Haiti Trip

ourCOG February 20, 2012 11:24 pm #ourCOG 0

Playing on my iPhone with the kids at the orphanage in Dufally.

It’s Friday morning and we’re preparing to head back to the states after spending this week in Haiti. Most of our time was spent in Port-au-Prince raising tents at the Bible School and at churches to house worship services and classes.

We also went out to deliver some supplies to a rural orphanage. The children there were beautiful. They loved on me and accepted me, a stranger, with a love that was nothing short of spectacular. We played on my iPhone…and just like my kids, the didn’t want to stop playing with Tom, the Talking Tomcat. The orphanage itself was in desperate condition.

Each morning, we woke up on the compoundat about 5 am to the sound of voices singing at the church down the road. “Love Lifted Me” in creole is about as pretty of a song as I’ve ever heard.

Claude Condo is the only one who came with me from Life Pointe. Everyone else were pastors. Claude was a super star on the trip. His french got us out of trouble a couple times. And, he was able to minister to people in a way that we simply weren’t. One of my great takeaways was being able to spend so much time with him…what an amazing, good brother…and friend.

Haiti, obviously, was in bad shape before the earthquake…one of the most impovershed nations in the world. The earthquake compounded the issue in a way that pictures cannot fully capture. When you come face-to-face with the reality of the human struggle, the sense of despair is overwhelming.

Wherever you look, you can see pain on the faces of people. However, in places like at Pastor Vibert’s church, the joy on people’s face is visible and clear. Life in the shadow of the church and within the touch of Jesus is a better life in Haiti.

This trip has been good ministry for me. It’s been a privilege working next to the beauiful Haitian brothers and sisters. And, spending a week with good friends and partners in ministry from the USA, has been medicine for my soul. I’m thankful for new relationships…praying that it’s just the beginning…and God allows me to be a part of what He’s doing through the amazing Haitian people.