-by Dan and Julie F., Kankakee, IL, following January 2011 trip to Haiti

“What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice?  Listen!  Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.”

-       1 Samuel 15:22, NLT

Obedience: dutiful or submissive compliance according to the dictionary.  Doesn’t sound the most liberating or joyful, does it?  Yet following the lead of God brings this and so much more.

There were 19 people from Kankakee, IL who were able to experience an exciting journey to Port au Prince, Haiti, following the lead of God.  Our hearts were joined in unity, as only God can, with 4 people from Christian Fellowship Ministry which is based out of Sarasota, Florida.  This ministry has a mission house, 2 orphanages, 6 schools and 13 churches all located in Port au Prince, the capital city of 3 million plus people.

It was evident throughout that God was leading us to Haiti.  Within Kankakee First Church is a man who was raised in Haiti and called it home for 42 years, Claude Bazil.  He taught classes in Creole for members of the group.  Not only did God use Claude in this manner, but also as a translator on the trip.  This was not always Claude’s plan; however, he obediently listened to God’s leading and returned to his homeland to help minister to the people.

The trip was scheduled for Monday, January 31^st through Saturday, February 5^th.  Quickly the group reached the maximum number of people allowed with additional people on stand-by should somebody not be able to go.  Through our time of prayer and preparation leading up to the trip, there was uncertainty expressed over the mission of the trip and anxiety over the instability evident in this third world island nation.  This process caused the resulting make-up of the group to change and kept us on our knees in prayer.  God continued to lead and we followed.

Knowing Haiti is a deeply impoverished nation and experiencing it first hand are two different things.  Upon exiting the airport with our luggage on Monday afternoon, we saw children outside a chain-link fence begging for money, walking along a busy street.  We loaded up a school bus to take us to the missionary house and as we wound our way through the streets of Port au Prince we went by tent cities and saw many crumbling buildings.  How could our little group begin to make a difference in all this?

As the week unfolded, there ended up being three main components to the work we performed.

1.     We tore off and replaced a roof on a building that housed three families.

2.     On site at the missionary house was a large shipping crate which we unloaded, sorted, distributed and reloaded.

3.     We made benches that also serve as desks for the church / school located at the boys’ orphanage.

There were other smaller items we “accomplished” as well, such as build a new basketball backboard for the boys orphanage.  However, meeting and getting to know the people was more of a true accomplishment on this trip.  We got to see joy on the faces of people who have so little.  It was very clear the Haitian people were not despondent about their circumstances.  We can learn much from this.

We left a group of people in Haiti who now have a few more clothes, better shelter for their homes and improved conditions in their school.  Yet I feel it is the 19 of us who are leaving with so much more.  Through this trip our God got a little bigger as he showed himself faithful to meet our needs and provide a path for our safe travel.  I know He didn’t change, but as we took steps of faith in obedience to Him, I know who did.  What joy!

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