Here are the Top 5 Things that Haiti showed me:
1. That bringing a smile to an orphan child is one of the most thrilling experiences ever.
This girl was part of the 'school' made out of tarps and steel grates in the nearby tent city in Port-Au-Prince. Her beautiful smile represents many we saw when we visited the school.
2. That we all process and experience things differently. Our team had very different responses to the things we saw, and that's okay – it's a good thing.
Driving through Port-Au-Prince, this was our common view – concrete foundations, houses being built, many with steel rooftops, and clothes hanging out to dry.
3. That prayer is powerful and effective.
After hearing many stories of prayer and the power of God, a friend and I have been inspired to begin a consistent prayer meeting each week to lift up and listen – we saw the power of prayer like I have never seen before.
This little child caught my eye as we walked through a neighborhood of shacks & tents. She, like many of the children, curiously came out to meet our group and walk with us along the road.
4. That having 'much' and having 'little' – are all a matter of perspective.
We caught a glimpse of this as we were driving down the road near the orphanage. These men were hand-hauling car engines and mufflers.
5. That you don't have to be a person living on $2 a day to be in poverty.
What I saw reminded me that the most desperate poverty is to be without love. The people (especially the children) showed me a joy that could shatter any dependency on material comfort and success.
This little boy, like many of the children, would just play with whatever he could find. Here he is drawing in the sand – the kids didn't even have toys, they played with sticks, rocks, and hands.
Here are just a couple other pictures to sum up my trip:
"Photo! Photo!" The children everywhere loved having their pictures taken, and would always want to see themselves in our cameras. Here are some children at the Tent City school – the blue and white tarp behind them is one of their 'classrooms.'
The view flying out of Port-Au-Prince, Haiti. Recent estimates place the metropolitan area's populations at around 3.7 million, nearly half of the country's national population.
Please say a prayer with me for the people of Haiti. Their beautiful, resilient culture, smiling faces, generosity, and pride will always stay with me. Haiti certainly showed me many things, but these five were at the top.
