Here I stand in awe of you again. Each morning I’m in amazement of your wonders you allow my little eyes to behold. I watch you paint the picture in the sky as I watch my last Haitian sunrise over the mountains my heart becomes heavy to leave behind this beautiful country.
With each passing day you opened my heart and eyes to see the hurt and to feel the pain. I endured the sorrow of your children fearful for their lives. Parents whose babies are nameless concerned they won’t survive their first year of life. Elderly families homeless yet still praising your faithful, good name. Your children dying of starvation and lack of medical care. Watching them drink water unfit for an animal. I watched you flood thru the souls of men and women who serve evil masters. I listened to you capture the tongues of those serving alongside me. I saw you captivate the hearts and minds of those who were only here for a short period of time. I have watched you transform lives in days. I stand in awe of you again and again.
You transformed, inspired and encouraged me thru the North Americans you sent to serve. I am blessed to have met so many men and women week after week. You used them to show me the urgency my own country is in need of You.
First you sent Doug. A humble man who walks in such gentle kindness. Wise beyond words. A man willing to pour his heart out to a 29 year old woman on some crazy long mission trip. You sent someone who as we say “gets it”. He encouraged me to stay strong. You gave me a boldness to pray with him for his family. You placed a bond between your children. Doug thank you for allowing me to sit at your dinner table. Thank you for speaking life and love over me. Thank you for being an eternal friend.
Next you sent an unexpected blessing. They like to be called Jeremy, Jason and Clayton. However we like to call them our Aggie Dads. Three men unsure of what they were entering into but felt called to missions. Little did they know what an impact they would place on our lives. You three in one week loved so well. You showed us what a man of God looks like. What a hardworking and loving husband and Father aspires to be. You set an example for your family back home and for your family here on the race. You persevered thru spiritual darkness and stepped out into the uncomfortable. Thank you for being brave. Thank you for being a “dad” when I needed one most. Most of all thank you for the draft! (aka snacks!!!)
Here is a personal testimony from my friend of his week here in Haiti. This just proves not to limit God on what He can do in such little time.
5/20/17 Life Change. What does that mean? As I am somewhere over the Gulf of Mexico heading home, I’m trying to process everything I’ve seen this week. Did I work on a few projects or was I the project?
Everyone said it would be life changing yet my biggest fear was that it would not…I am incredibly head strong but that hard exterior now holds a heart that breaks for a nation and a mind that is endlessly grateful for the blessings of my God, my family, and all I’ve been given. No question that it was indeed unforgettable but as I’m getting closer to home, my eyes well with tears for fear that I let my comfortable life get in the way. My prayer is that these images will not fade but drive a passion to be a better husband, father, and man of God.
The dirt covered infant…the smiles of the boys as I lifted them high…staring into the eyes of an evil man but feeling the invincible power of God holding my hand…blessing goats with more emotion than I ever thought possible…the smile of Gino as we saw him 2 days after he invited Christ into his life…the baptisms of new believers as friends offered welcoming cheers…the smile and passion of Alex…the awe of the first day with the World Racers; getting to know them for only a week yet wanting to track them for the rest of their lives so I can see the amazing things that each of them will do for His Kingdom. Life changers.
5/22/17 I was home for a little less than 48 hours before I had to board a plane for work. I maximized that time with my family and lost count of how many Haiti stories I told. The kids wanted to know every detail of every picture. Despite some minor spiritual attacks, I could see the hope and feel the prayers from my bride. Church friends asked, “how was it?”…I kind of froze. Life changing seems dramatic but truth is truth. I’m still processing how that bubble I lived and loved for one week will mix with my life back home but no doubt it will. I look forward to the day I take my family there and tell them that Haiti was once the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere…but not anymore. How it was once a nation that handed itself to Satan…but followers of Jesus reclaimed it for God’s Kingdom. Life changed.
