HAITI 2012: THE BACK STORY

The following is an excerpt from the letter (written on June 27, 2012) that I distributed prior to going to Haiti. It will give you a taste of the back story of this trip and the one to come.

     In early May I began making plans to go on a short-term mission trip to South Sudan, and now it appears as though I will be going to Haiti instead. Over the past few months my journey has been like that of a sailboat, tossed by the wind of the Spirit (see John 3:8). “In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps” (Proverbs16:9). I stepped out to do something that I believed God was calling me to do. I shifted my “car” out of park and began to drive... and God began steering me in a direction I had not expected. (As the saying goes, “God can't drive a parked car.”) Just as Paul and his companions tried to walk out paths that ended up being blocked by God (see Acts 16:6-10), so too I feel that God has been guiding me by means of opened and closed doors. Let me explain...

     When I heard about the people of South Sudan at the first mission trip meeting, I felt love well up inside of me. Believing that God was calling me to go there, I began preparing for the trip. The support of my parents and the ease with which I was able to get my shots taken care of was further evidence to me that God was calling me to go. But eventually I learned that the size of the group was shrinking and we no longer had enough people to go on the trip. Needless to say, I was very disappointed. I had prayed that God would open and close doors according to His will, and it seemed that the door to Sudan was quickly closing. There was, however, another option—a mission trip to Haiti in the fall. Feeling more of a burden for Africa, I had never really considered going to Haiti. But with one door closing and another one opening, I considered the facts: My shots are done, money is coming in, and I have the time and desire to serve. As my feelings of disappointment subsided, excitement began to build, and I began to wonder if perhaps this was God's plan all along...

     Thinking back over these past few months, I realize now that, while I may not have taken the most direct path, I've undoubtedly learned something on this journey that God wanted me to learn. And I believe it is this: We may not always know exactly what to do, but sometimes we just need to get over our fear of making mistakes, do something that is consistent with God's character, and trust that He can lead us in spite of our uncertainty (Proverbs 3:5-6).