This summer I got to lead my first team to Haiti. It was very special for me, since it was on my birthday. I got to spend that day in Haiti, which I have not done in seven years. I led a team of mostly teenagers from the Christian School at Castle Hills High School, and we had a great time! At first I was very nervous, because I had to meet with the parents and did not know what they expected from me. Fortunately, when I met them things went well. I was still nervous, because I had no idea how things were going to happen in Haiti – if the students would like it … and what if they didn’t eat the food there? What if they wanted to come back to the U.S after being there just a day? My head was filled with “what ifs”! I forgot that the plan of the trip was not in my power, but in that of God Himself.
Merci De dieu, Gressier
Vilaj Mèsi Dye nan Dèyè Mòn
The drive to Dèyè Mòn is about four and half to five hours, and there are some bumpy roads! My panic rose again, because I didn’t know how a group of students would handle being on the roads in Haiti for five hours. Surprisingly, they loved every second of it. They were amazed by how beautiful the country is, and the best part was seeing their reactions when they saw the blue Caribbean Sea! When we arrived in Dèyè Mòn, it was no different from the first village. We got the same welcome from the people there, if not warmer! We started the next day with Bible stories and some crafts for the children. It was a good day! The next day, the girls painted the new team house and the guys and I put some gutters up in the new houses added to the village. On our last day there, we did more crafts, told more Bible stories, and presented the skit. Everyone was very happy, especially with me, wearing a wig and lifting Baby Jesus like Simba. The children went crazy over that! We ended our last day in Dèyè Mòn with a hike, and it was far beyond our expectations! There were about 60 children from the village with us, which was overwhelming!
Many of us try to picture how everything will happen, but that is never in our power. God continues to show us that we need to plan well, but then to simply trust in Him. It was amazing to see God works in this team and the kids. One reason the team was so good was because we were almost the same age as the children in the village. (Well, except for me, but my energy level is second to none! ) We had powerful relationships with the children, and they opened their hearts to us… and we opened ours to them. I believe it was that which caused two of them to give their lives to Christ! The two children who gave their lives were children we know very well in the village, but God had this group in mind to bring them to Him. I believe that was the main reason He put this group together.
