This past week I was able to connect with the Haitians on a deeper level than any other time before. We spent several mornings down at the Hope House (which is an orphanage at the mission), but instead of spending all of our time loving on the kids, we spent time also loving on the “mommies” of the orphans, the women who have devoted their lives and made huge sacrifices from their own families to care for the orphans at mission of hope. This was the first time ANY team had shared time with them or talked with them. These “mommies” shared their stories and life struggles with us and we attempted to do the same, but everything I had to say sounded so silly or small compared to the problems they were facing. And above all else, I was shown what it means to honestly trust and fully depend on the Lord. These women were truly authentic women of God, and as I sat there with them studying God’s Word, I prayed to the Lord that I could have that same authentic faith.

The rest of the time in Haiti (in the afternoons) was spent out in the villages witnessing, sharing stories, singing, dancing, and loving on the kids.  This is where God starts to peel away the layers of my heart and everything becomes raw. Our teams have never spent so much time out in the villages as we did this past week, and as heart breaking as it becomes, it is also so crucial for me (and I’m assuming everyone else on the team) for us to see the reality of the Haitian culture.  To see that it’s not a movie, its not a bad dream, and there is no relief from it (except those who have shared with me and said they find hope through our Lord Jesus Christ). There it is again, yet another great example of authentic faith. It makes me wonder if I can ever develop such a close relationship with the Lord as they have…it can be so difficult for me to fully depend on God when there is so much around me that I can lean on. Do you ever feel that way?

So the big question after the end of a trip is “whats next?” The question isn’t asking me what my plans are for the weekend or even for the rest of the summer. It’s not asking about the logistics, rather what is next for me in my path of advancing God’s Kingdom and bringing Him the glory He deserves.  For me, it is time to start planning the next Haiti Trip that I have the privilege of leading in October. In the midst of school, work at the VA hospital, and volunteering in the outreach department at church, the odds are against me for becoming distracted and forgetting where God wants my heart. So my plan is to earnestly seek Him, continue to make my life decisions based on where I feel He is calling me, and spending time resting in His presence (so that I can become closer to Him and begin to develop that authentic faith my heart longs for).

As I close, I would like to ask for your prayers. The first is to help me pray for the nation of Haiti and more specifically the Mission of Hope. God is doing great things through Mission of Hope and I pray that He continues to bless them and provide as they strive to reach a young generation for Christ. The other thing I ask you to pray for is for me to seek God’s heart and listen to His calling. I am praying about the possibility of  heading down to Haiti to join the vision of Mission of Hope by working alongside them as an intern.  Right now I am praying for the Lord’s guidance on what to do. I am certain that God has put it on my heart to stay connected with Haiti. My family is being supportive and allowing me to pray and seek the Lord for the answer (keeping their opinions on hold for the time being).  I ask that you help me pray that my decision be based on God and not based on what I feel would be more “comfortable” or “convenient” for me.

Thank you dear friends and family for your support and prayers you have given me through out the years. I hold you all dear to my heart and pray that God blesses you and provides His love, hope and grace as you fight through life’s everyday struggles. The media and society continue to tell us that we are going through uncertain times with the economy, government, and even with worldwide issues, but with Jesus as our leader and Savior the control is no longer ours…He is the One in control…and I am certain there is no need to worry for we are in good Hands.

“Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own”

~Matthew 6:34~

Blessings!

