Don't Forget About Haiti
It's been a week since I came back to the U.S. after a week of Haitian life. I think that one week MAY be enough time to really process everything that happened during my trip.
I think that at the beginning, I was a little bit selfish about the trip itself. It has been a goal of mine since I was in 8th grade to go on a mission trip that was out of the country. There had been several years where this ALMOST took place, but this was my first real chance to make it happen.
But even then I had it all wrong. I fully expected to go down there and make a pitiful "attempt" at sharing the gospel with the orphans that we interacted with. But that wasn't our job. It took almost half of the trip for me to realize that our job was to LOVE them and interact with them in that way.
My mom and I were talking the other day about the experience of it, and how much those girls and boys made an impact on my heart. As we stepped on the first plane I immediately wanted to take the horrible 4.5 hour drive back to Les Cayes. I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE.
My heart belongs to those Haitian children now. I want to go back as soon as the time is right. I want to make a conscious effort to pray for the specific girls that I interacted with, and to make myself aware of the needs that still need to be met.I want to remember what they have when I walk up to the counter to buy my 12th pair of jeans. I want to have the self-control to put them back, and save that money for something truly important.
I don't want to forget about Haiti. After such an amazing trip, you'd think it hard to go back to normal, but I know that it's a possibility. I don't want to risk it.
Another thing that I have been thinking about since the trip is mission trip shopping. Since I had never been on a trip like this, I began to wonder how I could know that Haiti really is the right place for me. How do I actually know that I am not being called to serve somewhere other than Haiti.
Then I started to think about it. I was able to get past the fact that I didn't know the language. Actually, now I WANT to learn it. Also, when I got back, all I wanted to do was start writing a letter so that I can begin raising funds for my next trip.
At first all I could think about was how my Spanish was doing me no good in a French speaking country. But then it got easier to see how all of the girls interacted with those who are learning the language. I want to be like that. I want to be able to talk with the people, learn more, and understand them!As I move into college for my second year, even amongst the craziness, I want to keep my focus on Christ and how I can serve, whether in Haiti or in the U.S.
Later:
It's been another week since our return, and I miss it more and more every day. Yesterday I was walking down the sidewalk and encountered a few African American men. My mind was obviously in Haitian mode, because I was extremely surprised when they didn't make the kissy noises that we so often encountered while in Haiti.
Mostly, I miss Taïna. She was the girl that I interacted with the most during my time in Haiti. Even though we only had a week, I bawled when we had to say goodbye. I miss the fact that she would just climb into my lap. Or the fact that I recognized her every day. Or the fact that her picture is on my desk at school, and I have an ache inside whenever I see it. And then I start to get scared. What if I go back and she doesn't recognize me. Or what if I go back and she doesn't even like me, or she's grown up into one of the older girls who thinks it silly to sit and play with Americans. Lastly, I worry that maybe part of me only wants to go back to see Taïna again. I just want to share Christ's love with the people of Haiti.
Haiti, I promise I won't forget you, and with God's perfect timing I will be back.
Striding for him,
Melanie
Comments
Post a Comment