Personal Narrative: My Trip To Haiti

Returning from Haiti came with mixed emotions. I was thankful that I was able to go and experience God, but I felt empty on the inside. People had told me for years that serving others changes your life, but I did not feel that way. How could I live so extravagantly while there were people living without basic needs right across the ocean? How could I live in an enormous house while people lived in rusted shacks almost about to collapse? How could I throw out leftover food while others starved? I traveled to Haiti with ideas to fix the Haitians broken lives, but I as worked I felt useless and believed that I failed as a Christian. While I could not change the material poverty that the Haitians endured, I was able to build relationships with Haitian teens and show them love. By love, I mean God’s definition which is based on moral character that comes from Him and His teachings.

I believed that the only way to reduce the poverty of Haiti was by fixing everything. So I poured cement, cut steel, and placed gravel alongside the Haitians. Finally, I was able to go see where the Haitians lived. The streets reeked of garbage and dirt, the houses were the size of my kitchen, and half-naked children ran about. The families were welcoming even though they had nothing to give. Visiting the Haitian homes was eye-opening because I saw how their faces gleamed with excitement when we arrived and how grateful the Haitians were with the smallest house and one chair. It took me a while to realize what I had just experienced. The Haitians did not need my help. They needed to know that they were cared about, adored, and