Sunday, May 29, 2011

Journeys....

Welcome, my name is Rachel. My nickname is Rae...that is where Rachel Rae comes from.  I am a 31 year old and the single mother of 12 year old Kira.  I have been traveling to Haiti since 2010 with the organization Healing Haiti.



At first sight of Haiti, I knew that I was answering a call that God has placed on my heart many years ago.  I knew that this was a place where God was going to reveal my purpose to me.  Although, I may not know it completely yet.  I know it is somewhere within this beautiful land.

Kira's first trip to Haiti was in March of 2011.  She was the youngest goer Healing Haiti has brought on a trip.  I think we were all a little hesitant but who are we to start thinking....She blew me away.  As the founder of Healing Haiti says, "The nut doesn't fall far from the tree".  Her heart is definitely like her Momma's.

Here we are leading a group of women to Haiti. A group of women that have been prayed about since my first trip.  Each one of these women have had a significant part of Kira's and my life,  our faith walk, or have supported our journeys to Haiti.  This is a group of women that I can only humbly say, have all made me a better person, mother, and Christ Follower.  I thank each one of them from the bottom of my heart and am honored to share with you what God has placed on my heart and broke it wide open for the least of these...materially. Thank you Lord for this life-changing and honoring opportunity to lead some of your most humble and faithful servants on this journey to be the hands and feet of Christ.
Let's go shine His Light!


Haiti is a special place to me, a place I like to call, "My paradise".  A place where most people cannot look past the surface appearance of material poverty, dirt, corruption, garbage everywhere, and not sewer or sanitation. Yet, I was given a new lens to see through during my first time in Haiti.

A new lens that God allowed me to see through to see....
BEAUTY: in the smiles that are beaming on the dirt covered face of a child that has only a torn shirt on;
JOY: in the toy car that a child made out "Tampico" juice bottle with wheels that are made from the covers of the bottles or the kite that is made out of a piece of plastic and dental floss (because they didn't know what dental floss was);
FAITH: in Christ that runs deeper than any ocean, river or sea;
TRUST: in Christ that He will provide EVERYTHING they NEED to survive for the day;
LOVE: is not only for your blood family, its for all of God's Children:
ACCEPTANCE: WE ARE WHO WE ARE...we are all wired differently  we will not be judged for our past mistakes, no one is better than the next as we are all children of God and sinful creations;
PATIENCE: Haitian time...if it gets done today GREAT-if not-it is OK.  We will be there in 5 minutes and it is actually 25 minutes...oh well, we have made it safely and that is all that matters;
CONTENTMENT: of their dirt covered floor to lay their head down at night;
PEACE: no matter the environmental circumstances.

I come back to my USA home, and feel like a fish out of water.  My vision gets distorted, my judgement gets flawed, my focus is off centered. Someday...I will be a fish in water for good. Until then, I go to Haiti to recenter my life to God's will and God's way. But I will continue to fight the battle here in the US to live life as Christ life as possible with not falling into the worldly ways (as I see and feel) of materialism, greed, excessive waste, judgement and envy.

People try to understand but never will get close to comprehending what happens within one's heart in Haiti until you GO YoUrSeLf!  So when are YOU going?

Until then...may this page be one that will allow other people's journey touch your heart, your life and possibly change the perspective many have on this country that is struck by material poverty but the RICHEST in FAITH and JOY!

Glwa pou Bondye.
Ke Bondye Beni'ou
Rachel (said "raw-shell" in Haiti)