Now with just over a week ahead of me before I set foot in Port-au-Prince, Haiti for the first time, I am scrambling to get everything that I don't need for the next few months into storage and to re-pack the things that I will need in the most minimalist but functional way possible. Typically, I am one who tends to overpack, and yet still somehow fail to be prepared with the things that I need the most-- which might very well make me the worst kind of traveller. Fortunately, though, this time I have been provided with a detailed packing list and a plethora of advice from those already on the ground on what to bring and (just as important) what not to bring. I expect that the reality of Haiti's current situation will throw into sharp relief the materialism and greed in my own heart, and I can't help but wonder as I pack how I am later going to feel about all of this time and energy spent on choosing, and often purchasing, the "right things" to take along. For now, I feel that I am being practical, but I do wonder how my perspective on what is practical or necessary will change after spending some time in Haiti.
*A small snapshot of a few of the "essentials" that I am carrying with me to Haiti:*
Prayer book: Laminated so as to remain durable during the Haitian rainy season (thanks to my kindergarten teacher friend!), and signed by all of the ladies in my women's group from Korea, this book is filled with hand-written messages to remind me that our God is infinitely great and loving, and that He never leaves us alone, not even for a minute; that even in our moments of greatest loneliness and despair, He is never far away. Along with this gift, the ladies also gifted me a signed tie die t-shirt, so that I can keep a reminder of their love wrapped closely around my heart anytime I feel the need. These items are precious to me.
-Antimalarials and mosquito nets: These items are also precious to me, for very different reasons. Remaining healthy and able to work will be a constant prayer of mine over the next three months. Outbreaks of malaria, dengue fever, and other diseases have been growing steadily in the wake of the quake, and with the slow pace of reconstruction and the onslought of the rainy season, it does not seem likely that this trend will be changing anytime soon. In taking the necessary precautions and with the knowledge of my friends' and family's prayers for protection behind me, however, I feel comfortable that I am not taking any unneccesary risks.
-Hiking boots, a cot, and a raincoat: What do these three items have in common? They are all essentials to surving the oft-referenced Hatian rainy season, of which the country will reach it's peak during my stay. You've probably heard by now that this hurricane season is slated to potentially be among the most severe in recent history. With an estimated 1.3 million persons displaced and living in conditions that leave them extremely vulnerable to the elements, even a smaller storm could potentially have devastating consequences. I hope that you will join me in vigilantly praying against this, because another destructive natural disaster is really the last thing that Haiti needs or is prepared to tolerate right now.
-Clothing and vitamin donations from The Summit: This coming Sunday my home church campus is holding a donation drive for my trip to Haiti. I wrote a short post for the Summit West Club Campus blog to announce my trip, and have been asked by the campus pastor there to continue to write updates throughout my time in Haiti. The community at that particular campus has expressed a desire to cover my trip in prayer, and will be setting aside time at the end of each service this Sunday to pray for me and the work in which I'll be participating. I am so blessed and challenged by the generous display of Christ's love that I have experienced in my church, even after being away for so long. And even more beautiful is the fact that I will be able to take the Summit's donations with me to Haiti in my luggage thanks to funds provided by members of my church family in Korea to cover the excess baggage fees. I have been doubly blessed to have found such wonderful community in two distant parts of the world who are each so willing to care for me even when I am physically separated from them by countries, continents and months at a time. I am excited to share their love and care with the people of Haiti.
- Messages from Korean Children: In my final weeks of leading summer camps at Choji Middle school, I showed my students a video of Haiti, and I talked with them about my trip and what I plan to do while I am there. I then gave them the opportunity to respond by writing or drawing notes to convey messages of solidarity with the the children of Haiti, which I plan to hand deliver to the kids that I will be working with.
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In yellow: "I hope your country will heal soon and grow strong."
