“Even though there is other food they can eat, they ask for the Feed the Hunger food every day.” Our Haitian partner Maxeau shared this comment with me while we watched 20 children devour the Chicken Pasta meal.
Over spring break I had the opportunity to lead nine people from the US on a mission trip to Haiti. None of them had traveled with Feed the Hunger before, and they all came away with a new appreciation and zeal for the work God is doing through FtH in Haiti. We visited several programs over the course of five days, and at each one we fed the children lunch, kicked the soccer ball around, drew pictures with chalk on the sidewalks, and showered the children with love and laughter.
Half of the team had participated in Packathons with Feed the Hunger and were blessed by that portion of the ministry, but traveling overseas to distribute the food and build relationships with children brought the whole experience full circle. It is an experience they will not soon forget, and one that can truly change a life.
The second day we were in Haiti we traveled to a remote village two hours east of the capital city of Port-au-Prince. In the center of the village is a school called Valley of Hope. Three hundred kids ranging from 4 to 17 years old attend the school every day. It is one of the only places in the area for a child to receive an education, and at lunchtime each of these students receives a hot meal from Feed the Hunger.
For many of these kids, this is the only meal they will have all day. You can imagine how special it was to serve them lunch. They came in one class at a time and said “thank you” as they received their bowls piled high with Rice and Beans. Hardly a word was spoken as they each cleaned their bowl, down to the last grain of rice, and then dropped it in the sink so it could be cleaned for the next class. On their way back to class they would stop by a bucket and fill their bottles with clean water that would last them the rest of the day.
It was a humbling moment for the entire team.
Many times we forget how fortunate we are to live in America, and we’re not always thankful for all the “stuff” we fill our houses with. Watching these kids have such joy while they eat their bowls of food and sit in their classrooms with no electricity and no air conditioning was a good reminder that we should thank God every day for the blessings He has given us and look for opportunities to bless others!
Feed the Hunger seeks to not only feed the physical hunger around the world, but also feed the spiritual hunger wherever we go. On the last day of our trip we visited another school in the heart of Port-au-Prince. We walked in carrying a large box FULL of Haitian Creole Bibles.
The principal of the school took us from classroom to classroom, and we handed out every one of the Bibles! The children were so excited to have their very own Bibles written in their native language. The principal told them this would be the most important book in their backpack, and they must bring it to school every day so they can learn about Jesus and grow to love the Word of God. Imagine what would happen if principals in America were telling their students the same thing!
This was my fourth trip to Haiti and with every visit I grow to love the people more and more. God is doing a good work in that country, and we are honored to be a small part of His plan. If you have never been to Haiti, let me encourage you to prayerfully consider traveling with us. The moment you step into those classrooms, cafeterias, and homes, your life will forever be changed.
Caleb Fox | Logistics Manager
Some of the most memorable times in my life were the two trips I made to Haiti with the New Directions in 1983 and 1984. The children were to most loving, beautiful human beings I ever met. What a blessing it was for this recent team to not only see the fruits of their labor but to serve the children as well. Such memories are flooding back reading this post.