Today we made it to Haiti. After a short-two hour flight from Miami to Port-au-Prince, record time through customs, and zero glitches retrieving our gazillion pieces of luggage, it hit me how incredibly EASY it is to travel here.

The poorest country in the Western Hemisphere sits closer to Florida than Florida sits to the majority of the United States. That means some of the world’s greatest wealth is neighbor to the world’s greatest poverty. And the contrast is overwhelming.

Yes, that’s my word for today. Overwhelming. Every member of our team felt the same. Between us, we’ve seen Mexico, Peru, the Dominican Republic, South Africa and now Haiti. And the poverty we saw today overwhelmed us all. The drive from the Port-au-Prince airport to the mission base of New Missions took about an hour and a half. Every block of that hour and a half drive showed evidence of extreme poverty. For the first time I questioned our decision to bring our youngest son (12) with us. Will all this be too much for him? Here are a couple pics to give you an idea of what we saw:

It’s tough to see all this and not get caught up in a feeling of hopelessness. What can I possible do? It’s like pouring your water bottle into the ocean and hoping your contribution will make some kind of impact. I am only one, and the need so great. I am acutely aware of my arrogance, thinking that somehow I can be “significant” and make a difference. Only a God the size of our God can make any real change in any of our lives.

We need Him and the hope of Him desperately.

I’m still processing … more to come tomorrow.