That when we get home, many people will ask "How was your trip?" And because we are overwhelmed with all that we have experienced, we'll give a safe and quick 'GREAT!' and then regret that we missed an opportunity to testify to all God's work during these days.
Many trips over the years in West Africa, and later in Haiti, and I still can't come up with a perfectly worded, complete, God-honouring answer to this question. But I do have answers that give a glimpse.
So we'll go with the glimpses.
Haiti was... BREATH-TAKING!
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| Leaving from Indianapolis Airport, me, Kelly, Karen and Keri - the Columbus contingent |
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| Along with the Findlay (Ohio) four, we board the plane for the flight to Cap-Haitien. |
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| And within an hour or so, Haiti begins to grace our eyes with her God-given gorgeousness. |
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| And it never gets old...to approach this country that has such a profound place in my heart and life and family...and it takes my breath away. Every time. |
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| Keri's excited too:) |
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| By the time we're over the mountains to this plain, I'm looking for our house. With the big blue water tank on the roof. But I was on the wrong side of the plane to see it this time. |
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| We made it to Cap. Now the real adventure begins. |
(This trip to) Haiti was...A REUNION.
With the Gross family! Good friends from Columbus, now missionaries and teachers at OMS' Cowman school. Fantastic to see them where God has planted them now. And though the adjustments to life in Haiti are at times challenging (don't think that changes for anyone!), it was great to see them in action in their classrooms!
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| Melissa's done a fantastic job with her kindergarten class. |
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| And Steve's talking about Shakespeare (nice!) |
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| And two Gross kids are enjoying this class too (Caleb & Hannah). |
And it was great to have them skip school for a bit to join us on our main focus, going out to villages to share the Gospel and give solar radios to bless households with Christian radio and a Bible they can hear and understand.
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| Melissa, Karen & Keri pray as Orinel (our translator) leads this lady in a simple sinner's prayer. |
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| Steve shares with a fellow believer about putting Jesus first. |
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| Caleb, Steve & Melissa after a day's Gospel work in the hot sun (now sitting in a hot church). |
Haiti was...HUMBLING
Every time a team from church gives a report on their trip with us to Haiti, they mention the prayer meeting under the mango trees. There's a good reason for that. Being at a four-hour prayer meeting (where everyone is also fasting), in the dirt, sitting on the mangled roots of mango trees, thanking God for being alive that day, for having legs to get to the prayer meeting, praising Him for all that He has done, interceding on behalf of friends, family, the country, it all jars with a get-church-over-within-an-hour-so-I-can...go to lunch/watch sports/have a nap...attitude that is sadly prevalent in the American (and other Western cultures) church. Not that there's anything wrong with lunch, sports or naps - all (potentially) godly things! But often, God receives the tiniest amount of our attention.
Not so at the mango trees at Bethanie.
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| These three sisters were part of the original group that started these weekly prayer meetings that have been going on for more than 30 years. |
I was touched this time when we got on our knees in the dirt, praying these verses together from Psalm 139 (v 23-24). Our collective need for the Lord was tangible.
Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.
So, Haiti was breath-taking...a reunion...and humbling. And...more glimpses to come.
Thank you for thinking of me and the team, for praying for us and our work, and for everyone back home who helped while we were away. Couldn't do it without you. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
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