This week our family been blessed with the opportunity to talk a lot about Haiti. We love sharing about the country and encouraging others to get involved. But I worry that sometimes we only tell you half the story.
We show you the mud cookies that fill the babies stomachs when there are no beans and rice to eat. We tell you that men in the village don't have jobs, and children don't have shoes. You cry when you hear about the little boy who begged us for one plate of food for his dying brother. And you gasp when you see the picture of the child who died just days after it was taken.
But maybe what we have not done such a good job at telling you is this…yes, these are the needs that drew us to a desire to help this country, but that is not what made us fall in love with Haiti. It was their strength and beauty that found its way into our hearts.
We show you the mud cookies that fill the babies stomachs when there are no beans and rice to eat. We tell you that men in the village don't have jobs, and children don't have shoes. You cry when you hear about the little boy who begged us for one plate of food for his dying brother. And you gasp when you see the picture of the child who died just days after it was taken.
But maybe what we have not done such a good job at telling you is this…yes, these are the needs that drew us to a desire to help this country, but that is not what made us fall in love with Haiti. It was their strength and beauty that found its way into our hearts.
Strength in men like Thomas, the school administrator. It is not Thomas' 6 foot tall stature or broad shoulders that make him strong; his strength is found in his love for the children of Bigarade. Thomas is the reason there is a school there at all. He knew three things: there was an empty goat field in the village, the children must be given the chance to get an education, and he could teach them. He constructed a tent and began having school on the very ground where the school we support stands today. In it's early stages, there was no money to pay teachers. There was just enough support to pay one person to administer the school so Thomas took the little he was given and shared. He kept only what he needed to feed his two precious daughters, his wife and his mother. Thomas understands that a man's strength has little to do with his physical ability and everything to do with his integrity. I love Thomas.
There is Valme, a young man in his mid-twenties who knows more about the Bible than many his senior. He has a wisdom greater than his years, and he hungers and thirsts for more of God. Valme and I have spent hours walking on foot visiting houses in the village. He is proficient in three languages, including French, Haitian Creole and English so he works as my translator on visits, but in between each visit is my favorite time with him. He asks me hundreds of questions. Questions that make me think. Questions that challenge me to grow in my faith. His favorite Bible story is Lazarus. He knows his country needs Christ's cleansing to heal them, just as Lazarus needed God's power. Valme is devoting his life to sharing that message with his countrymen, no matter what it costs him. I love Valme.
Then there is this beautiful young lady about fifteen years old at the school who took it upon herself to be a bodyguard of sorts for Mackenzie. Children were always around Mack, touching her hair, grabbing her arms, hugging her neck. As the school building got hotter and hotter under the afternoon sun, sweat would begin to pour down her face. On several occasions, this little girl would push her way through whatever crowd surrounded Mackenzie, pull her hand, and deliver her to my side. Then she would announce, "She's too hot." The little girl watched as Mackenzie's cheeks turned pink and her brow became wet, and she had compassion. And as God intended compassion, she didn't just feel sorry for Mack; she did something. I don't know her name, but I love this little girl.
I could go on and on about the strength of children who share far better in their need than my children do with their wants, or about men who lead by example as they sing the loudest of all to "This Little Light of Mine," or women who lift up praise songs as they kneel on bruised knees under the scorching sun to hand scrub their families' clothes.
Yes this country has needs. They are poor; their government is weak; their land is Satan's playground because of their rampant Voodoo. For this reason we have been called to help Haiti.
But there are also Christians in that country who have taught me about trusting in the Lord with all my heart and about having joy in my salvation in a way that I never before experienced in America. For this reason, I love Haiti.
Read more about our family's Journey to Help Haiti.
I could go on and on about the strength of children who share far better in their need than my children do with their wants, or about men who lead by example as they sing the loudest of all to "This Little Light of Mine," or women who lift up praise songs as they kneel on bruised knees under the scorching sun to hand scrub their families' clothes.
Yes this country has needs. They are poor; their government is weak; their land is Satan's playground because of their rampant Voodoo. For this reason we have been called to help Haiti.
But there are also Christians in that country who have taught me about trusting in the Lord with all my heart and about having joy in my salvation in a way that I never before experienced in America. For this reason, I love Haiti.
Read more about our family's Journey to Help Haiti.
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