Today was probably one of the busiest days of the week. After the rooster woke us up again, we had breakfast. They served us oatmeal, with actual brown sugar. Not the "fake" kind that Kroger sells. It was delicious!
After breakfast, the team went to the Cabaret Market to buy our food for the week. At first, and I don't even know why I thought this, but I thought the market was similar to a grocery store. Haha, I got a big reality check! The Haitian market is little shacks set up all over the place, inches away from each other. Haitians try to sell their product, and to buy something, you have to barter. If you know me, I am very shy with things like this. So when it came to bartering, I let the translator take over and do all of the "dirty work". Clumps of people were everywhere, as were donkeys and trucks trying not to plow people over. It made me realize how hard it is for a Haitian to make a living. Most of them rely solely on the money they make that day. The market is only on Mondays and Thursdays. Someone from MOH told me that just to have a tent at the market costs $200. Not to mention the Haitians most likely buy the products from Port-au-Prince, which isn't cheap. So basically, they make little to no money.
Then, we went to a nearby village for a riverwalk. We walked for awhile down a dirt path in the hot sunshine along the river. Some of the village kids would join us. The river was kind of shallow because it's not rainy season, but it was so refreshing. We sang songs with some of the kids. They sang "Hokey Pokey" and "Jesus Loves Me" in Creole! Their laughter was so precious!
After lunch at MOH, the team, some Hope house kids, and a couple translators loaded back up in the cantor (our vehicle for the week), and went to the village of Minotri. Jeremy, our trip leader, has a Haitian friend, Patrick, who started a ministry in this village where he washes peoples' feet to spread the love of Jesus. Apparently if Haitians have dirty shoes, they don't go to church because they are embarrassed. So our team broke up into three different groups; one washed feet, one washed/braided handicapped ladies' hair, and one evangelized. For the first round, I washed and braided hair, and the second I evangelized. I became friends with a couple of the Haitian girls there, who were my age. They spoke English very well, and they asked me all about America. I asked them all about Haiti, and I heard all about their boyfriends, families, and their lives after the earthquake. I found out that it is taboo in Haiti to talk to anyone handicapped. So in a way, we were bringing joy to these women.
When we evangelized, everybody we talked to claimed to be a Christian. We still told them a little about Jesus just in case they didn't know fully what it meant. We told them it was never too late to give their life to Him. After talking to them a little bit, we prayed with them. Most wanted prayer for their families or to find a job to provide for their families. For me, this was extremely out of my comfort zone, but when I realized I was spreading the message of Jesus Christ, I kind of forgot about my worries. It truly was a wonderful, life-changing day.
Francesca Battistelli has a song called "Motion of Mercy". It goes: "That’s the motion of mercy: changing the way and the why we are. That’s the motion of mercy, moving my heart. Living for the lost, loving ‘til it hurts. No matter what the cost, like You loved me first. That’s the motion of mercy." God doesn't really care about our comfort zones. He continually pushes me out of mine, and I never regret it at the end of the day.
After dinner at Mission of Hope, Jay and Diana told their story. Jay and Diana moved to Haiti with Jeremy a few years ago. They were actually in Minotri when the earthquake happened. The way they were telling the story was absolutely amazing. They said they were literally bouncing on the ground when the earthquake started, and people were talking about how Port-au-Prince was completely destroyed. People who were trying to help after the quake were getting killed at the Haiti/Dominican Republic border. Thank God that things are being restored, even though some Haitians refuse to live in a house again.
Diana started a company called 3 Cords that makes braided headbands, purses, cards, and other souvenirs. She started the company to employ Haitian women who became handicapped after the earthquake. It is a paid job, and the women absolutely love it. Their items are beautiful!
Earlier that day, in Minotri, the song "Hosanna" by Hillsong was playing on someone's radio or CD player. The part in the song that goes "Break my heart for what breaks Yours. Everything I am for Your Kingdom's cause. Show me how to love like You have loved me" has never been more relavent to my life before. It is incredible to see how many different ways you can show God's love. It can be as simple as a smile, a hug, a laugh, or a conversation, and as complex as actually evangelizing and praying with someone.
Follow God's plan for your life, even if it means stepping out of your comfort zone.
Genesis 12:1-4
"Now Yahweh had said to Abram, ‘Get out of your country, from your kindred, and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. And I will make a great nation of you, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and you will be a blessing. And I will bless those who bless you, and curse those who curse you. In you, all the families of the earth will be blessed.’ So Abram departed as Yahweh had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran."
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