The Burden He Lifted

7/28/10

The first morning in Haiti wasn’t quite as late coming as my tired body had hoped. We rose at 5:30 sharp and were off to Greneir Mountain by 6. The sun was already up and the many roosters crowing loudly. Thankfully the heat had not come.. yet. We packed up all our bags and loaded them onto one truck. This was the start of an incredible experience. In order for us to all fit on the truck, I perched on top right above the cab with Jacob, and everyone else piled into the back tightly. My dad and Kesnel even had to hold onto the sides and stand on the bumper. Now balancing was not the only issue; these things that Haitians call roads are far from paved. They’re more like cliffs of rock that you might be brave enough to ride a 4-wheeler down! I feared for my life and the uprightness of our truck more than a few times. But we all made it safely to the riverbed at the base of the mountain where the hike began. Now came the journey up. It’s not called a mountain for nothing. Strapped with my backpack and guitar, I started the very steep upward climb, yes, climb. The trail was made of mostly gravelish rock, and because of this it zig-zagged in order to be able to walk up at all. The heat of the day had struck and we were all dripping with sweat, pleading for the top to come, and staring in wonder as Haitian children carried our nearly 50 pound bags on their heads up the mountain that we could barely get ourselves up. This was when I received a very vivid picture of the burden of sin that I carried before my Savior removed it for me. It weighed me down so much and tired me out so quickly that all I wished for was for it to be gone. Climbing in such a sinful nation with that burden, it reminded me of how absolutely thankful I am that I am no longer stumbling through life with such a cumbersome weight. It hit me that I need to not only spread the Gospel, but let it affect my own life every day as well. God is so good, and I can’t say that enough. Once we made it to the top we scoped out where our clinic and camp would be set up. We had a breakfast of scrambled eggs and bread along with multiple bottles of water! Then the work began. We unloaded bags of medicine, pitched tents, cleared rocks, set up tarps, constructed our bathroom/shower house, and soon camp started to appear. Every time I looked up I caught my breath. The view here is absolutely incredible. Lots of the Haitian children especially were around to smile at us and help with the set-up. Sometimes it’s so hard because the kids will come up to me and start talking, but I can’t understand a single word. It’s heartbreaking. The whole day was filled with tasks of preparation; LOTS of sorting and portioning pills and vitamins for the medical clinic. But some of the school children helped out, and that was so fun. They would count in French with us as we divided bottles of vitamins into baggies. I am so excited to give out all the medication that we prepared today. It blows my mind how much we have, and yet it still breaks my heart that this is all we have to give… a month’s supply of simple medicine. The atmosphere here is so warm. The people are so very willing to help us and do all that they can to go out of their way to make us comfortable. It’s amazing how loving they are to people that they don’t know anything about. My deepest desire is that we can come close to loving them as much in return. During the down time we just hung out, talked, relaxed, gazed over Haiti from our mountain home, and just enjoyed being with the people. God once again proved his goodness by blessing us with the most perfect weather imaginable. It was overcast all day keeping the heat at a minimum, and it only rained once, but it was brief enough to keep our stuff dry. The whole day was just amazing and far exceeding any and all expectations. Our dinner was of course rice and beans along with French fries (I KNOW) and fried bananas. Proving once again how much these women care for us, they cut and cooked it all by hand, even sifting the rice for bugs (which did not happen at Lance’s house). It was delicious. The evening was very relaxing. I read my Bible on the side of the mountain with a view I wish you could see. I felt like I could see all of Haiti from where I sat.. plus God was right there with me telling me how much he loves these people. It was amazing to say the least. Showers were available from a 5 gallon bucket of water, which was extremely pleasant after sweating all day. Then just standing there watching the gorgeous sun sink behind the mountains to the west was another breathtaking moment. The weather quickly cooled off and even turned chilly as the night came. We had another passion filled worship session together that once again drew our hearts to the reason we’re all here, our Almighty God. Now I’m sitting under the amazingly beautiful stars writing in my journal. It is truly amazing, the hillside lit up, the millions of stars, and the knowledge of our great God. Wow. Remember that our God reigns!!

