When a story ends… Another one begins.
I have made it safely to Haiti, but it’s been hard. Way harder than I ever thought or imagined. When I came on the race, I knew I would be moving every month. Moving countries, moving places… transitions. And I honestly didn’t think to much of it. In fact, I thought it would be good cause I could see so many different places in one year. But through switching countries for the first time, I can see how I would belong in long-term missions (like full-time) instead of short-term over summer breaks. I am a relational person. When I go into a country, I want to get to know the people and I want to live like the people there and be as they are… And that is how it was for me in the DR. I was truly able to get to know the people.
But transitions suck! Like straight up are one of the hardest things for me… I didn’t want to leave the DR. And it started to hit me on Thursday night but Friday night in San Juan… Ben ask us to thank God for the month when we were together as a squad and I lost it. I am just so thankful for this past month. For the community that we were in… Las Lagunas. An amazing heart-warming community. The relationships we were able to build. Working with Carlos. Staying with abuelo and abuela. House visits. I never thought I could get to know a community of people in such a short amount of time. Such a beautiful place in the mountains where God is working. Teaching me to be still and know that God is God. Learning to listen to his voice and allowing Him to work in the hearts of the people. I don’t want to leave this place… I didn’t…. I cried and I never cry. Transitions are hard… But when one story ends, another begins.
So we made it to Haiti… But my hearts is heavy with what I see. It is the poorest country in the western hemisphere and simply driving through you can see that… The trash, the smell, the barrenness, the busyness, the people just looked burdened…. Broken buildings, tent cities, fights and violence… This is so different. Beyond different. This isn’t what I ever thought or imagined. We are all together this month as a squad in a compound. Yes all 45 of us. Sleeping in our tents. We aren’t allowed to leave the concrete walls of the compound. It’s sooo different. I feel like we are at training camp all over again. I feel burdened and heavy hearted… And I am afraid.
The people here get their cultural norms from Africa. The people in the DR get their cultural norms from Spanish descent. Completely and drastically different. Just getting across the border on a bus was a challenge and you could see the change of cultures immediately. Here the children flock to us, just to be held. And the kids run around butt naked. Completely acceptable. The adults seem stand-off-ish and hard… Adults are heavy hearted and you can see that in their eyes. Freedom from these burdens is coming! Cause that is my prayer this month. The effects of the earthquake is everywhere you look… Everywhere. There is no value to life here.
God is going to break me this month…. I know that cause He is already. I don’t know how but I do know it is probably going to be one of the hardest months on the race for me. I am praying for a freedom from this heavy heart. For an openness to what is to come. And for God to work in this squad over the next month.
