This update comes to us from a dear friend who just graduated college and is serving for 2 months in Haiti. It is a great reminder of living out the commands in 1 Timothy 4:12, “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity”.
“Hi friends! I can’t believe I’m writing my update for week three already! I love Haiti more each and every day!
I have had the privilege of assisting in surgeries. I was able to scrub in and first assist the surgeon for 2 cases! I am so thankful for this incredible, once in a life time experience and I am learning so much. When you live in Haiti and you have something different about you, you are considered as unworthy or as an outcast, so these surgeries are transforming lives.
I can’t believe I get to live here this summer. I have had so many opportunities to love on people and show them that they are deeply loved and cared for. I have learned that the people here just want someone to see beyond their circumstances and see them for who they are as people. It doesn’t take much to make them smile. I went down to the Gran Moun this week and painted all the ladies fingernails and toenails and they were overjoyed; they hugged me afterwards and said “Belle, belle, Mesi” (Pretty, pretty, thank you.) Kids share that same joy. I went to the nutrition center this week and I sat down on the ground with some coloring books and colored pencils. Within 10 seconds I had about 25 kids hugging me. We all sat down and colored for about an hour. They were so proud of themselves and it made me happy to see their feeling of accomplishment and pride.
Thank you for praying for my team and I. We can definitely feel your prayers. I chose the verse Galatians 2:19-20 as a theme which says, “For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” I have been able to live out this verse here. Just because it is out of my comfort zone, doesn’t mean that I’m not called to do it anyway. This is why I love this verse. It’s Christ in me; I can do things for Him even when I am afraid or uncomfortable. This has caused me to grow in my faith and in sharing the gospel with other people.
Some of the things I have seen and experienced in Haiti have broken my heart; kids begging for water, severely neglected animals, kids & adults who are so poor they don’t own any clothes. We are called to love people, not necessarily required to change the whole county of Haiti. We are called to weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice. This is where I keep my focus, to keep my eyes fixed on the people right in front of me and loving them as well as I can.”
“Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” Matthew 25:40, 45.
