I will pray

I will pray.

I will pray that as the plane takes off and miraculously floats into the sky, that as I put your not-so-tiny-anymore hand in mine, peace will flood your heart in the midst of the unknown.

I will pray that as we land in Haiti and as I point out the beauty of the mountains and the blue of the waters that you will never loose the awe in your sight of this land.

I will pray that as we drive through the streets of Port-Au-Prince that God doesn’t hide from you the truth of this world while still allowing hope to hold tight to your thoughts.

I will pray that as we drive our way up into the beautiful countryside of Haiti that the windy roads don’t shake you from the truth that God has made you for this very moment.

I will pray that as we cross past the orphanage gate and you come face-to-face with this, my home away from home, that you feel the weight of this moment…and the strength of those praying for you.

I will pray that as you step out the door and meet all those beautiful faces which I’ve told you about that the love God has placed in your heart is the first thing these children see and God forges instant friendships.

I will pray that as I introduce you to ‘the boys’….honestly, my heart cannot fathom what I will pray over this moment or how I will feel….it will be a treat for us both.

I will pray that as we go about our days you know how mighty our God is that He has brought you here, and that you never loose sight of the fact that this is one of life’s greatest blessings…serving His children and reminding them of His love.

I will pray that as we sit in church on Sunday, may the unfamiliar words and extended hours not distract you but rather speak to your heart about how uniquely God made us to worship Him.

I will pray that as we pass out shoeboxes that experience never leave your heart. May each gift you receive from that moment forward be felt with even greater gratitude and thanksgiving.

I will pray that as we go to leave, may your heart break for what breaks His. May you remember every moment, every conversation and every soul you met. May this trip brighten His light in your life, soften your heart to His will and light the fire of passion to take part in the centuries old mandate to reach every soul for His glory.

I will pray that God knows how grateful. I am for choosing me to be your momma, and allowing me to guide you on this trip that I know will change, not only your world, but the world of each person you know.

I will wake you slowly, with a smile smeared across my face and my heart tender to what is about to happen and whisper in your ear, “It’s time sweetie…time to watch God use you to ROCK.HIS.KINGDOM!”

These were the words of my heart the day before we left on our trip to Haiti, the first of many I am certain for my daughter. It has been three months since this trip and Haiti has forever left an imprint on her heart. She has been forever changed by the blessing of serving children who are so very different yet whom she has created life-long bonds with. Those bonds show themselves frequently in the tears which can come after simply mentioning their names. She still speaks of offering a shirt to a young village girl whose shirt was ripped, or of the joy of chasing chickens with the little girls after hours of jumping rope. She lights up as I remind her of the babies whom flocked to her simply to be loved or the games of tag she played with my ‘boys’…her brothers in a sense. She can in her 8-year-old details explain the joy of handing a child’s gift and the absolute joy that filled her heart as they were so thankful for the teddy bear.

This trip with my daughter, which is a new avenue of pursuing God in Haiti, has been the pebble thrown into the water. The ripple-effect of impact going beyond her little heart, or mine, bringing to life that desire to serve in the hearts of other children she talks with. Her ministry hasn’t ended simply because life has returned to “normal” and she is once again surrounded by familiar faces. She continues to speak to others about her time, her words simple yet inspiring others to action. Whether she is talking about her trip to her 200 friends at VBS this summer, telling family about her many memories or saying a prayer before dinner for the hearts of her Haitian friends…He simply isn’t done with her yet.

On MissionFinder, we have over 2,000 ministries offering opportunities like this to serve in your community and around the world. Sarah and her daughter’s mission trip was hosted by Global Vision Citadelle Ministries.

Global Vision Citadelle Ministries is a missions organization planting churches and training church leaders in Haiti. They also offer a child sponsorship program and short term mission trip opportunities.

To follow Sarah and her daughter on this journey of how God is using them in Haiti or to hear about the many ways He has allowed them to be a part of His mission there, visit her website here.