Waking up this morning at 4:00 am to a man yelling into a microphone wasn’t how I expected to wake up, but even though it wasn’t what I had planned I was woken up with joy because I knew that today would be a huge day in this journey. Our last day at the Mole, our last chance this week to pour out to the community, the kids and show them the Lords love.
Breakfast was the jumpstart to our day, our chance to refuel our emotionally drained bodies from yesterday. Today was my group’s day to go evangelize, we went to a small fishing village that was a 40 minute truck drive. Driving to the village I knew that it wouldn’t be the same life style as at the Mole because the road to the village..well lets just say there wasn’t a road except to run over rocks and cacti that held us back from arriving at our destination. Pulling into the small village that was made up of maybe 15 huts was a sight that broke all of us instantly. Seeing with our own eyes that people really do live under palm branches and twigs wasn’t easy for our eyes and our mind to process. Just seeing this village, without talking to any of the people living there was enough for us. Kids running around naked, not because they want to but because they had no resources for clothes and shoes is something none of us ever see in America. Talking to the community there is still something that will take time for me to process, because every person I had a chance to talk to didn’t have a religion much less even believe there was a God. Prayer for that community is needed, for shelter, food, water and that the love of God will fill their souls.
Our next big task today was at the Youth Conference. Having the chance to speak to the youth at the Mole about sexual purity was a once in a lifetime chance. Being in a town where sex is okay before marriage, and where the kids here know way too much before the age of 8, I knew it would be extremely tough to explain that sex isn’t okay before marriage. The youth was willing to listen and showed interest in what was being said. In order for the youth to be more open with us we broke up into separate groups girls together and guys together, in totally opposite sides of town. This gave an open door to all of the youth to feel comfortable about the topic and want to ask questions. Many of the questions they asked, I personally could relate to from my past experiences and I was broken today myself just to know that even in Haiti they struggle with the same exact struggles. Not only was today amazing for the youth but it was an amazing lesson for me and reminded of my sins. My wound was reopened today and I was reminded that I am worthy of the Lords love and that no matter what I can ask for forgiveness. We all need a reminder that we are beautiful in Gods eyes and we are worthy of his love and forgiveness. I cannot speak for the men in our mission trip but I saw how broken they were when they all walked back into the room, I could see in their faces that they got across to the Mole youth.
Today wasn’t an easy day in any task that we had, from riding in the back of a truck to talking to men and women that live in huts and coming back to the Mole to talk to a bunch of youth who would rather be playing outside with a soccer ball. I am so thankful that I was able to come on this mission trip with such a great group of college students, who have a strong faith and who have a heart to reach out to others in a third world country. Knowing that ill be going back to America tomorrow isn’t going to be easy, this journey and all these lessons will be stuck with me for forever. I want to take back with me a part of Haiti, the Haitian life style and the Haitian heart. I am blessed to live a life style that I do in America, but I am more blessed to have had the chance to experience Haiti and the smiles on the outside but the broken hearts on the inside.
(We will try and post pictures tomorrow morning. – Mole Staff)