Great to be up North and visit people and plan for the summer. Had a time to sit with some of our youth workers and it was great to hear about some of their ideas to strengthen the camp and make it more fruitful for the children and community. Most of all it was neat to see that leadership in them. Had some time with the Pastors and was able to think about hopeful steps for the camp and community. Encouraging and fruitful. The trip has been neat in that we have been able to vision more with the relationships that we have already formed. We are working at creating some youth workshops for the summer. We were talking with the workers about gifts we could teach the children. Gifts that are already in the community. We were able to pinpoint a couple of them and get some research on them in hopes to implement them this summer.
Funny moments of the time in the North:
Ryna saved a goat. It was laying in the middle of the road. We walked house to house trying to figure out who the goat belonged to. It was hilarious to hear each house call to the next house by saying, "The blancs are trying to bring you a goat." We finally found a home for it.
Neatest moments of the trip up North:
Veronica was this little girl in the hospital. I think she was 8. When we first arrived I couldn't believe her back. She had been diagnosed with TB. The doctor didn't know how long she had it before she came to the hospital. They think it had been for awhile since her spine was the way it was. I hate making this comparison, but she walked and ran like the cartoon character, Hunchback of Notre Dame. But I will tell you something, the JOY and HOPE that little girl radiated was so humbling. I have never seen such a happy child. So happy, she would see us and come running down the hall. One day she sang for me and I played it back to her and I could not believe the way her face beamed. Her joy was beautiful. It was humbling as I think about the things I worry about in my day to day living and her is a 8 year old girl smiling away and her back will never be the same, but she is a fighter, she will make it and make it with a smile. Wish you could hear her sing, my word....made my heart smile.
Another moment where I saw God. This morning we were waiting for the bus, at 2 a.m. (that is another story) but as we were waiting 6 boys came out from behind the buses. They looked about 8-11 and I had to assume they were boys living on the streets. How they interacted and just had this God feeling that he was bringing me face to face with the future vision of Making Roots. Just watched them, observed them, their sassy hearts, their smiles, their rough around the edges spirits. Had this moment of, "Lord this is where I want to be, in the streets with these kids. I want to learn from them, understand them, know their needs, share joy and Christ with them, love them, teach them." Neat moment at 2 a.m. under the Haitian sky. This week we are going to be digging deeper about the hopeful vision of a home for boys living on the streets. Neat to learn, vision, and watch what the Lord reveals.
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