HAITI reFREshed my SOUL

I just got back from spending 10 days in Haiti, leading a trip for Adventures In Missions' Encounter Program. What an incredible time, but it did not start out that way…

Ever since May 17th it seems like I have been moving non-stop support raising, working, preparing for Haiti, hanging with family and friends since being back in Indiana. When I stepped foot in the Indy airport, I was not ready for another thing to be added onto my already busy plate. To be honest, I was tired physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. I was not ready to pour into people, set up, teach, and expend energy that I did not have. I simply needed a time out from life, a few hours to be whisked away by Papa God, not another thing to do.

I arrived in the Haiti airport an hour ealier than the other 2 lady leaders for another team. Within minutes of locating my luggage, God sent me a friend named Mano (Emmanuel). As we began speaking, I soon found out his love for Christ. For the next 3 hours, this police officer, who loved Jesus, hung out with me as I waited. He even let me use his phone to call our contact! Wow, a refreshing gift from God? I think so!

Mano was an ever so sweet present, but then the attacks started raging once we left the airport. That night it was blazing hot. Negative thought after negative thought came storming through my mind. The next morning I woke up and read a verse in Isaiah 58: "He will satisfy your needs in a sunscorched land…" Here I was in a sunscorched land. Later that night the electricty began to work and I fell asleep to the wind from a fan sweeping across my sticky body. Gift after gift after gift began to come forth.

A few days later my team from a church in Pennsylvania arrived. What I thought was going to be a non restful week, slowly began to shift. I am telling you…this team was INCREDIBLE, from the 8 year old to the 65 yaer old! Right from the get go, they dove in head first from doing dishes night one to "Asking the Lord" who to pray for day 2 to being thrown into teaching a ladies Bible study . It was beautiful to see the Holy Spirit place the same thing, words on multiple people's hearts. Most times, before I even had time to do a teaching the Holy Spirit had already spoken it through another. I can see that He truely led this trip, not me. Wow!

I was truely blessed by this team. God knew exactly what and who I needed to bring a sense of refreshment to my life. No to do list, no fundraising, simply a time of loving His people! God even sent many Thailand gifts. The one that blew me away most was seeing a Free Burma Rangers T-Shirt on Aimee D'Hondt's contact! It was an ever so sweet reminder of how Thailand is a part of me where ever I go and that God is truely leading!! Haiti was in deed just what I needed, and I am honored beyond all to have been a part of Kingdom in Haiti.

Thank you God for always knowing and simply being who you say you are!  Continue to pray for this country!