Today, I watched Frozen with some of my kids.
Later this afternoon while she was braiding my hair, 10-year-old Jhaskiline leaned over and whispered quietly in my ear, "you're a princess."
Then, I was sitting on the front porch with 4-year-old Naelle when she looked at me and said simply, "you're so beautiful."
It wasn't until hours later that I was touched by these two comments.
As I thought about it, I realized that I am beautiful because I am made in my Father's image. And if my Father is the King of kings, that makes me a princess.
I am a beautiful princess.
I often need reminding of this. Today, the reminder was in the honest voice of a 4-year-old and the gentle whisper of a 10-year-old.
What a wonderful way to be reminded.
Short-term mission trips (which I will here define as teams that come down for one or two weeks at a time) get a lot of ridicule. They are accused of doing more harm than good, creating dependency, and being beneficial only for the visitors.
But before you judge mission trips, consider these reasons why we LOVE our short-term teams:
They help us get things done.
We have a LOT of construction work that needs to be done: 5 houses, a property wall, and a school building. We constantly employ Haitian construction workers, but a team of 20 hard-working volunteers makes everything go a lot faster. ((We STILL employ our Haitian construction workers while teams are here, and we CONTINUE to employ them after our teams leave. Teams do NOT take jobs away from local workers.)) Plus, watching American teams work alongside our Haitian staff is a beautiful thing!
They open up a partnership.
We show you pictures of kids in need. You send us money. End of story.
That's what our organization would be if we didn't have a partnership with our supporters. You would be sending money to a faceless organization. No relationship would exist. But when short-term teams come, they become part of our family. This partnership allows people in the states to play an active role in what the Lord is doing here in Haiti.
They are a blessing to me.
Imagine spending all day living in a foreign country, navigating a different culture, and speaking a second - still difficult - language. It's exhausting! Having teams of Americans here is refreshing and encouraging. Whether they bring small gifts, chocolate, or words of encouragement, I am always blessed when a team comes.
They are a blessing to my kids.
From my seat on the front porch, I can see the entire school yard. On the playground, two teenage girls who are visiting from the states are pushing 3-year-old Lovindia and 5-year-old Schneider on the swings. Two 16-year-old boys are sitting on top of the monkey bars: one is American, one is Haitian. A soccer game is in full swing - Haitian kids and American visitors are playing side-by-side. The sounds of singing and laughter are coming from the side of the school where games of patty-cake, jump rope, and frisbee are taking place.
There are a million ways to say "I love you" without ever speaking a word.
I know this for a fact: when short-term teams come, my kids feel loved.
So don't be too quick to judge short-term mission trips. They are a beautiful thing.
If you're interested in coming to Haiti to help get things done, become a partner, and be a blessing to both me and my kids, CONTACT ME at erinahiggins@gmail.com. I would love to have you visit!
