True Beauty

Yesterday, we traveled to Tortuga. Magdala told us she was coming with us to prepare for a wedding there. She told us there would be 10 of them total. We arrived at the loading area and there were at least 20 people - her whole house was literally standing on the shore. Ti Jezi came with us and he provided some entertainment. The Haitians were so scared of the water, the boat, and of puking. She had them all praying and worshipping the whole way there. It really was a beautiful ride listening and worshipping alongside them. The girl sitting in front of me and another intern started to puke. Being Haitian, she was terrified of the water that she wouldn't even lean over to puke over the edge. As if I wasn't feeling well enough to begin with, I now had to look at puke next to my foot for the rest of the ride. When we got to the island, Magdala led a prayer and then everyone sang Tout Bagay Deja Byen. I thought it was very fitting for the situation. The VBS was amazing. The group brought jewels with a verse attached to hand out to each kid. The lesson was on finding treasure in Christ and not earthly things, fitting for it being a former Pirate location. That afternoon, we all spent some time in the gran moun home. It was so disheartening to see their joy down. They weren't the outgoing, singing, dancing, and peppy group as usual. They were still mourning the loss of their beloved friend.

Today, we hiked to the waterfall. It was a lovely nine miles. The group really took the time to bond with the boys that always walk with us. It was really cool to spend more intentional time with them. As we were walking, we passed the tree of life. This tree is the craziest looking thing with vines everywhere. The Haitians who practice voodoo believe it is possessed by Satan. They are scared of the tree and believe that Satan will eat you. It's sad to see the power they give him. He doesn't deserve any credit. We got to swim and hang out by the waterfall. Fritzson, the homeless boy I wrote about, walked with us. You can see he is hurting and hungry but he always had a smile on his face. We are still praying that God will provide for him in whatever way God sees fit. Right now, that doesn't look like the orphanage like everyone had thought. It's hard to see him struggling so young and just want to help. We just have to keep reminding ourselves God's got this. He has definitely stolen our hearts and has such a gentle demeanor. This afternoon, some of the girls from the group went down to the brothel with us. The women are so welcoming and have so much love to give. We shared encouraging verses and prayed with them. Last week, a young boy had told us that it was $1.50 USD per girl. He said if they pay $2, they were paying too much. How crazy?!?! It's hard to see people who just need a way to provide for their families. If they had another job, they would be gone from the brothel. They hate that they do this but it's the only way to feed their children. Praying that they see their beauty and WORTH in Christ. I know that God will reveal His worth in them over time and that they will come to know that there isn't enough money in the world that would out pay God. Visiting with these women just really helps me to see that my passion is helping young girls to see their true beauty and worth in Christ alone. Knowing that we can influence the outcomes of some of these girls' lives, is a huge responsibility and opportunity God has given us. I'm excited to see where God leads in friendships with young women.