Earlier today I saw an email from Mission of Hope: Haiti, that was in response to an article from the New York Times, entitled. “‘There Is No Hope’: Crisis Pushes Haiti to Brink of Collapse.” I read their well thought out and beautiful response before reading the article. With tears in my eyes and a braking heart, I started developing a response of my own as I read.
“There Is No Hope.”
These are words from a Haitian citizen who’s stuck in the midst of the maelstrom that has lingered for far too long over the country and incredible people of Haiti. To be smack in the middle of such an unrelenting storm; it’s no wonder this would become the thought process of anyone in the midst of such darkness.
But I’m not going to spend much time on the storm. The focus should be on the people in the storm. It should be on their incredible resiliency. To do so, I can only speak to what I have seen of Haiti and its people in my two visits.
In 2016, I first stepped onto Haitian soil.
I was immediately taken aback by the level of poverty in the country. My heart broke for Haiti. But as it broke, God began to change it. He began to show me these amazing people through a different lens; through the eyes of Christ. Where I once saw the devastation, and extreme poverty of a severely impoverished nation, I began to see that this people; a people with little to nothing of tangible and physical value were far more spiritually rich than I could have ever fathomed. What they lacked in material goods, they were exceedingly wealthy in spiritually and relationally. I watched children playing with an old motorcycle tire and saw more joy on their faces than I could understand. They had nearly nothing, and yet they were content; even joy-filled.
I quickly stopped looking at all the trash, the dilapidated buildings, and the other things we would look at only through a negative lens and began to see the incredible beauty in this foreign place. I fell in love with the country. I fell in love with the people. I fell in love with the fight I saw in them. The fight I believe they still have. The fight that, unfortunately has turned into countrywide unrest and violence. The spiritually righteous fight I pray they find again.
Where I felt more like a passenger along for the ride for most of the 2016 trip, 2017 was a different story all-together. I stepped into that trip ready to move to the forefront and out of the background. I’m thankful for the growth God brought me to ahead of the second trip. I say that because that growth further removed the scales from my eyes, and replaced them with a clear, untarnished lens to see the Haitian people through. They are beautiful beyond what words can describe. The light that shines through them, is stronger and greater than the darkness they face at present.
My prayer for the people and government of Haiti, and what I would ask anyone reading this to pray, is that they would see that light and move as one toward it. They need not be mired in this present darkness. It is weak, and the one who brings it upon them is a serpent; a coward and liar. While his venom is potent, and he is capable of great and terrible devastation, the light that is in them is stronger; like a powerful lion, waiting to strike the killing blow to the serpent’s head.
I pray that they will see that the light has not left them and will never leave them.
I pray they will find there is always hope.
IF you would like to provide support to Haiti in any way, please check out the link below for Mission of Hope: Haiti and pray for God to reveal how you can best support Haiti.
The Random Musings of a Nerdy Christ Follower 
Nice write-up. I am a travel blogger from India. Please give my blog a read too.
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