It's About the Relationship: Haiti Day 6 By Cortney Donelson

Philippians 2:5 (NIV)

“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.”

Source: Photo taken in Haiti village

Haiti Day 6 brought a wonderful surprise. We were permitted to cut out of our work after just a half day. The head of Heartline Ministries wanted to take us to a mountain village where he and some of his team had built a few one-room houses for people left homeless after the earthquake in 2010.

After lunch, we drove up the long, rocky gravel path. The potholes in North Carolina pale in comparison to what we experienced on this mountain road. However, let me set the scene further here. This wasn’t like any North Carolina mountain either. In my home state, the mountains are bright with colors – healthy greens and browns. The trees are thick enough to provide thousands of miles of canopy shade.

This mountain in Haiti had small, thin trees scattered many yards apart, and they were not very tall. Grass was nonexistent. There were dirt roads, dirt fields, and dirt yards … no protection from the Caribbean sun. Along the roadside were one-room houses made from concrete, tin, tent material, stucco, or recycled materials. Some houses had a layer of Tyvek material over the outer wall with the name of the organization that built the house – World Vision, UNICEF, and Red Cross, to name a few.

A few members of our group expressed hesitancy about going to visit the people in this village. “We aren’t bringing anything. Are they going to think we are just coming to stare at how they live for an hour?” At that moment, I did not share the same concerns. I just wanted to spend time with the people I came to serve. However, I was not prepared for the reaction we received when we arrived…

There were two dozen children of varying ages standing around a well, taking turns pumping water into large plastic buckets. They were completing their daily chore. When our two trucks pulled up, a few of the kids scampered away and found a beat-up soccer ball. Five short minutes later, a group of missionaries and Haitian children had formed a circle and were passing the ball back and forth. In a community that spoke only Creole, soccer had just become the universal language for us all. No more than five minutes after that, a full-fledged soccer game had ensued. The Haitian boys seemed not to notice their shoes (if they wore any at all) were half missing or breaking apart as they ran.

At the same time, a Haitian girl waved me over to a narrow line of shade provided by one of the small houses. “What is your name?” she asked in English.

“Cortney … You know English?” I asked. “Yes, I am in level 6 English school. I am the only one,” she answered with a shy smile.

“That’s great! You speak English very well. What is your name?”

“Maneeya … You’re very pretty.” My heart melted. “You’re very pretty too,” I said. We talked for a few minutes. She translated for the others around her. Her friend standing next to her asked me if he could have the sneakers I had tied to my backpack. I desperately wanted to give them to him, but we were advised not to give out anything unless we had enough for everyone. My heart that had been melting from this girl’s sweet compliment just broke into a million pieces. I wished more than anything I could have given these kids everything I had – my shoes, clothes, water bottle, hat, snacks. I was supplied; they were not. I started to feel the anxiety the other members had been expressing before we arrived. “How can we come with nothing to give?” Then, I looked around…

Source: Photo of water well

This is what I saw – a 16-year-old girl from our group teaching the kids how to play volleyball with an old soccer ball, a Haitian family wanting to give a tour of their humble home, and some of the other members from our group pumping water for the Haitian kids, relieving them of their afternoon chore.

This is what I heard – voices in Creole and English speaking to each other, feet sliding on dirt as boys raced for a soccer ball, and giggles from a Haitian toddler and the childless couple in our group as they held that tiny child in their arms. Shouts of joy and laughter filled the air.

This is just a taste of what God can do if we take the time to get out of our comfort zones and spend time with and care for people right where they are…

Philippians 2:5 teaches us, “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.” Jesus didn’t have shoes, clothes, or money to give away as He traveled from town to town. He was poor and homeless. What He did bring was love, truth, hope, and mercy. What He offered was His time and a relationship with our Heavenly Father that no one can attain on his own.

For this hot and dusty village in Haiti, all we had introduced was some fun and a break in their routine. What we offered was ourselves – as Jesus did for us all – and on that day, it was more than enough.

Prayer – Lord, I am so very humbled to be Your servant. I pray You bless those who seek You first and foremost, especially those who suffer so much in this world. Thank You for the relationship You offer us all through Christ Jesus. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

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