A Week in Haiti

I just got back from co-leading a week long trip to Haiti with the college ministry at 12Stone Church. My team consisted of 7 amazing people with God-given gifts. We focused on doing VBS at various schools, orphanages, and tent cities surrounding Port-Au-Prince. It was quite an experience. I was able to sit back and watch God move in the hearts of my teammates and in the hearts of many of the people surrounding us.

We visited 4 sites that WHI is currently working, 2 of which were new sites, 2 of which were sites I had visited on other trips (the school in Cite Soleil and the orphanage in Leogane). Before this trip, I was worried that if we went to the orphanage, Christopher wouldn't remember me. I was so wrong. On Friday morning, I hopped out of the van as we arrived at the orphanage and I started looking around for Christopher. He found me before I could find him. As I held him in my arms, I thanked God that he remembered me and that he was doing well. I was watching him as our team performed the David and Goliath skit when I realized something was wrong with Christopher. He didn't talk at all, he didn't sing, he just looked around with his eyes wide and curious.

After we were done, I went up to him and started talking to him in Creole. He never responded. At first, I thought he was deaf. I kept asking the other kids what was wrong with him and the only thing they would say was "bèbè". I kept telling them that he was 4 years old and that he was not a baby anymore. It turns out that "bèbè" does not mean "baby" like I thought. It means "mute". Christopher, the orphan who stole my heart, is unable to speak. They told me that he can hear, but he cannot understand or speak. My heart dropped to the floor. For the second time in my life, I held him in my arms wondering how in the world I could help him.

Growing up in Haiti is hard. Growing up as an orphan is harder. Growing up being an orphan in Haiti, unable to speak, is completely unfathomable. I'm thankful that the other orphans look after him instead of making fun of him. I'm thankful that I can see him once or twice a year. I'm thankful that WHI is working toward getting a child sponsorship program started at the orphanage. Maybe he'll be sponsored. Maybe, if it's possible, someone will be able to teach him to speak. 


I'm 100% positive that God felt my heart drop to the floor because when I got back to Thony's that night, there was an email from WHI in my inbox. It was an outline of all the details needed to start a sponsorship program at the orphanage in Leogane. As I read the details, I just kept thanking God for allowing me the opportunity to serve in Haiti, to serve people like Christopher. It's evident through scripture that the Lord has a big heart for orphans and I feel like God keeps drawing my heart closer to His through this one country, through this one city, through this one orphanage, through this one orphan.

He's spoken to me about so much more than just orphans, too. There are places in my heart that are becoming more aligned with His each and every day, and for that I am blessed. I am thankful. As I dive into those places, I continue to pray that God reveals more and more things that will align my heart with His.