Haiti Day 1

Today we partnered with the medical missions team to go into a small part of the city to basically spend time with the kids and evangelize while the medical missions team was doing their examinations.

To say that my mind is blown would be a huge understatement. The things that I saw today I have never seen before. Real people living in such destitute situations. Life going on in a crazy city filled with motorbikes, garbage, and people everywhere. People just so hungry, so thirsty, so needy – and yet can be so happy so joyful in the simple things of life like a soccer ball or game of slaps. I think we brought some of them joy today. I felt like I was on display as they were fascinated with my skin, hairy arms, and forget about the tattoos. But it was wonderful. Wonderful and sweet to spend time just being there with them where they are. A smile goes such a long way. So does a gentle touch on the arm. But these people have real needs and I struggle between feelings of inadequacy and feeling like we are just throwing a pebble in the ocean — There is so much need.

I’ll never forget the words of one woman as we told her that we were there because of Jesus. She looked at us and said “Well, tell Jesus that I’m hungry.”

BUT, our God is there. His church is growing. The gospel is being proclaimed. People are being fed and buildings built. May God get the glory in all of it.

By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. (1 John 3:16-18 ESV)