Sunday and Monday

Corbin here again. We arrived safely in Port au Prince, Haiti’s capital city, yesterday (Sunday)! These past couple of days have been a journey of discovery for the team. The drive from Port au Prince to Jacmel is a nauseating three and a half hour excursion through twisty and bumpy roads. I was a bit dazed, and when at one point I picked my head up and noticed a chicken crossing the road, I immediately regressed back to half-napping and didn’t even look long enough to find out why. No joke. This has been one of my biggest regrets so far.

The drive through Port au Prince illuminated the shocking reality of the city’s present condition and also created a discomfort among our team that later surfaced during our evening debrief. Cloud cover cast an ominous shadow on the city and our hearts as we passed through. Sarah described it best – we saw literal rivers of fire in the trash infested streets. As is typical in the area, a large drainage canal filled with trash was set ablaze, and our vehicle drove through a cloud of black smoke as we passed by one of these rivers of fire. The trash buildup congests the city’s sewage and drainage infrastructure, and flooding in the streets is common, producing a murky trash stew. The polluted air seemed to wipe smiles off of faces.

Sam observed that though Port au Prince is in great need, a sense of despair held us prisoner inside of our van. It was difficult to muster up the desire to jump out of the car and start helping the city because the streets were not just dirty, but dark as well. During our evening study of Lamentations (yes, we did read from the book of Lamentations), we felt that the story of Israel’s captivity in Babylon yields striking similarities to the present state of Haiti’s capital city. Jeremiah, who is believed to have written the book, writes in chapter three, “I am the man who has seen affliction…He has driven me away and made me walk in darkness rather than light…He has besieged me and surrounded me with bitterness and hardship. He has made me dwell in darkness.” Encouraging, right?

Earlier that day, Pastor Eric preached a sermon at our Haitian church in Jacmel on 1 John 1:5-10 which appropriately and inadvertently prepared us for the rest of the day. John writes, “God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.” We are to be a light to our surroundings, and our endeavors are empowered by God’s infinite goodness and light. The Haitians and 12Stoners thoroughly enjoyed the sermon, which was the gulp of fresh air that preceded our deep dive into foreign waters later in the day.

Though our first day in Port au Prince was initially demoralizing, Yanni observed that there is something about affliction that builds muscle. Christians who have nothing are stronger because God is all they have. We forfeit some of God’s blessing and riches whenever we try to attain them on our own. Melissa noticed that suffering is an outlet for fellowship with God because one can understand some of the pain he experiences when people are far from him.

During this morning’s sunrise, rays of light cut through yesterday’s cloud cover, and the distant view of the city from our residence was one of tranquility, hopefully reminiscent of how God views us in his mercy amidst our “trashy” and sinful lives. In Port au Prince, glimmers of hope and happiness surface whenever our team smiles upon passer-by’s on the city streets and receives a smile in return. Lamentations three also declares, “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning.”

Our prayer for Haiti to rise out of affliction and into hope like the captive Israel was soon tested and tainted, however. After experiencing a refreshing sunrise, we drove to an orphanage on the outskirts of the city, and, in an uncanny occurrence of symbolism, cloud cover once again emerged as we arrived at a dreary cinderblock building on a walled in property of about an acre of bare land. A hundred kids with crusty toes, scabby knees, and damp clothing (from feces) greeted us with blank faces as we walked into a large, dim room. Our hearts sunk as we realized that these children were not the feisty children of our Jacmel church but rather had great physical and emotional need. Evoking smiles and laughter was initially difficult. Many children had malnourished bellies, no pants, HIV/AIDS, staff infection, ringworm, and other physical infirmities. Evidence of feces was found on floors and clothes. Many of these children were found left on the street. Conditions were immensely inadequate. Emily Fischer later shared with the group her realization that brokenness has faces. It has skin with sores and eyes yellowed with disease. God’s heart for orphans became an imminent reality today.

Upon entering the orphanage, every team member immediately took to loving the children, and soon Christ’s love brought smiles and laughter to the children as we held them, performed Bible story skits, and crafted bracelets. We set up a small bath outside where we washed the small children’s feet of the dirt, feces, and scabs that clung to them. Please take the time to ask a team member what they learned about the heart of God through this experience, as God has taught each one of us something. Today was only World Hope’s second time to this orphanage, and we are hopeful to serve this place in some capacity in the future in order to satisfy the need for shoes, clothes, basic pharmaceuticals, food, education, and love.

Through our short time in Haiti, God has spoken realizations that are both liberating and burdening. The trashy streets may be a physical reality in Haiti, but they are a spiritual reality in America. The material poverty in Haiti has taught us something of the soul poverty in America. This idea is liberating because it frees us up to live our lives with the direction and focus that God intends for us. It is burdening because the task is large and the workers are few. Deidrick shared from John chapter 1, “The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not overcome it.” Matthew 5:14 says, “[We] are the light of the world.” We pray that, as we return home, we are able to embrace and spread this truth, bearing the fruit of its spiritual and practical implications in order that God’s people may further his Kingdom.

Tomorrow (Tuesday), we return home. Pray for safe travels, and we will see you at 1:00am!