Beyond Williamsburg, Virginia...: Haiti | July 2013

Giving life everywhere that we go.

This is less about where we go and ALL about WHO we go with. We desire to bring the reality of Jesus Christ everywhere that we go. Jesus said, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." Jesus is already at work in the World & we would not even begin to pretend that we are bringing Him somewhere that He is not already working. Through every mission trip we will encourage, support, and lift up those who are serving tirelessly in the location we are traveling to, whether that means Mexico, Washington D.C., New York City, or Williamsburg.

7.15.2013

Haiti | July 2013 | Blog 6

Sunday, 7/14/2013

As if almost on cue, the thought, “Was this going to work?” raced through my mind. Standing in front of the uneven courtyard filled with large rocks, sharp broken tile, wood, and trash, the vision of what the place could be almost became unclear. Often times that happens: when looking at the circumstances, the “what could be” can seem daunting.

There was still uncertainty as I invited the team to join me in a “project.” After surveying the land and establishing a plan, we got to work. With both wheelbarrows broken and no shovel to be found, we began moving everything by hand to the agreed upon location - the back of the dump-truck. Cleaning and leveling the Wings of Refuge Children’s Home courtyard would provide a different location for the party we were planning for the kids the next night. This deemed an adequate reason to clean up the space no matter the non-verbalized doubts that were running through our heads. Only a few minutes passed before Josh found a bucket and only a few more before we were joined by our new Haitian friends. The kids did not miss a beat. They jumped right in, watching us and then imitating accordingly. As more people joined in, more tools came to the surface. Adelin brought a shovel head, Keslourna found another bucket. Everyone did what they could do and did not apologize about what they could not. As each played their part, the job moved from insurmountable to an opportunity to make something better together.

The courtyard after we had cleaned and leveled it.

What began as a few of us shifting rocks concluded with many of us proud of a cleared and leveled courtyard. As kids danced the next evening in the new space, I remembered the work that went into making it possible and found joy in the impossibilities that become possible when we work together, silence our doubts in the light of the vision, offer our tools, and get our hands dirty.