But things flew by, and I was brokenhearted to see it go.
There was my thirteen year old friend, Woudlee, who had the worst attitude you’d ever seen on a kid. From day one, he was just mean. I thought it was funny more than anything, but I made it my mission for us to be friends. With a lot of talking and playing, we got there. He sat with me in church and was generally just happy to hang out with me. Well, as happy as thirteen year olds are to do anything.
And then there was Stevenson, who is ten. I knew I had arrived when he said to me, “Your hair isn’t like theirs hair, it’s like Haitian hair.” I died of laughter. We were buddies before that, but I knew we’d sealed the deal in that moment.
JehnMarc is 18, and one of the most enlightened, God-fearing people I’ve ever met, of any age. One evening, we sat and talked for an hour or so, and I listened as he told me his story. Her told me about his mom passing, and moving to Mission of Hope. He told me a great story about a BlackBerry, and how getting what you ask for doesn’t always work out the way you hope or plan. And he talked about helping lead services at church, and how all that came together by the grace of God. Even as I write this, I can feel a peace come over me, exactly the way it did when I say listening to him that night on the basketball court.
I could go on and on. Because for me, Haiti was a blessing I never expected. I fell in love. With the culture, with the people. With these kids.
Right now, I’m at debrief in La Paz, Bolivia. I have hated almost everything about the time that I’ve spent here. But this post have me a moment to reflect and think back on what an amazing time I had in Haiti. Those three boys, along with countless other people, changed my life. And I left a little part of my heart with them in Titanyen.
