Posts
I could have told you when Jim May and I first began to plan this CHC mission trip to Haiti that Thursday would be the most bittersweet day. It would be the day that we would sum up -- to the extent that we were able -- what God had taught us and worked in us during the previous week; that's always one of my favorite parts of a mission trip. The last team meeting on the roof of the current House of Abraham home was sweet. Fenel's words of encouragement and gratitude to us (which included dubbing us Team Determination) were sweet. We would see our families and loved ones the following day; that was a sweet thought.
When we returned to the house from our beach excursion, it was time for a little more time with the kids and a lot of good-byes. We were to leave at 3:00 the following morning to try to assure that we arrived at the airport on time (We had experienced what Port au Prince traffic can be like the previous Friday when we arrived, so we were taking no chances.) So the good-byes began.
For me, my good-byes came through a T-shirt I had bought that says, "Jacmel: Mwen Fou Pou Ou." That means "Jacmel, I'm crazy for you." When the team returned to the house, the kids wanted to see what I had bought. I looked at one of the boys, called him by name, and said, "Mwen fou pou ou." And that's how I said good-bye to each of them and how they said good-bye to me.
The good-byes continued throughout the night. Many individual farewells took place before the formal good-byes, when we had a chance to speak to the kids through Fenel. He also interpreted the kids' words to us. We went upstairs to the team area to finish packing and get ready for the early wake-up call, only to have the kids call us down later to come in there rooms for one more round of hugs and good-byes.
The good-byes were bittersweet. For me, I had been before and, Lord willing, I will go again. For me, it was more "until next time" than good-bye. Still, there was work on the new home that was still far from done. There were kids who didn't want to go to sleep, knowing we would be gone the next morning; that was bittersweet. There were the discipleship programs that Fenel and Jean Jean lead that we didn't get to experience on this trip. There was just so much that we were seemingly leaving undone or un-experienced.
The heat was worse on Thursday night than any other night of the trip, so sleep was hard to come by. Then, some of us were awakened around midnight by a rah-rah on the street right outside the home. And, of course, we were awakened again at 2:30 to gather our things and head to the airport. We encountered one other rah-rah on the way to the airport but had no long delays. It took 22 minutes to cover the mileage that took us four hours to get through the previous Friday. And then, just like that, we were home.
 |
| The kids gathered around "Papa Fefe." |
 |
| Hangin' with the boys (plus one). |
 |
| Robbie with Lucien and David (Bubba). Must be after 6:00; Bubba's sleepy. |
 |
| Jodie enjoying some Bubba time. |
 |
| One last game of soccer. |
 |
| Jim and Jean Jean |
 |
| The formal good-byes. |
 |
| The last sunset we would enjoy from the current House of Abraham home. Next trip, new home! |
Relationships
Colonial Hills Church has long been a relational church, for better or for worse -- and we've seen plenty of both. The way we do missions is no different; it is relational. Why did we go to Haiti in the first place? Relationships, specifically with Dusty Cooper and IsleGo Missions (whom we partnered with through -- you got it -- relationships). So we'll be back in Jacmel at the House of Abraham. If not the specific people from this team (or the one before that or the one before that or the one before that), then others in our body will go. And so will our brothers and sisters from Illinois and Florida and New Jersey and North Carolina, and so on. And the work that God is doing in Haiti through Fenel Bruna and the House of Abraham will be accomplished.
None of us can point to the completed house here in a few months and claim more that a part of the foundation or the roof, a painted room or two, some blocks on the wall. But we can all point to the God who brought us to Haiti at one time or another to accomplish works bigger than ourselves. Not just in building a house but in encouraging and strengthening the next generation of leaders in Haiti to be young men and women of integrity who seek to glorify God in how they live their lives and serve others.
 |
| Mimi & Fenel Bruna |
 |
| Haiti 2013 Team Determination: Jodie, Jim, Robbie, Ethan, Heather, Dusty, Josh, Al, Fenel, Gary |
So that's our mission trip to Jacmel, Haiti, and the House of Abraham. I hope that you have enjoyed the posts and that you have been challenged to get involved. At last report, the new house is still about $10,000-$12,000 away from being fully funded. The current lease runs out in May (and that was after a much-prayed-for extension), so time is running short. You can click here to help.
Sponsor one of the House of Abraham kids here.
Does child sponsorship really make a difference? In a word, yes! Check out this article.
A look back at previous day's posts:
Day 1: The Team's Unexpected Challenge
Day 2: Boaz, Super Ninja. Who Knew?
Day 3: Accomplishment! (and the Return of Josh's Man Card)
Day 4: A Hurtling Batter, Barbie, & Team Determination
Day 5: Puddles, Suncatchers, & Ethan Befriends a Goat
Day 6, Part 1: Pillowcases Without Pillow, a Sliced Arm, & Lobster
Thanks for reading. I hope to have a video slideshow of our trip ready for the blog tomorrow.
4theVoiceless,
Al
No comments:
Post a Comment