Saturday, June 21, 2014

A Day at the Beach

 


 
 

 

 

Today was the most awesome day (in a different kind of way)!   After 4 long days of serving in a variety of physically and emotionally challenging ways, we got to spend the day at the beach.   Not exactly what would come to mind when you think of beach on an island in the Caribbean (think rocks, not sand and lots of glass), but such a sweet departure from the parts of Haiti we've been in thus far.

The best part was, we got to take with us 20 of the Healing Haiti guesthouse neighbor boys.   We have all come to love and care for these boys, who we spend time with after arriving home at the end of every day.    They were overcome with excitement when they found out they got to go.   Most of them, rarely if ever, have gotten to go to the beach.    This is what made it extra special for us!  

The joy they had while we were there is unexplainable.     Laughing, splashing, playing with us and each other and just having a ball.   We even took the fun to the beach and taught them how to play Duck-Duck-Grey Duck.   I thought the Haitian boys were being sweet by always picking the moms, but then I realized it was probably because they wanted to make sure they didn't get caught!



At the end of the day, on our long trip back to Port-au-Prince most of the boys fell fast asleep on someone's shoulder or lap.  As I look into all their sweet, innocent faces I can't help but feel deep sadness and heartbreak.    I wish this day didn't have to end.   I wish the joy and laughter that these boys experienced today didn't have to end.     They have taught me so much about true joy.   They have it figured out.   They know the source of their joy, and it certainly isn't in their material possessions or comfortable lives.    Their Joy is in the Lord and their Hope is in Him...alone.

-Karla Carson

My mom kind of summed up the whole day, so I will tell you about my personal experiences I had today. It started when we picked up the neighborhood boys to go to the ocean. They were so excited to be able to come with us because some of them had not been to the ocean before. It was crazy to think that these boys lived in a Caribbean island, and they have never been to the beach before.

The best part for me was when we got to the beach, these kids will make anyone laugh. To give you an idea on how much joy these kids had, was we played duck duck goose for about 15 minutes with kids ages from 8 to 18. These kids loved it, and were sad to stop, but where else will you find an 18 year old playing duck duck goose and actually enjoying it. Being able to spend a whole day with them is truly a gift, these kids gave me so much more joy than I could ever give them, or anyone else.

At the end of the day, I was thinking about how hard it is going to be to say goodbye to these kids tomorrow. It is going to be hard because I have been getting to know these kids and they have had a bigger impact on me than I can understand now. They live in one of the poorest countries on earth, and they tell dreams and hopes of what they want to become, when I have amazing resources and I still don't know what I want to do when I get older.These kids are the most genuine people you will ever meet. Coming here, we thought we were going to teach these kids more about being a Christian, but they are teaching us.

- Andrew Carson


 

2 comments:

  1. Thank you for telling your story and your experiences! You have made a difference and this is an amazing adventure. Prayers for all.

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  2. Carla,
    I can't wait to catch up with you at Bible Study about your trip!!! I loved hearing Andrew's recap.. What a gift for him and for you! I know the blessings were more than you can count! Thankful you are all home safely!!! ~Diana

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