A guy on our team made this video as a little glimpse into what we saw and experienced during our time in Haiti. I wanted to post it here so that you could see just another glimpse of this country and the people who now hold a little piece of my heart.
I’ll be back to post more once my exams are finished this week!
Seeing that this is Sunday, a day of worship, I decided to give you a little glimpse into worship with Haitian believers. During my time at Mission of Hope, I had the opportunity to worship corporately with Haitian believers on two different occasions.
Sunday morning church service began at 9:30 and lasted a few hours (I’m not exactly sure how long). Songs were sung in both Haitian Creole and English, and it was one of the most beautiful sounds I’ve ever heard. There is just something unparalleled about hearing people belt out “How Great Thou Art” in THEIR language after each had endured such tragedy. I mean, I would be willing to bet that each one of them had lost someone CLOSE to them in the quake…a mom…a dad…a sister or brother…a best friend…a child. Yet, you BELIEVED them when they sang about how great God is! They sang with such conviction and total abandonment to the Grace of Jesus in their lives.
The second time to worship with my new friends was on Tuesday evening. I worked in the clinic that day, and so my shift was over around 3. Having extra time to kill, I walked down to the ward to hang out until the worship service started that evening around 5. The ward is close to the sanctuary, and I listened from the ward as the choir practiced a beautiful song. Here it is…once again sung with so much conviction and emotion.
Around 4:30pm Tuesday evening, people started making their way to the sanctuary for a worship and prayer service. Not having to work anymore that evening, I made it down to the sanctuary for the beginning. I picked a seat and began worshipping right along with them. Little did I know that I picked the best seat in the house!! All of the Hope House kiddos (the orphanage at Mission of Hope) came and sat around me. I was so blessed to be able to worship in the midst of them. All around me were little precious ones….some with hands lifted…some on their knees…some holding younger children. It was a beautiful night! To me, it was a little glimpse of Heaven….every tribe, every tongue, every nation….worshipping! For about an hour, I held and loved on a sweet little girl about 5 years old who lost both her legs and portions of her hands (fingers) in the quake as we sang “All I Need is You, Lord”…she sang in Haitian Creole….I sang in English.
What a joy it was to see the Church so alive and joyful! I was so encouraged!
Just a sidenote…I apologize for the shaky videos…it’s a little bit difficult to video while holding a kiddo who is trying to grab the camera the whole time!
Be joyful always;
pray continually; 
(Photo taken by John Hicks)
give thanks in ALL CIRCUMSTANCES; 
for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
I’ve thought long and hard about the best way to update my blog about my trip to Haiti, but each way seems so inadequate to really give you a picture of all that I saw and experienced while I was there. So many incredible stories of hope and joy in the midst of tragedy as well as stories that are so incredibly sad and bring tears to my eyes each time I think of them. There are stories of kids who stole my heart from the moment I laid eyes on them….stories of children who desperately need homes and medical care…stories of bravery and survival…stories of children just waiting to come home to their forever families.
Haiti now has faces, names, and stories…I want you to see them too. So my plan is to show you one story per post. I have no idea how long it will take. Be patient with me…I’m trying to finish strong in school as well and so I don’t have as much time as I would like to update.
-----
To start off, here is a little overview of our trip!
We flew into Haiti on Saturday afternoon, and the adventure began as soon as we stepped out of the Port-au-Prince airport. Men would come up and try (forcefully) to take your bags for you while yelling at each other in Creole. It was a slightly frightening experience, and I wasn’t sure if I was up for it.
We spent Saturday through Wednesday working at Mission of Hope. Seriously go check them out; they are an incredible organization that is sharing the love of Jesus in so many ways. During our time at MOH, I worked in medical clinics, attended church services with Haitian believers, and loved on orphans! What could be any better than that?!?
We left MOH on Wednesday evening to spend the rest of our week in Port-au-Prince. During this part of the week, we visited two orphanages and a tent city in the National Stadium. Both of those things were amazing experiences that I wouldn’t trade for anything!
