mission:HAITI

note from daniel: we are in “mission trip” mode right now and all our interns have, are, or will be experiencing ministry in a cross-cultural context. Three of our interns recently returned from Haiti. Here is a highlight of that trip. Written by Mary Catherine.

Once arriving in Haiti, we stayed at New Life Children’s Home for two nights.  It was located right in Port-au Prince.   This is an orphanage; however I was surprised to learn that many of the beautiful children staying there still had two parents.  Their families couldn’t afford to feed them and send them to school.  Staying at the orphanage was definitely a highlight for me, as it was for many others.  The kids were adorable – words can’t explain.  They all had so much love and joy, even when they had so little when it came to material things.  I couldn’t help but feel guilty staying in the guesthouse.  Even thought it was complete with ants and cockroaches, it was a mansion compared to the dorms the kids lived in.  During our stay, we painted some dorms and a bathroom, but the majority of our time was spent holding the hands of a child in a wheelchair, comforting a crying baby, playing some intense soccer (and getting badly beat), or pushing a little boy or girl on the swings.

On Wednesday our group had some once in a lifetime experiences.  While at a museum, we ran into a man named Jonas.  He knew our leaders, Phil and Chad Snyder.  He told us his testimony about how both his father and grandfather were witch doctors.  Jonas was “next in line,” however he became sponsored to go to a Christian school and became a follower of the Lord.  He took us to his house, way in the “backwoods” of Haiti.  Many kids stated running towards us, jumping on us and fighting to hold our hands.  As we walked down a hill, we went inside a house here a baby had just been born.  The umbilical cord was still attached!  After many pictures of the newborn, we moved on to a church, where there was loud singing and dancing.  Some people then began speaking in tongues.  I had never seen anything like it before.  After our excursion to this little village, we learned that most of those kids had more than likely never seen a white person before.

Thursday was my favorite day.  We went on a three hour trip up a stone road to the mountains.  We arrived at a town called Fom Batise.  GLOW (the organization we went to Haiti with) has a school there.  Phil Snyder (one of our leaders) told us that before GLOW came, most all of the children had red hair and brain damage from being malnourished.  Now, after a feeding program and a school, the town is improving, as well as the health of these beautiful children.  This was a humbling experience for me, as it showed me that the money we donate and put in the offering bucket at church goes such a long way, and helps so many people.  Giving can at times be a hard thing for me, as I’m sure it is for many others.  However after seeing the impact it has had over Fom Batise, it makes it easier for me to want to give.

All in all, Haiti was an amazing experience.  I can’t wait to go back!