Oh Haiti, how I’m gonna miss you.
This month flew by. From the moment we arrived something was different. There was almost a sense of urgency to make the most of every single day. In the Dominican Republic month one, we were just kinda gettin our feet wet. Our ministry involved a lot of sitting and writing lesson plans. But Haiti was hands on every day. From the moment of waking up at 5:30 every morning to about 4pm ministry was all about Jesus. Not just doing some ministry and hoping I’m making a difference for someone down the road. From sunrise to sunset we were building actual meaningful relationships with Haitians getting to know their hearts and sharing ours with them. It’s amazing how much happens when you enter into a relationship with the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimonies. Jesus. So much of Jesus. He showed up in countless miraculous ways this month y’all. It was almost daily that someone was getting healed of all kinds of things from migraines to depression to measles. People who haven’t felt loved in years were encountering God’s love for the first time and being radically changed by it! I mean, how could they not be. It’s amazing. We were seeing lives changed every day and it was a lasting change. Our teams would go to different villages in Haiti and spend hours playing with orphans and talking to the men and women and Jesus always showed up in some way even on the days we were doing construction. We would go to a village one day, see someone delivered of an illness or depression or whatever it was then come back days later and they are still walking in complete freedom and joy. Our God is so much bigger than our circumstance or amount of belief. The people of Haiti literally have nothing. This is by far the most extreme poverty I’ve ever encountered. Families of 7 and up are living in 2 or 3 room “houses” made mostly of torn tents and cement blocks sleeping on mud floors. The kids run around either missing pants or no clothes at all. They have no running water or electricity and no food. Yet I didn’t meet a single person in my time here that felt sorry for themselves and who weren’t grateful for all that they had. Sure they’re all constantly asking if we can give them food or water but when we tell them we don’t they aren’t upset with us. In fact, they still welcome us to sit with them and talk for hours and play with their kids all the while singing worship songs and praying for each other. The hearts of the Haitians has completely blown me away.
I don’t want to give you the wrong picture though. Not all of the people we meet find the love of Jesus. Some of them we prayed for and nothing happened. There was this one man in particular who had about 7 kids and a wife and they were living in a shack. His kids were so malnourished that they had orange hair and swollen bellies. The man asked if we could pray for him to get a job so that they could live like humans again. What?! How in the heck could this be happening?! I hope to never forget that moment. No matter where life takes me and how much the Lord blesses me with, I never want to consume more than I need. I never want to live lavished in unnecessary comforts when I know there are so many people in this world who just want to “live like humans”. Jesus.
My heart was wrecked this month you guys. I fell in love with Haiti and the people. I think they had more of an impact on me than I did on them.
I’m gonna miss them but how beautiful it is to have things worth missing.
