As many of you know, I recently traveled with the Haiti Mission Team from PUMC to Gressier Haiti.  I believe everyone has a calling from God, we must learn to listen to that calling, and to make decisions in our lives in response to that calling.

Our team helped at the school in delivering and organizing math curriculum, building a stage, and painting.  Then, on Saturday, we visited a local family.  The mother passed away three weeks before in childbirth, leaving behind the husband and 8 children.  The newborn survived and was 3 pounds.  This family lives in extreme poverty, under dirt-floor tent house, and a small wooden structure also with dirt floor.  There was no food when we arrived, and the water source is miles away.  Many families would be emotionally crushed when faced with these difficulties.  But, we can all learn from this family’s resiliency, and love.  As our team built a fence to surround and protect their yard from goats and dogs, we spent time playing with the children.  They were so happy, learning to play Connect 4, being held, tickled, lifted up, and played with.   These children, faced with a myriad of trauma and difficulties smiled and loved through all God placed before them.  I learned from that.  We can all learn from that.

We are each called to serve in different ways, through our individual spiritual gifts.  Some of us are called to be teachers, working in our local schools, or maybe just teaching Sunday school on Sunday mornings.  Some of us are called to be healers and work with the sick as nurses or doctors, or maybe just sit with someone who is sick and in need of someone walking by their side through the darkest of times.  Some of us are called to feed the hungry, working with wonderful organizations that help those who are less fortunate, or maybe just being passionate about collecting food and challenging others to do the same.  Some of us are called to me missionaries, going to far off places and helping spread the gospel, or maybe just working with smaller missions in our own communities. No matter what we are called to do, we all have a calling from God. Do you know what that calling is?  Are you intently seeking God and asking “what would you have me do?”   Are you listening?  More importantly, are you being faithful and answering that call?

If you feel called to serve God through mission work, please let me know.  I would be happy to speak to you about ways our church can help you answer that call.  I plan to return to Haiti this fall, and would love to have you join me!  If you hear a different call, I would like to hear about it and watch God lead you in new and exciting directions where you can make a difference in our world!