Our trip started differently then we expected. A snow storm was preventing the MN folks from getting on their flight to Atlanta. God was pulling for us and all but one arrived in Atlanta last night. We met up this morning and boarded our flight to Haiti. The mountains here are incredible! The trees are lush and green, and flowers are abundant. We arrived at our beautiful guest house around 3. Me and Kate were looking off of our roof and noticed a yard full of goats and chickens! Two small girls wandered into our view and started to dance and pose for photos. The shouted to us, "Boto!" They wanted their photo taken! The five younger girls (Kate, Libby, Sophie, Amelia, and I) wanted to go play with them, so after a delicious meal (taco bowls), we brought soccer balls and jump ropes and played. The smiles on these kids faces were unforgettable! We are so thankful for how God has cleared the way for us and are excited for what more he has!
Clare B.
Monday, January 28, 2019
Sunday, January 27, 2019
Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus.
Matthew 14:29
It often said one cannot discover new horizons and adventures or discover God's purpose for our lives unless one steps out on faith as Peter did in his walk on the water.
Walking by faith is what our Healing Haiti Team demonstrated this entire week, from our first visit to Citi Soleil, visiting and fellow shipping elders, the water trucks stops were an adventure in patience.We entertained kids with sports and brain activities. Here we saw extreme distress in living conditions and and in the blink of the eye we experienced God's amazing beauty in smiles of children as their mothers and volunteers held their hands and hugged them.
Our time spent at Haiti Team Challenge will be with me for a long time, here we met future leaders of Haiti.
It very hard to capture in words Haitians faith walk and patience for God. During our mission trip we saw their faith was constantly on display. May God's blessing continue to be with them.
-Henry
Matthew 14:29
It often said one cannot discover new horizons and adventures or discover God's purpose for our lives unless one steps out on faith as Peter did in his walk on the water.
Walking by faith is what our Healing Haiti Team demonstrated this entire week, from our first visit to Citi Soleil, visiting and fellow shipping elders, the water trucks stops were an adventure in patience.We entertained kids with sports and brain activities. Here we saw extreme distress in living conditions and and in the blink of the eye we experienced God's amazing beauty in smiles of children as their mothers and volunteers held their hands and hugged them.
Our time spent at Haiti Team Challenge will be with me for a long time, here we met future leaders of Haiti.
It very hard to capture in words Haitians faith walk and patience for God. During our mission trip we saw their faith was constantly on display. May God's blessing continue to be with them.
-Henry
Saturday, January 26, 2019
Day 6 Shiloh Team - Water Truck and Farm
So what is it like to do a water truck stop at stop 26?
Somewhere between order and chaos. If it was run by us and what we thought orderly, it would look nothing like it did today. People coming out of nowhere with buckets and tubs, forming a line, sort of. Buckets being shoved up the line as the water rushed out of the hose, a lot of water hitting the buckets but a refreshing amount also covered us and the dirty street. Bucket after bucket was filled. And women and children were tasked with carrying it back to their homes - some tubs take two people, some take one, and for us newbies, we would carry one but have to switch hands at least twice in our walk because the metal handles bit into our unaccustomed hands. Those buckets are heavy! One boy asked me to help him carry. We carried the first, then he wanted me to help with another, then another. Ends up he had 10...
As this was all happening on the narrow street, there were water trenches running down both sides of the streets with overflow water. Kids were bathing in the water, dumping it over their heads in shower fashion. Along the trenches, special mops were being used to move garbage out of the way to keep the water moving. Women were doing laundry in the big tubs. Kids were everywhere, many wanting to be held and if there were no free arms to scoop them up, they just held on to our free hand or a shirt or arm as we carried water with the other hand.
Oh, and then scoot the line over for the motorcycle coming through, then the car that turned down the street and the carts hauling things. Somehow there was order in this event as this is life to the Haitians.
