This is my third trip to Cite Soleil, Haiti and I greatly appreciate the blessing I received from Upward Twist. Each missionary pays for their own airfare, lodging, food, insurance, and interpreter which I have always been able to cover, but now that I am retired, I can no longer produce income for my trips. I long to return and further the work that God began on my previous trip.
My heart is so full it cannot be contained. It is overflowing with God’s goodness. How is it that we go to bless others, but we are the ones who get blessed? The children are especially beautiful and so full of love. They humble me when they wipe the sweat from my neck and wipe the mud full of raw sewage from my shoes with their bare hands. It must be Jesus they see in me because there is nothing within myself that is good outside of his grace and mercy.
I taught the gospel to about 100 children and handed out bibles and N.T.’s in their own language. The medical clinic treated 284 patients for free. I taught the gospel to many, many adults and the Lord saved 3 women this trip. 5 others were probably a true conversion as well and many, many other conversions were possible. When handing out free bibles, the desperation was so great, it became difficult to tell if they only wanted a free bible or if they were really interested in the gospel.
One of the gang leaders received Jesus as his lord and savior and a full bible was given to him. A few days later, we received word that the head gang leader of the area asked for a bible as well. It is such a blessing to see how the Lord is working! Even our Haitian team members are reading their bibles and asking questions as they learn about the goodness of God. We have been praying for a revival in the area and the Lord is answering!
It is difficult to acclimate upon returning to the U.S. We, as a country, don’t even recognize the blessings we have. So many unnecessary things and waste are difficult to convey to the people in the U.S. The entitlement and rudeness of many would cease to exist if only they could see what I have experienced. It is a wonderful thing on a mission trip to have an opportunity to totally focus on the Lord and his work and not worry about worldly day-to-day things. He becomes so real as you see him work. God has a way of building your faith and refocusing us on what really matters on each trip. Upon returning to the U.S. my acquaintances ask me how my trip was, and my answer is always, “heartbreaking and life changing”.