I’ve never been to Haiti before. I’m not sure what to expect. The images on the evening news after the earthquake were frightening, to say the least. The needs are mind boggling. So, I wonder, will my tiny contribution make a difference? Will I be helping or (unintentionally) hurting, by showing up for a week in this ravaged land with not much more than a strong back and an open heart? We talk a lot about a ministry of presence. Perhaps that is the key for the group and especially for me. Just be present. Be present to the moment, to the need immediately in front of my face and most especially, be present to the people. I’ll need to pay attention to the faces and the feelings and the furtive glances and smiles that inevitably seem to be there in every mission trip experience. Maybe what I need to do more than anything else is slow down long enough to see the face of Jesus.
-Glen
