I've never been on a mission trip like this. I'm leaving the richest, most comfortable and privileged society and heading to the poorest and most destitute country in the Western Hemisphere. But I'm so ready. I'm so ready to experience real humility, real compassion, and real appreciation. I'm ready to tear down the walls that have fenced out the worst in society. I want to see how much darkness there is so I know how strong my Savior had to be to overcome it.
I'm not sure what to expect. At all. I had thought about possible diseases and how to avoid them. I've thought about what to bring and how to manage my shower schedule with the limited resources. But I've made a grave mistake so many first timers do. I basically tried to make my mission trip to poverty as close as I can to my American comfort level.
This is a mission trip; not a vacation. It's going to be hot and nasty. I won't shower every day and people will have bad breath. I may not experience perfect weather or comfortable sleeping conditions. But there are larger issues at work than physical issues.
This is spiritual warfare.
You may not know, understand, or believe it, but there is a real spiritual realm. There are angels. There are demons. There is a war for people's hearts. Haiti practices voo doo and is very heavily influenced by evil practices. It has come to my attention in the past 48 hours that I will probably see active demon possession and I may see real voo doo dolls. But I choose to see it as a spiritual challenge. That is a time when absolutely nothing but the Word of God will
make you stay hopeful for a broken country. At that time I will have to speak the truth: "He who is in me is greater than he who is in the world".
In the natural, I would be scared out of my mind. But I'm not going on this trip in the natural mindset, I'm going in the spiritual mindset.
That concept probably scares a lot of the people reading this, but this is the real
difference in traditional religion and LIFE CHANGING relationship with the Savior Jesus. When you understand how powerful your God is, and that He created you uniquely, you find your purpose, and when you realize everything you do has purpose, you undoubtably
find passion.
Basically, Jesus comes ALIVE! Christianity is exciting because we don't serve a dead and gone god. We serve a warrior who CONQUERED death who is now alive. Something about that just gets to me.
So here I am, arms open wide, ready to be broken and ready to be used!
Laugh. Inspire. Believe. Love.