Sweating profusely in my tent, I couldn’t fathom how God was going to work everything out for World Race setup in Haiti. It was March 8th that I arrived in Haiti to Pastor Christian’s house and I was already feeling the heaviness and pressure of getting things done. This was my second trip to Haiti and I had recently been asked to coordinate our World Race relief efforts for the upcoming summer. Needless to say, there was much to be done and not a lot of time to do it. It seemed as if everything that I had planned to do during my month-long stay in March was getting deterred. I would meet with pastors and feel like we had a clear understanding, only to realize later just how big a spirit of confusion consumed that place. I was discouraged, frustrated and alone as I just sat there soaking in that beating sun.
Throughout my stay in the spring, God had allowed me to live and work alongside our Short-term Missions department who was also coordinating relief efforts for short-term teams in Haiti. There were several key players who were instrumental in mobilizing hundreds of people into Haiti. At the onset, it was rough and chaotic (no fault of AIM, but the climate kinda lent itself to that). Cars breaking down, prices going up on items, and rough living conditions made things very difficult. Fortunately, among this STM staff, God had placed people to help me keep my sanity as everything literally seemed to be falling apart. One of these people was Tim Hannon.
Now, Tim is a fascinating guy to say the least. He has a wild and adventurous spirit along with a “yes” attitude to go with it. He’s the kind of guy that would build an ark if God asked him to. Throughout our time camping alongside each other, I got to know Tim and hear a bit of his story. He shared some very personal stuff with me and I was able to be vulnerable with him. We got to know each other and really build a solid friendship which I am extremely thankful for because of our given circumstances. While teams were moving in and out of Haiti, I would be asked to lead worship from time to time for the group. Tim was always so encouraging and supportive. Without him knowing it, he was actually prophesying some things over me concerning how God uses that gift and ability. Tim was our supply coordinator. He would collect rice, beans, oil, tarps and whatever else was needed for the teams to do their relief work throughout the week so he was always out and about. Several times on his return, he would bring back a Coke for me just because he thought of me. I don’t know if you realize this, but that is a big deal in an underdeveloped country. It meant so much to me that he had been so thoughtful and caring. I think he must have known how hard of a time I was having and how things were not going to “plan”. But then again, maybe they were.
Tim had shared with me how his daughter Katie was on the World Race. In fact, she was in Ghana where I had been just 3 months prior to this trip doing setup for her squad. Katie actually contacted me through Skype because she knew I was down in Haiti and wanted to check in on her dad. So that is how we first met. Miles and miles away from each other but connected through having both been in the same African country and now me with her dad. Crazy story huh? It gets better.
Remember this blog: When You’re Lonely . Katie had been squad-leading and staying with the same pastor that had hosted me during my stay in Ghana. She recently re-read this blog and told me that she had experienced that very same thing in her time there. She had walked that dark trail leading to the hotel. She even had little Joshua and Lelia holding her hands guiding her through the dark as well. She felt what I felt and it was a shared experience that we had without even knowing it.
So let’s fast-forward a bit to October 2010. Katie and I had maintained limited contact throughout those months as she was still on the Race and we were acquaintances at best. I had recently finished my time in Haiti and had moved to Gainesville in late September and she was done with her Race and planning on moving to Gainesville to join the field support team. We exchanged phone numbers as I found out she’d be living with two of my good friends, Heather and Holland. We would laugh and joke around a good bit in our brief conversations, but it was always kept lighthearted and never went below the surface. In fact, we both laugh now at how things progressed considering we had placed each other in the friend box from the get-go. She thought I was too ADD and off the wall and I thought she was too tall for me. HA!
We continued with our friendship, maintaining the surface level until one day she stopped me and said “I know there is a depth to you that you’re not allowing others to see”. Yep. Very true. Call it jaded or “putting up walls” but I had no intention of allowing many people to get close to me. Sure, the guys at my house and maybe a select group of others but that’s it. So that was the first thing that kinda stopped me a little bit. Does she honestly think I would open up to her? You see, Katie picked up on something that no one else had and that was intriguing to me.
Part II tomorrow
