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HAITI CAN BE A DANGEROUS PLACE
Posted: February 16, 2011 by johnmchoulI usually reply back cordially and ask if God has called them to come to Haiti. And if the answer is yes, then I tell them it is safe. As safe as it was for Daniel in the lion’s den and for the three Hebrew men in the fiery furnace and even as safe as it was for Stephen when he was stoned and ultimately as safe as it was for Christ when He died on the cross.
I strongly believe that “safe” is overrated if it means will I be safe physically. The better question is, “Is it God’s will for me to go?” If the answer is, “Yes” then how much more safer can you be than in God’s will. This may not mean that harm will not come your way but what is that compared to being in God’s will. Was Jesus safe?
BUT I HAVE recently been spending some time thinking about Haiti and have finally concluded after 21 years of living here, that it can be a very dangerous place. Some may be saying, “Ah it’s about time John got his head out of the sand and admitted that Haiti can be a dangerous place.”
Yes, those of us who live here can be in great, grave danger.
We can be in danger of:
- Becoming numb to the cries of the poor.
- Not being moved to anger and compassion at the conditions in which many people live.
- Looking but not seeing.
- Hearing but not listening.
- Seeing what is but not what can be.
- Thinking that we need to change the Haitian culture to look like our culture and that the people aren’t doing it right because they don’t do it like we do.
- Thinking that living here is a sprint, when in reality, it’s a marathon.
- Being so practical about what we need to live that we limit God in what we do.
- Not totally depending on God for God’s work.
- Thinking that doing is more important than being.
John McHoul
12 comments:
Powerful. Amen. Thank you for this...a look at it through the lens of GOD!
THANK YOU to John for putting this up for all to see and hopefully understand! Thank you Livesay's for allowing John to share with us, and everyone how many of us feel when we go to Haiti..'safe' or not!
Blessings Always,
LeAnne
AMEN and AMEN!
Preach it brother John! Amen!
When I started going on trips to Haiti I kept in mind something I had heard years ago after 9/11... our time to return home is set so would you rather be running TO Christ or AWAY from Him? If we're called to it, He'll get us through it... one way or the other!!! Thanks for the wonderful post!
Every time I "meet" John, I like him more and more!
Blessings, Sandwich
People ask us, "How do you get 'used' to this poverty and suffering?" My prayer is, "I hope I never do."
Beautifully said. I think this can transcend to all of us, no matter where we are. Thank you for the reminded that God does not call us to be comfortable.
Wow, John, that is powerful. I really felt the last part "as dangerous as where you live" as it speaks so clearly to how we can fall into these dangerous traps of selfishness or lethargy no matter where we live. Thank you for sharing.
Great post!
People always ask me about "allowing" my children to travel to "dangerous" places. I say, "Well, they could get killed in a car accident if they stayed home." Seriously. That's my mindset.
2 months after 9/11, we allowed our just turned 16 year old to travel to Haiti for 10 days. People were shocked we allowed her to ride on an airplane, much less to travel to a 3rd world country. My response ... "When God calls my child to GO, we say GO."
One son served 2 1/2 years in Iraq. Nope. Not the safest place in the world.
One daughter traveled to India ... with just a group of young ladies ... about 6 weeks after all of the westerners were killed in the hotel in Bombay (I think that was where). Anyways, this group of 6 young western girls traveled right to the same city ... because that's where God called them to go.
One daughter was "stuck" in Bangladesh during a military coup, when the borders were closed due to in-fighting between military and government.
Were we afraid? No. We have always told our children to follow the Lord, follow their passions, follow their dreams ... because, if they are following the Lord, than most likely their dreams and passions were given to them by the Lord ... to be used for HIS glory.
Thanks ... for being willing to live in a "dangerous" place, in order to serve the Lord.
Hope your week is BLESSED!
Laurel
this is seriously convicting. I bawled reading it.
Awesome John! Just now coming around to 'understanding' mission work having been to Haiti 3 times now...I'm sure there is infinitely more to learn, thanks for sharing!
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