Earlier this week my team was assigned to visit a village and plant trees. We went with a group who had just gotten here and was eager to do ministry. They were knocking out tree planting like none other. I felt like I wasn’t doing anything worth while so I sat in the truck the rest of the morning. I really didn’t have the strength to do much. The afternoon was a little different but Haitian children really tire me quickly. They are constantly jumping on me, pulling at our hair or bracelets, anything they can grab.
I came back from the day and really wondered what I had done and why I was so exhausted from doing what I felt was nothing. The next day God gave me a do-over, I was able to really focus on Him loving through me, not doing anything on my own strength. The result was as incredible as you would guess.
Pretty early on in the morning I met Elbert and Fedner. They were 12 and showed me so much of Jesus all morning. At one point I was sitting in the dirt with them as they taught me how to play marbles. I felt so gross, when they showed me how to put my hand down to shoot the marble I had sweat so much that the dirt turned to mud instantly. When I complained to them, Elbert gave me his shirt to wipe my hand. When it was time to get up and move places they brushed every single piece of dirt off my clothes. When my thumb hurt from squeezing the marble too many times, they showed me a different way that was less painful. I had one of the best mornings of my race. Instead of me going out to love on children, God sent two precious kids to love on me. As I was leaving they gave me a bracelet that Fedner had made. He made these bracelets to sell so that he could make money.
It didn’t stop there though. We went back after lunch for a Kids Camp with children in that same village. A little girl found me early on and would not let me put her down. I spent the afternoon praying for her and her family and everything I could think of to pray for her. We didn’t share a single word all afternoon but the connection I felt with her was unreal, I didn’t want to say goodbye at the end of the day.
The more I let God give me strength and listen to what he calls me to daily, the more I will remember stories like this. The less I will remember how hot, sweaty, and gross I feel 99% of the day. It doesn’t matter. I don’t want to focus on that at all. Here’s to remembering Jesus moments instead of physical weakness.
