Our last day here was one of fun and sadness. We finished up in the camp that we found had the most need and where we found true comfort in being. After 6 days here in PaP (I’m waiting to hear from the team in Cap), we saw 1300 patients, pastored/counseled over 500 people,
built shelters, taught and delivered water filtration systems, fed over 300 people enough for a week, taught basic hygiene to children like brushing their teeth,
had a question and answer session with mothers about their babies, danced and sang with the community, and witnessed a strength in faith that we rarely see. We had no expectations of what we were going to do, no preconceived notion of how it would all turn out, and no pretense of thinking that we were going to make a significant difference in what has happened to Haiti. But we did make a difference. To those who we cared for, those we cared about and those we took care of. We believed in the direction we were sent and we gave. And received.
A question was asked last night during team time: are we giving enough. The answer turned out to be relatively simple. It depends on what you give. Materially, we don’t. Medically, we don’t. Food, we don’t. Shelter, we don’t. But what we do give is everlasting, never ending, always there and remembered, and once given will be passed on to others. And we received it as well. It’s called agape. The unconditional selfless love of one person for another. With agape there is not need for thanks, for recognition, for praise. It is freely given without question, without asking and without conditions. Sounds familiar doesn’t it? He gives it to us all the time. The beauty is that agape is never ending, never short, and always there. Did we give enough? Agape given and received. It is there always.
In all things give thanks,
David
