Haiti Update

They arrived in Port au Prince, Haiti Thursday morning at roughly 9:00am only to find that 5 of their most valuable bags had been lost. One of the main focuses for this trip was to set up clinic to provide Haitians with prescription glasses restoring sight to the visually impaired. The bags that were lost contained all the prescription lenses and the other equipment used to set up this clinic. The team was terribly discouraged because this clinic was to be their ticket into the mountains and the villages. How could they show up and not provide the services they promised?

So Thursday was spent connecting with missionaries in Port au Prince and getting adjusted to the climate and culture. Many members of this team are 1st timers to Haiti and needed a little time to adjust. It was Friday morning before they could go back to the airport in an attempt to find their lost luggage. It's hard enough to reclaim lost luggage in the states, and almost impossible to do so in Haiti, but they had to try. With almost no hope at all, a couple members of the team went to the airport while the rest of the team set up a make shift clinic with only reading and sun glasses at the mission house/boys home where they were staying. They didn't have any prescription lenses and were terribly worried they would have to turn masses of people away.

We've heard it said that "nothing is impossible to God"....well, sometimes we don't really believe that until we are faced with a situation like this. But around 10:00am Friday morning, there were tears being shed and shouts of praising being sung to our God because the luggage had been found!! Praise God! We don't know how, but we know who!

I got an email from Carly late Friday night depicting the excitement, "but we didn't have the suitcases yet. Then, as the first person was beginning to be seen at our makeshift clinic, the truck got back. I was so scared to know the answer I didn't even go out and look; I just listened.....They got all 5!!! I was so happy I started crying and had to go to the back room pretending I was working on setting up."

So the team worked all day at providing glasses and loving on those who came to the clinic. Later, after dinner, the team began packing everything back up because today (Saturday the 24th)they are headed to the mountains bright and early. There wont be any more contact from them until the middle of next week sometime, but they have all the luggage, and a restored hope that it truly is God and God alone who is leading and providing for this trip.

Praise God for His direction and protection. Praise God for His immovable plans and unchangeable will. Praise God for His sovereignty and mercy. Praise God for...well, just for being God! Thanks for your prayers folks - keep em rollin!

With praise in my heart,

ZB