A Little Sliver of Heaven, Saturated with Grace

My husband, Joe, and I have been married for almost 14 years, and we have both loved Jesus even longer than that.

But, last week, we discovered the difference in loving Jesus and being Jesus' love as we embarked on on our (first ever!) mission trip to Merger, Haiti, where we jumped in with both feet!

We left our two small children with both sets of doting grandparents; put our mid-30's aged bodies down each night and slept in a tent; and lived with very limited electricity, no running water (OR INTERNET!!), and definitely no A/C unless you count the (warm) breezes at night. (I'm also pretty sure that July is the hottest month of the year there.)

As you might imagine, we're getting the following question quite a bit in this first week home:

"How was Haiti??"

It's a hard one to answer.  But I thought I should try… you know, because you're probably here to find that kind of information. And, since it depends on where I am in processing the trip at the time I hear the question, this is my multiple choice answer:

A: "It was hot!! But you know what's hotter? My husband! Thanks to Haiti, I love him more than I ever have!! I can  guarantee that you'll find your spouse "hotter than Haiti" (haha) if you SERVE TOGETHER!! It brings out the best in you  and your mate and you'll not only go deeper with God, but you'll do it together. And there's nothing that brings greater  relationship than the Author of Life and Love." 

Joe preached at New Life church, our partner for the week, and had me join him in sharing our testimony. And we gave back rides to these two cuties! 

B: "Haiti is BEAUTIFUL (and HOT)! Not only the scenery, especially in the Merger area, but the people match (and even  exceed) the beauty of their country. The truth is I'd rather have Haitian neighbors than American ones! The hospitality is  overwhelming!! Not only were we welcomed into people's modest homes with nothing but love and smiles, but we were  actually welcomed into their lives for the week. They freely requested prayer, and shared personal fears and needs.  Such humility! And the Haitian kids? Words (almost 🙂 ) escape me. These kids love with abandon. They tackle you with  hugs. Almost every face is lit up with a smile. Their eyes dance. They look for every opportunity for fist bumps, to throw  their arms around your waist or neck, to grab your hand and hold it, to kiss your cheek… Oh! How I miss them! When's  the last time you could say any of this about your neighbors (or neighborhood kids)?

Just look at the beauty of the area. From the roof of the house we could see mountains AND the Caribbean sea. And it goes without saying the fun we had with the kids.

C:  "Do you want me to bring the 'the heavy' answer to that question? Because it's actually a question of my own… How can  a boy, who can't even walk because his legs are shriveled and atrophied from some form of palsy, LEAVE  FOOTPRINTS ON YOUR HEART? Because that's exactly what happened when we prayed for this special boy,  Darouis."

We don't know the whole story of his life, but this boy had more Jesus in his smile and eyes than most anyone I've ever met. And we believe he'll walk, talk, and play soccer someday.

These are all the things I want to say. But mostly, (and probably thankfully on behalf of the person asking) my husband and I just look at each other and smile.

Haiti was, and is, amazing, friends. Saying "yes!" to the adventure wasn't easy, but it was one of the best decisions we've made. God planted some big ol' seeds in our hearts while we were there. You can bet that we're guarding them, praying for Him to water them, and eagerly waiting to see what sprouts up. 

If you're reading this and feel the tug at your heart: PLEASE GO! If you don't yet: PRAY. Our week in Haiti gave us the opportunity to truly love our neighbor as ourselves. But even better, it was like God pulled back a small little sliver of Heaven and saturated us with His grace; and for all the love we put out, we felt more in return. 

"You will always make a profit where you give yourself away to others. Let me suggest that the personal delight of giving massive sums of money away is decidedly minuscule in comparison to the joy you will realize by giving yourself away to a worthy Kingdom cause." – Jay Link

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Brandi is a wife to one, mom to two, and devoted fair trade fashionista. It was rough for her to leave behind fashion, make up, and internet for a week, but if she can do it, anyone can! If you want to hear more of her ramblings and find out why she believes fair trade standards will help alleviate poverty around the world, check out her blog over at http://thefairtradefashionistas.wordpress.com