10,000 Reasons

I had 10,000 reasons to travel to Haiti and almost all my reasons were selfish. I was exhausted and tired from running from event to event, a million-zillion thoughts and to-do lists constantly racing through my mind...and I was hoping to escape the chaos. I was looking forward to a week to focus on my faith and to help people in need. I have never used the word "called" before but I know now I was meant to come here, that God was calling me here-and I am SO glad I listened.

I feel ashamed. Ashamed that though this week our amazing team has done so much with and for the Haitian people and yet we didn't give them half of what we received. The poverty and devastation are indescribable. We will show you pictures of the small huts they called homes, some made of little more than scraps & garbage with children sleeping on the dirt floors. They have no access to clean water, they have a 70-80% un-employment rate and only 10% of the children in the village we visited are able to attend school. Many children are orphaned or abandoned. We will show you pictures of these children and you will feel sadness and sorrow. But it is so much more for us. Because we saw the pain in their faces first hand, we know their names and we held them in our arms and they burrowed their heads in our necks and they clung to us ....and us to them. And they were hungry and sick and we held them tighter. And we tickled them and laughed with them and spun them around and danced and sang with them and we made them smile and gave them love. And we saw the joy on their faces and the love they have for God and their faith and they will forever be imprinted on our hearts.

This experience has forever changed all of us. We visited Grace Village today and for most it was the first sign of hope. We met children that were fed well and being educated and well....acting like children should. Many leaders commented on how much progress they had seen since their last trip and it gave us all hope. We ended our day playing with the children of Isaiah's Orphanage. This was an orphanage started by two brothers after the earthquake who came upon orphaned children wandering around and took them into their home. They rescued 17 children although they had little resources of their own and continue providing for them by faith alone. Our team brought a block of ice and Brad & Ward labored endlessly making snow cones for everyone. The rest of us tie-dyed T-shirts and played with the kids.

And now I challenge you all. Not to specifically come to Haiti and deliver water or donate money to Healing Haiti or give away all your possessions and become a missionary. I challenge you to just be still and to really open your hearts and to really start listening to what The Lord is saying to you. He is calling for you to do big things and small things but I promise you He is calling you. And I also promise you with all my heart that if you choose to listen and follow your faith great things will happen. To you in your life and to others whom you bless.

"10,000 Reasons"
The sun comes up, it's a new day dawning, it's time to sing your song again. Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me, Let me be singing when the evening comes.

Lisa