Mel

Devine Moments

By the grace of God and the blessings of my nursing professors, I was able to take a week off of nursing school so I could go back to the beginning (for my 3rd mission trip to Haiti). While I was in Haiti God provided a variety of opportunities to love and be like Christ. This trip I was able to set up a Health Education room where we provided each patient with hygiene supplies, basic health education, and hats/shoes to take with them. The rewarding part of this experience was the opportunity of telling them who Jesus is and what it means to be a follower of Christ. The most divine part of the trip was when I had the opportunity to lead my first two people to Christ.  The second person was a 14 year old girl. I had just seen her mom an hour before (who declined to hear anything about Jesus.) You see, her mom was a voodoo priestess (which for those of you who aren’t sure, voodoo is the worship of Satan and his “angels”) and Jesus stood against everything she was taught to believe. Her daughter, who came in by herself, had never heard of Jesus, and when I told her about Him and what He had to offer, she seemed interested, but was still a little hesitant. So I gave her a salvation bracelet and told her what it represented. I told her that Jesus was always with her, wherever she was, and that He is waiting for her whenever she decides to accept Him into her life. As I was getting ready to say goodbye she told the translator she wanted to know Him. I led her in the acceptance prayer (had the translator translate) which she then repeated and accepted Christ into her heart and life that day. She was absolutely BEAMING afterwards!!! She had the biggest smile on her face when I told her that she was now my sister in Christ and that someday we would be reunited in Heaven. I gave her a big hug, invited her back to church at the mission the following Sunday and said goodbye. As awesome of an experience as it was, I felt there was something missing, I felt God tugging at my heart. But more on that in just a moment…

Difficult Moments

What we saw on our last day will be ingrained into my mind for a long time. About 20 minutes from the mission I was talking to my friend about the road construction in Haiti. You see the government has done a great job at fixing the roads so there aren’t so many potholes and enormous bumps everywhere, especially after the 4 hurricanes ripped through and destroyed everything. But what seems to be such a great advancement is also a frightening situation as well. We noticed that the Haitians were driving even faster than before and that we were afraid there would be more accidents. About 5 minutes after discussing this, we drove up on the most horrific thing I’ve ever seen. As the bus started to slow down we saw hundreds of Haitians gathered along side the road and two busses and a tap tap (taxi truck) piled into each other. The two buses had hit head on, one of which had rolled, and the tap tap was crushed in between the two. As we drove up closer on the accident we were able to see blood splattered on the outside of the vehicles, and we were instructed that we could not stop, that we had to protect ourselves and keep going. As bad as we wanted to stop and help, we knew it wasn’t smart to get off in the middle of all the chaos. And as we started to drive past the accident we looked at the back of one the busses and saw dead bodies stacked upon each other (some of them children). My heart still aches when I think about or picture the accident. It’s hard talking about life and death, and now I know it’s even harder witnessing it. That week I saw one life begin (or be reborn) and anothers end. Friends, it all helped me realize that the work we do and the time we spend in Haiti (and in our everyday lives) is extremely valuable. It reminded me how important it is to be the light of Christ to each person I encounter, because you really never know when it could be their last moment.

What’s Next

Do you remember that 14 year old girl I was privileged to lead to Christ? Remember how I felt something was missing afterwards and how God was laying something heavy on my heart? Well, that week I felt God was calling me to return to Haiti, but for a greater amount of time. He put this longing in my heart to want to be able to continue to disciple people, like that young girl who prayed to God for the first time that day. It made me thankful for the blessing I had of welcoming my new sister into the family. She quite possibly could have been one of the unlucky ones piled up in the back of the bus that day.  It made me realize how crucial it is to follow my heart, when I feel God speaking to me. And if God called me to Haiti that week just so that I could witness to those two individuals, let me tell you dear friends, it was worth every penny and every single second of my time!

When we left Haiti I felt a piece of my heart was left behind, once again. But as I continued to pray about it and seek the Lord, I knew in my heart that the Lord was not done with me in Haiti. I have decided to follow where I feel God is calling me and am in the process of applying for an internship down in Haiti for when I graduate (summer of 2010). A lot can happen in one year, and I have prayed that the Lord will open doors that no man can close, and close doors that no man can open. I have laid out my heart to Him and am willing to go wherever He leads me.

So, I’m now in the midst of searching and applying for jobs for the summer, and also to make plans for when I will visit Haiti again this year.  I’m making plans to learn Haitian Kreole so that I can better converse with my brothers and sisters back in Haiti next time. As I finish this last semester of my Junior year, I’m not sure what God has planned for tomorrow, or next week, or next month. But I’m incredibly excited to see what’s next and to see what God has in store for me each day. I’m comforted by God’s promise in Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

I pray that you too can find peace in the promises the Lord has made!

