It’s Friday evening and dinner just ended. The laughter of fellowship after the shared meal cascades up to the porch where I sit and write, watching the afternoon sun slowly settle on the mountain. A cool breeze welcomes the coming night. As for dinner, meals at the Guest House of Mountain Top Ministries are much anticipated affairs as we gather together to enjoy. Tonight’s meal – rice, beef, fried plantains, French fries, sweet potato fries, fresh vegetables (the avocadoes were a treat) and ketchup. Yes, ketchup, the real kind, whose ingredients include tomatoes and sugar. Corn syrup, that American staple, was absent from the ingredient list and the resulting condiment was enjoyed by many. As it is with much of life, the little things are often worth remembering, particularly here in Haiti.
So, as our week comes to an end, now is the opportunity to reflect upon our time that we may remember and celebrate the time spent in this community that is not our own, but who, with warm smiles, welcomed us to learn and share.
1. Kids are kids (what an obvious truth to realize!)
Throughout the week, we commented again and again that kids are kids regardless of where they come from. For Brian, whether chemistry in Haiti or in a classroom in Champaign, some high schoolers just don’t care about the experiment while others stay late to learn more. In the computer lab, Ms. Brittney, the computer teacher, answered questions about facebook and email, not dissimilar to many of the questions the non-technically adept (myself included) would ask. Roxanne joined a session of “head, shoulders, knees and toes” with the pre-schoolers on the playground while Kirk acted as the human jungle gym for some of the others. David (little David to avoid confusion), incapable of speaking any Creole, was welcomed into the puddle jumping with the Haitian kids. Language skills unnecessary. And those nearing graduation communicated their desire for the future – engineers, doctors, mechanics… their hopes and dreams are the same. Kids are kids. Just for these kids, the obstacles that they overcome are greater than we can truly appreciate.
2. Education = long term growth
In Haiti, the trials are endemic – food, water, medicine, employment. Solutions are not easy, nor short. But they are as simple as education. This spring, the school in Gramothe will graduate its first high school class since the school’s inception in 1999. The opportunity that a high school diploma offers these students cannot be overstated. It will be education that draws these students and their families out of the cycle of poverty they have always known. For our team, focusing on education this week allowed us to utilize many of our God given abilities, align our time with the mission of the ministry and support the school in areas they are still developing. Merv led a team in the painting of the grade school exterior. Strom, Febus and David updated computers, performed IT system maintenance, added computer translation programs and created tutorials on using common computer programs. Collectively, they have provided the technical foundation for the students, connecting them to the broader world of the internet. Jay and Brian and a large contingent of support taught classes – graphing calculators, chemistry demonstrations and lab skills. Investing in these kids is a long term solution, it’s a solution as deeply invested as the trials are deeply rooted.
3. “the battle belongs to the Lord…” 1 Samuel 17:47b
Our trip has been a week, Mountain Top Ministries has invested 12 years and God has been working His story of redemption since the fall. The battle is His and He is victorious. Our trip is nothing more than an invitation to participate in His redemptive story, and yet, that invitation is everything for those that are willing to follow. God is present and active in Haiti. His work will be completed and we are thankful that He allowed us to join.
When we return to the States, many will ask “What did you do while you were in Haiti?”. The details of each of our answers will differ, but the foundation will be the same. We did the work that we were asked to do. We painted, we taught, we stocked shelves, we solved IT problems, we upgraded computers. These are the tangible acts of being the church, of coming alongside a ministry who is investing in this community daily with their lives, that we might be God’s hands and feet to them and those that they love. Equally, we laughed, we played with kids, we taught English, we practiced Creole, we interpreted, we climbed mountains, we worshiped, we photographed, we made friends, we dressed as a banana, we captured video… we shared this week of our lives in all the ways we knew how. And now we leave, but this ministry - a church, a school, a clinic – this work of God, Mountain Top Ministries, remains. Thus, we leave in prayer. Prayer for the ministry that they would continue in the redemptive work God has begun. Prayer for the people that they would know His truth and the richness of life He has to offer. And, praise unto the Lord, for His unfailing love and His faithfulness to all.
Thankful,
Kimberly
