Tag Archives: Haiti

November 15, 2013 · 6:43 AM

Free From Excuses

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It’s Free Friday! What are you going to let go of today so that you are free? What’s holding you back from being who God called you to be? Every Friday is an opportunity to get yourself free. This week’s Free Friday is different from others. I’m in Haiti and recounting our trip day by day. There won’t be a giveaway today, but there will be an opportunity to be free.

As we move into the second part of this trip, our spirits are high and we are energized because of the people of Haiti. Our bodies are sore and tired because the work we are doing combined with the heat. Day 5 was a very productive day for our team. We planned this work weeks before our trip. It started with me emailing the team members that I didn’t know or hadn’t seen in a while. I asked what skills they had that they felt God could use on this trip. I wasn’t sure what all we could do with the diversity of the skills, but God knew and placed each person on this team to do what only they could do.

Two of the skills came from a couple. One of them is a nurse and the other can do carpentry. The orphanages and communities where we work here need both badly. When we first arrived at Myan on Monday, we told all the local kids we would have a clinic on Thursday. We asked them to spread the word throughout the community. Just because the orphanage isn’t open, it doesn’t mean we can’t start impacting the community around it now. We explained the process and that was all that was said about it.

When the clinic opened yesterday, it was slow going with only a few people. These ladies brought their children dressed in the best clothes they had and had shoes on their feet. They were so excited to be seeing a medical professional. We treated them, gave them medicine and sent them on. Word really spread after that. Our team treated families from 10:00 to 5:30 without taking a break. We had to turn people away because it was getting dark and we had to get back to the guesthouse. We told them to come back tomorrow so we could help them.

Another team was finishing up staining the beds for the orphanage while another team was putting varnish on the finished ones. They worked until the beds were finished being stained and the varnish ran out. When they finished up, they began to entertain the kids in line. We gave each person a number so they didn’t have to stand there or lose their place to see a nurse. One person, began teaching the kids how to do cartwheels while another introduced baseball to them. Our freshly leveled courtyard made a great baseball field. The children had a stick and an old, beat up tennis ball. Perfect for baseball.

Our other team finished up two full walls of shelving units for storage and medical supplies for the orphanage. We also build a tabletop desk for the administrator to be able to sit at and do work. The local workers kept coming in to look at what and how we were doing things. By the end of the project, we had turned it over to two men who are on Coreluv staff. It was amazing to watch them pick it up after watching us and to complete the project. The shelves are sturdy and beautiful. We’ll finish them up by placing doors on the medical side.

This trip has reminded me of something that Mike Reizner, the founder of coreluv.org, told me once. He said, “You shouldn’t pray and ask God for permission to go on a missions trip. He’s already commanded us to go into all the world. The real thing you should ask Him is if He is ok with you not going.” It’s time to free yourself of the excuses that keep you from doing what God wants you to do. Free yourself from the things that hold you back from His will for your life, whatever that may be. Don’t let another excuse keep you away from a missions trip. If you’d like to go to Haiti, email missions@coreluv.org to find out how.

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November 14, 2013 · 6:36 AM

On A Dirt Road In Haiti

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As day four dawned in Haiti, the team was very energetic. We got up, had a good breakfast, a great devotional and then packed for the day. We piled up in the back of the truck and headed for Myan. The long dusty road there is full of bumps. All along the way, people smile and give us a thumbs up. It’s clear that Coreluv has built good relationships in the community and the people are excited to see the teams who come down their road. They know that we’re there to help not just the orphans, but the community at large.

When we arrived at the orphanage in Myan, we unpacked and began to prepare for our projects. Kids arrived slowly for some reason. As I went from room to room to check on the teams, I went into one where some ladies were staining the beds the orphans will sleep on. Just inside the door, a three year old boy was sitting on the floor with just a shirt on. He was covered in the white dirt that is everywhere out there. He looked up and you could see he was sad and something was wrong.