Blessings my friends,

Mel

Hello dear friends and family!

           Well, it’s the beginning of the semester and life seems to be moving at full speed. I’ve been back in the United States for almost a month now and still haven’t processed everything that happened these past few months. God used this summer to continue to open my eyes and heart to the reasons behind why we are called to do missions. And the more He continued to stir something inside of me, the more I realized that I was right where I was meant to be…right there in Ethiopia, Africa and right there in Haiti, sharing the love of God and the love for God with my unreached brothers and sisters in Christ.

            My trip to Ethiopia was unlike anything I had ever experienced. It took even a few days for it to sink in that I was, in fact, in AFRICA. After a day and a half of travel, our first two days being at Project Mercy (which is the compound where we stayed) was spent becoming familiar with the area and starting to build relationships with the orphans that lived there. In all honesty, the week started off a bit slow. Being that this was our first time working with Project Mercy we were unaware of what God had in store for us. Compared to the United States and even my previous time spent in Haiti, it was a much laid back atmosphere and it was a vast adjustment for all of us. We all remained patient and trusted that God would provide opportunities throughout the week for us to fully serve Him, connect with the Ethiopians, and find peace in His presence.

On Sunday we attended the “worship service” (which it is referred to as such because the majority of the population is Muslim). While we were there we were humbled when we observed their immense passion to worship God. That same day we were given the opportunity to hike/climb up a mountain to see a waterfall. It was the most vigorous, dangerous, exhilarating, and divine experience of my life thus far! Not only did we learn to trust the members of our team, but we learned how to put all of our trust into God. That night, after such an emotionally and physically draining day, our team had a night of reflection and prayer that left tears in each of our eyes. God used that experience on the mountain to bring us together in order to better serve Him through out the week.

The next couple of days the team worked on random projects around the compound which included painting the kid’s dining hall and cleaning, scrubbing, sanding, painting, and assembling their benches they sat on. What I found so amazing was that these orphans continued to offer a hand with whatever we did. They helped us paint the dining hall in the beginning (which ended up being way too messy!) and helped us clean and sand the benches. They enjoyed working with us because it gave them the opportunity to spend time with us, and we also loved it because it gave us the opportunity to love all over them.

One of the mornings I had an opportunity to walk up to their hospital to observe and learn more about the healthcare and education in Ethiopia. I was impressed with their facilities and was so privileged to have been able to see nurses working in a third world country. The rest of our week was spent doing Vacation Bible School with the orphans and other children in the community. We had a bible story, games/relays, crafts, and music station for them to be able to interact, worship, and learn more about God. It was the FIRST time these children had ever done anything like VBS. That simple fact right there is what makes me believe there is much of God’s work to be done all around the world.

            On Friday, we had the opportunity to go to Butajira (the nearest town) to attend market day, walk through the streets, and look at their shops. Our last day in Ethiopia was spent in the capital, Addis Ababa, to absorb a little bit of the culture. We drove through the city taking in our surroundings, had our last lunch in Africa, and bartered on the streets. We were also able to shower and change at the missionaries house before venturing on our long journey back to the States. 35 hours later we were back home in Fort Wayne. I was relatively jetlagged but knew it was time for me to start preparing for Haiti.

            Some of you know that I was able to share my Africa experience with Brad and Vanessa Johnson (our partner missionaries in Haiti). I absolutely adored the chance to get to know them and start a long-lasting friendship with them. I was able to get the “behind the scenes” information of what it takes to run Mission of Hope in Haiti. I was able to ask endless questions and grasp the vision they have for glorifying God in Haiti. Spending time with them and learning about their passion for Haiti prepared me for my upcoming trip…

The next post is a continuation of my trip to Haiti–>

We had many obstacles and roadblocks during our journey down to Haiti. We ended up staying the night in Miami and didn’t make it down to Haiti until Sunday afternoon. We unfortunately missed the worship service Sunday morning which I was bummed about; however, I was completely content with being back in Haiti. Through all the commotion at the airport and the overwhelming, eye-opening bus ride to the mission, I had this great sense of peace being there. In a way it felt like home.

