Bonjou! I’m back from Haiti full of stories and lessons learned. First and foremost, I would like to thank all of the people who prayed for me and the team during our trip. Also, we are all truly thankful for all financial supporters and “senders” who made this mission trip a success!
Oh my, where to begin… As we stepped off the plane from Miami the moist heat and bongo drum beats welcomed us to the Caribbean island nation. After all bags were accounted for, we began the journey to find our contacts and head to the “Guest house” (a house in Port-Au-Prince) where we would meet Pastor Whitny, our overseer and supreme helper. Pastor Whitny organizes and delegates where work needs to be done and facilitates mission trips like ours. After a few hours preparing for our trek to Maissade, we packed into the vans and headed off. Maissade is about 35 miles from Port-au-Prince…as the crow flies (a detail I was unaware of). I was under the impression that it would be a long drive to Maissade due to the damage from the earthquake. Little did I know we needed to drive around a huge mountain range which was much longer than 35 miles. :) Unpaved roads, cow and goat crossings, and a few “Indiana Jones” river crossings later we arrived exhausted but excited.
I honestly wish I could give a play by play of the entire trip, but I’m not sure that’s possible! Instead my hope is to give you all a taste of my journey and to make you hunger for a personal experience. Looking back through the journal I kept in Haiti, I see my first entry was written moments before falling asleep. “Crazy first day. Dirt, rocks, unpaved roads. Garbage everywhere. Children smiling. Women carrying bundles on their heads. Naked kids. No shoes. Nice people. Creole is more difficult to understand than I imagined. No TV, no internet. Ate goat for dinner with rice, beans, and beet salad. Spoke in French with some of the kids. Good to be here. Getting in bed and listening to the choir from the church service across the street.” What a wonderful first day!
As the week progressed, my ideas of possessions, money, and happiness began transforming. Seeing the Haitians tithe in church reminded me of the widow who gave all she had (Mark 12:41-44). Many of these people can’t feed their children more than once a day, (if that!) yet they are faithful to God and give openly. What an example!
The following day at the job site, I met three small children named Woodline, Pipine, and Sonson (I’m sure I’ve butchered the spelling, whoopsie!). These three little angels, who I called my personal entourage, followed me constantly and had to be touching my body at all times. I watched in amazement as these kids touched my skin, pointed at every freckle, and giggled freely in amusement. These young children, no more than 3 years old, had absolutely nothing and yet they were happy and without complaints. At the end of my first day I was amazed when Woodline pulled a small piece of candy from her pocket and handed it to me. With tattered clothing and worn sandals, I was given a gift from a 3-year-old who could hardly say my name and wanted nothing in return. I accepted her gift while trying to hold back tears!
Later in the week while at the children’s feeding center I witnessed another act of kindness. The feeding center is able to feed approximately 150 children once a day (Monday through Friday). Some children are fed and their siblings and other family members are not. When some kids sat down at the table, they immediately separated out portions to take home for their family. Resisting the temptation to eat a full meal, they forfeited their own needs and put other’s before their own and they’re only 4-12 years old. Truly humbling!
About half way through our trip I started to feel a little nauseous. “No biggie,” I told myself. Thinking I would be fine, I carried on and pushed through another long day. That night I was surprised as I awoke suddenly sick to my stomach and sweating. When I got up from bed to take medicine I was greeted by two teammates who were out on the porch chatting. Through this awful moment of getting sick and feeling vulnerable, I asked my brothers to pray over me. The next morning, I continued to have a fever and a stomach/flu bug from the night before. Luckily, all the women in my room gathered around me, laid hands on me, and we prayed. I began to realize that I benefited from this less than fortunate situation because I was able to give up all control and depend on those around me and most importantly, depend on Christ. I’m very independent and I don’t like having to ask for help unless I desperately need it. God showed me that it’s okay to be vulnerable, it’s okay to ask for help, and it’s more than okay to ask for prayer. In doing so, my relationships grew and I yearned for God.
One evening near the end of our journey, Pastor Whitny made a comment that stuck with me. He said that when his children come from the U.S. to visit him, they bring gifts and new technology that he doesn’t have a use for. If it’s one thing I’ve learned on this trip, it’s that fact that Americans misuse the words “want” and “need.” We don’t need a new iPod, we want one. Anyway, Pastor Whitny pointed out that when people have less, they have more faith. It becomes a necessity. Without excess, without food, without clothes, the Haitians turn to God wholeheartedly and submit to His will. This also reminded me of a Matthew West song: “I throw a twenty in the plate, but I never give 'til it hurts.” As Americans we give, but not always with the giving heart Christ wants us to have.
In the end, I want to thank you all so much for supporting me and praying for my team on this trip. God has blessed this past year with a lot of adventures and experiences I didn’t know I was going to have. Instead of starting Grad school last Fall I ended up going to Israel, Jordan, and now to Haiti! It appears that God has had me discovering the globe and alas, another opportunity has presented itself.
After having a few long chats with the mission pastor at my church, I’ve found there’s a unique opportunity to volunteer in Chad, Africa this summer. Golden Hills Community Church has many missionaries in Chad as well as a few contacts with The Evangelical Alliance Mission (TEAM). I am pleased to say that I have begun building some rapport with our brothers and sisters abroad and have been presented with the prospect of spending 3-4 weeks volunteering. This would be a truly unique experience as I will be traveling alone and relying on my French language skills to connect with the people. Luckily, I will have guidance from TEAM and Golden Hills missionaries but this trip will call me to be independent and trusting in God’s provisions.
As with the trip to Haiti, I would like to ask you for your continued prayer support. Please pray for God’s will during this trip and that I might meet my financial needs. If you were able to support me for Haiti and would like to continue supporting, I would surely appreciate it! Also, if you were unable to support my trip to Haiti with my Dad and God is moving you to support now, I would appreciate that as well! Thank you for keeping me and my family in your prayers!
God Bless!
**Please make out checks to: Golden Hills Community Church
**In the memo please write: Charlene Heaston Missions #09
**Send checks to Global Outreach
Golden Hills Community Church
2401 Shady Willow Lane
Brentwood, CA 94513
