Kim Wheeler: Haiti Journal: Day 2

Oct. 5, 2010

I have lost my heart to these kids, straight up. Their ability to love absolute complete strangers truly reminds me of the kind of love Jesus showed to people in the Bible. The school here absolutely blew my mind! I was totally not expecting it to be so nice and structured, and above and beyond so focused on Christ. I think these kids have more Scripture memorized than most kids in America have even read. I taught some kids how to multiply two digit numbers today. It’s funny how we take for granted all the little “tricks” and catchy sayings or songs we learn in America to help us with things like this. It was so awesome teaching them some of these tricks; to see these kids actually getting it and seeing something that was once a struggle suddenly turn into a joyful success. My heart breaks and overflows all at once when I look at these kids. I want to love them to the fullest every single day for the rest of my life. Even thinking about leaving them here and the chance of never seeing them again is almost unbearable. One of my girls today, Chama, was already begging me not to go, and its only day two! Yesterday she was telling me about how she didn’t have any brothers or sisters. I looked right at her and told her, “Yes you do! I am your sister!” One of my teammates, Andrew, was near us and he became her brother as well. Today she would ask where her brother was or call for me, her sister, to go play or swing with her. I think I have lifted more weight in picking up kids today than I have ever lifted combined in my entire life. It was well worth it though. There is nothing more I would rather do than help these kids swing on money bars, catch them out of the slides, or swing them around in the air. I wish I could capture these moments and replay them forever. We worshiped with all the kids, the 40 Haitian pastors here for training, and all the staff tonight. It truly was a glimpse of heaven seeing and hearing these people pouring out their hearts in worship in their own language and expressions. I get chill bumps every time. I can’t even put into words the feeling of seeing the Body unite like this, even us being only a 150 or so strong. God is flipping my world upside down and I have no idea where or what it’s going to lead to.