Home again

Well....we made it back to Olathe.  It will take many posts to update everyone on our trip.  We are taking a few days to process everything and then we will blog.  I will leave you with this blog that Ben wrote and posted on the missions blog.  We are glad to be home.....but can't wait to go back!

Being in Haiti has not been easy! I knew going 

in that it wouldn’t be, but I couldn’t comprehend 

all the ways it would be taxing on me until I got

 here. I don’t get to the end of the day and 

lay down for bed and reflect on how the day was 

hard. It hits me many times during the day 

sometimes when I least expect it. My suburban

 Kansas City life could never prepare me for the

 constant need that surrounds me on a daily

 basis here. I have been overwhelmed time and 

again. This morning I wrote in my journal that I 

was not sure what difference me being here made

 in the big scheme of things. I mean really, how

 significant is my time here when I am constantly

 confronted with the unfairness of life and the

 needs that are so evident. Am I really making a difference?

I was standing by the orphanage today and all at 

once a Haitian man was standing next to me. He asked

 my name and I gave it and I asked his and he said

 that I already knew it. I really didn’t and I told him 

so, but he insisted that I did. He thanked me for being

 here and he said I was listening to God by being 

here. He related to me how he came to the mission

 as a young man for food and the mission ended 

up giving him an education up through the university level.

 He told me that this mission did alot and it was 

so successful because the people running the 

mission have listened to God. He welcomed me to his

 country and told me he was glad I was here and 

told me to come again and bring a big group of people.

 To listen and obey God and come back and be here.

 After listening to him I walked away encouraged. 

The words of Christ rang loud and clear, my strength

 is perfect in your weakness. When I hit the wall

 over and over as I am spent spiritually and emotionally

 Christ’s strength is made perfect.

I realized today it is not really all about what I have done today.

 It really is all about hearing God and obeying. He said Haiti

 and we said OK. I would offer the same encouragement

 to anyone else who may wonder what God they are doing. 

Obey Christ. If he calls you to go to Haiti go, if He calls you 

to invite a homeless man at your local McDonald’s in for

 a bite to eat, do it. Obey Christ. His strength will be made

 perfect in your human weakness.

Ben Garber