The best thing about this place is the people.
Those of you who have been here know exactly what I mean. There are some beautiful places in Haiti, but its true beauty lies in the faces and souls of its women, men and children.
The most fun thing about visiting is getting to see our Haitian and American friends. I recognized Chery in the crowd of porters outside the airport. He’s the guy that I said “no” to about 100 times when I arrived the first time in 2010 because I couldn’t understand that he was telling me he was with Emory. He now greets us with a wide, helpful smile.
We had the treat of riding from the airport to Gonaives with Kathy and Beaver Brooks (some of my very favorite people!), and hearing them tell how God is doing big things as they move forward with Marketplace Gonaives. This is a God-sized project that He has been preparing the Brooks for, for many years. As they walk in obedience, He is moving in so many ways through relationship building, job creation with 2nd Story Goods, and now the Marketplace.
We drove past barren hillsides, lush rice fields, market stands, and clear Caribbean blue water. The sounds of Bethel Worship filtered through the breeze from the windows. It was a beautiful drive.
As I reflected this evening, I remembered Psalm 27:13:
“I remain confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.” (NIV)
I also love the NKJV which says:
“I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
That I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living.”
It can be easy to lose heart here. The poverty and needs can be overwhelming. Nothing happens quickly, and things definitely do not move on an American time table.
But He is here and He is good. The Lord is here and He is good. We are witness to the goodness of the Lord in this place as he moves and gives new life to what was once broken and dead. We are seeing the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. And it is so cool.