There are times when he shows us a need and by the grace of God, we can help. We can build a house. We can pool some money together with others to pay a child's school tuition. We can pass out beans and rice...
But then there are times when he shows us a great need; a heartbreaking, bring-you-to-your-knees-in-tears kind of a need, that we cannot do anything about. It reminds me that there is so much more to what we do than just meeting physical needs, yet sometimes that is all that we are shown...and how little control we actually have over these situations.
This trip that the team has taken to Haiti, I think brought that truth to the surface in very painful way. It's easy to start believing that we, ourselves, can do anything - the Hero mentality is easy to come by when working short term missions trips. You are often set up for success, because success is the goal - meet needs, share the gospel, reach the people.
But this week, a very real need was presented, and unable to be fulfilled.
In Haiti, the field partner we work with has set up several feeding centers around their community. The feeding centers are designed to help the children of the community get 2-3 meals a week. Often times, because their family can't provide enough for them throughout the week, these are the only meals some children will get. The goal is that not every meal be provided for the children through the center, because we want parents to learn to provide for their own families and not solely rely on charity - but the reality is sometimes that just doesn't happen.
This week, while the team was helping at one of the centers, the pots of beans and rice were getting lower and lower and there were still more children to feed. I wish I could say it was like the five loaves of bread and two fish, but it wasn't. The pots finally emptied, and there were still five boys to feed.
Those boys didn't get fed.
Not only that, but it's likely that it would be another day or maybe two before they would get another meal presented to them.
I have tears streaming very unattractively down my face right now as I write this - which makes me glad only my dog is awake to see me - because my heart is absolutely breaking at the thought of having to be the one to look into the eyes of those children and tell them they had to go home because there was no food for them.
I imagine if that was my child, waiting in line, only to come to the end and be told, "I'm sorry, we cannot feed you." And my heart breaks even further, because I imagine that this is the daily struggle for parents in this country.
The painfulness of this reality goes so much deeper than hunger pains. It is the pain of the depravity of our broken world. A world where some parents cannot provide for their children, in a country where there is no governmental support or WIC or welfare. There is only the generosity and care of organizations like UCI (United Christians International - which is the field partner in Haiti the team is working with this week). And UCI cannot do it by itself. It could not do anything without the provision and grace of God.
And yet, in moments like these, I am reminded of how much more I would like to do. And by myself, it's impossible.
Which is why I am writing. I have no answers within myself, but I know that the Body of Christ is powerful because God is behind it. And nothing is impossible with God.
This is a huge opportunity for the Church - big "C", not the building, but the body of people - to help this organization. UCI was developed by a native Haitian about ten years ago,and his wife, and they have been ministering to the people of Haiti for probably even longer than that. If you would like to give to their organization to help provide more food for the feeding centers or really in any other capacity, this would be an awesome organization to give to. It is not Hungry for Life's goal to simply give money and be absent from the first hand experience of missions work, but God has blessed our country with huge financial resources and sometimes, it can be just as beautiful to show generosity through that in times when you may not be able to physically go and do the work.
So if you would like to donate with UCI or just learn more about the work that Jean Jean and Kristi are doing in Haiti, check out their website: www.ucihaiti.org. Please prayerfully consider giving to this organization. Please keep them and their organization in your prayers as they minister to their people and train them up in the beauty of the gospel.
And as always, if you would like to know more about what Zak and I do with Hungry for Life or are interested in partnering with us financially or prayerfully, please email us at zakharris@hflusa.org or check out our wesbite: zakharris.org to start supporting us.
I pray that your heart will be broken and mended by the beauty and power of the gospel in your own life today. God is good and to Him and Him alone be the glory.
"To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen." 1 Timothy 1:17
No comments:
Post a Comment