First Impressions

Our mission team disembarked the plane that had taken us from Ft. Lauderdale to Port au Prince, Haiti. As I emerged my first impression was HOT. I toted my carry-on and backpack to an awaiting school bus. I found a seat for myself and my daughter and we settled in to watch the first scenes of Haiti out our window.

I have promised the Lord that I will never complain as I used to about the way people drive in America. Driving in Haiti is an ongoing game of chicken using your horn to announce your intention to pass other vehicles. Our Haitian driver knew two speeds - 100 MPH and stop. With the bumpy roads, the trip felt like an amusement park roller coaster. I do not ride roller coasters, and now I know why. If I wasn't a woman of prayer before, I was after that wild ride!

Out the bus window I saw people - men, women, and children just standing or sitting. They stared as we drove past. Some had little makeshift stands selling canned goods, fruits, sandals, and many other things I didn't recognize. I saw shelters made of block as well as tent-like structures and houses made with whatever could be found. I couldn't imagine what the place had looked like before groups had come in after the earthquake to clean up because it looked as though nothing had been done. Still there were crumbled structures and heaps of rubble.

Have you ever seen a face whose expression is devoid of hope? Those were the faces staring back at me. I felt I had little to offer and yet I had the Hope to share. I was eager to tell them of the hope found in Jesus Christ. As the week progressed, I met Christian Haitians whose faith in Christ made me ashamed of mine.

I'll be sharing more about my experiences in Haiti. Please pray for the efforts of our missionaries, Chris and Kelly, whom we worked with while there.