I am sitting here in the guest house as everyone cycles
through the showers after another wonderful day! This is the ‘same old same old’
by now. Our team has fallen into the routine of working with Healing Haiti. A couple
of people volunteer every morning to help prepare breakfast, pack our snacks
for the day, and load up the water bottles. We eat around 8:00 am and are out
the door 1 hour later to start our day. We get back around 5 pm, shower up, and
sit down for dinner together. We end the day with ‘circle time’, enjoying a special
treat, and praying with our prayer partners. Cassy told me today, “I’m finally
used to it! The heat that is.” It seems that everyone has settled down, gotten
used to the busyness, the serving, and the sounds and smells of Haiti. Now, it
is time to come home.
My prayer is that we all take the servant hearts we had here,
home with us. Even though there are many differences here in Haiti, the people we
encounter back home are equally in need of God’s love and forgiveness. It’s easy
to love here, because we know what our purpose is. Serving on a mission trip is
often easier than serving at home, but our purpose is the same no matter where
we are; to help people become who God purposed them to be. Looking forward to continuing
that purpose together back at Northgate.
-Dan Thorson
Well. . . it’s our last day in Haiti. What a blast! Thank
you, everyone, for your prayers and support. We’ve had a wonderful time meeting
and serving alongside the people here. The adults and the kids especially have
stolen our hearts.
Also, I can’t say enough about our mission team. Great kids!
Great leaders and adults! Beautiful attitudes.
Today was our last day, so we played a little. We went to
church! The same Jesus here as we worship at home! Jesus is so, so good! He
transcends culture, race, socio-economic status, gender, language, everything!
After church, we spent the day at the beach. The feels-like
temperature was a 107, so most of us are nursing sunburns tonight.
A guy on the beach offered to take us snorkeling for $4
each, so not being able to pass up a bargain, six of us hopped in his boat. He
rowed (yes, rowed) us to a distant reef and we explored Haiti underwater. Brain
coral, sea fans, one octopus, a crab, and lots of colorful fish. Unfortunately,
like I said, the guys who went snorkeling (including me) ended up matching the
crabs in color, thanks to the sun.
I’m enjoying having my fifteen-year-old son, Isaac, along
with me. It’s fun seeing this place through his eyes and I’m not without a kid
on Father’s Day.
Haiti is a different world, but similar is so many ways. We’re
all looking forward to getting back to the States tomorrow, but many of us will
be back. We already have another Northgate trip planned for next June. Pastor
Linnea and Pastor Dan will be leading that one. I think I’ll stay home next year
and enjoy the air conditioning in Minnesota!
Seriously, I hope you’ll consider coming! It’s a powerful
experience.
Grateful for Northgate and it’s many partnerships throughout
the world! Thank you for the opportunity!
I’m more convinced than ever that Jesus IS everything! And
his church is the hope of the world! Haiti, and our world, would be a mess
without the church! We need him and we always will!
--Steve Perkins
Wow. What a trip! From the first orientation last June to
the finish of this trip this year—it’s been an awesome experience. Last night
we spoke about any fears we had about the trip before we got here and how all
those fears have just melted away (lol…literally).
So many highlights for me…visiting and praying with the elders,
signing with the children at the deaf academy, holding and praying for some
very sick babies, and, most of all, seeing our team share their hearts with
Haiti and with one another. Love this team!
And, today…going to the Haitian Teen Challenge Church where
the MN Adult & Teen Challenge staff often visit was awesome. Spirit-filled.
Inspiring worship. Challenging message…and our tech team would be envious of all
the AV equipment.
Can’t wait to get home to share more and to start planning
with the trip already on the calendar for 2019!
- Linnea Grey
No comments:
Post a Comment