I will preface everything by saying my heart breaks as I look at the devastation in Haiti. I watched a program last night which depicted the streets of Haiti echoing the mass graves from Holocaust concentration camps. It was a sickening and haunting sight. I have never interacted with a Haitian, but three experiences to third world countries have put people like them close to my heart. So, while I grieve alongside them, I also recognize the sovereignty of God. I have no explanation for why this happened, but I firmly believe God is still in control. Because of this I can pray, in faith, for healing and restoration to this grieving nation.
On our trip, the youth leaders planned to collect donations which could be sent with groups either serving or getting ready to serve in Haiti. We passed around a basket on Sunday morning, and were able to collect around $150 from students, leaders, and everyone else on the trip. While we were grateful for the amount received, we felt God wanted more, especially in light of the weekend we had just spent learning from Him. On the bus ride home we decided to try again at raising funds for those in need. The end result was truly a blessing! Between two buses and a couple vans, our group came up with over $700 for the people of Haiti! Needless to say, this left all the leaders, including myself, speechless. God reminded me once again of how much joy He blesses us with when we give as well as the impact His body can have on this earth. I doubt I was ever more proud to be in the company of 100+ high-schoolers. In the grand scheme of things, $700 amounts to merely peanuts, but they might be the best peanuts I have ever tasted!
Amen. Praise the Lord for working in the lives of your students and leaders.
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