Day 9-I am flying away from Haiti

I am flying away from Haiti looking down upon the island from a birds eye view knowing that God loves these people more than any of us do. I have fallen in love. In love with a people that are just exactly like me & you. Oh, their circumstances are different, their language, customs, color... all different. Their needs, desires, hopes, dreams... all the same. Haiti has experienced many, many challenges over the centuries. From the beginning people were brought to Haiti on slave ships, stolen from their families, mother land and way of life and were brutalized for the gain of others.  Slavery keeps people in a state of dependence, even though they work their entire life they have nothing of their own and they depend on others to give them their basic needs. Slaves develop an entitlement mentality because they are stripped of everything, including their dignity. I believe that pain still remains in Haiti. Trouble has visited Haiti over and over. In our recent history AIDS/HIV plagued Haiti. Hurricanes. Corruption and greed stripped the land and the people of their God-given riches of natural resources. Then in January 2010 a massive 7.0 earthquake shook her to the core. The poorest nation in the western hemisphere. How can you be the poorest nation in the western hemisphere already and then have your most prosperous city fall to the ground, killing thousands, causing millions to be homeless? We have a saying, “There is no where to go but up!” Not for Haiti. They went even deeper into depression, hopelessness, poverty... need. 

There is a dichotomy in the culture of Haiti that is present in all societies: those that will and those that won’t. Through all of the challenges there are people in Haiti that are thriving. There are those that aren’t. As we traveled, like tourists, past the rubble of a Catholic church that had collapsed there was a group of people that greeted us. Very poor, apparently injured in the quake. Because we had been given strict instructions to not give them money we obediently apologized and said no. When we said no, they followed us, badgered us & continued to beg. We were warned of this yet it was hard to walk away. (Silent prayer). When we got into our vehicle a man became angry with us and began to threaten to throw rocks at our windows. Oh, I see, when we might give you something your are needy but when we don’t give you something you curse us and plan to do us harm. He didn’t throw rocks. I do want to say that our interpreter’s were our voices, our body guards, our hero’s. They got out and addressed the man on our behalf. At the Catholic Church and at The Palace (their seat of government, like our White House) we took photos, we moaned with disbelief that buildings could just crumble like that, we bought souvenirs. So many of our tender hearted team felt we were exploiting the beggar’s by staring, taking photo’s and just being in that spot as looky-lou’s. I listened to their perspective and how they struggled. I asked the Lord for a perspective so I could feel what they were feeling. I did. I could relate with their feelings. I felt bad that we were coming across that way. We were staring. We were gawking. But this I know, I was not there to just observe like a tourist. I was there to serve those very people, their pain, difficulties, diseases & sorrow. And, I was there on behalf of God, the Creator, who sees them in this place and hears their cries. He knows. I asked the Lord for help in the emotion. Then a bit later I heard another perspective in my spirit. There are many, many, many Haitians that are pulling themselves up out of the rubble. There are thousands of people from around the world flocking to Haiti to help. The world has poured money into the situation. Yet there are enormous mountains yet to overcome. The thought that settled in me was that these people that had swamped us to beg and became angry at us for not giving money to them were just that, beggar’s. They were the ones that were exploiting the situation. That’s when I was able to separate the two groups: those that will and those that won’t. People of Haiti are climbing out of the place they find themselves in through no choice of their own. There are still those that never will because of their entitlement mentality, beggar’s that swarm people expecting, no demanding, handouts. You know them too because they stand on the offramp of the freeway in your city and you know those that take welfare for life with no intension of helping themselves. Those that won’t. The Haitians we met and partnered with are those that will. They have been serving Haiti for 36 years and will continue.  They have spent their lives loving, serving and sharing Christ with their countrymen. I am so proud to be able to call Haitian Christian Mission founders, Etienne and Betty Prophete, their children and staff, my new friends. I have felt their compassion for Haiti. It was passed on to me by the Holy Spirit. Now, as I fly away, I know Haiti is in Good Hands, God’s Hands. There is a lot of growth ahead and with that comes growing pains. Let me say it with God’s word:

     Romans 5:3-5 (Amplified) " ... let us exult and triumph in our troubles and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that pressure and affliction and hardship produce patient and unswerving endurance. And endurance (fortitude) develops maturity of character (approved faith and tried integrity). And character (of this sort) produces (the habit of) joyful and confident hope of eternal salvation. Such hope never disappoints or deludes or shames us, for God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us."

The people of Haiti have suffered much and many are embracing these difficulties with God’s grace applied to the situations. When a person does that they acquire something called perseverance... guts! Stick-to-itiveness! When you hold on to God through it all you come out with change... first, in your own character becoming Christ like and second, change in the circumstances because of your hands to the plow attitude, get ‘er done approach. When God can work that in a person/people they have a confidence, an assurance, a hope. They know that they know it will be OK because of the love of God that was poured out in their hearts through the Holy Spirit. 

I just got to be part of that process; in me and through me, it doesn’t get better than that!!

Remember: donations are still being accepted for ‘in country’ donations and the cost of the trip.

For a tax deductible donation make checks payable to:

NWAPC

c/o Connie Jo Freeman

5150 N St.

Washougal, WA 98671