Swinging and Hammocking and Simply Loving

We just had a mission group come for a week. After cancelled flights and rearranged schedules, seven people arrived a couple days late, and five of them were able to stay a few extra days.

We did some work, some evangelization, and also took them to the Eucharistic Congress with us. There were several moments throughout this trip, where I looked around and all I could see was people loving one another. Americans loving Haitians and Haitians loving Americans. It was beautiful. There were people pushing kids on the swings, people dancing, playing games, girls braiding hair. One day we made cookies with the girls while the boys played basketball, and then we all got together to hear a couple witnesses. It was a beautiful mission trip. It renewed me and reminded me that what we are really here for is to bring the love of Christ, and that sometimes that can be so simple.

The thing that I love about those special moments though, is that they can't be planned. I love schedules, and I love knowing what's coming in my life. I love communication and planning and feeling secure. But there's something really beautiful that happens when people just start loving one another, and all of a sudden there is joy and laughter overflowing everywhere. You can't control moments like that. You can't force them. You can't plan them. Only the Lord can do it.

Today, I was laying on our hammock and it was my day off. Two of the girls that come here often, Louci and Taina, appeared and came to lay on the hammock with me. To be honest, my first instinct was, "Shoot, there goes the rest of my day off." But soon we were laughing about smelly feet, we were almost falling off the hammock, they were teaching me words in Creole, we were laughing at Taina's attitude. It was the best part of my day.

I have had so many blessed moments like this in the past week. And for some reason, God is giving me the gift of being able to see it right there in the moment. It's like the world stops for just a second, and God says to me, "Look, Sara, look what I am doing. Look what you get to be a part of. Don't miss this."

I am so thankful for these little gifts this week, and for the ways they are renewing my heart.

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