Day 2 in Haiti Sweet Reunions and New Beginnings

I heard the soft music of my alarm fade in as I blinked awake. Another day to wake up at 7:45 to a world I had only dreamed about visiting forever. 

The morning consisted of breakfast, devotional, and sandwich making before we headed out to deli mart and the Source de la Grace church. 

The whole time I could not help but think, why am I so relaxed in this developing country? Why, after all of the unsafe things that fill this world has the Lord chosen here for me to find an overwhelming peace? I may never know, but as the day rolled on and I found myself in the Orphanage of Source de la Grace I saw peace overcome many people, including the orphans and the mission team.

At first when we walked up to the orphanage I saw the way that so many of the children attacked the returning people from our group with hugs and kisses galore! I was jealous of all the love between them, and I wanted a piece of it! Haha! But I felt a voice telling me to 'hold back'. So, regretfully I trudged over to the stairs away from the group of great reunion to fulfill what the Lord had to me to do. Immediately I knew when why I had been called to walk over to the quiet corner near the stairs when I turned around to see three young girls starring intently into my eyes, they were the shy ones, and I liked them. 

It didn't take but 5 minutes of me standing awkwardly by the three shy girls, and trying to communicate with them without a translator for 2 of the girls to walk away. But the third slowly strolled up to me and leaned her tiny body on mine and took my arm over her shoulder like a bird protecting its chick with a wing. I was surprised and inspired by this girl. I asked her her name with a bit of improvisational sign language and learned the brave young soul was 'Cencia' (that's me trying to write creole). Cencia quietly followed me around the rest of the time at the orphanage and we bonded over an unusual understanding of each other's worlds. 

I saw a vast beauty of God in Cencia's eyes. When she looked up into mine, I could undeniably see the hope she had for her future. God's doing some crazy things in that girl's heart. She is a teacher of peace, and today she taught me in a new way that no matter your circumstance, anyone can find peace in their hearts by trusting God with your future. 

I carried the picture of her hopeful eyes in my mind as our group attended the first ever youth group at Source de la Grace. The gathering of the youth from two completely different back grounds was very interesting, but with the help of our wonderful translator we all communicated greatly with each other and shared our hearts equally. 

Overall, I found today that regardless of the situation you are put in, whether it's awkward, quiet, or joyful, love is always given from human to human when the Lord is near. 

To close, I will quote a line said by Emily Green from our discussion time tonight, "It's a beautiful thing to never have to say Amen, knowing that your conversation with the Lord is ever constant."