PACKING UP

MONDAY JANUARY 26, 2010

The emotions of the last day of a short term mission trip are intense. You are exhausted physically, mentally and emotionally. You long for a hot bath and the comfort of your own bed. You miss your family terribly and tear up at the thought of a loving embrace and kiss. And yet your heart is torn. You just figured out how to function effectively here. You finally have some sort of routine going and better understand how you can best serve in this setting. You have built relationships with others on the team and the precious people of Haiti. You can actually speak a few words of Creole and communicate with the people. In awe, you realize how much the team has accomplished this week with God's help....and you are intensely aware of how much more still needs to be done. How can you possibly leave? Your life will never be the same.

Our team worked hard again today. They set up a medical clinic at Karen's place and saw patients from sun up to sun down again. The injuries seemed even more severe today. Jim, Jonathan and Michael transported people to a doctor's station just a few miles outside the Dominican Republic. The roads were incredibly busy. There were hundreds of big semi trucks filled with supplies from all over the world coming in from the Dominican Republic to Port-au-Prince. Many places the traffic came to a dead stop and the truck drivers would just get out of their trucks to stretch and talk to each other. Thank God for the caring hearts of so many people who are donating money for much needed tents, water, food, clothes, and medical supplies. Please pray that there will be some organization in the way that the supplies are distributed to the people. The airport is packed with supplies and people coming in to help. Just today, a large group of 40 people flew in from LA. The problem is that if they are not plugged in to someone locally, they have no idea what to do or where to go when they get to the city. How blessed we are to have the Christian Light Mission site as a base to work from. God has provided us with wonderful ongoing relationships in Haiti which help us network, find resources and meet the needs of the people effectively. A huge thank you to the many missionaries and people in Haiti who have worked tirelessly with our team to allow us to serve so many people this week.

Pastor Mike preached again today at the clinic and many souls were saved. Hearts are receptive and Pastor Mike's words are anointed. Thank you God.

Dr. Karen's flu bug has passed and she was working at 100% again today (not that she ever stopped! ). Praise God for answered prayer. When the last patient was seen today, our medical team let out a praise whoop and gave high fives. A job well done. It took hours to pack up all the medicines and supplies for the next medical team to use. Then everyone began to pack up their belongings for the trip home Tuesday. Funny, when you begin to pack is when you realize you can't possibly get it all back in the suitcase. How do you pack the memories, the love, the faces, the experiences of the week? You find yourself crying but you can't fall apart - you must prepare for the evening devotions and you don't want to miss the last night with your new friends. The last meal together will be filled with lots of laughter and sharing of memories. The evening devotions will be filled with praise and singing and sharing. Each person will share their special memories of the week and will be encouraged to look for the lessons. There will be an overwhelming sense of the presence of God - and there will be many tears of pain and joy shared. The team is homeward bound- yet they will leave a piece of their heart there in Haiti. They will vow to return soon to work again. They will lay down tonight and go through their own reflections of the week.

Our team secured seats on an MFI flight to Fort Pierce leaving Port-au-Prince mid morning on Tuesday. They should be back home for dinner. It seems they are all craving Pizza now and they plan to stop at the closest Pizza Hut once they land in the States. :) I know everyone wants to see them and hear their stories, but I encourage you to give them a few hours to adjust when they get home. They have seen a lot this week..... they have given their all. I remember standing in the hot shower for a long time feeling numb to the world. I remember the joy of falling into my own bed and feeling the comfort of the soft sheets and pillows. I remember the stabbing pain in my heart as I realized with every drink of available water, every bath, every comfort of home that my precious new friends in Haiti could not experience this blessing. They will never know these comforts which I take so for granted. And I wept...and I held my hands up in praise and prayer.....and I cried some more. Forever changed. Thank you God.

PLEASE PRAY FOR A SAFE JOURNEY HOME FOR OUR MISSION TEAM TODAY. Pray that others will now go and fill the gap there in Haiti. There are many specific prayer needs that I will be posting along with some special words from Jim and others on the team. Please keep checking the blog so we can share important updates with you. Thank you for your continued prayers.