Since being accepted, Haiti has been the country that has caused the most interest when people asked about me leaving on the World Race. I received responses such as "You'll love it there!", or "Haiti is the most incredible place for missions!", and "Haiti will definitely be your favorite month." Most of these statements turned out to be true, but not in the way I expected. Haiti WAS a great month, but I found God calling me to ministry outside of what I had envisioned.
It was all squad month which just means all the teams on the squad were at the same location together during the month instead of being spread out at different ministries in Haiti. We worked with an organization called Mission of Hope Haiti. Their main campus is in Titanyen and is also where we lived for the month. It is a large compound with dorm style rooms, open-air cafeteria, and a high level of security. There were various groups and individuals living on the compound with us from different places in the U.S. and the world. Most groups were from churches, but some individuals didn't have much religious background and were wanting to join in relief efforts.
Now I thought this month in Haiti was going to be all about village ministry, helping Haitians become self-sustaining, and sharing Christ with everyone we meet while working. Yes, we did many of those things, but as the month went on God revealed to me the ministry that was present right there on the compound. There are a few people I met that particularly stand out for different reasons. First, I met a girl who I hit it off with right off the bat. I later found out that she didn't necessarily consider herself a Christian and she came to multiple members of our squad in such pure honesty and curiosity. It was so obvious how hard God was pursuing her heart as we shared that week together. She asked hard questions that not only gave her more knowledge, but sharpened my stand and belief in Christ. My confidence grew through that experience, and I know she left Haiti a different person than when she had arrived.
That month our squad also came to know a couple guys from the U.S. For some reason my team in particular decided to take them into our group, welcome them in, and show them what the World Race is about. We ended up doing ministry together, learned a lot, and laughed a lot. I believe the short time they spent in Haiti was only the beginning of what God is going to call them to long term. It was evident that they were looking for more and being led to more than a typical 9 to 5 life in America. We were able to encourage them in that and now one of them is launching in January 2015 for the World Race! So excited for him and what God is going to teach and reveal to him this coming year. We love you Bill!
The last person I want to mention is Julie. Julie was one of the best representations of what it means to be free in Christ that I have ever met. She came to Mission of Hope with her sister and nephew and was incredibly filled with the Holy Spirit. She was so encouraging to me during our time there and I felt blessed to have multiple life-giving conversations with her. In short, God gave her words to say that I needed to hear in those moments and I'm so thankful that God provided that through her.
Through these different relationships I was affected in different ways. I was tested and sharpened in my faith, encouraged in my faith, and was able to encourage others in theirs. Month 1 (Dominican Republic) prepared me for Month 2 (Haiti) in that it prepared me to fully embrace the unexpected ministry that God continues to place in front of me. He taught me that ministry doesn't stop when we leave the ministry site or go back home. Our ministry is our lives. Everyday. Every encounter is an opportunity to share and receive. How many of these opportunities do we waste? How much do we miss from God because we are focused on other things? Even now, is your mind completely centered around how you can accomplish the next 5 things on your to-do list in the next couple hours? Take time to sit and be present with God. Be intentional about seeing every moment through the eyes of Christ and taking advantage of the opportunities He gives you. Overall, this month was a month of growth for me and it showed me that the Race is not always about the scheduled ministry at hand, but that God can and will use you in any way at any time if you only let Him.
So what does your ministry look like today?
Hey everyone! I just want to say a massive thank you for being interested and invested in this journey that I'm on right now. It's super encouraging to have love being poured out on me from back home. So it's that super fun time of FUNdraising again. My next deadline is January 1, 2015 and I still need to raise about $4,800. Whew. Double good news is… 1) It is my last deadline and I will be fully funded after that. 2) All the money in the world already belongs to Jesus so $4,800 is no big deal to Him.
Sidenote: For all you awesome Americans out there, taxes are coming up and all donations to AIM are tax deductible! It's a win-win situation!
With love,
Kayla
