Hope for Haiti?

Lately I have been thinking....are we as Canadians (and Americans) really giving hope to Haiti and countries like it, or are they giving us hope?

I recently just got back from a trip to Haiti, and oh let me tell you, it was AMAZING. God worked wonders while I was there, and it was amazing just to see the Holy Spirit work in the lives of myself and my group, as well as the lives of the Haitians....but if you want to know about my trip, read the post below this one.

I have been thinking a lot about Haiti and how much I have been changed since I have come back. God really worked in my life while I was there, and the changes he made in my life are totally evident. For example..I used to be super negative and depressed all the time; I can now say that I am a much more positive person and I am usually always smiling and happy. The joy of the Lord is in my forever, and I'm finally allowing it to fully shine through me :)
But when I think about Hope, I feel like being in Haiti, ya we gave them hope but ultimately that hope is God, but the people of Haiti gave me hope. It gave me hope that there really are people out there who can be thankful for what the Lord has given them. People who can be grateful for one meal a day, people who can just Praise God 24/7 and not care about what people think, and hope that there are thousands of other Christians in this world who suffer just like I do, and can relate to me.

I used to always think that I was alone in this world. That no one really understand how hard it is to grow up in a non-christian family, to have a sister/bestfriend die when you are 10 and she was 16..to understand what a broken family is like, and to understand just how hard it is to live in this world we have. While I was in Haiti, I met people who have it waayyy worse than I do, and it gave me hope that I can make it through to tomorrow without really having to worry. The people of Haiti don't know if they are really going to live to see tomorrow, they don't know when their next meal will be, when they will get clothes again, if they are going to be cured of a sickness they have, if they are going to return to a home, if they are going to get to go to school...catch my drift? We here in Canada and America don't really have to worry about those things. You're probably thinking that any of those things can happen in a instant...you don't go home to a family, you become poor, you loose your job, your house burns down, your car breaks down...but really, are those the first thing on your mind? Are those something you worry about everyday? For most of you that answer is probably a no; I know that's not the first thing that comes to my mind. After experiencing Haiti I have learned that those are some of the main things they think about, but a lot of the people I encountered, their first thought was God. How many of you can say that no matter what you think about, you always think about God first? You always think about the worldly things second and God is your first thought no matter what. your first thought when you wake up, your first thought when you start a new conversation...I can tell you honestly that that is not always the case for me, but I would like it to be.

Haiti gave me hope that that can be my life. It has reassured me that there really are people out there in this world who are willing to listen to God's calling and serve him. It says in the bible that all are called to preach the gospel in all of the nations. God's calling to be a missionary isn't just to a few people here and there, it's to everyone..yes, everyone...that means you and me!
So let's rise up to be the people God has called us to be and give HOPE to the people that deserve it most.
I have been called to serve the Lord in many different places and I shall continue my work in Haiti..to give back some of that Hope that they gave to me!

You're all awesome, loved and are amazing children of God.