As you all know, this year’s election was one for the books. Like many, I was struggling in my decision. This was my first time voting and I was looking forward to it. After much thought, I headed to the polls during early-voting. Unfortunately, the line was long and I had to get to work, so I decided to leave. However, I kept thinking about it all day – it was the last day I could vote because I was travelling to Haiti soon. I decided even if the line was long I still wanted to vote, so I returned later that evening. As I waited, I noticed that I was the youngest voter. A man behind me noticed too and asked, “Is this your first time voting?” I told him “yes” and he responded, “Congratulations!” After we talked a little bit, he asked me where I was born and I told him, “Haiti.” We then discussed the 2010 earthquake and how the country has suffered greatly from diseases to election chaos to natural disasters, like the recent hurricane. I mentioned that I was going to Haiti soon for 16 days and would be doing mission work there. He told me that it was a great thing to still be working in the country I was born. After the conversation, we both went on our way to vote. I was nervous about using the voting machine and all I could think about was not messing up! Turns out it was very easy – thank goodness for AC and simple voting in America, unlike Haiti!
As I walked back to my car, I noticed a truck pulling next to me. It was that same man. He rolled down his window and said to me, “I’ve been thinking about you since we talked. I will be praying for you and the people going with you.” Then he handed me $200 and said, “Take this and spend it wisely.” I was unsure what to do or say because I had never taken money from strangers! I told him, “Thank you very much. God bless you!”
As I sat in my car with $200, I started praying, “God why are so good to me? You always surprise me and bless me when I least expect it! I will use this money for Your will because You have sent it to me to bless someone in need. I will not touch it while I am here. I am going to set it aside and wait until I get to Haiti to see what You want me to do with this money.” There are times when we pray and wonder if God will really answer. But this time, I was a 100% sure God would answer my prayer. I was confident something great was going to happen.
After arriving in Haiti, all I could think about was what was God going to do and who was going to get this money? We left Port-au-Prince and headed to the village of Dèyè Mòn, which had been devastated by Hurricane Matthew. During the 3 day medical clinic there, I kept waiting for God to show me the person. But after 3 days, I was still wasn’t sure. So, I continued to wait.
There was this one woman I kept seeing everywhere. After seeing her again and again, I thought to myself, “Maybe she’s the one?” I decided the next time I saw her I’d give her the money. On the last day we were there it was raining. I didn’t really want to go find her in the rain and in the end ignored the Holy Spirit’s nudge inside of me and thought, “Maybe tomorrow on our way out of town, I will see her.” Just at that same moment, the woman showed up on my doorstep in the rain! I froze and my heart started beating really fast. All I could think was that God was saying to me, “Do your job and deliver what I gave you to carry for Me!”
I asked her why she was at the door late at night. She explained that she was told they were going to give her money to go to the dentist for a bad tooth that had been aching for months. I asked the nurse if he had told her this, and he said no. He said they only told her that he would put her name on a list for dental work. At this moment, I knew she was the person I was carrying the money for. I invited her inside and told her the whole story and that the money was sent from God. I ended up giving her $100 because I felt that possibly the Lord had someone else in mind too. As I gave her the money, she raised her hands up and thanked God. I told her that I was happy for her and thankful I could be the carrier.
We headed back to Port-au-Prince and I still had the other $100 with me. As I was translating the next day, God once again showed me another person. She was a mother of three and had a charcoal business. However, she was no longer able to fund it because her husband had lost his job and they had used all their money to provide for their children. Once again, I told her the story and how happy I was to be the carrier of this money for her and her family. She did the same thing as the other lady – she looked up and thanked God for His gift!
God taught me so much during all of this. But most importantly, I learned that as Christians we are God’s carrier. We are the body of Christ and we carry the cross and its message. But not only that, we must always be willing to give to others what He intended for us to give to them! Whether it’s His words, love, passion, a gift – we should always be grateful that He allows us to be His carrier. Even though we are so unworthy of it all, He still lets us be a part of His grace, mercy, love… and deliveries! What a blessing. Personally I think, it is a blessing to even be allowed to say His Name! God is great, and He is powerful. He could do everything on His own, yet He chooses us. I am so happy and grateful to be His carrier.