One of our team members, who has been on several trips, said, “He told me he didn’t sleep well.” I held his hand, but he would barely look at me or grip my fingers. After sitting with him a few minutes, I moved on to walk the property and see where future projects would be. I checked on the other team who were building shelving in our storage room. They were measuring, cutting and determining what order to do things in with the limited tools and weak generator. Each person was doing their part to make this project a success.

As I walked into the bed staining room, I saw our team member giving this boy water and then some food. He’d ask for more water and she’d give it to him. Then he’d ask for another bite of food. Slowly his demeanor began to change. My heart was touched as I watched her compassion for this little boy. As she gave it to him, Matthew 10:42 came to mind, “And if you give a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.” I was blessed to be able to watch that moment take place.

As the teams kept working on their projects, the missionary, a girl on the team and I got in the truck and headed back towards Gonaives. After we got over the part of the mountain the puts Myan in a valley, we pulled over. On a dirt road in Haiti, we used the hot spot feature on his iPhone to connect his iPad. We then used Skype to call Lifestyle Christian School where she attends and were patched into their chapel service. They’re bring a team of students next year and the principal wanted to have the student on this trip to be able to share her experiences.

As we finished speaking to chapel, we all kind of looked at each other and talked about how cool it was to be pulled over on the side of a mountain, on this dirt road, and to be able to do a video feed thousands of miles away to be able to share what we were doing. In a country where many of the technological advances that we enjoy daily have yet to make it, we were able to do that. The concept of video calling hasn’t reached here and would be as foreign to them as a truck of American sitting on the side of their road.

After coming back to town for supplies to get the more powerful generator working, we returned to Myan. The teams had made huge progress. The generator fired up after several minutes of the locals working on it. The saws started buzzing, drills started humming and the work began to move quickly. The 90 degree heat and no air conditioning began to take it’s toll on everyone. One of the guys looked at me and asked what time it was. When I told him it was almost 3:00, his face showed that he thought it was much later. We worked a little bit more when a couple of kids showed up in the middle of the buildings and started throwing a tennis ball.

One guy looked and asked, “Where’s our soccer ball?” I pointed it out and he ran out there with them. It didn’t take long until all of us were out there kicking the ball in a circle. Soon after, it became a free for all running after the person who had the ball. The goal was simply to be the one kicking it. Laughter filled the air in Myan (and dirt!). For an hour we played and loved these kids as the Haitian workers watched us. There was a renewed purpose for the work and our energy levels increased. It was just the boost we needed to get through three more days of work.

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November 13, 2013 · 6:28 AM

Dream Bigger

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One of my favorite things to do in Haiti is to go to the Roboto feeding center. Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and Roboto is one of the poorest areas in Haiti. The further we drove into Roboto, the poorer it got. Paved streets turned into rocks covered in trash. The few buildings that are made of wood lean to the side a bit. The rest are made with rusty tin that has rusted through in many places. People sitting on their porches don’t smile and nothing is done to upkeep the area as if it’s too far gone.

When we arrived to our destination I was shocked at how improved our feeding center was since April. Teams have used paving stones to line ground on the property. The width of the property has increased and a second building has been added. The sound of children learning filled the air. As we walked to the back of the property that backs up to the ocean, we passed several classrooms filled with children in blue and white uniforms. They smiled and waved as we walked through getting a tour and tried to process what we were seeing. Over the fence at the back of the property is a beach that is covered by trash and looks more like a landfill. Fisherman were ashore in their boats cleaning their nets and the smell was nearly overwhelming.

As we broke into our assigned teams, we quickly began to work. The guys began to add swings to the swing set and to make repairs on it. The kids in the classrooms stared at us smiling and waving. They couldn’t wait until recess. When it was time for it, every swing quickly filled up. While we were doing that, the ladies were up front painting the entrance, front wall and principal’s office. The wall outside was painted a stark white and was accented by painting the gates bright green. We chose green because it represents new life and hope which is what we hope to bring.

