survived the crazy driving and bustling streets of Haiti, and arrived at another piece of MOH. It was an orphan school playground buzzing with children full of life.
We quickly became the kid’s playground as they flooded us with laughter, hugs, and a strong desire to be held and loved. One boy in particular stole my heart. He ran towards me, and before I knew it he was jumping on my back. I asked him what his name was and in a precious French accent he said “Jean Carie”.
He loved to whip and nae nae, so we danced around the playground and laughed as we made up new beats to the song. He said “wi” and laughed at every question I asked, both of us knowing that he couldn’t understand what I was saying. His precious finger would point in a direction, and that’s where we headed. He stole my heart every time he peaked around my shoulder with his beaming smile. As he got tired he nestled his head in my back and dozed off until it was time to leave. He left me with the biggest squeeze ever, and then ran back into the chaos of the playground.
Onahl:
Our squad piled in the open back of a large, industrial-looking truck. We took a long bumpy ride up, down, and all around the dustiest mountain I’ve ever seen. We arrived coated in a layer of dust, and were greeted with delicious coconuts. It was our first adventure day in Haiti, and we were exploring a waterfall.
We were told the rocks on the waterfall were super slippery, so there were Haitian children eagerly waiting to safely lead us to the top. Before I knew it, a ball of energy ran towards me and grabbed my hand. Onahl was my fearless guide for the day.
He boldly led us through the rushing water, encouraging me in broken english through every step. He found it so funny that I was cautious, and insisted I trust him because he was an expert. We laughed as I almost fell and he grabbed my ankle to make sure it was okay. He could barely contain his excitement to show me how to slide down at the bottom. And he almost gave me a heart attack when he told me to open my hand and put a crab the size of my palm in it.
Onahl was special. He had great charisma and confidence for his young age. He led without fear, and blessed me with an even sweeter waterfall experience. His mood began to shift as he walked me back to the truck. He was sad, so in an effort to lift his spirits I asked him if he knew about Jesus. He shook his head yes. I asked him if he knew how much Jesus loved him, again he shook his head yes. Then I got a confused look when I asked if he talked to Jesus. He shook his head no.
My team was loading on the bus, so I hugged him and told him Jesus was my best friend, and was waiting to be his too. He would always be there to listen to him, encourage him, and be the best life companion he could ever ask for. His smile began to come back as we hugged good bye, and I hopped on the truck. As we rolled out, I heard my name being called. I looked down to see Onahl blessing me with one last grin. He waved goodbye as we rode back down the dusty mountain.
[Onahl is on the right]
Micline:
One day our team had the opportunity to do strategic village time. We visited homes in a village to form relationships with the people and talk about Jesus. We also collected information for MOH about the health and living conditions of the homes. On our first stop we met the sweetest single mother. She told us how tough it was being the sole provider for her children. We asked how we could help her, and she told us she wanted to wash laundry but didn’t have the means to buy detergent.
During lunch our translators were able to purchase detergent, and we had the opportunity to return to our new friend. We helped her do laundry and tidy up around the simple cement home. Her kids were home from school which was an added blessing. I was picking up trash around the home, when Micline walked my way. He was delighted to see trash being picked up, and immediately jumped in to help.
He picked up the trash bag and began to lead the clean up. He was bouncing everywhere, pointing out the best pieces for me to pick up. At one point some children began yelling in Creole from outside of the fence. I could tell it wasn’t pleasant, but this did not phase Micline the slightest bit. He looked at me and said something in Creole. The translator relayed the sweet message of encouragement. He was telling me not to worry about the children because it wasn’t important or worth the attention.
Because of the language barrier, communicating was usually through hand gestures. At some point I started to sing 10,000 reasons, and Micline stopped in his tracks. He looked up and started singing along with me in English. I was shocked, and the unexpected blessing flooded me with joy.
Edwins, Micline’s younger brother soon joined us as well. With his gentle leadership, Micline began teaching him how to pick up trash. It was beautiful to watch. I was captivated at how he led with patience. Before we left I had the opportunity to tell him how much I enjoyed his help with cleaning. He bashfully grinned as I told him how I admired how he cared for his brother, and how God had blessed him with the ability to lead. I pray that God continues to flood his sweet soul, and use him as a leader in his community.
[middle Edwins, right Micline]
Limona:
We took a bus to a village that MOH is connected with called Williamson. We pulled into an orphanage and had another opportunity to love on some precious souls. I wandered into a gazebo and sat down on a bench. When I realized what was in the middle of the gazebo, my heart sunk.
There were mattresses on the floor where the sick children had been laying. All had gone to their rooms except for one. A precious boy laid in the middle of kids playing all around him, robbed of the opportunity to join because he was so sick. I walked over and sat next to him along with a teammate and we prayed over him. We began to realize that more of the children were sick and had rashes on their bodies, so we asked to gather them in the gazebo. That’s when the sweetest little lady headed my way.
Limona walked over in a dress patterned with smiling critters, and the straps danced off her shoulders. Her bright smile hid that fact that her precious body was patterned in scabby-looking spots. She plopped down next to me. My watch stole her attention when she realized the buttons made noise. We began to dance to the beeping noises. Then we started capping our hands together, unable to contain our laughter as we played. Her giggle brought so much joy to my heart.
After a while she sat in my lap and I played with her hair. She jumped up, eager to play with my hair too. Soon she was back laying in my lap. I rubbed her back, all the while begging God to take the spots away from her and restore her health.
Before long it was time for our team to leave. We gathered the sick children in the middle of the gazebo to say one last prayer over them. Sweet Limona wrapped herself in my arms, as we prayed. I bent down to whisper in Creole “Jesus loves you”. Her bright smile covered her face as she repeated the words back to tell me the same thing.
These are the precious children that have captured a special place in my soul. I left a piece of my heart with each of them, and prayed that God would fill the holes left behind. I know that these children are growing up in a life that I can’t even begin to understand. I look forward to seeing them one day in Heaven, and hearing their stories without language barriers. For now, I’m content that God allowed me to simply pour His love on them through action.
That is what is so beautiful about God’s language- words aren’t needed, all you need is love.
