Haiti and my Heart

A couple of days ago, I was asked to write a couple of paragraphs on "what Haiti did for me." The request couldn't have been more accurate. While our team was on a mission to the bless the clinic and the Haitian community, each one of us would undoubtedly say that the blessing we received was huge. Here's what I had to say:

Traveling to Haiti was an experience I've been anticipating for years. After hearing stories from doctors and nurses who have been faithful to God's calling by pursuing a medical career in other countries or cultures, I jumped at the opportunity to head to Haiti. I was exhilarated in the week leading up to our departure. It was a curious sort of exhilaration; the feeling you have before you start down a ski run you've never ventured down before. I wasn't sure what was going to come of the experience, but I had a peace from the Lord that told me it would be worth every penny.

Mountains Beyond Mountains.

And 4 adorable little boys who constantly asked, "Give me one dolla!" or "Give me one soccer ball!"

 
After experiencing life in the mountains of Haiti, surrounded by God's creation and the love of the Haitian people, I use the same word to describe the current state of my heart--exhilarated. The exhilaration I felt before is now channelled into a focused hunger for serving God and others. It's a direct result of Christ's love that I felt as I was welcomed by an elderly Haitian couple while spending an afternoon visiting homes to gather information for future public health education. Or by the Haitian woman I met in the NY airport and her warm embrace as we were reunited again in the baggage claim in Haiti.  It ignited a desire to be on fire for God. Revelation 3:15-17 says, "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth." A lukewarm life is comfortable, providing a false sense of security. The raw experience that Haiti provided encouraged me to get uncomfortable. To be faithful to God. To be hot when the people and the world around me tell me a lukewarm life is just fine.