Haiti Day 2

Sleeping in Haiti takes me back to the 60”s. For years my parents had only an exhaust fan and then moved up to a window unit. It’s been a long, long time since I slept without air conditioning but last night I accomplished it, I think. Wow, it is hot. Let’s just say I have a phrase “I’m Miserably Happy”! We started our workday in the warehouse sorting medical supplies from food supplies. This seemed like a hot job but nothing compared to the other group who carried bars up hill about 200 yards and other materials for building. This afternoon they spent time mixing concrete and pouring it – now that was in the sun in the heat of the day. All survived. Now back to the warehouse. Mission of Hope is the warehouse and distribution point for Convoy of Hope here in Haiti. That should get you very, very excited. Mission of Hope and Brad and Vanessa Johnson are the real deal. This morning we took a brief tour of the grounds and then started on our work projects.
The warehouse stores food but inadvertently placed medical supplies with food supplies. Our job was to sort through the medical supplies and carry what was current up a hill to a large tent area where medical supplies were already stored. Here is the biggest kicker of all. I am shocked by the people who sent expired supplies overseas thinking that they could be used. The Haitian Government will not allow expired medical supplies or food supplies and such to be used – otherwise all licensing to operate a medical clinic would be jerked. I’m telling you water has been sent and other supplies that can only be burned. It’s really a shame but people sent things that were not wrapped properly and had to be thrown away. Funny thing – it’s the big joke with us – "well you know it’s expired" – but we still took the Orbit gum expired last September and believe me it still taste good. LOL.
Ruben, who picked us up at the airport, is also a very talented young man who survived the earthquake with a incredible story. He was in Port au Prince attending ministry school when his building collapsed. A friend fell on him and died. Ruben was one of eight out of a class of (I believe) 30 who survived. Ruben plays the sax, piano, leads worship at the church, sings, gives tours and is a true man of God. He is very humble. Tonight we attended a night of worship at Church of Hope here on the mission grounds. From the guesthouse we could here nothing but by the time we descended past the warehouse you could hear the beautiful sound of Haitian people raising their voices to God. We joined the service and from the very get go I was engaged right along with them in worship. I would say about half the songs I figured out and knew and could sing along with them – others I couldn’t. Worship, WOW, I mean real worship and praise took place tonight. About 200 people were really worshipping their Lord and Savior. I suppose when hope is gone and all the hope there is in this world is Christ Jesus – then you really have no reservations crying out in song. About halfway through having already shed many tears of praise and calling out to God for these people they started the song – “Hungry.” But the time the chorus came around I was crying out and tears where flowing. The chorus says, “I’m falling on my knees….” And I did – I totally lost it emotionally. Here I am standing in the front in the midst of people who I don’t know worshipping my heart out with everything I’ve got and they seemed light years ahead of me. Talk about a real wakeup call. They really mean it with all their heart and with all their soul and with all their mind. I’m reading Mark Batterson’s book “Primal” and I saw first hand a lot of what Mark is describing of the early church. These people and many cases have lost everything they have and still they worship. Many who had no hope now find real hope in Jesus.

mike