Before leaving this stop, we walked out onto the pier where we saw some of the beauty of this country - the blue ocean water set among this beautiful bay. Is is back dropped with the mountains but also the despair of Cite Soleil as Henry put it. What we would consider a beautiful bay area and 'waterfront property' had the banks littered with mounds of garbage right up to and into the water. Men were out in fishing boats dropping and collecting a big net while the women were on the dock cleaning the catch that was hauled in previously.
The next stop in our day was the Fleri Farm. Healing Haiti purchased 28 acres of land in Cite Soleil to farm and grow produce. The midwesterner in me expected to see crops of corn and beans so imagine my surprise to learn about plantains (they bear one crop of fruit and then they die - but they grow really fast!), mangoes, lime trees and so much more. The long term missionary charged with developing this plot of land into something for the future, has been challenged to learn what farming is in a Caribbean environment and he is a wealth of information already in his 10 months or so in Haiti.
Last stop of our day was to the Haitian Museum in down town Port-au-Prince. However, once again, flexibility is key in Haiti and after our crazy tap tap ride through the city, we arrived to find the museum closed (although the sign and internet told us it would be open.) Down town has some more open space with some buildings that were rebuilt after the earthquake. It felt almost like a city park with open space where there were opportunities to purchase works by artisans. We stepped out of our tap tap to be immediately approached by a man selling fabric paintings. And then another, and another and another and another. We were soon being smothered by men asking us to purchase their goods. After a couple quick purchases, we escaped to our tap tap. That experience and the drive and sights in the city spared our disappointment at not being able to go to the museum!
Again, there were interesting observations and discussions in our tap tap rides. I talked with our wise leader, Carol, about how so many of us want to donate or bring "things" to the people of Haiti as we know they are poor. But Healing Haiti does not want to distribute things to people, Haiti has enough things - very evident driving through the city and seeing things for sale everywhere. And everything you could want - clothes, furniture, shoes, food, coolers, engines, stereos, you name it! Haitians need the money to purchase the things that are already here. Healing Haiti is choosing to 'source local' - rather than bring things from the US, they are purchasing things here in Haiti to support the local economy. Haitians need jobs and incomes.
This was our last day of serving here in Haiti. Sunday will be a day of worship and rest for us.
Patty
Friday, January 25, 2019
An Alliterative Attempt At An Amazing Ad hoc Alleluiah
Every writer needs a few tricks in their bag that will grab the reader's attention. Sometimes it's a silly title (a favorite of bloggers), on an enigmatic allusion - back to alliteration I guess.
Most of the time, it's the first few sentences, or even the first few pages of your novel that will either grab the reader or lose them. I have proven that in writing contests I've entered in the past ten years. Often it is best to delete your first three chapters and start the story at the fourth, because nobody cares about the backstory.
Today wasn't a "Chapter Four" kind of day. The first sentence of our day was written in the crystal-clear heavens before God lit the sky. There was no smoke from trash fires, no traffic on the roads, only a hush over the metropolis of Port au Prince. 0600 is mighty early in January for a nation with sporadic electricity, and a paucity of street lights. Yet that's when we arrived at "The Church On The Rock." I'm sure it has a formal name, but I've not yet committed it to memory after three trips to Haiti.
My first visit was on a morning that was sweltering, and the big-top tent was full of people who came on that Ash Wednesday to give thanks to God for sparing them from the earthquake just a few years earlier. Today, in contrast, the church is a modern building that resembles a gigantic indoor sports facility. Like many structures in Haiti, there are no real doors on the main entry, but a 57 functioning ceiling fans. The altar/stage is huge, and the sound board would make most church audio visual ministries drool in jealous admiration.
We were among the first to arrive, and I was a bit disappointed that perhaps people in Haiti had quit raising up the thanks now that almost a decade had passed since the 2010 earthquake.
I need not have feared. The church filled nicely over the next 30 minutes. In a mixture of Creole and English, the praise and worship band and pastor lifted my spirits to a needed level for the day ahead. I'm a weirdo, and sat alone in the back of the structure to watch the people and pray privately. I love my team beyond words, but this morning I chose to take my spiritual nourishment alone at the counter. Some of the best meals are spent in the comfortable solitude of deep thought.
