How can you say no?

To be in Haiti on a mission trip is to be in touch with one's rawest emotions.  You rub shoulders with some of the very best of humanity amidst challeging settings.  The truth is there are so many needs here that it is very easy to serve.  The problem is that we need to make sure the Haitians themselves are part of the solution.  In the schools you see pride and a genuine desire to learn.  The uniforms are neat and clean.  It makes you aware that you are from a land of opportunities some of which you have squnadered carelessly.

Hugs are freely exchanged between students and our mission team.  The distribution of backpacks nearly casues joyous pandemonium.  We meet yound adults awaiting scholarships.  Each face is a study in hope and fear and he or she makes his / her plea. How do you say no?

It is a guarantee that Cite Soleil will change your perspective.  You serve in ways that you never have before.  Smiles abound on the faces of yound and old alike.  Many children are naked or attired in clothing too large for their petite, undernourished selves.  You have never hugged so many children in your life.  Past and future disappear.  There is only this time and this place.  This child clinging to your hand.  We sing:

God is so good

is so good

is so good

God is so good

is so good

Haitians and team alike, we are on fire, filled with the Spirit.  We rise above the conditions.

How can you say no?

Ann Sargeant