Nice to Blog to You Again, How Have You Been?
Hello Sweet Friends!
A couple months ago, I talked about my upcoming trip to Haiti that happened this past summer. Normally I would've attacked the opportunity to blog about my first international mission trip.
Quite honestly I have been, A.) Way to busy to do almost anything the past couple of months. That's a whole other story. B.) I have not been motivated to write about this trip.
That is true for a couple reasons, first being that I had mixed emotions about my experiences there. My team, whom I traveled with, was working with a very amazing ministry called Hands & Feet. We stayed at Ikondo, their housing they have for vacationers and short-term missionaries, and we were fed every meal, we also had running water for cold showers, and time to just bond as a team. It was quite the set up.
Aside from the accommodations, and the luxury provided for us there, I was having a major spiritual experience. In my weakness and spiritual immaturity I allowed Satan to attack my soul and heart. All week I was in a funk, fighting with my best friend, no motivation to play with kids, no motivation to play all the sports with the team, and no motivation to stay up late, watch the stars and talk with my friends.
Things that normally would make me ecstatic and jittery made me feel deflated and repulsed.
When presented with the idea to go to Haiti in early 2016, I was so excited. But as the process grew of fundraising, getting paperwork and passports and all the things that go along with short-term international missions, the weight of going became bigger. Which left me wondering if I should even go.
Not even 6 days before leaving for Atlanta my dad, who was supposed to go with me due to my being under 16, came down with a pretty rough cough. So in addition to switching the flight to my mom, we also had to get the shots required to go. All along me and my dad had planned to get the shots last minute, about 4 days before leaving. And when we found out that it was going to be my mom we also found out that we were supposed to get them 2 weeks before leaving.
With all the stress of all that was going on , it was really hard for me to get excited, and in the right mindset of the week I was about to encounter. Before I know it I'm getting off the plane in Port-au-Prince. From there on out, all that week I made up excuses for God to not work in me. Made up reasons why I couldn't focus on His plan.
I was distracted, and unaware of what God was doing around me.
But a few things happened to me in Haiti, that after 3 months of debrief and time to process, I'm ready to share.
As I said, my mom was originally not supposed to go on this trip with me. But God, in His all-powerful nature, had a different plan.
The church in Haiti we partnered with was right down the street from the resort as which we were staying. And right across the gravel road from said church, there was a brothel with very colorful, yet seductive murals painted along the walls inside and out the building. And as the days went on, walking to that church everyday and everyday passing the women who worked and lived there; My beautiful mama began to fervently pray for those women. A couple days later she then began to formulate a way to share the gospel with those women. Along side of our kind-hearted translator, Rose-Myrta (pronounced Rose-Me-air-ta), my mom made flyers and went into the brothel and gave the man in charge the flyers to invite the women to a Women's Bible Study. And as to not single the ladies there out, she went door to door to the surrounding houses to invite the moms and teenage aged daughters to come as well. When Sunday rolled around, the bible study began with 5 of our (women) team members, and 25 Haitian women. My mom got them laughing, and talking, and the language barrier wasn't even a problem. By the end of the two hour session, 80 women were singing and dancing and praising the lord together. The little church was packed with voices praising God.
Another God-lead thing that I experienced was an 8 hour hike from our housing to a waterfall. At about 5:45 am one morning we were guided by a young Haitian man and a group of about 17 ventured out on the hike. It was breath taking. Every where I looked I saw the mountains, and behind me was the ocean. There were wild animals all about and I witness villagers on there way to the market. We even walked though a very secluded town of people at the base of the mountain and saw trees bigger then I'd ever seen before. When we got to our final destination, the waterfall, there was a jumping whole for us to jump off, about 10 feet or so high. God's creation was so striking. I was I could share how stunning it was through this blog, but I simply cannot do it justice.
And one of the last things I want to share, is how God taught me to observe. Usually, especially on a mission trip, you can find me serving others, full speed ahead, until I go silly, pass out or am forced to leave. But in Haiti, I was given the opportunity to watch other's serve. Man, I will tell you, though it wasn't easy the whole time, it was so beautiful. On my team was about half of my youth group, and watching my closest friends interact with Haiti, and process all of the devastation was so unique. I watched one friend throughout the week and every single time I would look at her she would have another child on her hip. She was like a kid magnet. Another friend of mine could be found dancing with the missionary's kids. And one friend, in particular who I knew already had a huge love for Haiti, was just soaking it up. That friend had already been there once before, but to get to observe him in his element, talking to the H&F Interns and making friends with Haitian men, had to be something I'll always remember.
All in all, Haiti was a learning experience for me. Learning to be still, learning to observe, learning to worship with others, and learning to admire God's beauty.
Since the Haiti trip I have found out that I was accepted to go and be a part of a team with my dad, to go to Uganda in February. If you know me you know this is a BIG deal for me, and since it's a ministry I've been partnering with for years it's even better. I am passionate about mission and I cannot wait to serve with Sole Hope on the 10-20 of Feb.
If you would like to sponsor my trip you can donate to either my or my dad's Pure Charity accounts, (links below). Or you can wait a little while for the release of my shirt I'm designing! All of my profit would go directly to my funds for the trip.
As of right now my dad and I are about 25% funded. The next installment happens to be due on my birthday, November 2nd. Of course, you you don't feel lead to support financially I will need all the prayer I can get so that I, and my team, can get our heads in the right mindset for our trip in the next few months.
Thank you to my Christian friends for all of the support and love I have experienced in the Body of Christ. Y'all rock.
Talk to you on my next post,
Until the whole world hears.
My Dad's PC account: https://www.purecharity.com/sole-hope-2018-winter-experience-trip?aff=q9ow4
