Rooted- Day 1

We have come to a close of day one here in The Mole. Today was used as a rest day to recover from our journey here, so it was nice getting to nap at the base and swim in the crystal clear ocean. God has been so incredible on providing safe passage and pleasant weather during our trip out. The ride on “Patrick the bus” would be described as: a roller coaster with 10 of your best friends, for 11 hours, with a random dance off with some locals, and being airborne every 7 bumps.

The culture here is shocking. The Mole is a small village on the northern coast of Haiti, with a population the size of an elementary school. There is not much electricity in the town; it looked like they used a lot of kerosene and charcoal light from what we saw during the day. They live off of nothing. God is teaching me how much He has provided for me throughout my life, as it is incredible seeing how little people here actually have. It disgusts me seeing how much I have even brought for myself, as it is more than most people have ever owned. The kids have been mesmerized by my $15 Wal-Mart watch, which makes me wonder why I would ever look to own anything more than what I have in a backpack. I love this culture and people more and more as I continue to get to know them.

Patience is the big thing that God has been working in my heart. After hearing the stories tonight of what goes on in the village and what has happened in these kids’ lives has just baffled me. My gut reaction is to turn on “insta-fix” and try to solve the problems that seem so easy to fix, but I am beginning to realize that as God has worked slowly in my life, we must work slowly in this culture. True change is going to come with good role models and a good influence, not with money and petty physical things.

My heart hurts for this community; not because of their poverty of the physical things we assume necessary for life, but for the lack of their knowledge of a better life being with Christ. Christ is working very prevalently through this mission organization, so it will be incredible getting to see the small changes He is doing with this community’s hearts.

God is so good. Please pray for our hearts that we are not here for our own will, but we are open to do whatever the Lord is calling us to do.

Dustin Sargent

Bonswa! Day one in the Mole…. And what a day it has been! Today was a day for us to learn about the culture and rest up from our trip to get here. The trip in itself was humbling and served as an eye opener for many of us as we saw the reality of what it is like to live here in Haiti. After arriving in Port-Au-Prince from the States we started on our all night bus ride adventure. Walking out of the airport we immediately could see the differences in the country we just left and the country we will be immersed in for the next few days. Words can’t even describe the “culture shock” that we experienced as we drove through neighboring towns and villages. The bus ride was definitely an experience I won’t forget anytime soon. The ride to the Mole allowed us to see a large part of the country and the variations in culture as we moved from cities to smaller towns and rural villages. Haiti is a beautiful country filled with mountains, jungle, and beautiful beaches. It is amazing to see how content people are with what little they have. Coming into the trip I was prepared to see poverty, but what I wasn’t prepared for was how it would affect the way I think about my own life back home. I have come to realize how hugely God has provided for me and also how hugely I take it for granted.

After arriving at the Mole in the early hours of the morning and catching a few hours of sleep we began exploring the area and learning about the culture. We were able to enjoy spending time with the kids in the orphanage playing games and singing songs. It is cool to see how you can communicate with people despite the language barrier. The kids were immediately receptive of us and began playing and wanting to be held the same way as my younger relatives do at home.   Even during our bus ride we experienced communication despite the language barrier through song and dance, having a dance off with some young community members at one of the stops we made on the trip. Through these few experiences between yesterday and today I have learned that laughter and smiles are definitely a universal language that can be shared with whomever you come in contact with despite speaking different languages.

Today was a relaxed day, getting to spend time exploring the community and enjoying the cool water of the beach, but we are excited to begin our projects tomorrow! Hearing stories and seeing the culture for myself has broken my heart in many ways but it has also started a healing process in it. It has already begun to show me ways in which I can show love to those around me and reminded me how truly blessed I am. Being in the States it is easy to get caught up in the minor things that take over our lives on a day -to -day basis. Here my mind has been able to slow down and take in what it means to truly live life, without the distractions of things that truly don’t matter in the long run. I am so excited to be immersed in the culture and can’t wait to see what God has in store for us over the next few days. Please pray for our hearts and minds to be open and receptive to the things we will be shown. God bless and love to all of our families!

Dawn Turner