As I shared with some of you, I had been somewhat skeptical that this trip could measure up to my first international mission trip to Haiti. That week in February marked the beginning of a new chapter in my life and it was hard to believe that this trip (and even the trip to Africa) could change me even more. Well, God obviously had greater ideas in mind because this trip rocked my world yet again. This trip was a lot different than my first trip. It was unbelievable how much had changed at the clinic (at mission of hope) since I was there in February. They are officially up and running the clinic with their own Haitian staff, which made it somewhat challenging for those veterans who had been used to ”the way things were” in the past. It took some mighty prayer and patience and it was a slow start but everyone adjusted and worked together. The first time I went to Haiti back in February we saw close to 1500 patients and this time we only saw roughly 300. It was quite the difference! But in the end it allowed us to spend time with the staff and translators, have the opportunity to play with the orphans, and help on miscellaneous projects around the mission in the afternoons. Our construction crew worked on building orphan houses as a part of The Chapel’s fundraising for Habitat for Humanity. (For those of you Chapel Members it’s what we refer to as BHAG). One afternoon I painted the security office with a few other women and then when we were finished we played with the kids. It was so great to see all those familiar faces and was awesome meeting new ones for the first time as well. I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to interact with the Haitians my own age and be able to converse with them in both English and Creole.

On Thursday evening I was given the opportunity to lead devotions where I compared the similarities and differences between Africa and Haiti and mentioned that in the end, no matter what country or continent, we are simply following Jesus’ command, “Therefore GO make disciples of all nations” Matthew 28:19. In addition I was also able to lead a group of people into the nearby villages where we went to an orphanage, visited a few houses that previous teams had built, and interacted with the people in the community (and not to mention had the chance to eat at a real Haitian restaurant). I was impressed with how well our team adjusted to the circumstances (including the tremendous heat they had down there!)

  There were 5 other young adults on the trip which allowed me to reach out and mentor to them being first timers and guide them through out the week both emotionally and spiritually. I must admit that my absolute favorite part of this trip was watching these other young adults experience Haiti for the first time and see how they were transformed through out the week. It gives me chills just thinking about how big of an impact it had on their lives (not to mention mine too!). It gives me joy to know their lives had been touched by the Lord and it’s awesome to know that our love for Haiti will be something shared between us forever.

 So, now I’m facing the starting line of my Junior year at University of Saint Francis where I’m taking on two clinical days and where I will hopefully become more confident in my nursing skills. In addition to classes and clinicals I have recently joined the Peer Ministers at USF, where I will be connecting with other students and hopefully help get them connected into outreach in the community. I will be working towards doing one project each semester this year to get my fellow students involved in supporting Mission of Hope in Haiti, and would like to accomplish forming a student spring break trip planned to go to Haiti my senior year. I am also pursuing to obtain more knowledge and experience with missions so I will be interning in the outreach office at The Chapel at least one day a week. I’m pleased to also be working with a team of young adults on Sunday mornings to help The Chapel change their variety of worship in order to target people of all generations.

             I’m particularly excited to see what’s next for me in God’s plan. I have dreams of someday combining my nursing knowledge with my passion for those unreached people of the world. Where that will lead me, only God knows, but it motivates me to keep seeking Him and making sure I continue to follow His path instead of my own.

            Once again, I would like to thank each of you for all of your generosity, support, and prayers. Thank you for being my “senders” and supporters. Without you it would have been difficult to follow my heart and step out in this life changing journey (which has just begun!). I believe God still has plans for me to continue discipling. On any future trips I will use this blog to update those of you who are interested in hearing stories and viewing pictures. Thank you so much for your invested interest in glorifying God!

 Feel free to comment, email, or even call!

God Bless!

For Him,

Melissa Martin