Haiti 2013

Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2

In just two sleeps, I will be on my way to Haiti for my very first missions trip. At first as the days went on I felt no excitement whatsoever. I felt fear. Fear of the unknown. Fear of the things I will see. Fear of how I am going to return home. Fear that my heart won't be able to bear what I will feel.

Now I feel excitement! I, YES, I am going to go and experience a new culture, a new way of life and a new understanding of what we as rich people (yes, you! Chances are you are reading this on your computer or phone that YOU own,which makes you rich) need to do to help this hurting world.

God has given me a passion to go and help people. First he started me off with something "simple" some people would say. He sent me to a street where I knew no one, not even the volunteers and had me help these families. He also taught me so many things in the process of going to this street. He taught me that I don't have to go to a different country to help, I literally can drive 20 minutes into the city and find people with all sorts of needs. He also taught me that I am not there just to help them, I am there to share their burdens with them, to become their friend, become their family. And that's exactly what we are now, we are a family.

Fast forward 6 months and I am preparing to head to Haiti. During these past 6 months, I felt alot of pain and anger towards this place I live in. I would look around and become frustrated with people. I would wonder why we have people in our community who need help and yet we go about our everyday lives like there is nothing wrong. There were days where I was ready to pack up my family, sell everything that we had and move to a country that needed help. I would think if people don't want to help, I'll go do it myself. I would read about things that people don't even want to know about because well it's easier to not know or ignore. Then I would become even angerier.Then I would cry. Cry to Lord.

Then one day, I was at a womens event. Did I want to go? No, I was angry, I didn't want to be anywhere except in my room at home reading more and more about this world and how it needs our help. But I felt a tug that morning telling me I had to go. So I went. I wouldn't say the message was for me, but it was definetly something I needed to hear. That day I went to the altar and I prayed "God please. I cannot do this on my own. I am angry, I am in pain. God something needs to be done. I am only one person. But maybe with a few more people we can do a lot more. I want change, I need change."

Well here we are today, a group of ten of us are preparing to head to Haiti to help change the lives of others that we don't even know yet. So here I go again, starting over. Going to place where I know no one,only a few of the team members. But Im going to place where lives will be change. I will make new friends. My heart will probably break into a million little pieces, but that's okay because it will only strengthen me and prepare me to do more in my return home. I believe Haiti is the beginning of something new. A new challenge maybe? I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Pray for our team. Pray for the people of Haiti. Pray for changed lives and new beginnings.