Home Again

We left the guest house in Port Au Prince yesterday morning and after more than 16 hours of traveling through four airports, three flights, and two bus rides we were finally home! It is always difficult to come back. You have mixed emotions. On one hand you are so thankful for basic necessities like clean water and sanitation, and the ability to use warm/hot water to take a shower. On the other hand you feel like you have left part of yourself there. It is hard to explain just how life-changing the experience is to someone who hasn't been there. There are mosquitoes, intense heat (where sweat runs down your body like water for hours every day), lots of dust, very bumpy roads, cultural differences, language barriers, cold water showers, and long days. But there is also another side. There are lots of happy children who can't get enough of your love; that climb all over you and want hugs and kisses; that have hope in the face of extreme adversity; and that touch our hearts so deeply from the moment we see them. There are those that are humble and, while they do not have much by our American standards, show thankfulness for what they do have and are willing to openly share it with others. They understand 'community' and what it means to live together and care for one another in fellowship. Many of us barely know (if we know at all) all of our neighbors on our street or in our neighborhood because we are often far more consumed with our own lives and schedules than we are anyone else. Most importantly, the presence of God can be felt so strongly in Haiti. When you are there all of the challenges we face here at home do not exist. Our jobs, our errands, our to-do lists, etc. are not there with us. You get to separate yourself from all of those things that demand your time and pull you away from God. When you are there God is your central focus every minute of every day. Our team was amazing this year, and we got to serve alongside some amazing people from another team. Nineteen people (many of whom didn't know each other prior to the trip) living under one roof for 8 days can have its challenges. We laughed so hard our sides hurt (thanks Susan!), we cried for the things that broke our hearts, we encouraged each other, we shared what we had, we prayed together, ate meals together, and served and worshiped God together. That is a picture of the 'church'.  It is all about relationships. As each of us transition back into our normal lives, my prayer is that each of us will find a 'new normal' incorporating our experiences from this past week into a stronger relationship with God and a greater appreciation for the blessings we have been given. May we be more open and mindful of the needs in our communities here at home, and may we show the same love and kindness to others in our daily lives that we did to the beautiful people of Haiti. Until next time...God bless!