Hard to believe I was in Haiti less than a week ago.  I could hear the sound of the children laughing and jumping as they played in the bubbles as they were blown over their heads.  I can hear them shrieking with glee as they learned how to play with the parachute (that huge colorful circle we played with in gym).  I can see the faces of adults smiling as they engaged in conversation with me as I attempted to say the three words I know in Creole. I could hear the sounds of roosters who were giving false alarms as they crowed at 3 am as opposed to 6am.  I could also hear the wretched cries of dogs who would choose to fight each other as soon as we placed our heads on our pillows. Despite the poverty, the country and its people are beautiful!

Something I always look forward to while in Haiti is seeing the boys who hang around the house we stay at in Pignon.  My friend Julie from Michigan calls them the “Boys in the hood.”  Our boys are there every trip. I know their names, I know some of their stories, I know they will walk us to the market and make certain we are safe at all times.  These boys are truly THE SWEETEST kids I have met.  When I think of Haiti I think of them….I think of them often.  I wonder if they eat, if they are healthy and if they are doing well in school.  They are a big part of my desire to go back. 

The night before I left I was saying bye to my boys, hugging them tightly as I said prayers in my heart for them, when Ismael hugged me and said “I Love You.”  I know those are words we hear pretty often or even say often, BUT this, this was different.  I held him a little tighter and told him I loved him too.  Right after that I went into the house and I was overwhelmed with a love from God.  I realized at that moment that I had not heard the words “You are Fat” in my time there.  I felt as though God allowed that moment to happen.  It was as if God replaced three words from my last trip “You are Fat” with three new words “I Love You.”  God embraced me with those words himself… HE was showing and reminding me of how much he loved me through the smile, hug and words of a young Haitian boy.

HE may have not taken you to Haiti but HE took me and this is what HE wants you to know…HE LOVES YOU!  HE loves me.  No matter how hard we try or how much we fail, HE LOVES US.  He hasn’t given up on us and that is reason enough to continue forward. That’s what makes Jesus so wonderful!

I pray  the words that have wounded you in the past are replaced with words of hope and most of all LOVE.

Be encouraged today…We can do this…The best is yet to come!

Madelynn

“Then you will know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.” John 8:32

2 thoughts on “I Love You”

  1. WOW!! I actually caught up today on your last three entries and they are all so awesome!! This one tugged at my heart!! Awesome. Thank you for sharing! Love you much!!

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