In the Midst of Chaos

7/27/10

As I set foot in the Port Au Prince airport it felt like I was slapped in the face by all of my senses at once. There was so much to take in coming at me from all sides. We were so blessed to have a connection because the immigration line was so long it’s indescribable, over three times as long as the security line in Chicago. But when we walked off the bus that crammed us all over to the make-shift airport (the original building was destroyed by the earthquake), we were met with Miami, one of the Roos’s friends who works there. Tired from flying and taking in all the chaos, I walked in a daze as we bypassed the long line and were at the baggage claim in 15 minutes or so. But the baggage claim was when the fun began. All 26 of our bags made it safely (PTL) and were loaded onto 6 carts. Pushing these carts empty was a challenge, let alone the fact that the ground was so uneven the carts got stuck and all the bags would fall off. On top of that people swarmed to help, of course demanding tip. So while constantly saying “no mesi” and even physically slapping arms away, I struggled to follow our people to a rough looking truck and a small battered van. Our bags piled up so high on the truck that I was sure it would topple even with the four guys holding them in place by sitting on them of course. Then all the rest of us plus some (17 total) crammed into a roughly 9-passenger van. All of course in over 100 degree weather and holding all of our carry-on luggage in our laps or wherever we could stuff it. The 15 mile trek took us over 3 hours because of a lost driver and unexplainable traffic. The entire ride was filled with emotions I only wish I could express. I could see trash and poverty stricken tent cities; I could smell the rank garbage and sewer water running through the streets as well as endless pouring sweat; I could hear the voices of many children clinging to the side of our moving van saying “one dollar one dollar”; I could feel the bumps in the torn up roads left a wreck by the earthquake; I could taste the density of the air in the heat… I was very far from home. It was unbelievable the sights along the road, and yet it was not all tragic. Many of these people were finding a new home and living happily. A few times the sights and people drew a smile. Such as when two girls hauled a bucket of water between themselves laughing the whole way. And even in the crowded van and stopped traffic, I was able to pull out my guitar and lead the hot, tired, cramped team in praise to God, who had sent us and gotten us safely thus far. Was that amazing.. Eventually we made it safely to the house where we were staying. Relaxation at last! We said hello to the Roos family and separated our bags that we needed for the night from those going up the mountain, then set up our make-shift sleeping area and chilled for a bit. Dinner was served and we had another time of worship. I am endlessly amazed at how awesome God is even in crazy situations like today. He showed himself faithful to us, and we praised his name. There’s no better way to end the day!

From Farewell to Fyling

A log of my Haiti trip for those who want to hear.

7/27/10

Day one began very early. Shortened sleep and rapid last-minute essentials thrown into our bags left us saying goodbye to our air conditioned house, running water, soft beds and electricity, and placing us in the midst of loving brothers and sisters in Christ to send us off at the prime time of 4:30 am. Despite the stress and nerves everyone had a smile accompanying their large bags. Standing in the moonlight it was almost surreal to be reminded of the fast approaching reality that we were soon to be very far from home in a whole new culture. After a very encouraging time of powerful prayer and an excited yet somber goodbye, all 13 team members and 26+ bags of gear packed into a truck and van to head out. This was it. The time had come; we were going to Haiti. The drive was no surprise, typical Chicago traffic and sights, and arriving on the curb of the packed airport we were greatly blessed already. A willing attendant took all of our passports at once and checked all of our bags. No hassle, no line, just God making our trip smooth. Of course we then enter the favored part of traveling - security. The line seemed especially long, but with the entertainment of each other it passed surprisingly quickly. Once through the gate we had but a short two hours until our flight to Miami. A convenient McDonald's breakfast and game of Euchre passed the time wonderfully. But now as I sit here staring out at the sky, I remember exactly where I'm going. Wow. How is it that I was chosen by God for this task? A wretched sinner being sent overseas on behalf of the Ruler of the universe. How privileged am I to say that I have the power of the Mighty God behind everything I say. An overwhelming humbling peace washes over me every time I think about the duty that I have been given. My nerves and fears remind me that I need a Savior, but the thought of the Haitian people pumps me up to the point that I can't help shouting about it from the top of Grenier Mountain!! The power of the cross fills my veins, and a smile erupts on my face at the thought of a holy God placing his words in my mouth and love in my heart. May I be strong enough to step aside and allow his power to do work in me. Honestly, I don't know all what to expect. It's monsoon season, the mosquitoes are bad, disease is all over, and the language is different. These are merely surface issues that will form this week into nothing I've ever experienced before. My mind races and I get goosebumps any time I think about all this week will hold. But with prayer behind us and God leading the way, I say bring it on!