----
I went to Haiti to serve, comfort, and show love to these beautiful Haitian people, but quite the opposite happened! They served me….they taught me about persevering in tragedy….they loved unconditionally. The Lord changed me through these people. They are beautiful and so resilient!
I just finished packing my bags and have them sitting by the door. Tomorrow morning (early!) I head to Miami and then to Haiti on Saturday morning. Since finding out about this trip, I feel as though EVERYTHING has been a whirlwind. I’ve gotten so much accomplished, yet I can’t tell you what any of those things are. My mind has been consumed with preparation for this trip that happened on such short notice, and things not related to Haiti (i.e. SCHOOL) have been on the back burner. *I have a feeling I may regret that when I return!*
Before I leave, I wanted to write out some specific prayer requests that I have as I am in Haiti. I would appreciate your prayers more than you ever know.
1. There is an amazing story unfolding right now that I don’t have time to write out on my own. So head on over to Cindy’s blog to read a little bit about K. Pray that the Lord would open doors while I am in Haiti to make it to HCRM!
2. My heart is to be the hands and feet of Christ as I serve. Would you pray that I would step out of the way and hide behind the cross? I don’t want people to see ME; I want them to see JESUS. I don’t want people to tell me how great I am for going to Haiti; I want them to know how great GOD is and how He loves them beyond anything they could fathom. As we work in the medical clinic, I don’t want them to leave only having their physical needs met, but to have an encounter with the Great Physician. It’s not about me…it never has been…and it never will be. It’s about the people of Haiti seeing Jesus in me.
3. Pray for perseverance and strength as our days will be long and tiring!
4. Pray that I would exchange the expectations of what I want to see happen in Haiti for an attitude and heart of expectancy to see what the Lord will do.
5. Many of you know how clumsy I am…so would you pray for safety and protection. Not just for me, but for my entire team.
Thank you in advance for lifting me up in prayer this week. If you are interested in getting updates about how things are going/what we are doing, become a fan of “We Hear You Voice” on Facebook. I think there will be updates posted there. I will also try to post updates on my Facebook as well, if I am able.
I’ll be back in a couple of weeks with stories and pictures of what the Lord is doing; so stay tuned!
It’s a wild ride following Jesus!
**If you have more questions about what we are doing, let me know and I'll try to get them answered before I leave**
About two weeks ago, I found out about a group in San Antonio who was going to Haiti over Spring Break. Simply upon hearing it mentioned, the Lord began to tug at my heart about going. My immediate response was “I’m in!”. It was Friday when I found out and knew they needed an answer by the end of the weekend. So I began to pray that the Lord would open (or close) doors to show me whether I should be part of this team. Starting the following Monday, the doors began to FLY open. From finding the funds on short notice….to getting permission to skip a clinical day….to getting permission to make-up a big exam. Each little open door was confirmation that I would spend my Spring Break in Haiti and that the Lord’s hand was in it.
The biggest “open door” confirmation to me came as I began to pray about this trip. As I prayed, the words that continually came to mind were “The Lord sees them! The Lord hears their cries! They are not forgotten by Him, and I get to go tell them so!” The very thought of using medicine and caring for people (both things I’m passionate about) to be the hands and feet of Christ excites me to no end! I began praying about this the day I found out about the opportunity (Friday). Monday evening rolls around and I get an email saying I have a spot on the trip if I am interested. As I scrolled through the email, I read the name of the organization…WE HEAR YOUR VOICE! Really God?? My eyes filled with tears when I read this. Not only do WE hear your voices, sweet Haiti, but HE hears you and loves you more than you will ever know!
We had a logistics meeting tonight and met with some of the people who will be going with us. Right now, it looks like we (the nursing students) will be helping out in clinics as well as loving on kids in the orphanages there. Does it get any better than that?!?! Dear friends, I don’t think so!
I hope to post some prayer requests on here tomorrow night. Please be lifting us up as we are in Haiti next week. I know I greatly appreciate your prayers. I’m so excited to see what the Lord is up to….
It’s a wild ride following Jesus!