We continued to worship long after the sun came up, and walked back to the mission house for breakfast. As always, the staff blessed us with an abundance of delicious things. We needed them in the coming hours.
Our first stop was Grace Village. A tour of the facility, gazing out to the Caribbean, and some deep reflection were all welcome.
The next two hours were spent on the goat paths around Titanyen visiting elders. A paucity of asphalt, and abundance of cactus, create some exceptional balance exhibitions. But they weren't the only balancing act on Friday morning: balancing the joy of serving with the sadness that the elders can bring is a tough one. While washing feet is an enjoyable task (the smiles it earns are priceless) the living conditions, and the fact that they have outlived all of their peers (and often their children) brings a bit of sorrow. So, a mix.
Haitian Deaf Academy was our final serving stop of the day. I was challenged to a non-stop session of arm-wrestling. While I'm a big guy at 6' 300 (or more) pounds, I'm actually only qualified to pit my skills against 8 year-olds if I'm honest. Fortunately, I was not overly out-matched until they teamed up and had 3-1 odds in their favor. I allowed myself to be defeated with dignity.
That sounded awfully personal, didn't it? I think all serving is personal. Today that's what those children wanted to do: arm-wrestle with Pere Noel. And I was glad to meet that request. I try very hard to do what the people I serve need most. Whether it's making bacon-cheeseburgers for the homeless instead of a fancy meal, or arm-wrestling with a long line of little boys, you have to do what makes their lives best in the moment.
In our lives in the United States, we have so many conflicts and demands on our time that we frequently serve in the manner most convenient to us. We do something, anything, and feel it's better than doing nothing. It's as easy as dropping the clothes we cleared out of the closet at the Salvation Army. But is it what God is asking of us in the moment? Isn't He the ultimate consumer of our service?
Today we served in ways those we served needed. I think that's because when you're on a mission trip you can focus on what He wants, not the internet, or your kid's sports schedule. God brings us here to serve in our best capacity. Tomorrow we'll try it again.
I can't wait.
- Joe
Most of the time, it's the first few sentences, or even the first few pages of your novel that will either grab the reader or lose them. I have proven that in writing contests I've entered in the past ten years. Often it is best to delete your first three chapters and start the story at the fourth, because nobody cares about the backstory.
Today wasn't a "Chapter Four" kind of day. The first sentence of our day was written in the crystal-clear heavens before God lit the sky. There was no smoke from trash fires, no traffic on the roads, only a hush over the metropolis of Port au Prince. 0600 is mighty early in January for a nation with sporadic electricity, and a paucity of street lights. Yet that's when we arrived at "The Church On The Rock." I'm sure it has a formal name, but I've not yet committed it to memory after three trips to Haiti.
My first visit was on a morning that was sweltering, and the big-top tent was full of people who came on that Ash Wednesday to give thanks to God for sparing them from the earthquake just a few years earlier. Today, in contrast, the church is a modern building that resembles a gigantic indoor sports facility. Like many structures in Haiti, there are no real doors on the main entry, but a 57 functioning ceiling fans. The altar/stage is huge, and the sound board would make most church audio visual ministries drool in jealous admiration.
We were among the first to arrive, and I was a bit disappointed that perhaps people in Haiti had quit raising up the thanks now that almost a decade had passed since the 2010 earthquake.
I need not have feared. The church filled nicely over the next 30 minutes. In a mixture of Creole and English, the praise and worship band and pastor lifted my spirits to a needed level for the day ahead. I'm a weirdo, and sat alone in the back of the structure to watch the people and pray privately. I love my team beyond words, but this morning I chose to take my spiritual nourishment alone at the counter. Some of the best meals are spent in the comfortable solitude of deep thought.
We continued to worship long after the sun came up, and walked back to the mission house for breakfast. As always, the staff blessed us with an abundance of delicious things. We needed them in the coming hours.
Our first stop was Grace Village. A tour of the facility, gazing out to the Caribbean, and some deep reflection were all welcome.
