Monday, July 23, 2012

Hey everyone!! I am currently sitting in the Miami airport sucking on a jolly rancher waiting for our return flight to Minneapolis. This has been such an amazing trip!! God moved in so many ways and I'm so glad that He made a way for me to come. When I first heard that there was going to be a mission team going to Haiti in the Summer of 2012, I immediately got excited and began to pray that if God wanted me on that team, that He would provide a way. All the spots got taken after the first informational meeting, and it took me a while to finally hand it over to God and trust that He knew best. May rolled around, and also a call from our youth pastor Robb, announcing that a previous member had dropped out and that my spot was next in line. I was ELATED!!! God completely orchestrated every detail of my trip, to my passport, funds, and down to the last minute details right before we left. God is so good!! God completely blew the lid off this trip!! It was my first mission trip, let alone first time out of the country, and it was definitely one of the best weeks of my life. I have laughed the loudest and cried harder than ever before. All of the kids that we came into contact with were so sweet, and just wanted to be held and loved. I was really amazed at everyone's openness to God in Haiti, and not a "God bless you" goes by on the street without the recipient responding, "Amen!" On the first day in Haiti, Tuesday, we went to Cite Soleil with the water trucks to deliver clean water. Healing Haiti is the only organization that delivers water to Cite Soleil, because it is one of if not the most dangerous slum in the world. God completely protected us, and the kids were so adorable. One boy in particular who made a mark on me that first water truck stop, was 15-16 year old looking boy whose name I cant remember. We began talking, and I found he knew fairly good english. I found out that he went to the school, and was in the fifth grade. Midway during our conversation, he asked me if I was a christian and replied yes. He got excited and asked if I loved Jesus and I said YES!! I asked him if he was too and he got really excited and replied that yes he did too:) It was so awesome!! I have SO many stories and experiences, and I'll write one more that really impacted me. On Friday we stopped at Haiti's mass grave site during out drive to Grace Village in Titanyen, and the gravesite contains 300,000+ bodies of those that died during the earthquake. Standing on top next to all the crosses, both large and small, was so emotional and so impacting. As I looked around at the huge, green, rolling mountains on three sides and the massive, beautiful ocean on the other, and looking up to the blue sky spotted with clouds, I thought of people. Of all the people and bodies underneath me and I wondered how many of them knew Jesus. Then I began to think of the people that I pass in the street everyday, the ones I often feel Jesus telling me to speak to, and those I dont. And how many times I pass them by. I looked around at the splender of God's creation that all reflects God's majesty, and wondered how selfish I am to NOT tell people about Him. I asked God that the next time I find myself tempted to walk by, that He would bring me back to that spot, standing on top of that glorious mountain overlooking His creation. I dont want to walk away ever again. My final word of the day and also my take-home word is the work Light. The children of Haiti have such a light within them, and their smiles, their laughter, and joy of them all is such a light to me, and I know brings joy to God. God is the one light to the people of Haiti, and so many TapTaps say "Merci Jesus", or Thank You Jesus. It is definitely my take-home word because I want to be the light of Jesus to everyone I see, an not pass by again. God definitely lit up my life this week, and I pray that I can do the same for others who dont know Him. Ke Bondye Beni'ou, everyone. God bless you!:) ~ Arianna

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