Our mission to Haiti consisted of 14 people from all walks of life who met through our mutual listenership at KTIS radio. That’s a pretty tenuous link. It’s really thin when you’re headed to one of the poorest places in the world to do mission work.
I’ve been a member of other groups that were thrown together through some mutual interest. The two biggest ones were the police academy and basic training. Neither place would be described as “fun” nor would it be a place to go unless you were really motivated and dedicated. In both places people did a lot of yelling and badgering. You were under the force of discipline in both places. In the Navy they could chuck you into jail if you failed to comply with the standards.
There was no yelling or badgering in Haiti. But there was a strong sense of spiritual leadership that moved the group. A good share of it came from Jeff Gacek, the founder of Healing Haiti. I suspect Jeff would deny that, and say that it’s God leading the way and he just helps out. Perhaps that is how it works. But I witnessed a man with a huge heart for the people of Haiti, and for his missionaries. Jeff gently guided us, he laughed with us, he read scripture with us, and he gave us opportunities to serve and pray for the group.
It wasn’t “my way or the hiway” as some leaders do things. He just opened doors for us. And he had the greatest partner in Becky Nelson, our other leader. Becky is younger than I am but she was like my mom during that trip. Not just because she looks like my mom and is about as tall as my mom, but because she loved us all like we were her children. She was concerned that we had used sun screen, that we had clean water, that we felt well, and that we were emotionally able to deal with all of the things we saw on the trip. Becky is one of those servants that Christ counts on to get His work done on this planet. He’s more than happy to delegate and Becky, just like Jeff, is there to pick up the load.
There are three other leaders that need to be recognized – Jason Sharp, Julene Holt, and Rich Branham. These three members of the KTIS staff were there to help with whatever was needed. The three were inseperable, as was witnessed by their close bond and having to be scolded to sit at least one seat apart at every meal and meeting. I shared a room with Rich and Jason. It was fun. And all three of them were Spirit led in the truest sense of the words. Their quiet concern over the rest of us was a welcome anchor in a time of emotional and spiritual turmoil.
While the leadership was wonderful, it was the people (including the leaders) who chose not to take a vacation to Haiti and see what was in it for them, but to instead love each other and the Haitian people. They did it through service. It was the quiet way in which each task just got done without anyone having to be assigned. The tables got set, the water cooler got filled and put in the vehicle, the pancakes got mixed, and the fruit and vegetables got sliced and plated. And it all was done with a smile on people’s faces. No “dogging it.” No grimaces. No frowns and muttered words. Smiles. Laughter. Love.
Consequently we arrived in Haiti as 14 people on Monday night. By noon on Tuesday we were a functional team, looking out for each other and making sure thing got done. And by Thursday morning, before breakfast, we were a family. I felt the shift when we got up and got moving about that morning. No longer were these people the ones I travelled with across the ocean, but they were my brothers and sisters in Christ. And it showed in our love for each other.
While the police academy produced friends, and basic training produced friends and classmates, Haiti gave me a new family. One that I love dearly. And one that I’m proud of in the extreme. I have nothing but good memories of living with and working with them for those 8 days. And I look forward to seeing them again in the coming years.
I’ve got a picture show below that shows my new family. I’m pretty sure they all appear in at least one of the photos. And if you look at the photos, they are always helping someone else out with a smile. Them’s my peeps.
[fgallery id=2 w=450 h=385 bg=ffffff t=0 title=”Teamwork”]
How many families are you a part of in your life? And what can you do to strengthen that relationship?
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Today’ keyword bingo entrant is Whitney Houston. (Just a reminder, the keyword of the day has nothing to do with anything except driving more traffic to this site.)