The next two hours were spent on the goat paths around Titanyen visiting elders. A paucity of asphalt, and abundance of cactus, create some exceptional balance exhibitions. But they weren't the only balancing act on Friday morning: balancing the joy of serving with the sadness that the elders can bring is a tough one. While washing feet is an enjoyable task (the smiles it earns are priceless) the living conditions, and the fact that they have outlived all of their peers (and often their children) brings a bit of sorrow. So, a mix.
Haitian Deaf Academy was our final serving stop of the day. I was challenged to a non-stop session of arm-wrestling. While I'm a big guy at 6' 300 (or more) pounds, I'm actually only qualified to pit my skills against 8 year-olds if I'm honest. Fortunately, I was not overly out-matched until they teamed up and had 3-1 odds in their favor. I allowed myself to be defeated with dignity.
That sounded awfully personal, didn't it? I think all serving is personal. Today that's what those children wanted to do: arm-wrestle with Pere Noel. And I was glad to meet that request. I try very hard to do what the people I serve need most. Whether it's making bacon-cheeseburgers for the homeless instead of a fancy meal, or arm-wrestling with a long line of little boys, you have to do what makes their lives best in the moment.
In our lives in the United States, we have so many conflicts and demands on our time that we frequently serve in the manner most convenient to us. We do something, anything, and feel it's better than doing nothing. It's as easy as dropping the clothes we cleared out of the closet at the Salvation Army. But is it what God is asking of us in the moment? Isn't He the ultimate consumer of our service?
Today we served in ways those we served needed. I think that's because when you're on a mission trip you can focus on what He wants, not the internet, or your kid's sports schedule. God brings us here to serve in our best capacity. Tomorrow we'll try it again.
I can't wait.
- Joe
Thursday, January 24, 2019
The Fourth Day Has Concluded
My name is Issac, and I'm a first-time goer on a mission team to Haiti.
Our fourth day was an incredible journey into the poorest slum in the western hemisphere: Cite Soleil. In an area under 10 square miles, there are almost 300,000 people living in single-story structures made of cast-off materials. Tin, scrap wood, plastic panels, wrought-iron doors, and cement that most Americans would consider inferior for a bird bath. But it is home to these people.
Cite Soliel has no running water, no sewage system (open sewers) and no electrical power grid - the locals have tapped into nearby electrical lines with small gauge wires that run to their homes. The potential for disease and fire is astronomical.
Also astronomical are the children, and the smiles. Those smiles gave me hope today. We went there this morning with a plastic tub full of bubble fluid, a colorful parachute, some beach balls, and a soccer ball. We parked near a brand new medical clinic that Healing Haiti opened, which is part of a complex providing the school and church for a huge neighborhood. Most amazingly, it is built on a foundation driven into the ocean front which had been covered with over 40 feet of garbage, corpses, and foul water.
God provided this beautiful place, and we left our vehicle there while we ventured a block away to simply play with children. It was fun to play with the children. Smiles are universal, and your income is not a barrier to your finding a moment of happiness. We stayed there about 2 hours and left behind a lot of memories on both sides. You see, missionaries need smiles as much as children.
After heading back to the mission house to clean up, we ate our energy bars, drank some water, and headed out to an orphanage in the countryside.
Off the main road, it is on a large plot of land that is shaded by mango trees, and we met with about 35 neatly dressed, smiling, well-nourished children who ranged in age from about 4-15. Chalk drawings on the playground, rec-center basketball (no rules, lots of fun), sticker pictures, bubbles to blow, and an impromptu game of four-square just yards from one of our team playing catch and hiding in the shade.
We pulled this off during rush-hour on some bad roads! Our driver did a great job, and he kept us moving. Safe. He also kept us safe. Our translator was amazing with the kids we met throughout the day.
Safe back at the mission house, we had an enormous dinner of stew (goat or lamb, depending on who you ask) over rice and beans. Very typical Haitian food and tasty as can be.
Some devotional time followed and here I am, ready for bed. God Bless.
