Hey there! I am Lara and I go to Easter Lutheran Church. You
always hear about how life-changing Haiti is, but you never really get it until
you look into the eyes of the children you are helping. Even though I have only
been here for one day, I have had my outlook on life changed completely. I hope
you enjoy reading about my first day adventures, and see how God works miracles
through us all.
Waking up
this morning it really hit me that we were in Haiti, but what hit me harder was
the heat that met me outside of the bedroom door. I grabbed my water and went
up to the balcony for my morning devo and watched the goats next door and the
awakening city for a good half hour. After breakfast we got ready for our first
trip. We were splitting up for the morning, half to Home For Sick and Dying and
half to Dare’s. I decided to go to Dare’s, which is a home for children with
disabilities. The ride there was pretty crazy due to the sometimes-bumpy roads
and my carsickness, but once we got there I felt better immediately. Right when
I walked in there were kid’s reaching for my hands and stroking my arms. The
smiles on their faces instantly erased any doubts I had about choosing to go
there. My time there was spent blowing bubbles, giving rollercoaster-like
wheelchair rides, feeding the kid’s, and lots of hugs and holding hands. The
love that filled my heart being with those kids is something I will never
forget. The language barrier didn’t stop them from telling me where to take
them or from talking to each other on our phones made of LEGO’s. I hope to go
back someday and do it all again. After we left and came back to the house we
had lunch and then got ready to Apparent Project. Apparent project creates jobs
for parents, so they don’t have to give their children to orphanages. They create bracelets, t-shirts, metal work,
and much more. We were able to have a
tour of where everything was made and of a daycare where the parents can leave
their children while they work, which was my favorite part. Everything is made
from recycled materials, which I found insanely cool. We then went to the shops
and restaurant and I had probably one of the best smoothies I have ever had. We
came back to the house, made a quick change and then went out to play soccer
next door with the neighborhood boy’s. After a lot of laughs and a lot of
sweating we came in for an incredible dinner. My first day in Haiti has already
opened my heart and brought me so much closer to my faith. I am extremely
excited to see what the rest of the week will bring, especially with water
truck day tomorrow.
This is my
first mission trip and I know already, that there will be many more to come. I
never thought that I would want to do missionary work when I got older, but now
I can’t think of anything else I would want to do. God’s love and power has
changed my heart forever, and I can’t wait to see what he is planning for my
life and the rest of the trip.
God bless,
Lara
