Haiti Round 2.

             So I just got back from Haiti this past Friday. The trip the second time around was just as amazing or even better than before. We arrived in Haiti Saturday and drove 4 hours to the city of Jacmel. The drive, although nauseating with all is twists and turns through the mountains, reminded me of my first trip. It allowed me to take in the feeling of returning to this "home" after the past year of living in America. When we arrived at our missions house, we immediately headed to work and ran through our VBS presentations for several hours. After dinner and a cold shower I was off to bed. The next morning, I arose early enough to catch the sunrise. I got up to the roof for my devotion just in time to watch colors of pink and orange paint the sky. I felt at ease. Calm. Rested. And Ready. Ready to take on the week ahead. After a group devotion our team headed to two different churches. In each church we visited, I encountered many friendly Haitians all willing and excited to praise God. Their hospitality and kindness to offer us the little they had moved my heart. We seem to have every pleasure here in America and yet are so full of greed and desire, yet there, they offer the little they have without remorse, fully realizing it was never theirs to begin with.
             Monday we took another four hour drive through the mountains to our next destination. In the afternoon when we arrived and did our first day of VBS for the children at the church. For the next 3 days we would be teaching these same children about Christ and camping out in tents at the very place where we taught. It was definitely a stretch. We peed in hole or in the forest, took showers out of buckets, and slept on the hard ground in our tents. It was then I realized that simple things like sleep or a quiet place to rest or even a toilet were luxuries not to be taken for granted.
              Monday and Tuesday night we went out into populated areas around the church and had Christian movie showings in creole. Each movie we showed was accompanied by a drama as well. On Tuesday night I performed in one of our dramas. The crowd was as large as 200 people. I was not only nervous in front of such a large crowd but also felt that my ability to perform would impact the lives of those in the audience. Stepping out in front of such a large crowd seemed terrifying at first, but as I continued to take the drama step by step God relieved my nervous heart and allowed me to perform wonderfully for his glory.
              On Wednesday we finished up VBS and rode back to the missions house. Running water and electricity were truly appreciated and I think we were all overjoyed to see our porcelain throne once again in the bathroom. After group worship and a restful evening we fell asleep and slept in late until Thursday, our last full day of work in Haiti.
              We started Thursday with street evangelism in the center of Jacmel and in the afternoon arrived at an orphanage. The children there had such joy. They were actively participating in each VBS activity and loved our crafts. The smiles they held were amazing. All were full of such love even in their hard situation.
              If there's one thing I learned on this trip its this: God will use us for great things as long as we deny ourselves and become His hands and feet. When I put aside my fears and my complaints, God stretched me and used me to accomplish His will in ways I'd never imagine. A year ago, I would have never wanted to lead worship for my mission team. A year ago I would have hated to go and street evangelize. A year ago I wouldn't have wanted to perform a drama in front of hundreds. But as I've grown in Christ I've learned to surrender my fears. And what happened? God has done great things. And I've loved it.