Those of you who’ve read my bio on this blog, or know me
decently well, are aware that I volunteered in Haiti for a little over six
months in 2008. The time I spent there
had a huge impact on my life and my journey with Christ. Since leaving Haiti I have been waiting for
the time I would return for a visit. I
wanted to go back before the race started, but the timing didn’t work out. After hearing about the earthquakes that hit,
my heart broke not only for the people I knew there, but also for the country
and people as a whole. For a nation that
so desperately needs to know the love of Christ and that couldn’t really stand
on its own two feet even before this devastating natural disaster.
One of the hardest things for me when I lived in Haiti was
the “community” aspect. It
wore on me a lot to not have a lot of people my age and to not consistently
have people pouring into me spiritually. Haiti can be a very dark place and without a strong community of
believers around you it can be overwhelming to serve and minister there. I remember telling God that if He ever wanted
me to come back to Haiti for more than a visit, I needed Him to provide a
community of believers and friends that I could partner with.
That’s why two months ago I started to wonder if God was
calling me back. I learned that AIM had
decided to out together a trip to Haiti for disaster relief that would serve
for about a month. Currently, there are
about 40 people committed to going and it looks like there’ll be about seven
specifically from our squad. They have
also opened it up for us to use any excess funds we have in our World Race
account to go towards funding for this trip. As I began to pray about this I felt like God was saying, “Here you
go. I’m giving you the chance to go back
to a place that’s been on your heart, and I’ve even answered you prayer.” So the short of it is, I’m going!
The next question that needs answering is…What will I be
doing there? And the answer, you guessed
it, I’m not exactly sure. This is
considered a pioneer trip and we could be doing a handful of different
things. We might be working at a clinic
to meet physical needs, helping refugees reestablish their lives, or partnering
with local orphanages, hospitals, and churches. The only concrete thing we know is that God is moving in people’s lives
in Haiti. We are going to follow God in
what He’s already doing there.
I’ll be heading to Haiti in late May 29th. Since the race finishes on April 29th, it
will give me a few weeks in the States before heading back out. Please continue to pray for Haiti and what
God would have for us to do while we are there. Thank you all so much for all the prayers and support.
