Life Amidst the Rubble: Haiti Day 1

 

Every day is a unique opportunity to follow Christ on
the journey of life. Sometimes it takes you down the street and sometimes it
takes you to a different country.  Since the earthquake struck January 12, 2010 I have had a
burning desire in my heart to follow Christ to Haiti. In a way that could only
be orchestrated by Him, He led me there on March 7. 

After 36 hours of traveling from Nashville to New
York, to Miami, to Santo Domingo, driving along winding roads with new friends,
and getting a little lost, I had finally reached the border of Haiti. The
emerald hues that colored many of the hills in the Dominican Republic had
transformed into eroded limestone mountains, a desolate lake, and a long gravel
rode… I had made it to the border
of Haiti.

 Only one word explains the border; chaos. There are
people everywhere attempting to sell whatever they can find, military trucks
driving quickly past, and skilled conmen looking to take advantage of anyone
who might fall prey to their border crossing schemes. With the sun beating down
on the car, we exchanged currencies in a process that should make everyone
thankful for the order of a traditional bank and entered into a country that
would change my life.

At the first sign of people you notice that there are
tents and tarps everywhere. Two months later and the Haitian people are still
gripped with fear of another earthquake, so they sleep outside every night
under the safety of a night sky.

 

However life still moves on.

Children still play in front of fallen homes.

Women carry goods to sell as they walk past piles of
rubble.

From the very first moment you realize these are a
resilient people.

 

We drove into Port au Prince as dusk fell over the
city and once again I was confronted with the stark contrast of physical
destruction and vibrant life weaving in and out of one another. How the two
co-exist is something I would struggle with the rest of the week.

We pulled up to the compound that I was supposed to
stay at for the week and was welcomed by everyone with open arms. I quickly sat
up my new “home” for the week and joined everyone in a delicious dinner I would
have most every night while in Haiti: rice and beans, baked plantains,
pickleys, and chicken. There was an excitement running through the compound as
we all awaited what was in store. After several encouraging conversations I
found myself slipping away to the rocky ground where my tent lay.

As I lay down, I felt something stirring inside of me
(and it wasn’t dinner 😉 ) I was nearing 40 hours of continuous travel but
instead of exhaustion I felt more alive than I’d ever been. I knew that I was
exactly where God wanted me to be. This was just the beginning. I was finally
in Haiti.

 

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