Wednesday, January 23, 2019
Today was a full day - full of activities, education, sights, smells, emotions, lots of smiles and some tears (some of which admittedly, were from me.)
We started our day with breakfast cooked by our wonderful Haitian staff then packed up our tap tap and headed off to Cite Soleil. Our itinerary said we were going to meet the water truck there however this is Haiti and things never seem to go exactly as one plans. The water truck was delayed so instead of killing time, we took advantage of our circumstances and jumped out to have a 'play date' with the kids in the area and then took some time to tour Hope Church and School. Once our water truck arrived, we did the water distribution. We followed that with a tour of the Innovation lab at the school and then did elder visits through the newly established elder program in Cite Soleil. We came back from that to learn about the new Hope Clinic which opened as recently as last week and then hustled out of Cite Soleil to head to the Home for the Sick and Dying Babies. Remember the first sentence? It was a full day!
There are SO many details one could share with you about everything we saw - families living in tin structures that would fit inside my bathroom at home. Difference being, my bathroom has running water, electricity, a flush toilet and a trash can. Families lined up outside of the medical clinic waiting patiently for their chance to receive medical treatment. Visiting the elderly man who sleeps on a concrete floor with a blanket as his bed. Four generations of a family all living in Cite Soleil. The newness of the new computer lab. The new clinic stocked with brand new medical equipment and medications. The babies and toddlers at the Home for the Sick and Dying, each looking longingly at each person walking in, hoping to be held.
Henry described our day best at our nightly debriefing, devotions and word of the day. He described it as a day with book ends: The beginning of the day seeing the amazing poverty as we drove into Cite Soleil - the poorest slum area in the western hemisphere. It is an area approximately 4 square miles where over 300,000 people live. Most of the area does not have running water so the people rely on the water trucks to provide them water for drinking, cooking and bathing. There is no sewer system, no garbage collection, and houses are made from tin or cinder block.
The end of our day was our stop at the Home for Sick and Dying with at least 75 children sleeping in cribs side by side (which would definitely not pass standards in the US for safety).. We did our best to pick up the children, hold, hug, cuddle them but at some point, you had to put them down and that was just heart wrenching to hear them cry.
In between the beginning and the end of our day, were the great things that are happening at Hope School and Clinic. The Innovation lab is new, inside this air conditioned pod is space for 25 students to come in for a class and work on ipads with apps and they are linked to tvs. The goal of the program is to educate these young students starting at age 3 using apps to eventually teach and lead them into programming.
Hope Clinic is filling a need in this community. Patients pay only a small amount (less than $1) to have access to the medical care here. The first day they opened, they had expected to be able to see 10 patients while they got used to everything. The dr. changed his mind when there were over 60 people lined up the first day, he didn't want to turn any of them away.
So although at times I felt despair throughout my day, there was hope in the middle of it. The excitement and energy of the kids at Hope school, the enthusiasm of Ash the teacher at the Innovation Lab, the newly started Elder program at Cite Soleil to minister to people that can easily be overlooked, the love and dedication of the sisters and volunteers at the Home for the Sick and Dying to provide love and care for the precious children staying there.
Shannon shared a quote with us from Mother Teresa, "We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop."
Tomorrow is another day for all of us to bring joy and hope to another drop and keep that ocean full.
-Patty
We started our day with breakfast cooked by our wonderful Haitian staff then packed up our tap tap and headed off to Cite Soleil. Our itinerary said we were going to meet the water truck there however this is Haiti and things never seem to go exactly as one plans. The water truck was delayed so instead of killing time, we took advantage of our circumstances and jumped out to have a 'play date' with the kids in the area and then took some time to tour Hope Church and School. Once our water truck arrived, we did the water distribution. We followed that with a tour of the Innovation lab at the school and then did elder visits through the newly established elder program in Cite Soleil. We came back from that to learn about the new Hope Clinic which opened as recently as last week and then hustled out of Cite Soleil to head to the Home for the Sick and Dying Babies. Remember the first sentence? It was a full day!
