The Next Adventure – Haiti

In less than a week I will be setting foot on the sands of Gelée Beach in Haiti (just outside Les Cayes) along with a team from Radiant Church.  Although I have worked to be prepared, I truly do not know what to expect.  This is my first time outside of the United States for mission work and my first time to a third world country.  I find myself to be a mixture of excited, grateful, expectant for amazing things, anxious, and uncertain.

When reviewing at some of the statistics for Haiti, it’s pretty harrowing (from Arise Haiti):

• Population of 8.5 million, 46% of which is under 15 years old.
• Literacy rate: 54.8%
• Infant mortality rate: 74/1000
• Post secondary education: less than 1%
• Unemployment rate: 80%
• Life expectancy: 49-52 years

That’s a far cry from the problems I encounter on a daily basis – so much so it seems like a different world.  It’s easy to turn a blind eye to these places, I’ve done it for years (Jeff Goins’ book Wrecked helped flip the switch).

Today, I can’t wait to be immersed in it.  To serve.  To love.  To be a light amongst crushing darkness.

Please pray for our team and Arise Haiti next week as we work to meet the many needs of the Haitian people.  I’ll be recounting our journey here, so stay tuned.