the first time

We finally had our second meeting and have another one coming up this weekend. I'm really feeling like it's coming together now. During the meeting Steve read an awesome prayer, a journal entry from Henri Nouwen, Gracias!: A Latin American Journal
This was what it read:
Help us discover our own riches; don't judge us poor because we lack what you have.
Help us discover our chains; don't judge us slaves by the type of shackles you wear.
Be patient with us as a people; don't judge us backward simply because we don't follow your stride.
Be patient with our pace; don't judge us lazy simply because we can't follow your tempo.
Be patient with our symbols; don't judge us ignorant because we can't read your signs.
Be with us and proclaim the richness of your life which you can share with us.
Be with us and be open to what we can give.
Be with us as a companion who walks with us-neither behind nor in front- our search for life and ultimately for God!

After Steve read this over about three times, we sat and listened to what God would have us hear from those words and then slowly some of the team shared what He stirred up in them. I love hearing from these young people. It brings me back to that age and reminds me of the first thoughts I had about Haiti and how I was scared silly the first time. But at the same time, eager to experience sights and sounds that would really make me stop and think.
I wish I could record our discussion because I can't even remember exactly what any of us said, but it just spoke to me that they were really taking in the fact that this is going to be a completely different place to be. I can't wait to observe them and take in how it feels to experience it for the first time again. None of these youth have been to Haiti before and I'm stoked to be apart of their "first time" :). The last time I went as a leader it was easy to talk to the ones who had been there before and relate to the same experiences, but I think I overlooked the ones who hadn't been there before. I forgot how the first time feelings are so mixed... especially being in Port-Au-Prince. I remember that when I first was their, I didn't think I'd want to go back. I specifically can picture myself riding in the back of Dio's white toyota trooper with Steve and telling him that I didn't think I'd want to come again. Port was really hard for me, and I remember Steve saying, "And that's okay." But, how interestingly enough, that changed as I felt the love from Tricotte. It was horribly worse as far as physical conditions go, but there was just something about Tricotte... well like I just said it was the love. Though they have nothing physical, their hearts are HUGE and showed me what it meant to truly love. And I'll never forget that...
51 days and counting...

p.s. i found out at the last meeting that we will be staying in Port-Au-Prince for the first few days again. Yay.... I hope we get to stay at Dio's the first night again... that was AMAZING! Definitely one of the high-points from the last trip.