Tonight my heart is overflowing. Overflowing with joy yet sadness. With love yet despair. With aching yet yearning. The country and people of Haiti will tug at your heartstrings until there is nothing left to tug.
I had the privilege tonight to help teach English to middle school age children here in Grand Goave, Haiti. They know that if they are able to learn our language it will give them an opportunity to earn a better living whether it be as a fellow teacher or to assist the American missionaries as translators or many other English-speaking roles. They were eager to learn. Eager to be loved on. I learned their names and ages and we talked about the different colors. Just like any other child, they laughed and played games. They held my hand and gave me hugs. My heart was overjoyed. I have been so blessed to see God's love in these Haitian children.
Then we went out to dinner and drove through the town and I was reminded of the despair. I looked around at the tin roofs and tarp-made walls and think to myself "How do they do it? How do they laugh and play when they know this is what they're coming home to?" Clearly these children have it figured out better than I do. They see joy despite their circumstance. And that's what I've really learned and been reminded of so far on my 2nd mission trip to Haiti. It's not always about changing the ones you meet but opening your heart to let them change you.
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