It was the end of a great week for the small team of 10 from Osakis, MN. The week was spent serving at a school not far from my house. They worked with the kids, painted, and held a kids' club every afternoon. They were well loved here and I knew the community would miss them. The week was good--great even. Each individual on the team, I'm sure, was changed by the passion, joy, and love they saw here. I also know that they left their mark here. God worked on them, through them, in them, and in spite of them. It was beautiful.
The end of the week had come and it was time for the team to say "goodbye" to Pastor Junior and Brother Denis. Pastor Junior stood and started his thank you speech in Creole and then decided to speak directly to the group in English. What he said touched my heart. He told the team that he had been thinking about why they came to Haiti. Was it to build a big building? No. Was it to do a big thing? No. Was it to see a new place? No. He told them that God had planned for them to be here for this time. Why did God send them? Because they came, God told Pastor Junior, "I know you are here." Because they came, God told Brother Denis, "I know you are here." Because they came, God reminded the two of them, "I know your school is here."
Tears came to my eyes as I heard him say these things. This is exactly why they came. Pastor Junior and Brother Denis know that God knows they are here, but this teams presence shouted to them, "I haven't forgotten you."
Many people ask me why they should go on short term missions. To me, because of what I do as one who works to encourage local pastors here in Haiti in their ministry, this is a very good reason why. It's more than just sending money. The presence of brothers and sisters from somewhere else--maybe even from the same country--is a whole different level of encouragement. It is a beautiful thing.
Pastor Junior and Brother Denis will not easily forget the team from a small town in Minnesota that God used to encourage them and remind them "I know you are here." I know I won't forget how God used them or how Pastor Junior put it. Why did you come? To be the voice of God saying, "Pastor Junior, I know you are here."
