“Nathanael
said to him, ‘Can anything good come out of Nazareth?’ Philip said to him, ‘Come
and see.’” John 1:46 (ESV)
My daughter, Gabby, and I recently traveled to
Port-au-Prince, Haiti to serve the children at Maison des Enfants de Dieu orphanage with TEEMHaiti. Although traveling overseas
to go on mission had been a desire of mine for many years, I must admit, I did
not immediately jump at the chance to go when my daughter initially made the
request. To be honest, there are two things you should know about me: first, I
am a “safety girl.” I am not a risk-taker, and at the time of consideration,
the United States travel warning was at the maximum warning level of “Do Not
Travel” for the country of Haiti. This was a huge concern for me, especially
taking my teenage daughter. My thoughts continually fluctuated between, “Am I
acting in wisdom by not going?” or “Am I simply allowing fear to control my
decision?” Secondly, I HATE to fly, and I certainly don’t like flying over
water! However, once we received my husband’s blessing to go, I knew the Lord
was stirring our hearts, and He had called us on mission. To confirm our
calling, the Lord blessed us with mission scholarships through our local church
which paid for our airfare in its entirety, and friends and family answered our
mission letter requesting funds for the trip, and every dollar was provided. In actuality,
the trip cost me $140 which paid for luggage filled with supplies for the
orphans, but little did I know as I stepped on the plane, it would also cost me
my heart.
As our plane made its descent into Port-au-Prince, I was initially
struck by the astounding difference a 2.5 hour flight across the ocean from
Florida to Haiti revealed the stark reality of American affluence to Haitian
poverty. My first glimpse of Haiti initiated a well-spring of compassion and revealed
the truth of my riches. I don’t often think of my middle-class life in America as
“rich,” but as my eyes were quick to look around in an attempt to capture
everything from the landscape, the houses, and the people, the truth of Isaiah
3:14 (ESV) whispered in my spirit, “…the spoil of the poor is in your houses.” That would not be the last time I sensed that
Scripture in my spirit during the trip.
After making the drive from the airport to the guest
house and quickly dropping our things off in our respective rooms, we piled
into the van which would take us the short drive to Maison orphanage. Little
did I know as we pulled through the large, metal sliding gate, a piece of my
heart would be forever captured and irreversibly changed. As we stepped out of
the van, beautiful, giggling children were there to greet us and to vie for our
attention. Before I knew it, my hand was grasped by a little girl, and I was welcomed
into a sea of smiling, sweet faces. As I settled onto the floor with several laughing
children in my lap, my attention was drawn to a cute, slightly older boy
wearing a gray hat with cat-type ears who revealed delightful dimples when he
smiled although he appeared quite shy. I was struck by the fact he was wearing
a hat amidst the Haitian heat, but I was captured by his shy smile. Over the
days that followed, I felt drawn to this young boy of only 11 years, and I was
impressed by his knowledge of the English language, his ability to read, and
his lovable and caring spirit. My sleep throughout the trip was restless as I prayed, cried, and begged
the Lord to show me how I could help this particular young boy.
On my third morning in Haiti, during a conversation with one of
our other team members, the Lord whispered in my spirit, “You must fight for him
and for all of the children,” and He impressed Exodus 14:14 on my heart which
says, “The LORD will fight for you, you have only to be silent.” I quickly
wrote this word into my journal and spoke of it to no one. Later that evening, as we were traveling through town, a woman on our team asked, “What
does Exodus 14:14 say?” She had seen the Scripture written on a man’s
possessions, and although I did not happen to see the Scripture, I knew it was
God confirming what he had spoken to me earlier that morning.
On Sunday morning, our final day in Haiti, I was
sitting on the balcony of the guest house enjoying the breeze and praying. I
wrote in my prayer journal, “Lord, please stir the hearts of your people, the
church, to come and see and to join the fight.” Just a few hours later, Dr. Brian
Guenther preached the message the Lord had placed on his heart at church and a
portion of his Scripture came from John 1:46 which asks the question, “Can
anything good come from Nazareth? Come and see.” These words, come and see, have been whirling through
my heart as a call to the church. Come and see what the Lord is doing in Haiti.
Come and see the children in the orphanage and fulfill James 1:27. Come and see
how the Lord desires to use you to be his hands and feet among the destitute.
Come and see how he desires for you to “defend the rights of the poor and needy”
(Proverbs 31:9). Come and see how your riches can be used in service for those
less fortunate. Come and see a people who passionately love Jesus.
I do not have all the answers to where God is leading me
and my family in the fight for this young boy. I do know the Lord has directed
a few first steps which I am attempting to walk by faith and obedience. I came
across a quote by missionary, Hudson Taylor, which inspires hope: “I have found
that there are three stages in every great work of God; first, it is
impossible, then it is difficult, then it is done." I believe God is
moving in Haiti, and I believe he stirred my spirit to be part of the ongoing
battle for these lives of these children. The words of Pastor David Platt speak
passionately and truthfully in saying, “We learned that orphans are easier to
ignore before you know their names. They are easier to ignore before you see
their faces. It is easier to pretend they’re not real before you hold them in
your arms. But once you do, everything changes.”
