Big Heart

I was talking to my mom last night and she was informing me of the service at Open Door this past weekend. I missed hearing Steve Hanson (our missions pastor) speak on Africa, and aparently a woman from one of the African countries spoke as well. It sounds like she was a pretty impactful woman who is HIV positive and has an incredible message.
What hit me was that my mom was brought to tears by the slideshow, and it was more the reason for her tears that got me. It was that she finally really got it, how much my heart is burdened for haiti and the reason I have such a love for the place. And, it was the realization she had, that it doesn't necessarily have to be Haiti. It's about all the suffering that is out there, Haiti just happened to be the place that I saw it in first and it gripped my heart. There's something about that first place you go and see and experience it, you just want to be and do whatever you can to minister and be Jesus to them.
It touches me when people finally understand that, and can really embrace the reason my heart so longs to be in Haiti. (well, actually it's there often, it's just my physical body that isn't there as often as it would like to) This trip coming up will definitely be one that will test my true love of the place... maybe not test so much, but it will be very different not having some of the same people around me as I'm used to. I'm praying God will be at work in me and the team members... preparing us for what His plans are, not for some plans that we may have in mind.