 |
 |
|||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
| My Experience on a Work Team |
| By Caroline Doyle
I traveled to Haiti in December on a mission trip. It changed my life in so many ways and I believe that many lives were changed in Haiti as well. My two week journey included so many surprises, emotions, and happiness that just can’t be described in this short letter. I can however, let you know how many were touched by sixty people spending their Christmas break in a foreign country, doing work for Jesus with no strings attached.
While I was serving at the orphanage, other people also served by painting, helping medically those who so desperately needed it and loving on the kids at the nutritional program. They also served many in need of the love Jesus Christ has to offer. Again this year, I find myself called to return to the mission field of Haiti. I know that it is only April, but my heart will not allow me to stay away! The experience you will have in Haiti will far outweigh your expectations! You may go to Haiti and expect to make a difference in so many lives, but what you may not know is that they too will make a difference in your life. There is no better feeling than giving up your time to serve the needy in the name of Jesus! God is good all the time. All the time, God is good! |
Without knowing their language, Creole, and having no idea what I was getting myself into, I traveled with fears and “great expectations” all at once. I had no idea that this small country would two weeks later capture my heart and leave me yearning for more. At first glance the country looked like the worst slum we can only imagine in the United States. When our plane landed, I almost wanted back on! I wasn’t sure that I wanted to be there, away from everything I had always known, my friends and my family.
With an eight hour bus ride ahead, I found myself wondering why God had sent me on this “journey of faith”. Why was I sent; how could a sixteen year old girl like myself make a difference? A week and a half later I would find my answer.
As the week went on, I started feeling somewhat better about my choice. I began helping at the mission’s orphanage with a vacation bible school program. I met several children which I immediately fell in love with. They not only showed me what true friendship and love is, but how much God loves each and every one of us, whether we live in a rich area or one of the most poverty stricken countries in the world. We may not have been able to communicate or say what we wanted to with each of the kids, but somehow I felt a sense of peace each day. I knew God told them how much they were loved by us all!
Days passed and emotions flew! I didn’t want to leave my new friends and carefree lifestyle. Worrying about what outfit to wear or who I had to impress was not something I missed. I felt myself being called by God to possibly serve in missions sometime down the line.