Joy's Haiti Blog Entry

(Joy wrote the following team blog entry for the first day of our recent trip back to Haiti.  So good I had to share it)

 

Day 1 Update: July Team #1

Blog Post By: Joy Morris

   We are driving up the bumpy hill, and I am trying to watch Kayla and Mike D since they are new– I want to see their response and expressions on their faces.  But as we pull up to the top of the hill, I am overwhelmed and overjoyed by faces I know, faces that see me, that light up because they know me.

 The bus moves further up, and to the left I see Sofia-she acts shy, standoffish, but for that second our eyes meet, and I see her light up, smile, and mouth Joy Joy. The bus stops, and kids are surrounding it. Ritchie has been running by the bus yelling Joy Joy. He gets on the bus, goes straight to me, and we just stand there and hug. Then I see Peter get on the bus, say my name and hug me. I point to Beth because she was with him on another trip, and I proceed out of the bus to find other kids. I see Esther, we embrace; I hold her face in my hands and tell her that I love her. Where is Kettely, that rough, tough girl who I wore down last year?  We find each other, and I just cry. I don’t think I have ever held children tighter or longer than I did tonight. I held their faces and said “I love you” over and over. I heard JoyJoy called from every direction. They remembered me and knew my silly name, and I remembered them. Even kids I hadn’t met before yelled Joy Joy -they knew me because of Mike’s previous trips. What a precious reunion it was.
I think that’s how heaven will be-a glorious reunion-people running up to you, saying your name, so happy you are finally there. Even people you don’t know, coming up to say your name. Seeing Jesus’ face, having Him welcome me, showing me all the sweet dark faces that are there because people cared and came down here to love on orphans and share Jesus with them.
     The saddest part of the reunion was when the kids asked me where Ryan was.  We kept telling them Ryan was not here. They said, “Ryan come in July” adamantly, like “yes, he must return and be with us.” What will it be like in heaven if people ask where our loved one is–is he coming? and we do not know or worse yet we know they aren’t coming. It was heartbreaking for me today. It put a sense of urgency in my heart to know that those I love will be there, too. The glorious reunion and the love to be shared should not be missed.

It made me think of the words to a favorite song of one by Cindy Morgan:
“I do not want to walk through heaven’s gates and not see your face
And I do not want to dance beside the streams without you with me
Or see the angels fill the sky, the heavens singing all creation cries:
‘Hosanna, Savior, God our Father, Creator, Redeemer and King’
You’ve got to be there with me
Oh please, you’ve got to be there with me.
Will you be there with me?

Amazing Grace!

Lumiere du Christ took the stage, the orphan singers known from the Bondye Bel video.  They stood in an unbalanced semi-circle on stage, dressed in some of their best clothes.  The girls wore skirts and the boys all wore long pants.  Merline had on a bright orange top, Schinaydrie a pretty green one.  Kenkenn wore a clean white t-shirt.  Saint Foy was in a shirt with a collar, untucked with style.  They looked a bit uncomfortable on stage, keeping their eyes focused on each other or the walls of the back of the church.  There was no fanfare or introduction.  They had no background music either, but they began their first song with precision and when they opened their mouths I got chills.   “Lord I Surrender” rang out clear and crisp--the nearly 100 children in the David Nicholas Chapel sat motionless, listening to every word.  Time seemed to slow as I took it all in.  Such beautiful voices praising God on pitch, in unison.  So many children transfixed on the kids on stage, taking it all in without moving or making a sound.  I looked around at our team--some had beaming smiles, others had their eyes closed and hands raised in worship, and there were even some tears of joy.  We were seeing a glimpse of the vision of ESMI come to reality—the orphans that were saved were leading worship, serving God and becoming a part of the plan to reach others in Haiti—saved to serve.  It was a special moment.

The orphans sang a few more songs with style.  “Syel La” was as mesmerizing as “Lord I Surrender”.  Kettley took the microphone and led them in another song.  After singing, they took a seat and listened to the Bible Story.  Following the Bible story, they went to the cafeteria building with us to help with crafts and snacks.  They jumped right in passing out supplies and helping kids complete their crafts.  When snack time came, they grabbed the snacks and made sure each kid got one.  It dawned on me how far these kids that had come, many coming from a life on the streets, scrapping for food to survive, now eagerly passing out food to others, making sure each child there got a snack.  They were so happy to be involved serving with us.  As we concluded the program for the day, our team joined hands with the orphan leaders and circled the kids in the room.  Saint Foy took the microphone and led the closing prayer.  It was another goosebump moment.  We were so proud of those kids—not just their singing talent but their serving hearts.  You could see the impact they were having as the local kids watched them sing and serve. 

We took group pictures of them outside and gave hugs and high fives as they got back on the bus to go back to the orphanage.  As we walked back down the hill to the guesthouse, our hearts were full of wonder and amazement at God’s grace and marvelous plan—not only saving these children Haiti didn’t want, but including them and using their beautiful voices and brilliant smile to be a part of His plan to save Haiti.  We felt privileged to witness it.  And as I reflect on that thought, I realize that I’m in the same boat as these orphans.  Apart from Christ, I have nothing to offer the world.   He not only chose to save me but to include me in His plan to reach the world and save the lost.  Now that’s Amazing Grace!