I spent a few days in Haiti a week or so ago and will head back there on March 9th with a team of 10 people to work at Mission of Hope. My mind always knows that when traveling in a developing country, it is best not to get to attached to my own agenda and yet, when my agenda goes haywire, I get tilted off base. Such was my last trip. It took me a day or two to realize that God was working, even though my agenda was not falling into place. By the end of the trip, of all the tasks on my list, only one went undone and it was probably the least important.
I stayed at Children of Hope in Thomazeau and got to meet the new children who now live there and be happy for the 3 that are in the last stages of adoption. School was in session, so the children were busy most of the day. I was traveling with representatives from The Joseph School and we looked at two pieces of property. Each was so different. One piece of land was lush, fertile and nestled up in the mountains. The other was outside Thomazeau and had the look and feel of central Texas scrub land. Each had its benefits and its drawbacks. Be praying we make a good choice for the site of the school.
As I look forward to the trip in March, I am particularly excited about the team. Six of the ten are first-timers and the excitement is high. We will be going to an orphanage that has been established for many years. After the earthquake, they established a second campus further north into the mountains. It has many outreach programs into the surrounding communities. To learn more about Mission of Hope, go to http://www.mohhaiti.org/ or visit them on Facebook. What is really different on this trip is that we will be joining many other volunteers and integrating together to complete the work set before us.
Our team has so many skills that will be useful. Some can do plumbing, electrical and general construction. Others are teachers and evangelists. We will be able to each experience the work in Haiti within the context of our own skills and be open to having God use us in ways we cannot imagine.
The thrill and fear of the unknown always seem to run parallel for me. I have fear, but at the same time I am excited about the opportunity to serve and the adventure of reaching out to others in the name of Jesus.
So, look for more entries in the next few weeks to see how God works in our lives and in Haiti during the March trip.
