2012 Haiti Trip (I)

Tick, tock goes the clock . . .
. . . and it is time for me to re-open the lock.

I am back.
What a break!

From June 29 until August 19, I took a long pause from blogging which interrupted the sharing of my story. There are several reasons explaining the pause but I will mention two big ones because those two serve as a wonderful segue between the first part of my story and the ensuing phase of my spiritual journey.

The first reason is my 2012 Haiti trip.

As soon as I finished posting "Deadly Exposure" on June 29, 2012, my mind became consumed with preparations for my 2012 Haiti trip. Since 1996, I have been going back to Haiti at least once a year to volunteer my time as a music teacher at a wonderful music camp in the North of Haiti -- a camp that was [and has been] instrumental in the deepening of my faith and the developing of my new nature as a man sold out to God. (Several entries will be devoted to that later)

Yet, this year felt very different. For one thing, I did not go to Haiti in 2011, which created a sort of break in the long streak of going once a year. I felt somewhat disconnected since the two-year hiatus prevented any kind of instructional continuity to remain between me and the students I knew. To make matters even more disjointed in my mind, I was to go to a new location (a place I had never visited) with new people (whom I was scheduled to meet upon arrival) and possibly teach entirely different students (whose musical talents and proficiency levels I would not know until I arrived on site).

My questions were:

What do I do?
How do I prepare?
Will I even be effective?
Should I just stay home?

Well, I prayed and prepared the best I could -- teaching materials, healthful snacks I knew I would need as a vegetarian, songs for me to sing, gifts for people I encounter, etc. I left OKC on July 18 in the late afternoon, made it to Miami (after a layover in DFW) at 1 am on July 19, caught a hotel shuttle around 1:30, slumped in bed at 2:00, woke up at 4:45 am to meet the other team members, and together we headed to the Miami international airport from where we flew to Haiti.

Once we landed in Port-au-Prince, we went to the baggage claim area to collect our belongings. Guess whose luggage decided not to make it to the Port-au-Prince Mais Gate airport that morning? Yes, you guessed it:

Yours truly! (bowing)

My luggage was nowhere to be found -- including all the teaching materials I carefully prepared, the snacks I eagerly packed, and the gifts I tenderly wrapped. Talking to the AA baggage clerks only confirmed what I had already imagined -- it was an oversold situation and my luggage simply did not even get on the plane leaving Miami. I was given a notice containing a claim number and a phone number to check on the status of my suitcase. However, having mentally tallied the severe costs of time, money, and energy required for a 14-hour trek from Tibouk to Port-au-Prince, I knew right then and there that I would not have access to my suitcase for a while. Tears filled my eyes as I contemplated spending potetntially 11 days in total need, total dependence, total surrender to God's provision.

Then, it dawned on me that my predicament was a test which challenged me to behave with integrity:

Would I trust God or would I fret?
Would I deny my flesh or would I cling to my perceived rights?
Would I honor Christ with my response or would I discredit His name?
Would I curse ineffective individuals or would I bless them with my forbearance?

Once I realized what that test entailed, a peace that passes all understanding rushed inside of me and I was still. I thanked the baggage clerks for their help and chose to trust God. That was only the beginning of a trip that was packed with unexpected twists and turns on the road -- all of which combined to further transform my heart into one in desperate need of faith.

Father, how can I keep from shouting Your praises? Your hand is ever guiding, ever molding, ever touching, ever soothing, and ever moving me closer to Your heart. Help me to love You more and more on this journey. Amen!