My back pack and equipment are unloaded. My clothes no longer smell of the sweet cooking charcoal that wafts over the mountains. I sit at my desk, editing hundreds of photographs. It is hard to believe our West Michigan Conference mission team was in this magical place. Yet I know we were. We were transformed by it.
Nothing feels quite the same after Haiti. Each time you touch a light switch, get water from your tap, drive the kids to school, shop at the grocery store, you are reminded you live in a privileged modern world. You are also reminded of the precious gifts that no longer surround you.
Before the trip, I viewed Haiti like most. My mental images came from media reports of political unrest, crime, earthquakes and hurricanes. No more. Media coverage is fleeting and sensational. It is not intended to bring people closer. It is time for Haiti and other parts of the world to be seen through a new lens.
My view is now shaped by the experience of seeing the beauty of their land and of their people. I have heard the laughter. I have seen the smiles. I have been welcomed into their faith-filled homes. I have witnessed their resilience and creativity in carving life out a life on a sometimes treacherous mountain. I have listened to their hope and dreams. I have seen the face of Christ in Haiti.
Could life be better in Haiti? Certainly, if judged by American standards. But the Haitian people live this life as it is. Nothing is wrong. Still we need to pray that Haiti will see better education, clean water and vastly improved medical care. We also need to pray that the God's gifts on this mountain are not lost to our efforts to "fix."
Before I left, I had a hard time understanding why so many of my colleagues had returned to Haiti, sometimes 10-15-20 times. Now I know. You can shake the red soil from your boots, but you can never shake Haiti from your heart.
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