As the morning continued, it came time for lunch. The truck arrived with three five gallon buckets of rice and one bucket halfway filled with macaroni noodles in a brown sauce. Team members grabbed plates and started putting rice on them. Others grabbed the plates and poured some of the macaroni and sauce on them. Others delivered the food to the classes. Others picked up empty dishes and returned them to fill with food again for other children. Each child waits patiently for their food. For most of these kids, this will be the only meal they get. Their parents are so poor, they can’t afford to feed them. What was just a feeding center in the beginning has evolved into an education center to those who would have no education otherwise. We also share God’s love with them and hope to make spiritual change there as well as the future of Roboto.

After lunch, we got to come back to the guest house to clean up a bit and grab something to eat. After lunch, we went to the orphanage in Gonaives. As we sat outside the gate and heard the story of how Coreluv became involved with this orphanage, the sound of children grew louder on the other side. When the gate was opened, the children came rushing out like water on rocks. They bounced from person to person looking at our faces as if to determine who they wanted to fall in love with them. You don’t choose the orphan you get to love, they choose you. They make you feel special because you are the one that they want to have hold them.

We did crafts with them, brought books for them and played games for hours. The staff got a much needed break and took the opportunity to rest. The sound of laughter filled the house. These children aren’t the sad ones on commercials begging for your money. They live in similar conditions, but they’re happy and well cared for. As a monthly contributor, I don’t sponsor just one child. My money goes into everything we’re doing on this trip. I get to see my giving in action and making a difference not just for the orphans, but for the whole community.

At the end of a long, tiring day our muscles were worn out, our emotions were drained and our minds had tried to comprehend what all we saw. We still walked out on that balcony to meet Jesus and to worship Him for giving us the opportunity to serve and to be His hands and feet. We heard from II Kings 4:1-7 and were asked what all miracles we saw in that chapter. One person said it best when he said the widow was challenged to dream big. God will fill as many vessels as you bring Him. The only limitations He has are the amount that you bring Him and allow Him to fill. After yesterday, our dreams just got bigger.

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November 12, 2013 · 6:25 AM

Bringing Hope to Haiti

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Day two in Haiti started off at Faith, Hope, Love orphanage and infant rescue center. When we arrived, most of the kids had already left for school. The few that remained touched my heart. One child had hydrocephalus, another had lymphoma in his eyes and the other had brittle bone disease. As I saw the little girl with this bone disease laying in her crib, my heart broke. She was so thin and frail. She had no strength to move. As the others walked on to see the rest of the orphanage, I stayed behind to pray for her.

She reminded me of my spiritual state. I was helpless without Christ. I had no strength without Him. He had to come into my life to give me the strength I needed to survive. It was He who pulled me from my broken state where I couldn’t stand, lifted me up and provided the strength to move. It is with proper nutrition that both she and I have a chance. Mine comes from God’s Word and spending time with Him daily. Without that, I would die spiritually. For her, a doctor called yesterday and agreed to give her a feeding tube so we can get her the nutrition that she would die without.

After we left there, we drove out of Port au Prince to the site of the mass grave for all who died in the earthquake of 2010. As we stood on this field, we were reminded of that tragic time in this country when over 100,000 died in one day. We heard stories of bodies being drug into the streets. Trucks would come and get a load of bodies and dump them in this field. Other trucks would come take rubble to the site and pile it on top of them. They did this for days. It was a grim reminder of what had happened. One of the team members asked me, “Could you imagine the memorial in America if 100,000 died in one event? Think of what we did for 9/11 for 3,000.” Here, because of poverty, they just dumped in a field and covered them.

We left there and began our long, bumpy trip to Gonaives. We rode in the back of the truck, sitting on our luggage, enjoying the beautiful Haitian country side. Mountains. Farms. Broken roads. Check points. Markets. They were all on our path. The sites, sounds and smells make this ride so memorable. Where we would place multimillion dollar homes with a view, they have piecemeal shacks with rusted tin roofs not even facing the ocean. What a stark contrast of cultures between theirs and ours. The average Haitian makes in a week, less than most of us make in an hour.

