Allie Ray's summer in Haiti

Hi!! My name is Allie Ray and I’m an education major from Chattanooga, Tennessee! This summer I spent 6 weeks in Cap Haïtien, Haiti. I was an “intern” for an organization called SeeHim Ministries that provides medical care to the surrounding area. Because this ministry is fairly new, my job was to simply be present in the neighborhood, form relationships, and spread Jesus. I taught mini-lessons to kids that can’t afford to go to school during the school year and became good friends with the Haitian SeeHim workers. It was so so great.

I chose to spend a part of my summer in Haiti simply because I felt the Lord calling me to do so. Haiti has always been a place where I feel like I can most effectively use the gifts God has given me and I couldn't pass up the opportunity. I also have formed relationships in that neighborhood in the past, so I was dying to go back and visit with some of my old pals !!! :-)

This trip was far more challenging than I anticipated. I always knew that life there was hard, but being on the mission field for longer than a week, I got a small taste of the true suffering that these people endure day to day. Honestly, it was physically and emotionally exhausting. However, it was equally rewarding. As we took walks through the village each night, the kids would run out of their tiny homes and yell our names. It was so cool to step into their world even if it was just for a short time. I got the chance to bond with a bright little girl, Shanïka. who has cerebral palsy. I noticed throughout the summer that she was neglected by the other children and pushed aside by her family. However, she wanted so badly to learn to write her name. It was so rewarding to see her accomplish this goal by the end of the summer. She gave the tightest hugs and sung louder than anyone else during worship. As difficult as the trip was, there is nothing else in the world that I would rather do.

Growing up going on mission trips, I always came home thinking, “those kids are full of so much joy”, and yes that is 100% true. But this summer I learned that they are also human. They are kids and they have the same range of emotions as everyone else in the world. I believe that the Haitian children radiate true joy because they are familiar with true suffering. I slowly had to train myself not to turn away from the heartbreaking things that I was witnessing each day, but instead embrace the hardship knowing that God will one day rescue and redeem the people of Haiti, along with us.