I left the US.
After years of being 'too scared', I tossed my fears aside and just did it.
I've been forever changed and my heart is on FIRE for Jesus and loving those less fortunate.
As most of you know, Haiti was devastated by an earthquake 10 years ago. I remember watching hours and hours of CNN coverage and just crying and feeling so helpless. It was then that I started wanting to go there to be a blessing on the Haitian people. Fast forward 5-10 years and i'm married with 4 kids and a crazy busy life, and I kept thinking of 100 selfish reasons why I couldn't go. And then, this wonderful organization in Sioux Falls called Mission-Haiti has been a constant buzz on my Facebook news feed. Friends have gotten involved with the mission and traveled to Haiti, Sioux Falls Christian started sending High School kids, and God just kept giving me that nudge to go.
After a Bible Study with some friends on 'Discerning The Voice of God' by Priscilla Shrier, the desire just kept growing so I put a bug in a friends ear that I was ready to go, or as ready as I was going to get. The next thing I knew I was signed up to join a group from Shalom Christian Reformed. Off I went to get my passport... terrified!
I remember writing 'Trip to Haiti' in my planner and thinking even then that it probably wouldn't happen. I would either bail, or it would be cancelled because of the unrest in the country, making it unsafe for anyone to travel there. Just a few months before our scheduled trip, there were mission trips being cancelled and American teachers sent back to the US. I was kind of banking on the trip not happening because those selfish excuses kept coming back.
The unrest died down and the trip happened! It was one of the best experiences in my life and a week that will go down as unforgettable and life changing. Words could never describe the heartbreak and beauty that I saw with my own eyes, but I was never alone. He walked right along side me, through it all.
We left Sioux Falls on Sunday, January 19th. We got to Miami late Sunday evening and spent the night at the hotel right inside the airport. We were up early Monday morning to take our flight to
Port Au Prince, Haiti! Stepping off that plane knowing I was in another country was crazy!
I couldn't believe I had done it! But we weren't to our destination yet... we loaded up into two vans and made the long 5 hour drive to Ti Rivier, to the Mission-Haiti compound!
I was in awe looking out my window. I just couldn't believe the trash, filth, people, cars & motorcycles. The traffic was just insane. It was a total free for all on the roads. Nothing like we have here in the US. We were told that the order of importance on the roads were animals and people and then vehicles, and that the size of your vehicle gave you the right of way. (largest to smallest) Motorcycles just whipped in and out of traffic. It was pretty intense! If you crashed, you just hoped the car was still driveable and you kept on going!
There is no real trash system in place so the garbage just piles up anywhere and everywhere.
There was just no escaping the filth.
Anything goes in Haiti. You can ride on the top of a vehicle, and fill up an entire back end. Heck, we even saw mini van's with the doors ripped off and people just crammed into the 'taxi' for a ride.
Washing up in the little pond from a recent rain.
We arrived safely to Mission-Hait! After a quick look around, we settled into our bunks for the week & then walked down to the community basketball court down the road. Local kids came to play and see what all the 'Blah's' (white people) were doing! Yes, those are pigs next to the ocean!
No comments:
Post a Comment