Once we arrived in Gonaives, we unloaded our bags at the guest house, said hello to familiar friends who live here and headed out to Myan where we are building an orphanage. As we drove down the long dirt road and went side to side looking for a smooth surface (which didn’t exist), people cheered and waved. We weren’t just building an orphanage in this rural community, we were bringing hope. The well that was completed yesterday will keep this community from having to walk six miles with a 5 gallon bucket to fetch clean water. The gardens we will plant will supply nutritious food. The orphans will hear about Jesus and change the spiritual landscape of this community. What we are building with concrete and mortar is creating hope.

As we exited the truck, kids came running out of no where. Dirty, half naked and smiling they came and held our hands. They walked us up Prayer Mountain and listened as we shared the vision of this property with our team. They sat in our laps as we prayed over them, their community and the future possibilities of this orphanage. When we finished, the kids sang “This is the Day That The Lord Has Made” in their native Creole. They were singing a song about a God they had never known before we arrived last year.

When they finished singing, the kids instinctively grabbed us by our hands and led us to the orphanage. There were chains of 5 or 6 people long as we made our way down the hill and through the gates. The men at the site worked until there was no more daylight. We checked the well to see how deep the water was and to get a sample. We toured the unfinished buildings and made a plan for how we could help. We told them to come back on Thursday for medical treatment and check ups. We danced and played with the kids before we had to leave. We arrived back at our house in time for a typical Haitian meal, had a church service on our balcony and went to bed. Our hearts are full and the work is just beginning.

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November 11, 2013 · 5:21 AM

Expectations

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I used to have a friend who was an Army Ranger. He was proud of the fact that in any war they were “the first in and last out.” They would go in when there was no back up and then provide back up for those who would come in after them. They were on the front lines. The ones who would go where no one else would when no one else would go. I loved hearing his stories. They fascinated me. I then realized that as Christians we have the same call as Rangers. We are called to be on the front lines in this world. We are the ones who should be the standard bearers leading the way to God.

This week, I’m getting the opportunity to be on the front lines in Haiti. We’ve got a team here who has come with the purpose of defending the orphan according to Isaiah 1:17. Last night, after a very long day of travel, we met on the balcony of the guest house in Port au Prince and discussed what our expectations of this trip were. One by one, each person shared why they came and what they hoped God would do. For some, they were following a dream that God had placed in them since they were children, others had been trying to come and this was the first open door, some had come hoping for direction and others had no expectations and were open to what God wanted to do.

There’s something about sitting around a circle with other believers from all walks of life and sharing what you expect God to do. Each of us have some expectations of God, but we rarely put them into words. We expect God for healing, protection and to be our provider. We expect Him to be there when we call out in prayer or fall down and need help. But what do we expect Him to do today? Where do you expect Him to show up in your 8-5 day and make a difference? Where do you expect Him to use you? Are you giving Him the opportunity to use you to accomplish His expectations?

This is now my second trip to Haiti. I know what to expect from the trip and know there will be unexpected things. I know how a God can move here and at home. My expectations are different this time around because I’ve been here. They’re more focused now. Each time I come back I know that my expectations will continue to be more concentrated and focused. I don’t know what to expect when I get back to the States though. Each time I leave the country for missions, I leave a piece of my heart behind and return with a bigger heart somehow. My life changes every time I follow the Great Commission to go.

It’s out here on the frontline where I feel most at home. It’s where I feel and experience God in a way like no other. It’s where I not only have expectations of God, but He reveals His expectations of me. I wonder how much of His expectations of me I miss in the U.S. because I fail to have expectations of Him. What if I lived my life full of expectation of God in my every day life? How would things change? How much more could God use me? How much more often would He meet me? How much more real would He be in my day to day life? How would my country change? It all starts with a simple daily expectation of God. Take time each day to let God know your expectations of Him and I’m sure He’ll let you know His expectations of you. I promise you it will be life changing.

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October 23, 2013 · 7:30 AM

Live Simply. Give Generously.

At the ReWrite Conference I attended this past weekend, Crystal Paine from Money Saving Mom blog spoke. She shared lots of great insight into writing and growing an audience. While I took notes on all of it, one thing she said resonated with me and I’d put on a plaque if I could. She said, “Live simply so you can give generously.” Those words weren’t just a catch phrase from her either. She donated all the proceeds from her last book to build a shelter for 160 mother’s and children in the Dominican Republic.

