Haiti
November 2nd, I, with a team of sixteen others from my church, headed on a plane to Haiti. If you have been following any news about Haiti, you may know of the hard circumstances, the oppression, and the extreme poverty. About sixty percent of Haitians live on just $2 per day, a statistic we can not comprehend in the United States. However, despite these harsh circumstances, I see hope, joy, and peace within those we interact with who know Jesus.
When our team arrived, we were greeted warmly by the pastor of our partner at Open Door Haiti, Wiljean. He and his church embraced us at his church, and we were reminded that we are all a part of the big “C” church. We are all brothers and sisters who worship the same Father God. We are all brothers and sisters who experience redemption and restoration by the same Jesus Christ. We are all comforted and empowered by the same Holy Spirit. The resounding sound of worship in Haitian-Creole left no wonder to their passion for Christ.
The mission for our team was simply focused on making disciples. On Monday, women leaders from the Open Door Churches from all over Haiti started arriving. I saw their shyness as familiar to my own shyness when in a new environment or around new people. The desire to appear confident even though I was feeling lost was an emotion I knew they understood. We greeted them warmly, registered them for the conference, and saw the comfort level increase. We rested that evening, expectant of how God might show up over the next few days. We had no idea how big that would be.
Over the next few days, women from our team taught on God’s purpose for our lives, how to share our own story of redemption, and how to use our skills for service in our communities, all done out of a passion for Jesus. What was so moving was not so much these teachings but the vulnerability of our team in sharing their own stories of lostness, brokenness, and devastation. They were willing to share their own sorrows. What ensued was women shouting out “Alleluias” and “Amens,” stories of their own lostness to redemption, and an understanding of how much we are the same. On the final day, God moved to make space for a woman on our team to share her story of struggle with her child and their choices. This sharing provided an invitation to ask if any women were struggling with the same concerns. Three-fourths of the women came forward, and at that moment, we were all mothers praying for our children.
As you read this, I hope you know there is power in your story. It is only by sharing our story that we can truly be the hands and feet of Jesus. As we wrapped up our time with the women in Haiti, we asked them how they were impacted by our time together. We heard woman after woman share how they had been empowered to share their story and to serve in their own communities by using their own skills and talents. We heard them express with relief that they were not alone in pain, suffering, and sin. Our stories unite us across borders.
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