Hey guys! Just trying out my new blog...
Haiti was an incredible experience in so many ways… I will never forget the things I saw and learned there. God worked on my heart for His people and he also worked in my life personally. I realized how much God actually cares for us. I mean, I always knew that He loved us and that He’s always been by our sides, but he truly yearns for us, for our hearts. He wants the absolute best for us, and He even gives it to us, although sometimes we don’t realize it. There is a constant battle going on. Going to Haiti was one of the hardest things I have ever done, physically and emotionally, and I was afraid of the things I might see while I was there. God protected me more than I could know. There had been a virus going around of diarrhea and vomiting that lasted a few days. I never got it, and I thank God for that. Then there were the Haitians that were constantly against us. They would come in the middle of the night and bang on the walls or tear our signs down or throw rocks at the base. They would start yelling and cursing at us as we did prayer walks around the city, but it never stopped us. I would be a liar if I didn’t say I was afraid, but I always knew that God had a plan. Haiti has left a big mark on my heart.
I actually saw God’s love for each of us. He doesn’t want us to be destroyed and defeated. He wants us to be how he originally made us --- full of joy and faith, overwhelmed with love from our father.
I can only imagine the struggles and pain the Haitian people are going through, especially after this terrible attack that has taken so many lives. The earthquake did so much damage, but I believe that the new foundation being laid is the base of God. He is working so much in the people there. There is no doubt that God is truly doing something incredible.
If I was to type out everything that happened on this journey, I would be typing for hours. But to sum it all up, don’t ever doubt that God can use you. I went with the discouragement of others who said a little something like this…
Them: “Reanna, how old are you?”
Me: “19.”
Them: “What the heck are you going to be able to do in Haiti? You don’t have any medical experience and they don’t need extra bodies there just standing in the way. They need people that can actually help.”
Me: “I am going because I believe that God wants me to. I don’t know what He has for me there, but if He wants me to go, I will go.”
Them: “God isn’t really calling you to go. You just want to go because you’re looking for attention.”
Me: “I don’t know anyone who would go to a dangerous disaster area because they were looking for attention. Honestly, I’m terrified to go all the way by myself, and I am young, and I don’t have any experience, but I do have one thing that most people there don’t: Hope. I can be used as a tool to show love, just by being there. I don’t know what God has for me there, but I am trusting that He is taking care of me.”
And God did use me!! I was able to share my testimony multiple times with victims, patients in the clinics, people on the street. I built relationships with kids, help to construct clinics, gave out food and clothes, made I.D. cards that the victims could use to get the food and clothes and shelter and jobs in the future. God used ME. And He can use you too. All you have to do is surrender yourself to Him and trust. God always has a plan. It’s your choice to follow it or not.
Thanks to everyone who helped make this journey possible. You will be blessed. Follow your dreams. God gave them to you. Never doubt. And for those that think they are too young to do anything, 1 Timothy 4:12. God used Joseph, David, and Daniel. God used a prostitute! He can do anything.
My life as of now is a little unsure…I am back in Panama with my parents and the opportunity to teach English at two of the Indigenous schools close by has come up. They want a full-time teacher, so in order to do it I would need to stay in Panama all year. It is very exciting to me, as I was helping the school before by teaching English, but it more of an on-and-off kind of thing. I don’t think the children really learned much. But now if I choose to do it all year everyday, I’m sure they will have gotten something out of my teachings by the end. J I also want to go back to Haiti in the future, God-willing. It would be awesome to go back and see the many changes I keep hearing about.
So, teaching is my only plan as of now. Please keep me in your prayers as I seek God’s direction as to which way he would have me go…teaching or Haiti?
We are going to try and do a DTS in January, 2011. If you are at all interested, please comment or email me [rebeanna@gmail.com] or look me up on facebook! We need staff, leaders, DTSers of course, volunteers, money, anything and everything. Please pray about it!
Thanks everyone!! Blessings to all of you!