It’s crazy how all the little things we spend money on add up each week, month and year. I think about a convenience store run I made this week for junk food. I walked out with a bag full of goodies and spent $12. Imagine if I did that once a week. That would be $48 a month or $624 a year. I could feed an orphan in Haiti 2 meals a day for almost two years with just what I spent on junk food in one year. What I spend on junk food in a week could feed that child something nutritious for almost two weeks.

I’m not living simply, I’m simply living. There are so many other ways to look at this. What about the time I spend in front of the TV or on a device playing games? I easily spend an hour a day doing that. What if I spent that hour investing in someone else’s life who needs a mentor? What kind of difference would that make in both of our lives? What if I spent it at the nursing home being a friend to the elderly who’s family rarely comes to see them? I wonder how our quality of life would improve. What if I volunteered as a Big Bother for a kid who needs guidance? If I was able to change the trajectory of one life, it would be worth it.

When I think of that phrase, I imagine so many possibilities. So many ways I could give generously. Then reality sets in. I don’t want to give up my Kit Kat and Coke. I love playing Minion Rush to give my mind a break. When the need for helping an orphan arises, I’ll say,”I can’t this month.” When someone needs my attention, I’ll say, “I don’t have time.” When an organization looks for volunteers, I’ll say, “I’m booked. Maybe next month.” It’s easier to live in abundance than it is to live simply. It’s easier to make an excuse than an effort. An orphan goes hungry. A kid grows up without a mentor they can look up to. Other’s lives are affected, but not mine.

I don’t want to affect my own life. I’m comfortable if I don’t think about the impact I could have on someone else if I could give generously. All of a sudden living simply is too hard. I’ll console myself that I go to church, put money in the offering plate and help out minimally. I’ll tell myself that I’m a good person and everything is fine. The truth is that I have RYRS. That’s Rich Young Ruler Syndrome. I tell God that I’ve kept His commandments since I was a child. When He asks me to live simply and give generously, I walk away sad because I have lots of things I’d rather not give up.

He asked me to come follow Him and instead I’m walking back into the life I told Him I was willing to give up. When push came to shove, I couldn’t do it. An orphan went hungry. A wayward child went to jail a few years later. Someone’s grandparent died alone. I had the power. I had the choice, but I walked away because I wasn’t willing to let go of the little things keeping me from living simply and giving generously. I wonder how that conversation will go when I stand before God and He asks what I did with what He supplied. How will your conversation with God go?

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May 3, 2013 · 7:39 AM

How Many Nets Are You Casting?

Yesterday I mentioned a pastor who left the Philippines 18 years ago to work in Haiti. He’s only left Haiti a handful of times in those years to return home. In Haiti, he runs an orphanage, a school for def girls, a bakery, a bottled water facility, a feeding center for poor children, a church and more that I can’t think of right now. One of the people with us asked him, “Aren’t you wearing yourself too thin to be effective?” His response was, “I was called the be a fisher of men. The more nets I cast, the greater chance I have of catching.”

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The truth is that each of us are called to be fishers of men. We all have different streams, ponds, lakes, seas and oceans to fish in. His response is still resonating in my mind. Have I only cast one net? Worse yet, have I only cast a line instead of a net? When I think about all he is doing for the Kingdom, I think he is a less famous Mother Theresa. He is doing quiet work for the Kingdom to the least of these. He’s not seeking recognition from man. He’s seeking honor from God.

I started to compare how little I do for the Kingdom with what he does, but God stopped me. Im not to compare myself to others. I’m to compare myself to what God has specifically called me to do. If I’m to be a fisher of men in a stream instead of an ocean, I’m called to be faithful to that place. My role in the Kingdom is just as vital as that of someone who was given an ocean to fish. God is looking for obedience to that which He has called only me to do.

