Haiti Changes, Yet Remains the Same

We asked all of our Summer 2016 interns to share something from their experience with all of you. This is from Jonah Steele. Enjoy!

It’s difficult to condense an entire summer into one post—

Haiti changes every time you go, but it also remains the same. It’s a reminder that your time in that beautiful country is short. In a sense, you have a snapshot view of what’s really going on. Whether you’re in Haiti for 1 week, 2 weeks, 2 months, a few years—it’s not forever.

I think we forget that our friend’s lives continue after we pack up our things and leave the dorms. This isn’t intentional; it’s just a part of being a person. We can only truly empathize with people when we are close enough to have regular conversations, and when those people are no longer a part of our daily experience, we don’t think about them as often. But, we have to fight the fleetingness of our experiences, and reflection is a great way to do this.

My summer was incredible.

I met some phenomenal Americans from all over the country. I made new Haitian friends, and I strengthened my relationships that I already had. I was able to help build a house with the other interns, and I got to see the finished project. I saw God move in some big ways when a witch doctor accepted Christ, and I had the opportunity to work with some very talented medical students up in the mountains. I saw some incredible buildings during my trip up north, and I experienced the beauty of God’s creation all throughout Haiti.

The challenges of working in Haiti pale in comparison to the benefits. The emotional, spiritual, and relational development that occurs takes effort, but it’s amazing. The people around you are excited about the work that they do, and that excitement is contagious. Every chance I get to work in Haiti, I change a little bit from the experience.

Haiti changes every time you go—but it also remains the same.