Monday, March 16, 2009 - Day 11

Morning prayer and then packing. During our sessions with Michael he had given us a pencil and today he has asked us to draw parallels between the pencil and our spiritual journey while in Haiti. My conclusion is that the pencil is an instrument in God's hand. When the pencil is being used it diminishes itself but in doing so it gives meaning to words and drawings that our meaningful and will live on. To be meaningful someone must teach you through sharpening it and the words produced by the pencils are more meaningful when shraed with others who find different meanings in the words. I sat there during the last session with a lump in my throat. It was sad to leave in a way that I had never been sad before. This was a life-altering experience in a way that sounds cliche when I try to explain it. I will never be able to convey properly to someone not here with me what I have experienced. I have held life and death in the same hand. While some of the mories will fade I dod not believe that I can ever fully come back to the life of before. I now live in the tension of Haiti and the US. It is a world full of beauty, amazing art, and rich, deep faith that endures suffering -- it is a faith tested. As I write this I am watching the dance team choreograph a dance to "When I can Call on Jesus" by Nicole C. Mullens, a favorite song. Yet another remind of how closely intertwined and yet how far apart my life is from the life of the Haitians. I know this much to be true...we all members of the Body of Christ and when a part of the body is banged or bruised we have to care. This is what it means to love your neighbor with all your heart and in turn God. Furthermore, those who have experienced suffering have experienced our God in a way that we never have and they have lessons to teach us. This is what I take with me.