I can, however, adopt Pastor Gnada’s mindset in my calling. I can cast nets instead of a net. I can expand my ability to reach my territory and increase my odds of being more effective by how I approach what God has called me to do. I think that starts with a recognition that I can do more. Once that happens, I begin to look at what I’m doing currently and how I’m doing it. Are there more effective ways? What other nets can I cast? What am I doing that’s working and not working?

When we ask ourselves the hard questions, we see how our ministry and testimony can be more effective. We see growth in our lives and in our faith. Too often we ignore the hard questions and tell ourselves that we’re doing enough just so we don’t have to do more. I know because I do it. I constantly try to find ways to justify standing still in my faith and ministry. God has not called us to be stagnant. He has called us to advance. He has called us to love.

Pastor Gnada has great love for the people of Haiti. It’s what drives him to do more each day and to not be satisfied and to say he’s done enough. May each of us catch a glimpse of that kind of love for others around us so that it compels us to do more than we’re doing today. Mother Theresa said, “We can’t all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” Wherever and whatever God has called you to do, be satisfied with it and do it with great love. When you’re faithful over that, He can take you to the next level.

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May 2, 2013 · 7:32 AM

Counting the Cost

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I saw a headline yesterday from the USA Today that said the average cost to feed a family of four. I had never really paid attention to anything like that before. In March of 2013 for a family being very thrifty, the cost was $146.40. For that same family, if they were on a liberal plan, the cost would be $289.40. Those prices are for a week of food to feed four people. What I saw in Haiti was completely different.

I mentioned before that we went to a feeding center in Roboto, Gonaives, Haiti. One of our partners runs that feeding center. There are about 150 children who come there six days a week for what may be the only meal they get for the day. It’s not an extravagant meal. It’s rice with some beans on top and it’s warm. We asked Pastor Gnada how much it cost to feed those children each day. He said, “It costs about $30.” That’s $180 a week to feed 150 malnourished kids. Just barely above what a thrifty family of four pays here.

I realize that costs here are way different than there. I’m not making the argument that we should be more thrifty or we need to feel bad about the blessings God has given us. I’m thinking what if we could give a dollar a day to something like this. How many more kids could be fed? How many more could be rescued from the brink of malnutrition? The missionary that took us to this site pointed out the orange in a few kids hair. He told us that orange hair is a marker for malnutrition. He also pointed out that it was now on the tips of their hair and not at the root.

As these kids came and ate regularly, their bodies got the nutrition they needed and normal hair began to grow. Where there was once starvation for kids living in the poorest area of Gonaives, now they were not only receiving physical food, but spiritual food as well. Before the kids eat each day, the Gospel is shared with them, songs are sung with them, games are played and a prayer is given. I believe that since that center has opened, the signs of spiritual malnutrition are going away.

I was talking to a pastor friend of mine who went with us and runs a church in our inner city. I asked her what her thoughts were about the feeding center. She said, “You know, Chris, we spend so much time and effort in the church trying to get a program ‘right’ before we launch it. We disregard all the good we can do while we argue over how to make it work. This is simple and effective. The things we do don’t have to be complicated. We just need to start them and make them better as we go.” I couldn’t agree more.

What has God asked you to do? What excuses have you given to prevent starting it? While we try to get things right and to make it a success from the get go, people are starving spiritually all around us. If God said, “Do it,” then it’s time to do it. If you wait until it’s perfect and fool proof, it will never begin and you’ll miss so many opportunities. Today is the day of salvation. Begin the steps of putting into motion what God has called you to do. Don’t delay.

If you’d like to give to the organization that feeds these kids and houses the orphans we visited, you can go to www.coreluv.org/donate

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May 1, 2013 · 7:06 AM

Shoveling Through a Mountain

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I haven’t been able to get this image out of my head. What you see is the same picture, but one is a close up. That is a man shoveling through that mountain one spade full at a time. We encountered him on the road from Port au Prince to Gonaives on our second day. Ever since then I have thought about him and the work he is doing. At first I felt sorry for him. Tackling a mountain with a shovel is a huge task. He may never get through it, but that isn’t stopping him from shoveling.

