Many journeys of our lives start with a hope and a dream. Several months ago I was asked to consider bringing a team of teenagers on a mission trip to Haiti. I did not hesitate to say yes, and asked Sheri Williams who had approached me with the idea to set it into motion. Applications from our teenagers came quickly and soon we had more volunteers than we needed. Each teen raised part of the cost of the trip on their own and the rest was supported by the Fort Knox Chapel Services.
On April 1, 17 teenagers and five adults started their mission trip to Haiti. Leaving at 2 a.m. April 2 we made our way to Cincinnati. We then flew into Atlanta and after a short layover flew onto Port au Prince, Haiti. We arrived early in the afternoon and were picked up by vans to spend the night at a local pastor's house. This was an eye opener for the teens as the house had no running water, no electricity and most importantly, no Internet service. Almost everyone slept on the roof on top of 2-inch mattresses and under mosquito netting. In the street below us cattle freely roamed up and down as cars and trucks bounced over the rough pavement and rosters crowed in unison.
The next morning after a breakfast of boiled eggs and bread we continued on. We had a two-hour ride to get to the Port of Cariesse so we could catch a ferry to the Island of La Gonave. We arrived early, so many of us jumped into the warm waters of the Caribbean Ocean. We didn't have time to change into swimsuits, so into the water we plunged with whatever we were wearing at the time: shoes, sandals, jeans, shorts and shirts. The long ride in the ferry under the blazing sun would soon dry us out. The ferry was loaded to standing room only for those who arrived late and after a long and hot crossing we finally arrived at the port city of Anse-a-Galets on La Gonave Island.
Our next form of transportation was a large truck for the luggage and two pickup trucks for the passengers. So my prayer life got well exercised as we loaded up 25 people onto those trucks. These roads were merely worn paths upon lava rock. Huge gullies, broken rocks and narrow passages through the rough terrain moved up the mountain to the center of the island and the orphanage we would serve in the heart of this island. Though the distance was only a few miles it normally took 2 � hours to get to the village of Ti Palmiste. I say normally because it took us a bit longer. We were barely a couple of miles into the trip when one of the pickup trucks' clutch went out. So we unloaded from the broken down truck and loaded our personal backpacks unto the luggage truck and climbed on board. Here we were bounced, jostled, our teeth rattled and our legs became jello as we hung on for dear life. With a sigh of relieve we arrived at the missionaries' house which would become our home for the next week.
Why did we come to this remote place? For what purpose did we endure the loss of our normal comforts and give up or modern convenience? We came to serve and to love the children living in the orphanage of Ti Palmiste. Twenty-eight children live in this orphanage. Twenty-eight beautiful children who live without running water, without a stove or microwave, without washing machines and without phone or Internet. For the next few days the team worked hard--hand in hand with the eager children to build a playground. From bare ground that had to be leveled by hand with pick and shovel a tower was raised, then a ladder made, a ramp set and finally a swing set swung into motion.
During this week the children of the Community Orphanage of Ti Palmiste played with our teens, they laughed at the puppets, braided our hair and sat with us in church. Soccer was played upon the hard ground in the dust and rocks of the orphanage. Also in the hot sun children and teens played tag while dust clouds swirled around them. Kids sang to each other and a bond of love grew. The last night the teens shared with the children the swing set was in full motion and the tears swelled in most of their eyes. Little hands grasped the hands of big boys and girls and the hugs where tender and sweet. No heart was untouched and the memory of this mission trip will live on for years in our memories.
We spent the last day together on the beach. Rarely do the orphan kids get a chance to go to the ocean so this was a special day for them. Many do not know how to swim but the laugher and slashing in the cool waters refreshed everyone's soul. Five of the teenagers that went on this trip were baptized that day in those waters as they made a public confession of their faith. For it was not only the orphans who were changed. Love changes us all to be better than we were, to live our lives in a deeper relationship with each other and with our God.
A journey of love. I am so proud of every teen and adult leader that gave of their lives to make the lives of others better. We did not just leave a playground there in Ti Palmiste. We left a part of ourselves in the hearts and souls of those children. With sweat and a little blood, with sacrifice and endurance, we accomplished our mission and at the end found our own lives better for it.
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