I just got home from a mission trip to Haiti. Although I spend some of every summer in its neighboring country, the Dominican Republic, I hadn’t been to Haiti in many years.

This trip was close to not happening as the travel alert to Haiti jumped to level four the day before we were to leave. (Shhh…don’t tell my mom.)

The alert wasn’t because of coronavirus, as you would suspect, it was because of violence and kidnapping. (That doesn’t make you feel better, right?) But, in our modern world, we can call or text those scheduled to take care of us in Haiti and we discovered we wouldn’t be going anywhere near the troubled areas, so we got a bodyguard and off we went. We flew out of Monroe on Sunday. On to Dallas, then Miami. Then Cap Haitian.

Our goal was a bit of a survey trip and a lot of an encouraging trip. We wanted to see the progress at an orphanage in Cap Haitian that my daughter, Korie, had visited several years ago and we wanted to encourage some of the women involved at the orphanage and in a family empowerment program. Both of these programs are supported by an organization called Help One Now. HON has had a presence in Haiti since 2011 and they are constantly seeking ways to serve and support the local leaders as well as take care of children and families in need. They have a presence in several other countries as well. Please look them up for more info.

Our first stop was the orphanage . Fifty children who had been rescued from the worst of the worst situations live in this orphanage. Trafficking is horrific in Haiti as children are sold for slavery and body parts. (I know!! I can’t even!!) Many of the children we met were minutes away from that fate when they were rescued. To see them today—all ages—happy and heathy, is amazing. The orphanage consists of ten homes that house five children each, a playground, a kitchen, and an outside multi purpose pavilion where they eat, etc. It is adjacent to a school so the kids don’t have far to walk to get a good education. Both of these programs were started by one pastor who doggedly fights every day to bring the Haitian people out of poverty and into a life that is hope-filled and heaven bound. His name is Pastor John Alix and, he is a force to be reckoned with!! He’s that man the devil wishes would stay in bed, but HE WILL NOT!! He’s brilliant and tenacious!! I’m pretty sure he’s never heard a “no” he couldn’t stomp down. He has dreams for this orphanage, school and, well, the entire country of Haiti that will make your head swim! So amazing!!!

Next on the agenda was visiting the ladies in the family empowerment program. Family empowerment is an all-out, direct counter attack to fight against children ending up in an orphanage in the first place. While the orphanage was one of best I have ever seen, if every child could stay with their own family, life would be better for the child, the parents, the community and, ultimately, the country.

Help One Now (above mentioned organization) created the empowerment program to give women the tools and resources they need to start a small business. One small business can change their family’s world in tremendous ways. The women must qualify and then are put through a training program before they are able to start their business. We were able to meet four ladies in the program. Each lady had a story that would make you lose all your mascara, assuming you could keep it on in the Haitian heat to start with.

One incredible lady had literally delivered her fourth baby two days prior to us being there and she was out on her porch running her business with a smile on her face. It was incredible!!! (Seriously, mentally apologizing for taking a day or two after I had my babies!!!JK. No guilt was applied during the interviewing of these mamas.) Another fierce grandma was operating a teeny tiny grocery store in the front of her teeny tiny house. She told us it had allowed her to start saving money and support her family, including helping one child go to college. Now that is setting a path for generations of success!!!

The other two ladies were equally amazing. One had a roadside restaurant and the other a clothing store in a small tent. Please remember these are very small businesses but making BIG differences.

As with any mission trips, we had our hurdles, including times with no electricity or plumbing, a four hour traffic jam (Can you say RUN to the bathroom when we got out of that van!!!), and a roadside stop for one of our group who didn’t digest the pork burger at lunch too well. ( Some things you should just avoid on a mission trip.)

But, the good parts of the trip were so good!! We witnessed a classroom of 38 first graders sit quietly as one teacher—and no aid—taught writing skills. We witnessed 50 children sit patiently until every child and adult was served food and a prayer was said before touching a fork, glass, or bite of food. (Wait time was at least 30 minutes and some were as young as three.) We got to take these same patient 50 kids to the beach and listen to squeals of delight as the waves chased them to the shore. We met young men and women in leadership positions in a school who take their jobs seriously and fight daily to equip children to rise above poverty. And, we met other Americans who are rising to the challenge of changing the world through supporting these programs and many others.

There’s lots of work to be done, both in America and abroad, but there’s lots of us to share the work. If each of us would do our part, perhaps things like trafficking and abuse and drugs and poverty and hunger and hatred could go away. Disappear. And, be replaced with kindness and love and sharing and no hungry children or scared moms and plenty of clean water and lives that are filled with purpose and passion and, most importantly, faith that is real and sustaining.

That’s my hope at least. I hope you have an awesome week. Give your family lots is hugs and say a prayer of Thanksgiving for all that you have.