Monday, June 6, 2016

Dan Leslie - Team Texas - June 6, 2016 (Day 1)


Day 1 - Arrival & "Alo"


 “For I am sure that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither things present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38)

 
My Word of the Day - Nostalgia
 
As soon as we stepped off the plane, I swear I could hear the kids singing "God is so good, is so good, is so good". Maybe it was jetlag, maybe it was nostalgia but you can't help but be flooded with the memories, sounds and smells of Haiti as soon as you arrive. Each of our days here result in change. "Be the change you wish to see in the world." Well Haiti, here we are, not to change you but to empower you, not to judge you but to love you...
 
 
 
Today, Day 1 - all of our flights and our luggage made it to Haiti. Our leader asked us to make sure and slow down and live in the moment while we are here. Its easy to become accustomed to what you see in Haiti especially when you've seen it before but we just can't look at the whole experience and accept it as "normal". Its not normal for people to lack shelter, food, healthcare and hope. It can be hard to sit around a table and enjoy an amazing meal in the midst of, what appears to be, total despair but you have to keep in mind that we are establishing the relationships within our group to be able to establish relations with the Haitian people. Everything can change in 1 day, in 1 hour, in 1 minute just by seeking relationships. Tomorrow we will go to Cite Soleil and give water and hugs to the people there and try to establish relationships without sharing the same language or even similar lifestyles. One thing we do share - God loves us both. Don't ever let God's love become nostalgic - seek it, deserve it and pass it on to others.   
 
Team Texas at Our First Meal