A Recent Observation.
May 24, 2012
Thoughts on Haiti, Part 2: They Don’t Care.
May 23, 2012
The first orphanage we visited was awesome. There was a strong sense of the presence of God there.
Here we were, well-fed, well-paid pastors being blessed by children that were abandoned, most by the death of their families in the earthquake.
All they wanted was affection.
I asked a few of the boys if we could play soccer. They lit up and ran outside.
While I was playing soccer within the walls of the orphanage, there was this momentary freedom from the cares of the world. Even more, it was a relief from the concerns of our American Christianity.
These children don’t care about the color of the carpet in the church building, or the color of the paint on the walls, or which side of the platform the piano is on, or whether or not we sing out of the red hymn book.
All they care about is food, water, acceptance, love, and hope. They are learning to follow Christ; and have seen His miraculous works, felt His overwhelming love, and have a sense of hope that we could not begin to comprehend.
We were told that those children would never be adopted.
Can we change that?
Or, would bringing them here to the States ruin the beauty of the simplicity of their love for Jesus?
To be continued…
To read from the first post of the series, Click Here »
Thoughts on Haiti, Part 1: Unaware.
May 22, 2012
Over the next few weeks I will be sharing thoughts and pictures from my trip to Haiti… though they may not be in order.
Haiti is a nation that is very young with half of its population 25 years old or younger, there is an unemployment rate of 80%, and many of it’s people practice voodoo.
Apart from some of the unique statistics, there is something familiar with this nation. As I stepped out of the airport, I was suddenly taken back to other places I have visited.
Quite simply: Haiti is a Third-Wolrd country; and with that comes a particular look, feel, smell, and taste in the air.
But, as with all the other Third-World countries I have been to, there is something here that is almost unexplainable… a sort of beauty in the people… a sense of hope despite a seemingly hopeless situation.
We traveled across the country, from border to coastline, school to orphanage, in a rapid overview of the ministry of Convoy of Hope; and obtained first-hand insight into the continued relief efforts and rebuilding of the nation of Haiti after the devastating earthquake which rocked the nation in 2010.
As we were shuffled from place to place, there was something which was evident to both myself and others on the trip. The children we met seemed mostly unaware of their poverty. They were playful, innocent, and very thankful for what they have—even though what they do have is relatively nothing compared to our over-abundance in the United States. They don’t fully understand they live in a nation that is extremely poor, has an epidemic of cholera, and that many places in the world are vastly different.
All this is normal.
This is their life.
Yet, they remain full of hope and gratitude…
Reminded, again, of the undeserving opportunity I have to live where I do.
To be continued…
Like this:
The Best Advice Ever (Along With the Rest)
May 21, 2012
This morning I was doing some reminiscing, and it lead me to thinking about some of the best advice I have ever received.
I was blessed to have an amazing man of God as a youth pastor growing up.
He is a man full of wisdom, humility, and faithfulness; and also lots of useless information. 
His name is Mike Montag, and he would be humbled by the previous accolades; and would whisper to me that they aren’t true; which only proves my point (except, or course, when it comes to the useless information, which he would jokingly agree with).
As I graduated high school, I was certain of where I should go, but took a year to finally make the jump and go to college in Pennsylvania.
Upon making the journey to a new land, I received these words of advice from Mike:
Always remain teachable.
Other than “Don’t drink the water in a third-world country,” it’s safe to say that up to this point in my life, of all the advice that I have been given, this has had the greatest impact.
No matter where I’ve been, what I know or think I know, and what I’ve experienced, I have also learned that I don’t know it all. [This was also pointed out to me by another great man of God, the late Rev. Frank Linton.]
Making the choice to remain teachable means that you’re humble and open to learning from whoever, whatever, whenever; and that you haven’t figured it all out. There’s always another angle, or perspective, or piece of information that you haven’t factored in, and as long as I allow myself to be teachable, I will continue to learn, grow, and become more effective in what the Lord has called me to do… oh, and I will also gain that coveted thing called wisdom.
- Have you ever been given a piece of advice that has greatly impacted your life?
- Was it a positive or negative impact?
- Was the individual that gave you the advice doing so with your best interest in mind? (In other words, were they trying to help you or hinder you?)
- Can you see any long-term affects in your life from the advice?
Thank you, Mike, for giving your all to discipling me. Your efforts have reaped a great harvest in my life, and those fruits have always stayed with me. My life as a follower of Christ, husband, father, and minister are directly connected to what the Lord has done in and through your life. Thank you for remaining teachable, and in return passing the wisdom on to a young, loud, prideful boy that is now beginning to understand (only slightly) the depth of the wisdom passed on.
Still learning…
Steve
