a heart for haiti: we're alive

Last night was probably one of the worst nights of sleep I’ve had here so far. I have no idea why, but a lot of us couldn’t sleep well. We laughed about it because everyone in our room (me, Becca, Jamie, and Alecia) woke up at 1 a.m. thinking it was almost time to get up. Despite the restless night, we woke up at 7:00 determined and ready to embark on our hike.

Oh my goodness. As with most things on this trip, the hike was unlike anything I have ever experienced. It was probably the most difficult but most amazing hike I have ever been on. I wasn’t feeling so great this morning, so at the beginning of the hike I was really nauseous. But I knew I’d regret turning back, so we pushed on and once we passed a certain point I felt fine!

I can’t explain how cool it was walking up the mountain. I feel like I experienced the Haitian culture on a whole new level. We passed a lot of people who live on the mountain, and I am so impressed with the way they walk up and down the mountain every day like it’s nothing. A lot of the people who live up there don’t see white people very often at all…so it was pretty funny watching them all come out of their huts and literally out of bushes/crops/trees to just watch us. We gave some extra candy and food that we brought to a lot of the kids, and some of them let us take pictures of them. We passed anything from farmers and people doing laundry, to goats and cows just grazing. Eventually we stopped at this church, and it was really cool hiking and listening to them sing worship on the way up. It might sound kind of funny, but I really felt like the mountains were singing praises! The church was about ¾ or so up the mountain, and it was a great place to stop before we were completely wiped out. By that point most of us had already run out of water, so we rested and just had some quiet time before we headed back down.

Overall the hike up took about three hours, and on the way down we made it in about an hour. I don’t think I have ever sweat so much in my life…but I am so glad that I had the opportunity to go! We took tons of pictures…and although they don’t do it any justice, I’ll try to post some so you can get an idea of how wonderful it was.

At our stopping point, Alecia was reading out of James where it talks about how trials and tests of faith produce perseverance. Hiking a mountain was the perfect metaphor for how God pushes us and stretches us, and ultimately we experience His love and blessings on a whole new level. All of us agreed that even our decision to come to Haiti was a test of our faith, and how God has proven that He never leaves us. In fact through this experience, I know all of the volunteers will leave here having learned more than we could have expected and that through the challenges that we face here we are learning perseverance and reliance on God each and every day. We are all in such different places and experiencing completely different things, but I hope wherever you are that you can see how even in the trials God is not only with you but is also teaching you and growing you as his child.

I think it’s safe to say that we are all pretty exhausted now. We are in the process of taking MUCH needed showers and just relaxing! We’re beginning a movie marathon with Marley and Me, so I’m excited to just hang out and hopefully rejuvenate from the week! It's raining now too...so perfect movie watching weather if I do say so myself.

Love you guys, and I am so thankful for you all!!

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”

James 1: 2-5