Haiti

On April 10th, 2010 I, along with 6 others, left for Haiti to do disaster relief work. I won't attempt a moment by moment account of what we did, but I will highlight a few things.

My impressions:
1. It's as bad as you think. The country was in bad shape before all of this happened, and the last thing they needed was a major earthquake. But of course, that's what they got, and many areas were simply devastated. Our team basically tore down, then built back, a church/school building. On the last day our team was split up, and I went to another site to do clean up. There were a few setbacks, and it was hot, hot, hot, but we were pleased with what we were able to accomplish. It helped that we had a good team, and everyone worked hard. It was a pleasure to spend time with these guys.
2. I really enjoyed the Haitian people. We spent most of our time around other believers, and it was a real pleasure to work along side of them. They reminded me of the South African believers I met in 1998....very warm, loving and hospitable, with an intense love for the Lord.
3. This tragedy may be the beginning of something great. Literally tens of thousands of people have professed faith in Jesus Christ since the earthquake, and several of the pastors we met hope this is the beginning of spiritual awakening in that country.
4. It is important that we continue to pray for the Haitian people. Now that most of the TV cameras are gone, and many secular relief agencies have left, the Haitian people need our help as much as ever. There are literally years worth of work to be done there. There is a long history of corruption and spiritual darkness (especially voodoo) in Haiti, so this is spiritual warfare at its most intense.