BY SARAH ARMIJO
I went on a Missions trip to Haiti with a team last year, and lately we’ve been talking about going back. The team and I always talk about how much we miss Haiti, but I think it’s strange that we’re talking about how much we miss a Third World country, where people lived in poverty and barely had enough food to eat. So the other day, I really thought about what it was that I missed about Haiti and the first thing that popped into my head was: the people.
The Haitian people who lived in the villages were always so friendly to us. They would wave at us as we walked by, have us hold their children, or ask us to pray with them. They were so welcoming everywhere we went. They treated us as we were family, even though we were strangers who didn’t even speak their language.
And the Haitian children were a whole new level of welcoming. Whenever we had an opportunity to play with the children, my arm would end of being tired from holding so many of them and my legs would be tired from running around with them the entire day. At one point, I had a little over ten children surrounding me, each fighting to hold my hand, trying to play with my hair, try on my sunglasses, ask me questions in Creole or do anything to get my attention. The funny part was that as soon as I turned around to look at them, all they would do was give me the biggest smile. The love they showed us was truly remarkable.
It wasn’t until we were back in a United States airport that I realized how different Haiti was. The moment I realized we weren’t in Haiti anymore was the moment I turned to say “Bonswa” (meaning hello in Creole) to someone, and I didn’t see a smiling face like I was used to in Haiti.
It’s amazing to think that I miss a country where we didn’t have any electricity, where we didn’t have clean water, where we barely had enough food, and where I’ve sweated more than I’ve sweated my entire life. But still, I have the urge to go back just so I can see those friendly faces and feel that special love all around me.
The question I found myself asking is, why do I have to go back to feel this way? Why can’t I have that same feeling when I’m in my own hometown? Why can’t we be friendly to one another here? So I ask you to please help me spread love around the community. Say hi to one another, smile at each other, open doors, help with grocery bags, or do a simple act of kindness to show a stranger this love. As the years progress, I find the world becoming less civil. But who says we can’t change it? Let’s work together to make this world we live in a better place.
