Haiti Reflections

On my most recent mission trip to Haiti, our team jumped aboard the “tap tap” last Tuesday morning anticipating what God had in store for us to learn that day.  What was God going to teach us?  How were our hearts going to be opened?  How would we learn more about who God is through his own people?

 

That day we delivered water to a tent city where there is no clean drinking water or electricity, and there is sewage running through the streets.  Yet as we arrived in Cite Soleil the children mobbed us with large grins and joyful spirits.  Under the extreme poverty conditions the team was taken aback seeing the joy in their eyes, their large smiles and gigantic never-ending hugs.  Watching the line of water buckets continually growing, partnering with desperation, some team members witnessed excitement and gratefulness as the Haitians received their portion of clean water for their families. As we witnessed them walking with their water buckets to their homes and seeing the conditions, the reality of poverty and lack of comfort they have compared to what we have back in the states was striking and made us ask, “What is God trying to teach me?”  When God breaks our hearts for what breaks His, we can move into action.  Mark 12:31 reminds us, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  There is no other commandment greater than these.”  We do not have to go to Haiti to serve others or to be moved into action.  We can love and serve our neighbors in our own community and backyard. 

 

You are invited to serve with our church family on faith in ACT!ON Day, Sunday, March 22 when we have the opportunity to put our faith into action! Perhaps you will bring a pet to visit residents at a care center, or help assemble Kids Kits for Camp Noah, a summer camp for children whose neighborhoods have experienced trauma. Maybe you will serve breakfast at a homeless shelter, or perhaps you will build shelves or organize supplies for ReBuilding Together.  Out of town that day?  Consider donating supplies for one of the assembly projects as your way of serving.

Let’s move into action together, and spread the good news of Jesus! Sign up here for faith in ACT!ON Day by Monday, March 16.  Please sign up for the potluck also.

Written by: Hannah Koehler

Feed My Starving Children

God calls us into action.  Our faith is more than our words; it is taking the first baby step in getting out of our comfort zone and loving radically for Jesus through our actions. Little did I know last October when I boarded the airplane at 6:00 AM at our local airport and arrived at our final destination Port Au Prince, Haiti, my life would be turned upside down in every good way.  My world instantly had just gotten a little bit bigger. God was opening my heart to see the beauty and the pain that exists in Haiti.  My definition of beauty started to expand while I was there.  In the midst of garbage and tent cities, I saw beautiful people with overflowing hearts for their people and for their country. God was and is clearly present in Haiti. 

While in Haiti, one of the opportunities our team had was to put love into action; we delivered Feed My Starving Children boxes filled with manna packs to Isaiah’s Orphanage.  Having many experiences serving on the side of packaging manna packs at multiple locations in the Twin Cities, it was surreal to be on the other side and handing the boxes to the caretakers at the orphanage.  To be a first hand witness and see how Feed My Starving Children was making a difference in the world was unbelievable. Once we delivered the manna packs, we worshiped in creole, Glwa pou Bondye (Glory to God).  We proclaimed these words together through song and worship and tears fell from my eyes as I was blown away by God’s love for all people.    

 

I invite you to join me in serving at Feed My Starving Children with Resurrection on Friday, February 13, 2015 at the Eagan packing site. Our congregation is being challenged to fill an entire shift of 140 spots at Feed My Starving Children. I know the power of distributing food, but the food would not be distributed if we did not have volunteers to pack the food at each packing site.  We do not have to travel to a third world country to make a difference. We can serve right where God has planted us. 

Please sign up to take an hour and a half of your Friday evening and join Resurrection friends at the packing party on February 13^th.  At the end of the night, we can give God all the glory for what He has done in our lives and in the lives of others. Let’s get out of our comfort zone together and be doers of love.

Written by: Hannah Koehler