We all met up at the church parking lot and piled our ever growing stack of luggage into our two vehicles to begin the first leg of our trip. Eleven check-in luggage and eleven carry-ons had now grown to sixteen check-in, eleven carry-on and several "personal items", as the airport likes to call them. Those are things that won't fit in the other luggage but can be hauled on your person as long as they will fit under the seat in front of you. I think we all had one of those too. It's amazing when people find out you're heading to Haiti, how many have items they were just waiting for God to find a way to get there. :-)
So we packed a suitcase for Stephanie, one of the newest United Methodist interns to be placed at the Haitian Artisans for Peace International (HAPI) site we will be joining for the next 12 days. Her father lovingly met up with me, beaming with pride for his daughter as he talked about her work there. Another suitcase was packed with new band equipment that last week's team purchased as soon as they arrived home yesterday, wanting us to take it back with us today. Another had a slew of art supplies and tools for the classes and workshops I'll be leading next week for artisans in Mizak. We will be working on new product development. Can't wait to see what we all come up with. And then there was a suitcase for Angelica, a prior UM missionary at HAPI who is now working with another local missionary from the states, Lee. They have a school and art gallery they help run in Mizak, so several supplies where needed by them, as well. Our dear friend from New York, Christy, traveled with us last year from Miami down to Mizak. She sent along some Valentine gifts for friends in the area. Then there was a bunch of other small oddities that people had shipped to us or dropped off to take down. So all told, we will be known as Santa this year. What a joy to bring such excitement and anticipation to others.
The airport had a new outdoor check-in that moved the process up exponentially from year's prior. Way cool. Way fast. And the plane trip down to Miami was uneventful, unless you count the beauty of fast moving clouds and me being able to have three uninterrupted hours of hand quilting on my new granddaughter's quilt. A wonderful young man from Wyoming, I think he said, just arrived back from Haiti and saw our shirts at the airport. He asked if he could pray for us, and we responded "Sure!" as we all circled up. What a joy to see the body of Christ be the body of Christ. He had just returned from helping a church group work with micro loans to chicken farmers. He built two chicken coops while down and changed two families' lives forever. He inspired us all.
We arrived in Miami with the weather in the 70's and a light, warm rain. The palm trees stood stately as ever, sucking up the moisture and swaying in the light winds. Their leaves glistened with the rain coating them and Earl and I just stood outside for a few minutes to take it all in.
Pastor Pike, the youth group, and the rest of his congregation were the epitome of audacious generosity, once again. Carlos, his wife, and two children came in the church van to pick us, and our massive slew of luggage up. Carlos told us jokes along the ten minute route back to the church and his beautiful wife pointed out the closest Starbuck's for coffee at 5 am when we return to the airport in the morning. God bless her!
The youth and members of the church met us at the van, helped carry in our slew of luggage and then circled us up again for prayer and praise. Piles and piles of hot pizza, garlic drizzled bread sticks, salad, munchies, homemade desserts, pop, and more lined the walls of the lobby just outside the sanctuary. We ate to our bellies' content before circling back up again for prayer-led blessings. Each time we grasped one another's hands, brothers and sisters in Christ, we became one. It didn't matter if we made our home in Michigan, Wyoming, or Florida, our Christ united us all.
The youth soon headed into the sanctuary to play games with their new found siblings, as the adults dispersed to a bible study, conversations with new friends, or even a soft couch in a quiet room. I chose to join in a fantastic bible study that I had joined with last year, as well. Thought provoking, each time. They too offered us prayer, asking God to bless our efforts, our health, and bring us back safe again. I'm not sure I have ever been prayed for and over so many times in one day. Our God is so very good, and tends to our every need before we ever know we have one.
So today we are reminded that the journey has just begun. Cannot imagine what is yet to come tomorrow or the next. I think I'll just simmer in this one for a while. [sigh] It is good to be the Church, surrounded by the Church, while being loved and prayed for by our home Church, all at the same time. We are the Church best, when we are the Church together.
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