Haiti Journal: Day 2

Jun 7, 2009

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:

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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.

4 Comments

  1. Tracy

    You are significant and you are special in the lives you touch on this mission. You all are His hands and feet and you WILL make a difference in God’s name. Remember that great Casting Crowns song, Voice of Truth

    “But the voice of truth tells me a different story
    And the voice of truth says “Do not be afraid!”
    And the voice of truth says “This is for My glory”
    Out of all the voices calling out to me
    I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth”

    Reply
  2. Michele

    Thanks, Tracy and Rebeca … needed that.

    Reply
  3. Scott Schrader

    Hi There!
    Best of luck and prayers for a successful mission.
    From all of Laura’s pals at Arrow!
    Keep the Blogs coming!
    Scott

    Reply
  4. Michele

    Hey, Scott! Thanks for the nice note. I’ll pass it on to Laura ASAP. She’ll LOVE it. Thanks for following the trip … means a lot to us!

    Reply

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