How it Feels Coming Home From a Mission Trip

We are back from Haiti.

Besides a pink dog and my littlest getting poison ivy, everyone is still in one piece.

Except for my daughter and me.  We left a little bit of our heart in Haiti.

Even being aware of  ‘a new’ normal, I hadn’t expected such a flood of emotions.  It is hard to answer fully, “So how was your trip?”.

Market Day Port -au-Prince

It feels awkward because it’s difficult  to verbalize both the sadness and the hope and the ugly and beauty in it all.  I am not the same.

Haiti Mountains

The depth of poverty was shocking to my body.  Emotionally and physically.  I am exhausted.  Everything was out of my comfort zone.  And I realize just how big of a comfort zone I have.

We saw it every day on our way to the orphanage and particularly in Port Au Prince on the way to and from the airport.  That first day was tough.

I felt feel guilty eating well when we were surrounded by disturbing images everywhere.

‘We are blessed’ is so cliche but true.  It is hard trying to reconcile that.

Especially attempting to jump back into life with both feet.  I feel the need to take time off but life is still moving the 120 mph it was when I left.

I am already behind.  My email is over flowing, my answering machine is too full to take messages, and I really just want to try to process this trip,  go through the pictures I took, and hide a bit, to be honest.

It was the most amazingly wonderful and tremendously hard thing I have ever done.

I met people who have great influence, vision, and hope and are making a difference raising disciples.

Our team of 11 include some of the most tremendous people I have ever met.  There are 50 years difference between the youngest and oldest team member.  It was unique experiencing Haiti together.

Haiti Sunset

And I would do it again in a skinny minute.  God’s hands were in everything, even the smallest of details.

Thank you so much, friends, for all you did to send me there.  I am forever changed.

More words to come…..