I recently returned from a short term mission trip to Grand Goave Haiti with Indiana State University Christian Student Fellowship. This was my second trip to this area with ISU, and I knew that this trip would be a little bit different from last May’s trip. I knew that Grand Goave had been effected by the January 12th earthquake, and I knew that the town has been in a state of distress for sometime afterwards. I had read constant email updates from friends who were there, and I took what they were telling me and showing me in their messages as a chance for me to ‘prepare’ myself for what was to come.

Pre departure I thought I had prepared myself for the trip, but when I arrived I found out I had over prepared myself. The town of Grand Goave has still yet to return to the norm in terms of way’s of life. Many people are still homeless and living in tent cities located throughout the community. These tents are made of plastic tarps, essentially a green house during the mid day heat of the tropical region of Haiti.

When I returned to the states I found myself having a somewhat of a difficult time in adapting to the life of an American. For example every night I slept in a bed, while my Haitian brothers and sisters slept on the ground just a few hundred feet away from me. One day while we were in a tent city, fragile frail elderly people came up to us to share their story’s. Many of which stated they had not eaten much food for several days.

When we left Port-au-Prince on our Flight back to the states, I sat there in my seat looking out the window, crying. I was crying because I knew that I was leaving a country that holds a special place in my heart and I knew what was in store for me at home. I was coming home to a lot of things the Haitians do not have. A comfortable air conditioned office to work in, the ability of a car that gets me where I want to go, an extremely comfortable bed to sleep on, or a meal on the table every night.

I was almost to the point of being sick because I did not want to get on that plane and come home. I knew that there was more work to be done in the country, and I felt like I could help. But God had other plans.

Since my return I have continued to have subtle reminders of my time’s in Haiti. There have been two separate occasions where I have had tears during the invitation song at church, because the song has taken be back to Haiti.

For now I patiently await my return to Haiti. I know God is going to provide me with the means. But I find myself trying to “rush” that timing and I sit here and I have to stop and think about Jeremiah 29:11
11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. NLT