welcome back, stranger

The day after Christmas, I left for my first adventure to Port Au Prince, Haiti. I was so excited to get out of the country again, and to experience a new place. I was pumped to help lead 44 participants on this amazing, whirlwind trip to immerse them in a different culture. To remember why Christmas is so special, and the true meaning behind it. To be hands and feet of Christ. To live like a Haitian and walk by radical faith and encouraging love like they do. I was excited to get back out there. ya know?

 

Even though I’d never been to Haiti before, it was always on my list of places to go. And even though I had never been there before…I had been there before. I walked around the streets like I had grown up there. I spoke to the locals as if creole was my native language. I jumped on and off tap taps like a local. I treasured and reminisced over the food. I enjoyed the heat, mosquitoes, sleeping in tents, the loud booming music of the night, and most of all, the quiet, hazy sunrises. That place felt like home. Like I had been there before. Like I had never left the mission field, and I didn’t have a closet filled with too many sweaters or a kitchen with an excessive amount of spoons and tupperware. Like, that was kind of like home.

 

“…welcome back, stranger.” I heard whispered over me again and again while walking through the trash covered streets and waking up at 2am to the roosters whose internal clock was off. I had never been there before, but it was home and I felt so alive and complete there.

 

On our last night of ministry, one of the teams decided to hold a foot washing service for the whole community there. I ended up leading worship in a few oldie but goodie songs, and then was kind of stuck near the front for the rest of the service. One of the participants asked me if I ever got jaded at all on these trips. By going on so many, and seeing so much destruction and heartache. I didn’t need to think about my answer. No hesitation. Seeing the pain and hurt of my brothers and sisters in Christ will ALWAYS bring me to tears. I will never grow to be comfortable and complacent with the state of being these innocent children of God are living in. But I will always be moved and encouraged by my fellow teammates, office colleagues, amazing supporters and participants and their work in bringing light to these dark places. Seeing my participants wash the dirty feet of the Haitian community out of love and service to them as a sibling in our Lord will always ground me, and keep me going. As if I needed a reminder as to why I do what I do… but this sure was a great one.