Today was that kind of day

When you go on a mission trip, you expect to do, do, do.  You expect to build a house, dig a well, see some sort of tangible evidence that you have made a difference. Mother Teresa said that feeling unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty in the world. What Mother Teresa understood is that relationships, though intangible, are the real foundation -- the most significant and lasting contribution one can make. 

Today was that kind of day.

Two days ago, our team met up with some of the Haitian Initiative boys that many of us had built friendships with when the boys visited Minnesota.  That day was a highlight -- many team members were excited to reunite with these sweet boys who had stolen a piece of their hearts.  Who would've thought we could top that?

Building relationships is what makes life meaningful.  Loving others is what God expects.  If the greatest poverty is feeling unloved, then we are called to simply love each other.We need to work to overcome obstacles like culture, language and life experience.  Our day today was about love, just love. About being, not doing.  Today we journeyed to the beach with six of the boys from Haitian Initiative who had particularly close relationships with our team.  We were excited to pick up Wandsy, Jhon Moise, Bernado, Anis, Bathelmy and Reginald in Cite Soleil, and whisk them away to a beautiful beach for a special time together.  We wanted to show them -- and let them show us -- how thankful we are for one another. 

It was a picture perfect day!  Brilliant sunshine, aqua blue waters, and picturesque mountains were the backdrop to a day of playing in the water, catching up with one another through translators, and building friendships initiated in Minnesota.  It was important to make sure the boys know that they are loved and not forgotten.  What happiness!  One of the team members' word-of-the-day was 'child-like joy.'  She was remembering the enormous smiles on all of our faces, and the way the boys lit up during our time together.

We gained different perspective today. The rebuilding of Cite Soleil is a story of hope;  the people we met there are beautiful.  But today, the natural beauty of the coast of Haiti captured our hearts.

Today was filled with joy -- bonding as a team and connecting with the boys. Still, we know that these dear boys live in impossibly challenging conditions.  Our hearts were heavy as we dropped them off in Cite Soleil, and watched them walk away.  Many tears were shed at that time, and later, as we talked about the day, our relationships, our hopes for them, and the unfairness of it all.  There is no way to explain the frustration and sadness.  The poverty of Haiti has become personal for all of us.  These are our friends.  Some feel as if they are family.  These boys -- and the people of Haiti -- will always be in our hearts.  We know that we need to honor these experiences forever-- to look for ways to love the vulnerable and help however we can, in Haiti and at home.

Ak renmen ki soti Ayiti,
 Julie and Kendall