My time in Haiti was such a blessing. The treasures God left scattered for me throughout that month were so precious. Each day I developed the habit of simply looking for Jesus. I began to realize that He appears in a variety of ways. Whether it’s a flower or a person, He reveals Himself so many times during a day. I want to specifically focus on how I saw Jesus through my “scheduled” ministry time out in the villages with the Haitian people.
To set it up for you, most of our mission work in Haiti involved us going out into the villages and getting to know the people. We would also educate them as to how germs are spread and how to avoid getting sick. That was mostly during the mornings, and in the afternoons we would go back to the village and play with the kids; I loved that part of the day!
In any event, the day we got off the bus for our first day of village ministry, we were waiting to be assigned to a translator and a Village Champion. Some of the kids started playing soccer, and I decided to pass around with them while waiting. We were required to wear long skirts during the days we are out in the villages, but that didn’t stop me from wanting to pass the ball. Within five minutes of passing I fell in the mud trying to stop the ball. Typical Kathryn…
This is where Jesus comes in… I was about to pick myself up out of the mud, when this little boy, who couldn’t have been more that 5 or 6 years old, grabs my hand and tries to help. That was so incredibly sweet, but it got better. Once I was standing up, he started brushing the mud off of my feet and skirt. That was a vision of Jesus to me.
Reflecting on that situation at the end of the day, I see what God was trying to show me – That no matter how many times I fall and get stuck in the mud, He will always be there to pick me up and clean me off. It doesn’t matter how many times I turn away or get distracted, as long as I turn my eyes back toward Him, His grace is always there.
One of the other times He revealed Himself to me was during our time out in the villages, when we were moving rocks. We were assigned to do “regular” village time that particular day. We would just go to people’s houses in the village and get to know them. We also had the opportunity to pray and ask if there was anything they needed help with. One lady needed a gigantic pile of rocks moved about 50 yards to the back of her house. My team and some other racers started an assembly line to move to rocks. At some point the lady’s grandchildren, I believe, came outside and started helping. I was at the end of the line and was throwing the rocks into the pile. They were all so sweet. Some of the rocks were way too big for the children to lift, so Rebecca, my team-mate, had to skip the children and pass it to me … That did not sit will with Dakin, one of the Haitian boys that joined our line. So, I let Him hold the rock with me, and we would count together in French and then throw it together.
It was one of the sweetest moments I have had on the Race. Jesus was all over that moment as well, but He gave me a different perspective. He showed me how He loves my help. God has so many plans for His Kingdom to come to Earth. He is the King of the Universe though. He is more than capable to do it on His own … But He loves it when I want to come alongside Him, and His plans, to help further His Kingdom. He looks on me with so much love and patience. He loves the fact that I just want to be apart of His work.
There have been so many more moments like that, but I would be writing them down for days. I encourage anyone who has read this to look for God in their every day lives. It’s so cool to see where you will find Him throughout the day. It’s almost like a treasure hunt. It is a blessing in so many ways.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read my blog. Please let me know if you have any questions or just want to talk.
Love Kathryn
