Two weeks ago, I co-led my final trip with Adventures, a youth group trip to Haiti.
Having never been to Haiti, I was excited to see firsthand what God has been doing there since the devastating earthquake in 2010.
After 7 years of hearing the stories from my co-workers (we send more short term teams there than anywhere else), it was so cool to see firsthand how God is restoring this beautiful country.
This trip was incredible for SO MANY REASONS. Our host, John, is the primary Adventures host in Haiti. He’s had 5 teams come this year alone, and he’s hosted everyone at his house, where we got to meet his wife, Fabiola, and his daughter, Olivia. We got to see the ministry God has given him, from soccer evangelism to holding a school for children in the community.
My co-leader for the trip was Kayla, who I met in Ecuador last year. I was asked to train her to be a leader while on the trip, and we ended up becoming great friends. It was so amazing to see her again, to grow together as we led and just shared our lives. I am so thankful God allowed us to have 2 trips together!
And then there were the teams. There were 2 youth groups, one from a rural town in Wisconsin, and one from Buford, Ga, who were Nigerian. Though from different parts of the country, churches, and cultural backgrounds, these teams came together as one… as the Body of Christ. It was so incredibly beautiful to see and be a part of.
Leading trips is fun, but it’s a lot of work. This one, though, from a leader’s perspective, was easy. I had great hosts, an incredible co-leader, and amazing teams… what a gift!!!
Haiti itself was so incredibly hot. I think the last time I was that hot, I was in 127 degrees in Delhi, India, except on that trip we were inside a lot, dumping buckets of water on ourselves, and praying the electricity would come back on so that we would have working fans.
In Haiti, we were walking around in “feels like” 105+ temps, walking miles every day in steep, rocky, rough terrain, sleeping outside when it wasn’t raining, and didn’t have any fans.
And yet… no one complained. No matter what we were planning to do, no one said, “it’s too hot”. No one refused any request of them. These teams were all in—they wanted to be used by God until the very last minute!
I got to go out with the teams in ministry every day. In the mornings, we’d walk throughout the community and meet families. We were able to pray for every home we went to, and those who didn’t know God, we shared with them about Jesus. One morning, we spent 2 hours hauling water from a well to fill their water barrel. In the afternoons, we had Vacation Bible School or soccer ministry, and one evening we went to a church service.
I think my favorite moment was one night after dinner, when the team was watching a local soccer game. We were on top of a very steep, rocky hill, and suddenly, a giant storm appeared. “Deluge”, “flood”, and “monsoon” doesn’t begin to describe what it was like to stand there in the pouring rain, with lightning and thunder shaking the sky, until the game ended. I let my hair down and felt cool for the first time in a week.
Walking home was an adventure. The steep, long, dirt-rocks-and-limestone hill had literally turned into a waterfall. Finally at the bottom, we were wading the through the streets when lightning struck nearby. The guy behind me screamed while I ran towards a cinderblock wall and covered my head in case anything fell.
When we were finally home, we stood, soaked to the skin, and watched lightning like we’ve never seen before touch all corners of the sky, blinding us as it travelled to touch the Caribbean Sea. When it finally ended, a few of us noticed a pipe emptying rainwater from the roof and stood under it in our clothes… it was cold and the pressure was amazing – best shower I had in Haiti.
I’ll never forget that night and the power and majesty of God displayed in His creation like I’ve never seen before. It reminded me of those epic days in the Amazon, some of my favorite memories from the field. What an incredible gift!
As a final trip, I couldn’t have asked for a better one (or a more beautiful place to go on the off day – picture above!). I am so thankful! Thank you to everyone for praying! I couldn’t have done without knowing all of you were behind us, praying and supporting us. Thank you!!!!
Now, I am back in Georgia. I’ll write more in a few weeks. For now, I’m finishing my time with Adventures. My last day on payroll is August 15, although my last day in the office was on August 2. I’ve been working from home ever since.
It’s bittersweet, and definitely surreal. I have a lot to process as I transition, and even more to thankful for. SO MUCH to be thankful for. My focus right now is ending well and to spend a bit of time resting… including a beach vacation with my Mama at the end of August!
I will definitely be in touch, and will probably start a new blog sometime soon. More about that will come later—when I actually do it! I did send out prayer letters last week, so if you didn’t receive one and would like to, please let me know!
As far as support, today was the last day to give to Adventures in my name.
If you send an automatic donation and wish to give towards my support at OM, you will need to log into your account at Adventures and cancel the donation.
Online donations can be given at www.omusa.org/give. If you type in my name, it pops up.
If you would like to give by check, you can send it to:
Operation Mobilization
P.O. Box 444
Tyrone, GA 30290
*Please put my name in the memo! OM asks that anyone giving by check include a note stating whether it is for a monthly gift or a special gift. This is so they know how to calculate it towards the monthly support commitments. Online gifts will automatically ask that question.
I will need to raise approximately $2300/month + $5600 start up expenses, and will need to have enough funds raised + proof of monthly commitments to cover the cost of 2 years (and start up costs) by December 4, 2017.
Thank you all for everything! I am so excited about this next adventure with you!
