Going Will Change Their Lives and Yours

Updated on June 26, 2023
by Haitian Christian Outreach

First Christian Church of Fairfield (IL) has a great heart for missions and for Haiti. In 2018, they will send two teams to serve with Haitian Christian Outreach. The first team (adults) served in February, and the second team (students) will come in June. FCC is also the home church of our board member, Nate Carter, who also led the February trip. We so appreciate and are so encouraged by churches that do so much to equip and empower HCO to do something for Haiti that will last. One of the trip participants, Carletta Webb, shared her testimony on Facebook recently. We share it below with her permission and some team photos!

As I reflect on this past week, so many emotions come over me. One night, during devotions, Nate asked what we would tell someone if they told us that they’d rather just send money to help rather than to go on a mission trip themselves. My response remains the same: “Sending your money will help change the lives of the people there, but GOING will change their lives and yours.” In Haiti, I saw God every day. Maybe it’s the beauty there, the smiles on the faces of the Haitians, the slower-paced island time, or just being disconnected from the rest of the world and really present.

Some things we experienced there are almost indescribable. While we all want to serve and make a difference in the lives of these people in a third world country, one thing we need to remember is that all people need Jesus. We can’t FIX all their problems with poverty, but we can share the love of Jesus so that when they leave this world, they have the promise of eternity with him. I can’t begin to share everything we experienced that week, but I’ll give a brief rundown.

The healthcare people on our team did school physicals for the kids that attend the HCO school in Peredo. We assessed 52 kids in one morning! We worked alongside the Haitian doctors and nurses two other days as well.

Our team of 13 worked alongside the Haitian men sifting sand and mixing concrete for stucco on one of the school buildings and the surgical addition to the hospital.

One day, we took a boat ride to two different areas of Haiti that were new to our team. One village, Belle Anse, is preparing ground for a new HCO church building for the new church plant (October 2017), and it was neat to see the beginning process of that. Another village, Anse a Boeuf, really touched our hearts. This village has no clean drinking water! This is unimaginable. They collect rain water or use ocean water. The kids there stuck to our group like glue, and I’m not sure one of us had a dry eye while we loaded back in the boat to leave. Friends, please pray specifically for this village. HCO is trying to find a way to get them clean water from a spring that is over an hour away.

We spent time playing games with the local Peredo kids, cleaned out a storage building, got a 4-wheeler up and running, and attended church, among other things. If you have ever considered going on a mission trip but have been hesitant, just take the leap and GO!! You won’t regret it, and I guarantee you will come back changed. I’m not sure what you picture when you think of Haiti and the people there, but I’m certain that the beauty shown in these pictures speak for themselves.