There are SO many details one could share with you about everything we saw - families living in tin structures that would fit inside my bathroom at home. Difference being, my bathroom has running water, electricity, a flush toilet and a trash can. Families lined up outside of the medical clinic waiting patiently for their chance to receive medical treatment. Visiting the elderly man who sleeps on a concrete floor with a blanket as his bed. Four generations of a family all living in Cite Soleil. The newness of the new computer lab. The new clinic stocked with brand new medical equipment and medications. The babies and toddlers at the Home for the Sick and Dying, each looking longingly at each person walking in, hoping to be held.
Henry described our day best at our nightly debriefing, devotions and word of the day. He described it as a day with book ends: The beginning of the day seeing the amazing poverty as we drove into Cite Soleil - the poorest slum area in the western hemisphere. It is an area approximately 4 square miles where over 300,000 people live. Most of the area does not have running water so the people rely on the water trucks to provide them water for drinking, cooking and bathing. There is no sewer system, no garbage collection, and houses are made from tin or cinder block.
The end of our day was our stop at the Home for Sick and Dying with at least 75 children sleeping in cribs side by side (which would definitely not pass standards in the US for safety).. We did our best to pick up the children, hold, hug, cuddle them but at some point, you had to put them down and that was just heart wrenching to hear them cry.
In between the beginning and the end of our day, were the great things that are happening at Hope School and Clinic. The Innovation lab is new, inside this air conditioned pod is space for 25 students to come in for a class and work on ipads with apps and they are linked to tvs. The goal of the program is to educate these young students starting at age 3 using apps to eventually teach and lead them into programming.
Hope Clinic is filling a need in this community. Patients pay only a small amount (less than $1) to have access to the medical care here. The first day they opened, they had expected to be able to see 10 patients while they got used to everything. The dr. changed his mind when there were over 60 people lined up the first day, he didn't want to turn any of them away.
So although at times I felt despair throughout my day, there was hope in the middle of it. The excitement and energy of the kids at Hope school, the enthusiasm of Ash the teacher at the Innovation Lab, the newly started Elder program at Cite Soleil to minister to people that can easily be overlooked, the love and dedication of the sisters and volunteers at the Home for the Sick and Dying to provide love and care for the precious children staying there.
Shannon shared a quote with us from Mother Teresa, "We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop."
Tomorrow is another day for all of us to bring joy and hope to another drop and keep that ocean full.
-Patty
Tuesday, January 22, 2019
Which Window Are You Using To View Your Mission?
Many missions start while people are looking at the window of their computer browser. A friend, your pastor, or a search reveals the opportunity to you. Depending on how that offer is crafted, your first exposure to a potential mission trip is formed within seconds. A clever email, a link that goes to a well-organized website or Vimeo link and you're all in. A slow-loading website, or an email with tons of grammar errors, and you're not all that enthused.
That's merely the first window. Now you not only have to pick your windows, but the lenses you bring to the trip. Each lens changes the way the world looks to you. Personal problems, prejudice, illness, or an impending winter storm will all frost the window, cloud the glass, or shatter it into a web of distorting spiderwebs.
But let's assume you make it to the airport, get down to Port au Prince, and put your gear away in the guest house. How will you tackle your mission trip?
Many missionaries to Haiti come with preconceived notions about what they will find. It's not a malicious thing, but we all carry baggage with us in this life. And because of the windows described above, you may choose to do what many do on their trip: look out the windows of your Tap-Tap and see the concrete walls whizzing by until you arrive at your stop. You then get out of the back, focusing on not falling on your face, and minding your footing until you get into the orphanage/clinic/church/museum/monument. Once inside, you focus on the speaker, or the small child you are holding.
An hour later, you reverse your course, back on the transportation, and another series of traffic congestion, walls, and concertina wire ribbons blocking out the skyline.
You return home with that remaining as your impression of Haiti/Guatemala/Uganda.
