Redefining Haiti
I recently returned from an 8 day trip to Haiti, the poorest country in our hemisphere. It was an incredible experience for which I am very thankful.... because it redefined Haiti for me.
I traveled with 5 other InterVarsity staff. We went with a charge--to scout out the land, experience the culture, get to know the people, and see if there might be opportunities to plant a new Global Urban Trek. InterVarsity's Treks offer students and staff opportunities to live alongside the urban poor in the world's slums for 6 weeks. Why? We want to wrestle with issues of social justice and learn what it really means to love radically and carry each other's burdens. I believe the poor have something to teach us, but we must set aside lifestyle barriers, stereotypes, and preconceived notions if we want to learn from them. Many of the lessons they have to teach about life and about God are difficult to learn from the distance and comfort of a hotel room--so we want to move in with them, live with them, do life with them.
What I found was beautiful. Throw away your newspaper and stop reading the State Department website. Sure, they're reporting a very real part of Haiti--but that's just a small piece of this incredible country.
How would you feel if all the rest of the world ever read about America was the headlines of murders, bank robberies, and government scandals? Would that be an appropriate painting of all that is America? Of course not! Yet, that's the image that is painted every day of Haiti. Sure those headlines are true... but that's not all of Haiti. There's a beauty to this country that remains unreported and uncelebrated--it's found in the people!
So, what is Haiti? In my short 8 days, I discovered Haiti, a country made up of tenacious, men, women, and children who are over-comers. They have endured so much, but they smile. They've lost so much, but they laugh. They have so little, but they dance and sing. They've suffered so much, but they remain strong in their conviction that life is a gift to be celebrated. Haitians are generous with what little they have, loving with everything they can give, and caring with all their might. Sure there are quirks and weird cultural norms... but every country has those. Underneath the mask of a long history of pain, suffering, injustice, and disaster, the Haiti I discovered is a beautiful country that you would completely miss if you just stayed in the comfort of a hotel room and never ventured to move in with them, live with them, do life with them, and build relationships with them.
I traveled with 5 other InterVarsity staff. We went with a charge--to scout out the land, experience the culture, get to know the people, and see if there might be opportunities to plant a new Global Urban Trek. InterVarsity's Treks offer students and staff opportunities to live alongside the urban poor in the world's slums for 6 weeks. Why? We want to wrestle with issues of social justice and learn what it really means to love radically and carry each other's burdens. I believe the poor have something to teach us, but we must set aside lifestyle barriers, stereotypes, and preconceived notions if we want to learn from them. Many of the lessons they have to teach about life and about God are difficult to learn from the distance and comfort of a hotel room--so we want to move in with them, live with them, do life with them.
What I found was beautiful. Throw away your newspaper and stop reading the State Department website. Sure, they're reporting a very real part of Haiti--but that's just a small piece of this incredible country.
How would you feel if all the rest of the world ever read about America was the headlines of murders, bank robberies, and government scandals? Would that be an appropriate painting of all that is America? Of course not! Yet, that's the image that is painted every day of Haiti. Sure those headlines are true... but that's not all of Haiti. There's a beauty to this country that remains unreported and uncelebrated--it's found in the people!
So, what is Haiti? In my short 8 days, I discovered Haiti, a country made up of tenacious, men, women, and children who are over-comers. They have endured so much, but they smile. They've lost so much, but they laugh. They have so little, but they dance and sing. They've suffered so much, but they remain strong in their conviction that life is a gift to be celebrated. Haitians are generous with what little they have, loving with everything they can give, and caring with all their might. Sure there are quirks and weird cultural norms... but every country has those. Underneath the mask of a long history of pain, suffering, injustice, and disaster, the Haiti I discovered is a beautiful country that you would completely miss if you just stayed in the comfort of a hotel room and never ventured to move in with them, live with them, do life with them, and build relationships with them.
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| Haiti sunrise on the rooftop! |
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| Many Haitians still live in make-shift huts since the quake. |
Very true...and something to keep in mind when we look at or read stories about ANY foreign country. There's always more to the story!
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