When I titled this blog, "Leaving it All in Haiti", I meant it. In the 8 days we were there we poured all our heart, soul, physical, and emotional strength into everything. But as we head home exhausted, we also head home with hearts full of contentment. We know without a doubt that God used us. We asked that God would use us and not only did He use us to bless our brothers and sisters in Haiti, but He in turn also used them to bless us. It is impossible to go to Haiti and not be personally impacted by the poverty that exists all around. It really makes one realize how blessed we are to live in the United States. It is also hard to not be spiritually impacted when you go to Haiti. Haitians LOVE God and aren't afraid to show it. Worshipping with them is such an experience!
This trip opened our eyes to how much the children at Zanfan Lakay have grown in The Lord. We were able to have some one on one times to disciple some of the older boys. One of our team members was able to have time to walk through the new Bibles he brought for the older boys. It brought great joy to see them trying to find the verses He was wanting them to read. The children of the house also blessed us by performing songs that they wrote themselves. The songs unabashedly proclaimed God's love and the gospel message. We are excited that in the Fall the children who are able to attend school will be able to attend a Christian school and receive more biblical instruction. To top it all off, Grangou just hired Jimeson, the new house director, who will not only take care of the business of the house and the children, but he will also daily have devotions with them. I think God has great plans for Zanfan Lakay. I am so excited to be a part of all of it.
Yesterday was a beautiful day spent on the beach with the Zanfan children. The bus ride to the beach took us through lush countryside. We actually saw banana trees with banana bunches ripe for the picking. The Caribbean waters were amazing! Looking out over the water was like looking at a postcard. There were fishing boats right next to us that looked like they came straight out of biblical times! It was amazing to watch the fisherman cast their nets then draw them in. Of course there were also some not so nice things, like whatever was in the water that was biting all of us and causing us to itch. One of our translators told us it was a type of water mosquito but very few of us actually have any bumps or bite marks. We saw lots of jelly fish, and one boy even caught an eel! Thankfully the only true injury was a bee sting to one of the boys. That is saying a lot since the boys were shimmying up tall palm trees to drop coconuts down then using a large machete to hack them open so we could drink the juice inside! (It was super yummy!) It's days like that where we really get to hang out with the kids and realize that despite many of them growing up on the streets, or being rejected by parents, they are like every other child. They want to play. They want to be hugged. They want to know that they are significant. And they are!
This trip will always be one that stands out in my memory. I was blessed beyond all measure to see my daughter Tori serve with all her heart alongside me in Haiti this summer. I've always known Tori to be mature for her age, but as a parent I never personally got to see how strong this beautiful young woman of God is. At the tender age of 12, I saw her rise early, set up VBS, help with all aspects of VBS, serve food, clean, worship, sit alongside the children, go without lunch a few days, and have to wait for things we take for granted in the United States like having water and a restroom available. Like the rest of us, she returned to the hotel late each night only to have a late dinner, debrief with the team, prep supplies for the next day, then shower quickly and crawl into bed nightly around 10:30 or 11:00pm. And through it all, she is now asking, "Mom, can I come back with you at Christmas." Yep, she has been bit by the Haiti bug. I couldn't be more proud of her. I pray that God helps her sort out all that she saw and experienced in order to use it to serve Him even more. She definitely left it all in Haiti.
We are almost home. Our plane should land at LAX in just an hour. Then it's back to real life. I know that our prayers will be constant for our friends we left in Haiti, and we pray that God will use our experience to touch others with His love no matter where we are.
Along with leaving it all in Haiti, my voice has decided to remain in Haiti as well. It never fails that I lose my voice the last few days of the trip. My allergies never stand a chance against the poor air quality there. My prayer is that Tori and I stay healthy upon returning home and that after a few days of rest my voice will find its way back.
Until our return, a part of heart remains in Haiti.
"Everything is possible with God!"
Posted from Monica's iPad
Location:Haiti
Beautiful! Praise God!
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