katie loves haiti: God Spoke to me in Gonaives -- Part 1

Everything about the little trip to Gonaives was so blessed by God. I know His hand was in every part of it. I was excited to get out of Port au Price and see more of this country. We left PAP with the truck filled inside and out. There were five of us (all women) traveling. Keziah drove and Dorothy, Dianne, Stacy, and I were all passengers. Dianne and Stacy came to stay for four days from South Carolina.

When we got out of the city, I felt as if we had crossed over into a completely different country. The drive took four hours, but that alone was like a vacation for me! I can't even put into words the scenery as we drove up the coast of Haiti. To the left of the truck we had a perfect view of the beautiful blue waters of the bay and Caribbean Ocean. Directly to the right of the truck, we had a breath taking view of the huge green mountains. Clouds were hovering over the mountains, but the sunlight was shining through to give a view that no picture could fully portray. We passed through towns and villages. We saw mango trees, palm trees, fields of banana trees, and rice patties. I saw naked children running and playing. I saw men and women bathing in streams. Every sight was just so incredibly raw and beautiful. I tried to snap as many pictures as possible during the drive there, but no photo can possibly portray how incredible it looked. Especially after seeing piles of rubble for the past two weeks. This truly is a beautiful country.

When we finally arrived in Gonaives, it was just about dark. We stayed at Mary and Emory Wilson's house, I met them last week when we went out for pizza. They were the ones that took Emanuel to Gonaives for us. They are a dear sweet couple from Georgia, and they definitely have “southern hospitality”. When we arrived at the house, they had a feast ready for us! We had AMAZING grilled chicken that was seasoned with a Creole seasoning, baked beans, carrots, and piklies (a Haitian dish similar to cole slaw but with a kick). They have a great big dining room table, and there were about fifteen of us having dinner together. It was SO nice! We had great fellowship. God has given me the opportunity to meet come incredible people here in Haiti, and I am so thankful.

After dinner, we watched a Louie Giglio movie called “Indescribable”. In the video, he explains how enormous our God is, by comparing us to the rest of the universe. After the movie ended, everyone retired to bed, but Keziah told me to meet her on the roof to see the view. When I stepped outside, I literally almost lost my breath! The sky was just so big and so completely full of stars. There were no big buildings or lights blotting it out. It was so perfect, especially after having just watched that movie. In addition, their house is seated right at the bottom of a MASSIVE mountain that I could see perfectly against the starry sky. It was one of the most beautiful sights I think I've ever seen. So, Kez and I sat down and just took in the view and talked for quite some time. We only just met last week, so we didn't really know much about each other. We obviously were talking about God, and how incredibly big he is and how much we know he can do for the country of Haiti. Somewhere during the conversation, we began talking about just how powerful God really is and how powerful the Holy Spirit within us can be. It turns out, we both have the same vision for this country. We both want to go out and lay hands and pray for the sick and share the Gospel by loving the least of these. I know that may sound silly, “Isn't that the whole point of being a missionary?” But, surprisingly a lot of people that I have met here want to do everything themselves. Rather than it being what God can do through them, it is about what they can do for others.

So, it was truly an amazing moment talking with her. It was like God was sitting there with us telling her exactly what to say to me. I knew without a shadow of a doubt that God orchestrated that entire thing. It may not sound like that big a deal to you, but it was a combination of things working together to reaffirm that I am in the right place following after God's heart here in Haiti. Tell me this isn't God's perfect planning:

First, a few months before I am planning on coming to Haiti, I discover a whole different level of God that I somehow missed all my life: God gives us incredible power and authority though the Holy Spirit that lives in us. I learned about and witnessed God heal the sick. So, I came to this country knowing what was available to me, and what God expects me to do with it. Second, the new pastor at the church here just so happens to discover that there is SO MUCH MORE TO GOD than most of us are taught, and he is leading our church in the direction of power through the Holy Spirit. He wants to turn this country upside down by the pure and raw power of God's love. He wants to lay hands on the sick and pray for complete healing. Third, God places me in Gonaives, Haiti with a group of amazing people that I barely know and yet somehow they feel like family. In the midst of all that, I end up on a roof, under a blanket of stars, at the base of a huge mountain, talking to a compete stranger who has the same vision for this country as I do. Coincidence? NOT A CHANCE.

God has called me here, of that I am sure. He did not call me here to make me feel good about myself by helping others. He did not call me here because I have something to offer. He called me here because it glorifies Him. He called me here because His love is the ONLY thing that can ever save this country. He called me here because I said, “I will go. Send me.” Because He lead me here, and I obeyed, I can literally see Him clearing the path for me. He is paving the way in the direction that He wants me to go, and it is the most exciting thing I have ever experienced. He has a plan for this country, and I am so glad because frankly, I wouldn't know where to begin. Haiti is in His hands. All I know is that I am sticking around because His plans are BIG, and I sure do not want to miss out on this!

(more to come about day 2 in Gonaives soon...there was just too much to write all in one post!)