On the first day delivering water in Cite Soleil, I met an adorable fourteen year old girl named Roselinda. Yesterday while working at general hospital, I started talking to a seventeen year old girl who was looking after her three year old niece who was sick. Today I immediately clicked with a fifteen year old girl at a school that we visited named Adrianne. The more time we spend out, the more I realize this is becoming a pattern. The teenagers find me and cling to me. Whether it be purely because of our age or a safety they feel with me, wherever we are, whatever we are doing, those sweet teenage girls want to be by my side, holding my hand.
My heart breaks for these precious children probably more than anyone else here in Haiti. Being a teenager seems rough. Being a teenager in a poverty stricken country (taking care of family members, living in slums, covered in dirt, objectified by the men around them, caring for their parents, working already) would be a little more than rough. This is more then I can think of handling. These are the girls that reach out to me. And this is the age group we need to be reaching out to.
Speaking from the view of an eighteen year old, the last five years of my life have led to becoming who I am as a person. This is such a pivotal point in human lives. There is an openness and a willingness to learn and discover what life is about. I've come to discover that Jesus IS what life is all about. We have the ability and the attention from these beautiful Haitian teens to teach them what life is all about. And they're ready for it. They need hope. They need a place to put their faith. And once these wonderful young adults have that faith, they can be the ones to make the change that Haiti needs. A Top Top full of white missionaries ARE going to make a dent. But we're not going to change the fate of this country. The Millennials in Haiti can though. If we raise up this generations as people seeking after Jesus and people doing what Jesus would be doing and serving as Jesus would be serving, that's when we can start seeing a real, tangible, physical change in the Haiti.
Speaking from the view of an eighteen year old, the last five years of my life have led to becoming who I am as a person. This is such a pivotal point in human lives. There is an openness and a willingness to learn and discover what life is about. I've come to discover that Jesus IS what life is all about. We have the ability and the attention from these beautiful Haitian teens to teach them what life is all about. And they're ready for it. They need hope. They need a place to put their faith. And once these wonderful young adults have that faith, they can be the ones to make the change that Haiti needs. A Top Top full of white missionaries ARE going to make a dent. But we're not going to change the fate of this country. The Millennials in Haiti can though. If we raise up this generations as people seeking after Jesus and people doing what Jesus would be doing and serving as Jesus would be serving, that's when we can start seeing a real, tangible, physical change in the Haiti.
That being said, I have no idea how we go about changing the youth to change the country. I'll let ya'll know when I come up with something.
-Maddie
You are amazing Maddie :D. I love this post so much and have been praying for you all!
ReplyDeleteKeep shining His light!
Sherri
love your video too- amazing- loving reading all of these posts to keep up w/ your trip! Glad you are back & safe- now... CULTURE SHOCK!
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