Each of us face mountains in our lives. Few of us have the faith it takes to say to that mountain, “Move and be thrown into the sea.” So we sit in the valley and wait. We lack the strength or courage to go over it. So we don’t accomplish what God has for us to do. We make our home in the darkness of the valley. We forget what life in the light is. We forget what joy is. We loosen our grip on our faith and wonder where God is.

Not this man. He looked at that mountain and said, “I may not have the strength or ability to go over you, so I will go through you!” He picked up a shovel and started digging. I imagine it has taken years to get this far. For him, the first few shovels, the first week, first month and year may not have seemed like he was making progress. I’m sure all he could see was that mountain and not what he’d moved.

Recovery doesn’t come quickly. Healing is a process that can take years. There will always be scars from our past. We can choose to embrace them or we can keep them hidden. Jesus didn’t choose to hide His scars, so why do we? In fact, He encourage others like Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound on my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!” Others find hope in your scars. They find faith in your wounds.

If God has brought you through a mountain of pain, share your story to help others believe they can make it. If you’re shoveling through your mountain right now, don’t give up. You are making progress that you may not be able to see from your perspective right now. If you are camped in the darkness, looking at your mountain thinking, “I’ll never get through this,” there is hope. God’s Word is your light in that dark place. Speak scriptures out loud. Look in Psalms and read there. David went through some dark times too.

Your life is precious to God and others. Don’t let that mountain block your vision of what God has for you. He is greater than that mountain and if He is with you, what can stand against you? Certainly not that mountain! Let hope arise in your soul today. You are a child of God made for victory. You’re going to have to pick up that shovel though and start digging. It takes time and effort. You can do this. You can shovel through this mountain.

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April 30, 2013 · 8:15 AM

True and Undefiled Religion

On day four of our trip to Haiti, we got up early because we had a lot to do. We ate breakfast and split into two groups. One group would head to the market for an experience they’ll never forget and the other went to the hardware store to buy the supplies we needed. All around us were a sea of people who continuously walked by like waves coming on shore. Busses, taxis, motorcycles, trucks and cars added to the madness as they weaved in and out of the people.

Upon arriving at the orphanage, we said our hellos to the staff while the kids were in school. It wasn’t long before word got out that we were there. Kids and locals started showing up quickly. We began to work on the things that needed to get done. Not long after, it was time to go to the Roboto feeding center. We packed up and headed over knowing what we were going to, but not understanding what we were about to experience.

As the trucks drove through Gonaives, it was clear we were moving into an area that was so poverty stricken that it made the place where we were working look like a good part of town. Houses were no longer built out of concrete and mortar. These houses were built from scrap wood, tarp and tin. People stared at us as we slowly made our way through the broken roads.

When we arrived at the feeding center, the sound of children singing filled the air. You could hear the joy and anticipation in their voices. The building was simple, yet sufficient. We walked in to see around a hundred children piled on top of each other. Many were seated at a long table while others were stacked three and four deep around the table against the walls. They were excited, but patient as they waited until it was time to eat.

All of the children bowed their heads as the prayer over the food was prayed. A shout of “amen” came from the children and the food began to be distributed orderly. Plates with nothing more than beans on top of rice were handed to the kids. They quickly ate and made way for the next group of children to eat. Children with their brothers and sisters fed their siblings first even if they never got a bite. This could be the only meal most of these kids would eat that day.

We headed back to the orphanage with our hearts full. We finished building a cabinet for the kitchen, leveled a table in there too, built a stool, poured a slab of concrete in the stairwell and did various other maintenance. At the end of the day, it was time to say goodbye to these children who had captured our hearts. We gave them pillows, food, supplies and new underwear as we left. The ride back to the guest house was full of tears.

God was able to do exceeding and abundantly more than we thought we could on this trip. I’m not sure whose lives were changed more, theirs or ours. We saw God move and plant seeds on this trip. We got a taste of what God calls true religion. It’s hard to go back to religion as we knew it. This was pure and undefined religion we experienced. Anything less simply won’t do.

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