Trip 4 – Postscript

I hate to admit this, but there’s a jaded, cynical part of me that has always wondered:  Would the people of Haiti respond to us differently if we came here and DIDN’T give anything to them, or do anything for them?  (i.e., how much of their response to us is based on the expectation of getting something from us?  And once they realize they’re not going to get anything from us, would their response to us change?)

This week I got my answer.  I intentionally designed this week with a purely evangelistic agenda, with no real service or humanitarian component.  Part of our message that we brought to the people, on Haitian TV and throughout the rest of the week, is that God cares about your physical circumstances – but he cares even more about your spiritual circumstances; God cares about what happens to you in this life – but he cares even more about what happens to you after this life is over.

And what I discovered was this…

• The children still want to be touched, and held, and loved on…

• The teens still want you to talk with them and sing with them – to know your name, and know that you know their name…

• The Christians will still endure incomprehensibly difficult and uncomfortable circumstances – circumstances that an American would find unbearable – just to come and meet together, worship God, strengthen each other, and encourage new believers…

• Even un-churched people will still take hours out of their day, travel for miles by foot in ridiculous heat, and sit patiently on hard wooden benches to hear someone teach the Bible to them…

…even if you bring them absolutely nothing but your presence, your love, and the Word of God.

Ok, so I might have to give up a little of that jaded, cynical stuff.