I look around and nothing has changed, yet I have changed. Our Haitian mission trip is now a flood of memories. Peoples faces lighting up when you simply smile and say hello.A sick little girl who only wanted to be held. The tears on an old man's face when kissed by a team member. The hug from an old woman when her water bucket was carried. Frustration in not being able to help the sick in City Soliel. The feeling of hopelessness in not being able to solve the problems we've seen.
So much has happened in so little time. Most of us volunteered for the mission trip to Haiti to help in a country we'd only read about. We all wanted to try to give comfort when needed. We all wanted to try to ease a burden, even if only for a little while.
Most of us were unprepared for the onslaught of raw emotions we encountered. Yet there was great comfort in knowing that you could share your feelings with a team member. We were all struggling at some point. As meaningful as the work we were doing was, the sharing and bonding that occurred amongst us was equally so. We came as individuals and left as a family. We cried, laughed and shared our deepest feelings and together we found a way to cope.
On the trip, we tried to make a difference in the lives of the Haitian people, but now we have the chance to make a difference in the lives of all peoples. The softening of the heart, the increased compassion and the change of your life's focus is the great gift of a mission trip such as this.
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