It’s time for my long overdue update on my trip to Haiti! I have talked to some people in person, which has been fun, but many of you may still be curious. Just to give some context (and list my excuses) for my delay, I landed in San Diego on Sunday morning, July 29th. I then left for Denver three days later for a wedding. Came back to SD for 5 days, and then flew to the East Coast to see some college buddies and family. And in between, I have been trying to catch up on all my work! I am definitely still processing through my Haiti experience in the midst of this busyness, but wanted to at least start sharing my thoughts. Since I’m heading out of town for one more weekend trip, I’m going to start with a few notes, and a video for you to enjoy.One-word Summary
I was asked if I had to summarize the trip with one word, what would I pick. I said, “Successful.” That was the overall feeling I had when I returned. Although efficiency is not something you can fully expect when you are serving in a foreign country with a language barrier, we had a great sense of accomplishment as we left. I had the privilege of co-leading an amazing group of men. Everyone filled in when needed, took on roles even when stretching, and laughed well together. We felt united throughout the trip, which was a huge answer to prayer.
Backup Word
The other word that almost won was “exhausted.” Since we went to Haiti during the hottest part of the year and stayed in a house with no air-conditioning, we sweated even in our sleep. There was also an extremely proactive rooster warning us of impending daylight from 11:30pm till the sunlight broke. Overall, none of us slept much throughout the week. Praise God He sustained us, and I was not afraid to drink some hot coffee each morning while sweating!
Video
We had around 400 kids come each day to the combined VBS and Soccer Camp. We got into a pretty good rhythm, and God seemed to do some amazing things through the language barrier. One of the highlights of the week was a song that a team member, SunMin, wrote for VBS. The kids loved singing it with all the hand motions, and so “SunMin’s Song” became a daily hit. The VBS guys decided the soccer guys needed to learn it, so here is a video of all of us singing the song on the roof of the house we stayed at!
http://vimeo.com/47968867
More highlights, learnings, and invitations to come in the next few weeks! Thank you so much for journeying with me through your finances, prayers, and general interest. I cannot be more grateful for the community and support that God has surrounded me with!
