Bonswa from Haiti!
I have found Creole to be a harder language to learn than even my 2 semesters in Koine Greek.
I am so excited to update you all on what has been a beautiful month!
Passing through the various market places, it was clear that the culture was unlike anything I had ever seen before. Cars and pedestrians share the road simultaneously…busses weave in and out of traffic between goats and humans and this is so normal to them haha! Cars drive on whatever side of the road is empty at the time and driving without a horn may as well be driving without brakes on your car. The market place is jam packed with locals trying to sell fruit and vegetables, dry beans, corn, and other merchandise. People walk around with huge basins of produce, laundry, or even water balanced on their head (never spilling a single drop). I stare as if it is magic sometimes! I watched as a group of men killed goats and pigs in the middle of the road and slung them atop a {moving} produce truck.
The kids in Haiti are an absolute trip! They are big tricksters and they think its hilarious. They start off sassy and stand-offish (too cool for Americans), but behind that initial front, they are loving the fact that they can call an American their “zambi” which means friend. Once you establish the friendship, they quickly cling. They are filled with this guppy love that just bubbles out whenever they’re around you…they LOVE american hair and they’ll spend all day braiding my hair……However it is clear that the children here in Haiti are on 2 extremes: they either cling to you like they’ve never known love, or they completely block you out and don’t let you near (likely because they are conditioned to having people leave them). I have seen how both are in desperate need of the Father’s never-abandoning love. This has probably been the sweetest and the absolute hardest part about ministry. I find that each time I have to leave, I have to surrender the children back to God and trust that He will care for them.
We’ve done a LOT of manual labor: construction, laying cement, painting orphanages, cutting grass with machetes, landscaping, and more. But we’ve also had a lot of village time. The Lord has used both (to my surprise) to teach me so much about Himself. There are moments where I get a glimpse of His heart even in the painting, and it doesn’t sound like it would make sense but He is there. This month has challenged me in more ways than I know how to express…He has taught me that vulnerability is one of our greatest ministries. Revelation says “they overcame by the Blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony.” My testimony and vulnerability invites others into a safe space where we can identify with one another in our past AND current struggles rather than pretend that we are perfect; it slays satan’s attempt at shame by saying “I can be unashamed of sharing what Jesus saved me from and continues to heal me in because He shed His blood for me.” He has revealed blindspots I had and shown me the sources of lies to uproot (which seems like a redundant lesson, but I am learning that different events in your life shape how you view yourself, others, and even God. So if you’ve believed it for years, its going to take awhile to work through reversing those thinking patterns. And though it is painful or frustrating, it is more worth it than a hot shower or comfy bed right now). There is SO much freedom in Jesus just waiting to be found…How in the world…I never thought and never even knew I could be this free; satan has no chance against me…He has shown me that there are treasures waiting to be found by me when I choose to walk in blind faith. When I choose to relinquish expectations and simply trust that He is a good Dad and I am heard by Him. Such a love and intimacy is being cultivated between my Father and I. His presence is the joy set before me…I see now what Jesus saw past the cross He endured.
It is clear to me that Jesus is not only using me this year to touch the nations, but He is using His nations to touch me on this Kingdom Journey. I can’t imagine what Month 3 will hold.
We will be leaving Haiti on Friday March 4th around 4 am to get over to Costa Rica…we have a layover in Atlanta, Georgia! Which means……CHICK-FIL-A! Haha we are all so excited! My team and I will be in San Jose working alongside a family who does prison ministry (which I’m so stoked for) and also sport ministry, youth camps, and children’s ministry. So it will be a variety-filled month! Please continue to pray for safe travel, protection over the team, unity, pray against spiritual attack, help with homesickness, boldness, confidence in using the gifts God has given us, eyes to see, ears to hear, available hearts, abandoned hearts…I love you all so much, thank you for doing this journey with me! I miss you all so so deeply!
Abide in His love,
Jackie