Because of that window you selected, you missed all of the other things. You missed the cloud-topped peaks of the mountains just ten miles away. You failed to watch the road-construction crew dig up a broken cable, and repair it by hand. Worst of all, you failed to see the people in your mission country and how beautiful their lives can be - because of that window.
There's the biggest challenge you face: you are there to bear witness to God, and to learn about the people you serve. You cannot do that if you are directing all of your focus on not tripping on the uneven stones that life presents. You don't hear the anguish in the testimony of the young girl who thinks her life is over at 17 because she was foolish and did drugs, or committed some sin that is culturally unforgivable. You won't chat with the guide from the other mission team who wants to talk about his trip to Portland two year ago. (Guilty.) Worst of all, you probably won't gain the warm glow of God's love that is flooding this world.
If you take that time, time to look beyond the window you have selected, you might just have the greatest mission trip in history.
Today, I'm proud to say, the Shiloh mission team broke out all the windows, and allowed God's love to flood the earth we walked. We saw job creation programs, we viewed a skyline that most never see from street level, and we talked with, and worshiped alongside, some courageous young people at Haiti Teen Challenge who listened, and pondered, what we had to say about our own lives. They shared their challenges. We shared our challenges and victories.
Tonight, we're full of great Haitian food, we have a few trinkets from the fine people at Papillion (the job creation place) and we grew as a team.
Tomorrow we will face one of our tougher days. But we're going to do it without any windows blocking the wind God uses to caress our faces.
Because that's the way this team rolls.
-Joe
That's merely the first window. Now you not only have to pick your windows, but the lenses you bring to the trip. Each lens changes the way the world looks to you. Personal problems, prejudice, illness, or an impending winter storm will all frost the window, cloud the glass, or shatter it into a web of distorting spiderwebs.
But let's assume you make it to the airport, get down to Port au Prince, and put your gear away in the guest house. How will you tackle your mission trip?
Many missionaries to Haiti come with preconceived notions about what they will find. It's not a malicious thing, but we all carry baggage with us in this life. And because of the windows described above, you may choose to do what many do on their trip: look out the windows of your Tap-Tap and see the concrete walls whizzing by until you arrive at your stop. You then get out of the back, focusing on not falling on your face, and minding your footing until you get into the orphanage/clinic/church/museum/monument. Once inside, you focus on the speaker, or the small child you are holding.
An hour later, you reverse your course, back on the transportation, and another series of traffic congestion, walls, and concertina wire ribbons blocking out the skyline.
You return home with that remaining as your impression of Haiti/Guatemala/Uganda.
Because of that window you selected, you missed all of the other things. You missed the cloud-topped peaks of the mountains just ten miles away. You failed to watch the road-construction crew dig up a broken cable, and repair it by hand. Worst of all, you failed to see the people in your mission country and how beautiful their lives can be - because of that window.
There's the biggest challenge you face: you are there to bear witness to God, and to learn about the people you serve. You cannot do that if you are directing all of your focus on not tripping on the uneven stones that life presents. You don't hear the anguish in the testimony of the young girl who thinks her life is over at 17 because she was foolish and did drugs, or committed some sin that is culturally unforgivable. You won't chat with the guide from the other mission team who wants to talk about his trip to Portland two year ago. (Guilty.) Worst of all, you probably won't gain the warm glow of God's love that is flooding this world.
If you take that time, time to look beyond the window you have selected, you might just have the greatest mission trip in history.
Today, I'm proud to say, the Shiloh mission team broke out all the windows, and allowed God's love to flood the earth we walked. We saw job creation programs, we viewed a skyline that most never see from street level, and we talked with, and worshiped alongside, some courageous young people at Haiti Teen Challenge who listened, and pondered, what we had to say about our own lives. They shared their challenges. We shared our challenges and victories.
Tonight, we're full of great Haitian food, we have a few trinkets from the fine people at Papillion (the job creation place) and we grew as a team.
Tomorrow we will face one of our tougher days. But we're going to do it without any windows blocking the wind God uses to caress our faces.
Because that's the way this team rolls.
-Joe
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