A little over a week ago I was asked about how I handle re-entry after a mission trip. I just returned from my latest mission, and I think I have an answer. Re-entry is hard; I am not going to lie. I think almost anyone that has gone to serve in another country and allowed their hearts to be broken would agree. It is not hard because of what you left behind in the country you helped, so much as what you are reintroduced to at home. For me, it is the self-absorbed, technology driven, ‘all-about-me’ mentality that hurts upon re-entry. We are called to serve to help others as well as ourselves. Click To Tweet When you spend time loving on people that simply want to be loved. People that accept you for who you are. Who welcome you with open arms like family. It is leaving them and coming back to the ‘real world’ that is hard. I think God chooses people to go on mission trips for varied reasons. Everyone is different on the way they are impacted. If you allow the scales to fall from your eyes to see what God has in store for you. It is when you allow Him to soften your heart that you too will be forever changed and find re-entry just as hard. Here are some ways I have found that help me cope with re-entry. Understanding that they don’t understand – As soon as you get home, you will get bombarded with questions from […]

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Our life journey, no matter how we may plan, it is God’s will. For those that have been following and praying for us while we have been in Haiti, Thank you! We went to church in Canaan, Haiti, held in the School of Love. There is very little as beautiful as the voices of men, women and children praising our Lord and Savior. Combine that with a building built out of love on a mountain in Canaan, Haiti; words just cannot describe. Rick the founder of theVine.co was invited by the pastor to provide the sermon. He spoke of faith and the story of 1 Kings 18. After service, we spent time loving on the church family of Canaan. Those children that we sponsored, as well as some sponsored by people back in the states, were given small gifts that we had brought with us. We then headed back into town. Originally we had planned on stopping by the hospital where the orphans we had met on previous trips. Not only that hospital but all the public hospitals in Haiti we were told were closed due to a strike. So the orphans had been moved to an undisclosed private home for care. A bit disappointed, yet relief at the same time. Disappointed that we would not be able to love on them as planned. Relief that they were no longer there and were taken care of. We headed to another orphanage that one of the guys was familiar with. This orphanage currently housed forty-two children. […]

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We spent the bulk of the day doing VBS at the Heart of Love School Our morning started out in a little traffic again. Prayers were answered this morning as we did not encounter near as much as yesterday. When we arrived at the school there were easily one hundred fifty to two hundred waiting for us. We were serenaded upon entering the school. Beautiful voices praising into the mountain tops. After brief introduction we performed the story of the Good Samaritan for the children. The laughter was almost as heartwarming as their singing. Once we were done making fools of ourselves we split the children into two groups. One group stayed in the school to work on crafts geared towards loving their neighbor. The other group, which I helped with went outside to play games with the children. It was fun playing games I have either never played, had not played since I was a child, or watched others play. Games like egg and spoon relays, over under and one that well ended up a mix between futbol, dodge ball, and hot potato. Once we were done playing games with the first group, we switched. It was so hot, the children were tired and a bit anxious. The second group was a bit hard to manage mainly because the children had their crafts to contend with. We then sent the last group back in and shared cookies and Gatorade with all the children and the parents that were there. There is nothing better than […]

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