During Labor Day weekend I gathered 33 women for the Inaugural BCG Mission Trip #GivingInHaiti. My idea for this was birthed back in January of this year when I took a solo vacation to Panama to get my mind mentally prepared for the year ahead. A servant at heart I asked my Uber driver, where could I go and serve, he then took me to a Colon, Panama. It was the first time in my life I witnessed extreme poverty and I knew at that moment, I had to get others aligned with a mission to serve internationally. What started as just as an idea, then Facebook post, turned into a holiday weekend that changed my life and it all happened in Haiti.
Over the last five years I have dedicated my life to spreading good news and doing good things. I was foolish to think that I had seen it all, working in shelters, on the streets, health centers, low income schools, you name it I’ve done it, but it was nothing compared to my work in Haiti. During the trip we hosted two missions, both in the city of Port au Prince. Working hand in hand with the poor, I learned so much about myself and gratitude, here’s my journey.
Haiti changed how I see gratitude, as we toured the Notre Dame des Victoires Orphanage in Port au Prince and I witnessed kids who were beyond grateful and proud to be sleeping on crates, without pillows or even in broken beds, I was changed. I had to ponder to myself, sure I’m grateful for my current bed and pillows, but would I be as grateful with no pillow or to sleep on a crate? How lucky are we to have simple luxuries like pillows to lay our heads on at night? The youth were served with shoes, clothing, school uniforms, backpacks and school supplies. Many of them were so excited for the underwear as they weren’t even wearing any. To see the children so happy for the ability to pick out and try on shoes made us all stand in awe. The children sang to us and the Nun thanked us for being there with her, it was a day we will never forget, the simple things that mean so much.
We hosted our final mission at Centre De Santé Communautaire in the C. De Caravelle neighborhood of Port au Prince. All week long I watched women carry buckets on their heads filled with items for their home or items to sell. We purchased over 100 of these buckets and filled them with food, toiletries, socks, underwear, feminine hygiene products and school supplies, backpacks and more. We served 100 families who were so grateful, the leader, Ruth Jean Baptiste, told us the buckets alone mean so much to the people serving many purposes in the household.
This was a trip I will never forget, it was an eye-opening experience, we have brothers and sisters all over the world that need us. May we NEVER take for granted our many blessings we have in the U.S. I learned a lot about myself, the power of belief and going for it. I also gained a different perspective and appreciation for the life we live here in the U.S. and explored another culture.
This past week was the closest I’ve ever actually lived in my faith, and that makes me sad. I’ve gone to great lengths to serve but I knew at so many moments during this trip, that I had so much work to do and that God was moving me to do it. If I can be transparent for even a moment, it’s been a very tough year for me personally, I don’t even think I can put it all into words in just one post. There were days that I wanted to quit, days when I was so low I thought it couldn’t get worse and it did. However, what this mission trip quickly made me realize is that I never, ever have it as bad as someone else. Haiti was the poorest country my eyes have ever seen, but while I was there, my heart had never felt so rich. If you want to be changed, I challenge you, whether you can go on a mission trip or not, to start serving. Volunteer your time, donate, or even just quit complaining because trust me when I tell you, you have so much to be thankful for!
Follow Me on Instagram and Twitter to see more photos from my experience @JasmineCrowe.
