I stood there surrounded by a cloud of white dust as moto’s sped past, the sun beating down on my shoulders, in the streets of Montrouis, Haiti. It was our first day of street ministry and all I could see in the rubble that still remained from the last natural disaster was hopelessness. I prayed under my breath, “Lord, let me love these people like you do. Let me not turn my head from these people because it’s too hard to see hope through destruction.”
Our ministry for the day was to just get to know people of the city and so that’s what we did. One of our translators, Alex, and I approached what looked like a makeshift house, made of tin and banana leaves laced together. We knocked on the tin “door” and a girl about 12 years old answered. We began talking with her for a bit asking her how she was and then the question came up, “Did she have time to talk with us more?” After seeing Alex’s face change from smiling to concerned he translated to me that she was from the mountain and she had lots of work to do. Little did I know in that moment, but children from the mountains are bought from people in the city to work as “help” in their houses for practically nothing. My heart was shattered. I thought, “How does this happen God??” The conversation only went downhill from there. I asked her if she had ever heard of Jesus Christ? She said, “no.” I asked her if I could tell her about him and how much he loves her. Alex asked her if she wanted a bible to read and she said no. She declined, wanting nothing to do with anything we were saying. I left there feeling defeated.
Walking on down the back roads of the many tin houses I asked God, what are you saying in this moment? Because I was so broken for that girl, for the people of Montrouis, and honestly just feeling hopeless. God reminded me that my hope is not situational – whether that be good, bad or successful because someone accepted Christ. My hope is in Him because no matter the outcome God is still good. God is always good.
We spent the rest of the morning walking the streets talking and praying with people, but I just couldn’t stop thinking about her. I wanted to go back and visit her, but the only time I had the chance – she wasn’t there.
So what’s the point of this blog?
The point is that sometimes there are moments in life that don’t always end like you hoped, but that’s where faith and prayer comes in. I may not ever see that sweet girl ever again, but I will never stop praying for her. I may have just been there to plant the seed, but I’m hopeful that God will continue to send people there to water it.
So if you are ever in a situation that seems hopeless change your way of thinking to truth. Truth that with God no situation is too tough, too far gone, or too much for him to handle.
“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” [Romans 5:1-5]
