Many people cannot fathom traveling to a 3rd world country, much less ministering to the people there. To be honest, I couldn’t imagine myself doing it either. As a “newbie” Christian, I often heard about the plight of the poor in places like Africa and India, and the hardships they faced – AIDS, Slavery, Illness, Abuse and Famine, to name a few.
Their heartbreaking stories always impacted me in the moment, but I really didn’t want “go there” – figuratively, or literally.
I also used to joke with friends that if I was truly going to live in God’s will, he would ask me move to Africa (which was my own narrow minded view of the hardest place to live) and become a full time missionary. In the back of my mind, I always thought I was a failed Christian if I wasn’t willing to make that sacrifice. After all, he said to the disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23)
That means sell it all and go to Africa to serve God, right?
But even amidst the shards of truths and half-truths cluttering the corners of my mind, I knew one thing for certain: God wanted me to surrender every aspect of my life to Him with a willing heart. And even if I didn’t serve as a full-time missionary in a 3rd World country, I was still supposed to serve Him wherever and however He asked.
That’s easier to say than to do. And I was withholding from God more than I care to admit.
So when I was invited to go on a Mission trip to Haiti for the first time 2 years ago, I had plenty of reasons not to – the heat, the safety, the physical challenges with my very bad back, the fear of illness.
I was afraid. But I also knew I couldn’t say no to God any longer.
When I traveled to Haiti the first time, it took root in my heart, but it faded some after I returned home. I quickly fell back into my First World life, even if I was serving my community and church, and strengthening my speaking and writing ministry.
When I was asked to go to Haiti again this year, I still had a reserved heart. Why?
Because Haiti has so many beautiful people with so much to teach me, but Haiti is also hard. It’s just plain physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually hard.
But it’s also profoundly worth it.
Two years ago, Cite Soleil #17 was our first water delivery stop, and a darling, tiny, naked boy climbed on my back and clung to my neck our whole visit. (See Photo Below) If you look closely, in his right hand (just by my neck) he’s holding the sharp end only of a paring knife. He never hurt me or himself, but he never let go of the knife – or me.
As God would have it, 2 years later, on the very first day, at the very same stop, I saw MY very same boy! I couldn’t believe my tear-filled eyes. It was him! (See photo below, boy in green and blue shirt)
Part of me was sad, because he was still in the same desperate circumstance. But part of me was elated, because he was still alive!
And I saw him happily playing in the water (no knife this time!) with other happy children, and I heard him joyfully singing songs of praise to Jesus.
Haiti is hard, but it’s also holy.
We enter into that holy space when we are willing to step into the not-so pretty spaces of people’s lives, whether it’s in “Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria or to the ends of the Earth.” And to play a small part in loving His people, is a precious, sacred opportunity.
Never was that more obvious to me than when I gazed into those beautiful dark brown eyes for the second time.