My Haitian Testimony

My haitian testimony.

I've always worried about what college i'm going to go to
or what I want to be after I graduate. I worry about how my clothes, my shoes... my STUFF would compare to others around me
It was only until I was brought to the level of the Haitians, who have next to nothing except for each other, that I had
an epiphany. These people don't worry about having next new shiny toys, in fact they make their own out of common household items, they don't worry about having the best clothes, just that they have clothes, they don't have to wrestle with... which fast food place they are going to go to... but when and where will they have their next meal. I was out working on the orphanage that my group was helping build and a couple of friends and I decided to take a walk to the nearby river to check it out. Some of the local haitian children who had been loyal to our sides accompanied us down there. On the walk back from the river, I had this burning desire to take out this little toy called an evangecube( a cube that depicts the story of jesus) from my friend zachs backpack.
So I started flipping though the little pictures that you can form with this cube. The next thing I know one of the little children named Mckinzie seems curious to see what the cube is about.
As a group we decided to try to explain what each picture meant. Before we began to explain we asked the translator if he knew who jesus was. The boy quickly responded 'Non' in haitian. So we asked
the boy if he knew why we were in haiti, again he replied "non". We took a moment to digest something that was quiet new to us... the concept that he didn't know Jesus.
So we took the cube and went through the story of Jesus with him and each picture we went through he seemed to be more interested in the story. When we finished explaining to him the story of Jesus and how Jesus died for him he asked for us to pray for him
He said that he has never been to school in his life, and he had always wanted to. He asked us to pray that God would grant him just that one gift. I remember the prayer so well, and I could tell he had finally had hope in his life.
I never really appreciated school and learning and the opportunities that we have here in America. On the other side of the Haitian spectrum I met a kid who was privileged enough to be able to go to school.
He told me that school was very expensive in Haiti and that very few people ever attend it. There was one thing that struck me still about him, he was so eager to learn and succeed in life, He had a beautiful amount of work ethic. I still think the true reason he
Spent so much time with us these past 10 days is so he could better his English, which he was already extremely proficient at. I know people get tired of hearing that we are taking what we have for granted.... but ITS SO TRUE. I truly believe that 90% of us truly
Don't deserve what we have.... and sitting there as we prayed for McKenzie I just wished that me and him would switch places because I am not deserving of what I have in life and I felt that he should be the one blessed with a wonderful life, after having suffered 14 years in such poverty.
I am planning on coming back next year to Haiti and seeing the new friends that I have made... But the sad truth of it all is... The faces I've seen, the friends I've made... Might not make it until next year.. and it breaks my heart knowing this solemn fact. I just wish I could cloth everyone of them
feed everyone of them... love on everyone of them.. but there aren't enough of us who care to do anything about it... and I want that to change.


-Alex