New Realizations

God bless those who made it possible for me to come to Haiti on mission and my family supporting the time apart. Haiti is not a reality show. My perceptions of Haiti from American news coverage were incorrect. I believed that the extreme poverty as portrayed on the news had made the Haitians desperate and a hopeless society. I quickly discovered that this wasn’t true. Because of their poverty, the Haitians live in the present moment. They don’t worry as much as Americans do about the future; they depend on their faith in God to meet the challenges of each day. The path to the church is well worn. In speaking with Mark, our group’s translator and leader, and witnessing his faith, it occurred to me that Haitians should be leading missions to America. We are rich in material wealth, while Haitians are rich in faith and love for God. Our daily lives seem superficial when compared to the reality of their daily existence. Their family life is close-knit, their spiritual life is rich, and their love is always given with open arms.

- Joe Carver