In June 2008, 15 members of Beyond the Norm Youth group, at Bangor Baptist Church ventured into the country of Haiti. All, except for one of the leaders, had never been to Haiti before. While in Haiti, this group of young people and two adults were able to help in the local communities mostly through daily vacation bible schools but also by ministering to a local youth group, loving on handicap children at a local orphanage and through providing encouragement through song and message to long term missionaries in the country.
A stand-out moment that the group experienced was the first day when we drove into a village that was about 40 minutes outside of the city. Once there, we were told that no American missionary team had ever visited this village before. Excitement was in the air as for many of these children these were the first white people they had ever seen. As the group leader was talking, his son began to translate so our team could understand what he was saying. The elderly man went on to say how for twenty years as he walked through and tended his mango gardens he would pray and ask the Lord for an American team to come and minister through a daily vacation bible school in his community. Day in and day out for twenty years this man faithfully prayed and petitioned God for this request. Years would come and go and many of those years this man would host his own backyard bible club in his mango garden. Still he would earnestly pray that these children would have the blessing of having an American team come and love on them and show them the love of Christ.
Tears were shed as we realized that before God breathed a breath of life into most of our team members He already knew they were the answer to this mans prayers. Not only did we share the love of Christ, we were able to share daily crafts with young people, worship songs, teaching and a meal each day for many children who typically were not fed a healthy meal each day. This became a highlight of our trip and honestly a genuine confirmation that we were exactly were God wanted us to be on those hot days in June. Away from our comforts, those we were closest to and the daily blessings we enjoy and take for granted each day in America; but in that moment in time right in the center of God’s will sharing His love and experiencing the blessing of a lifetime.