(Posted on behalf of the 2008 Haiti missions team)
It is Thursday, and it’s cold and rainy in Minnesota. Only one week ago, we woke up for the 7th day in the morning heat of Haiti, with the blessing of 6am electricity to power our ceiling fans. This was truly a luxury compared to the daily life experience of most Haitians. Would I take the Haitian heat over our fickle MN spring? You bet. By now the busy pace of work, school, church and family commitments has again taken over and dulled the vividness of the experiences. But the memories and pictures of a life-changing mission experience will stay with us for a long time to come.
Haiti could be considered a study in contrasts. Airport road for a city of ½ million people had the usual billboard ads, but also goats on the sidewalk and broken down scooters. We watched one of the arriving planes pull up in the grass next to the lone landing strip, because the off ramp was already full with two other planes. The countryside views are beautiful, with breathtaking mountains, and lush hills, however the abundance of trash in the streets speaks to basic infrastructure problems. Beaches and streams that should be part of the Caribbean beauty were instead shocking sites of neglect. The beauty of the people, bright smiles of the children, and spotless school uniforms tell stories of a people proud of their heritage, their 200-year old independence from the French; however they still struggle with staggering unemployment rates (more than half the people), and more than 80% of the population lives on less than $2 per day.
The spirit-filled worship service, spontaneous praising of God from the worshipers, the hilltop prayer service on a sunny Friday morning — were awe-inspiring, God-honoring, God-glorifying, and edifying to every believer. During these beautiful worship services, we easily overlooked the heat, the dirt floors, the lack of electricity (car batteries and inverters provided power), and the lack of windows or doors in the buildings. One life lesson: It doesn’t take money, power or elaborate facilities to have beautiful God-glorifying praise!
“Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart.” - Jeremiah 15:16
As with most mission trips — we went to give of ourselves, give our time, our understanding of God’s great love, our physical strengths, and our resources. And we did give – helping build with cement, shining God’s love and being His salt and light, loving 22 orphans who only want the love and attention all kids need; giving Creole scriptures and tracts, performing a simple gospel skit/mime, giving bead necklaces and bracelets, balloons, basketballs, color crayons and books, hackey-sacks, toothbrushes, vegetable seeds from the U.S., first-aid kits, stickers and more. But the team would no doubt say that we received much more than we gave. We received, in an unexpected hilltop prayer and worship service, in spirit-filled worship services in Ennery and Camathe, and in the extraordinary loving hospitality of our hosts – Paul & Belle – who provided transportation, safe lodging, 3 meals every day (7am, 12noon, 6pm), daily devotions, a day trip to an historic site, tours of a clinic and university and school, interpretive services that made the language barrier easy to handle, and many more smaller details.
We saw so much that it is hard to describe in a short article. Streets and roads that made a 15-minute trip take an hour; ‘the main road’ that was constantly buzzing with pedestrians, bikes, scooters, buses, trucks (small wonder it had so many potholes); amazing vegetation and animals – including banana trees, pineapple bushes, mango trees, orange trees, goats, roosters, cows, and geckos; a market much different than our cozy ‘farmers’ market back home; we saw answered prayer in worship opportunities, drama presentations, healing of upset stomachs, safe travel, found journals; we experienced foods that were new and different – including rice and beans, frog legs, lam, plantain, ka-chi-ma, goat stew, rice pudding, and even ate at a ‘nice’ outdoor Cap-Haitian restaurant.
Life lessons? Give more. Support missions at every possible occasion. Simplify your life. Be content. (‘..for food and clothing, with these we shall be content.’ 1 Timothy 6:8) Never forget those who struggle for daily survival. And finally…..Do what you can where you are with what you have. Would we go again? You bet.
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” - Matthew 5:16
Just try it.
