Over the last 8 years, I have traveled to Haiti several
times. My visits have consisted of
working at an orphanage, building relationships with the poor and oppressed,
bringing donations to those in need, ministering to children and adults, little
bit of snuggling, and lots of praying and crying.
Some of the people I meet are hungry, tired, poor, sick,
homeless, without family, without resources, without education, without
hope. Yet, in the midst of what I would
consider despair, they are smiling, thankful, and giving. It used to surprise me when they would try to
give me gifts. They have nothing, yet
they want me to have something. One
little boy at the orphanage excitedly received a hot wheels car we brought him. He played with it for two days straight with
a big smile on his face. Then, he came
to me and gave it back. I said, “no,
this is yours to keep – a gift.” He just
smiled and said, “no, this is yours to keep – a gift!” I returned to my room that night and
cried. I didn’t just shed a tear or two,
I wept. I remember lying in my friend’s
lap and saying, “we have to do more, how can we just come here, give out a few
gifts, play with the kids, and leave?”
My heart ached, and I began to wonder how I was going to go home and
resume my life after all I had just experienced. When that particular trip came to an end, I
felt like there was so much more I needed to do. It was hard to leave Haiti; it’s always hard
for me to leave Haiti. I reluctantly
flew home with my heart aching and my mind racing.
It takes a while before I mentally return home. I try to return to my everyday life, but as
I’m getting ready for work and choosing which of my 6 nice pairs of work shoes
will go best with my outfit, I can’t help but wonder why I own so many shoes. Getting in my clean, air conditioned vehicle
that I used to think was old and crummy, now suddenly seems luxurious. As I pull into my favorite coffee stand to
buy my weekly latte, I feel a pang of guilt – do I need a $4.00 treat when the
people in my heart could feed their family for a week on $4.00?
I don’t believe God is trying to make me feel guilty, but
rather aware. I’m aware that I was
fortunate enough to be born into a family in the USA that could provide for my
needs. This awareness has caused me to
be thankful for the things I have, and thoughtful of the things I don’t
need.
Each time I return home I am convicted to do something more
than just visit Haiti. So, each time, I
do a little something - a small fundraiser, and it’s great. The problem is, it doesn’t last - it’s all
temporary. We raise money, send it down,
and go on with our lives.
Things were about to change for me. In May 2012, while in Haiti, I ventured out
from my routine work in the capital Port-Au-Prince to a small city on the
southern coast of Haiti called Jacmel. A
sweet little Haitian woman with a big heart, named Ismaelite, who had become a good friend of
mine, invited me to visit her and see what God was doing in Jacmel through her
new ministry. She had begun work in
December 2010 to help the poor and oppressed.
Because of the earthquake, the need was even greater, so there was no
shortage of families she could assist.
She followed the leading of the Lord and started with a
vision and just a small group of people who shared her vision. Diligently, she worked at raising support,
made her own sacrifices, and after 2 years, they have done amazing work in the
community. Children, who would otherwise
spend their days at home doing chores or looking for paying jobs, now get to go
to school! They are receiving quality
education, with time carved out in the school day to learn about the love of
the Lord. They are also learning both
English and French, which are key to securing a profitable career in
Haiti. Because they are committed to
seeing these children all the way through high school, they will have
opportunities their parents never had.
Currently, they are supporting 26 children and families!
Many more in the community are benefiting as well. They have helped farmers by providing proper
tools and assisting in planting, they have fed and clothed families in
desperate need, and supported earthquake victims with relief, all in the name
of The Lord.
I was so encouraged to see the positive impact they were
having on the community in Jacmel, I knew that when I returned home this time,
I would forever be a part of this ministry!
So, once again I returned home leaving my heart behind. The difference this time was that I knew
getting involved would mean investing in literally changing lives for the
better. This wasn’t going to be
temporary – it would last! My husband
and I began praying about our role in all of this. Thankfully, God brought to
us a representative from an established ministry here in Spokane called Grace
Giving International. Since 2009, Grace
Giving has been changing lives and providing opportunities to children and
families around the world while being the hands and healing presence of Jesus
Christ. Their programs in Uganda and Ethiopia were very similar to the program
we wanted to support in Haiti. Thus, a
partnership began! GGI is excited about
expanding their mission to Haiti, and we are blessed to be able to come under
this already established ministry. God
answered our prayers, now we will answer His call.
Psalm 9:18 says, “But God
will never forget the needy – the
hope of the afflicted will never perish.”
We are committed to work diligently to raise support to help
GGI’s program in Jacmel be successful.
And we will never stop sharing of Christ’s love, so the ones being
blessed will know where their true hope lies.
So, what are our goals for the future? First, is to secure a large building in
Jacmel to use as a school by August 2013.
In order to take more children into the program, we need to have a
school to send them to. This is our
first and biggest need. Once a building
is secured, we will begin working on child sponsorship. Our goal is to have 30 new children sponsored
by the end of 2013. Then, 30 more in
2014! Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we
exceeded our goal? It would be just like
God to go well above and beyond what we think possible!
Would you consider partnering with us? We need volunteers, we need one time and
monthly donors, we need people who would be willing to invest in a child’s life
by sponsoring them. My challenge to you
today would be to look closely at where you spend your time and money. What do you indulge in? Maybe you’re like me and love your weekly
lattes. Maybe you’re tired of boring
sack lunches and eat out a couple times a week.
Maybe you have plans to upgrade the service on your cell phone, just one
more time. But, before you do, would you consider the less fortunate? Consider the ones who have never owned their
own pair of shoes, or who don’t have a mattress in their home to sleep on. I understand that our natural tendency is to
grasp what we have, instead of freely give to those in need. It’s about perspective, what we want vs. what
we need. So, today, would you decide
what it is you can live without, add it up, and give it away?
Serving Him with excitement,
KarlaGrace Giving - Haiti Program Director
If you’re interested in donating, visit our website at www.gracegivinginternational.org
To find out about volunteering opportunities or supporting
us in other ways, contact me directly - karla@gracegivinginternational.org
