"Mission trip IMPACT" by Stephanie Huebner

My country is my mission field. Something I’ve come to realize is that I can’t expect others to understand something that only I have experienced. For example, I can’t come back from Haiti and expect people to finish eating everything on their plates instead of throwing a bunch away–nor can I expect them to eat less- because of what I experienced in Haiti. I can’t be mad at ignorance because ignorance is not intentional. I can’t and don’t believe Americans KNOW the state of people in other countries and simply do not help. I’ve got to believe people are just ignorant. Even in the wrecked and spiritually poor place we’re in, we simply wouldn’t just NOT help someone in need, right? It has to be because we weren’t informed. Before I knew what Compassion International was, I didn’t NOT sponsor kids because I didn’t care. I didn’t sponsor kids because I wasn’t aware of a way to sponsor them. Get what I’m sayin’? Unlike my last trip, I now understand that instead of being angry and bitter towards Americans, I need to inform them. Have you ever wanted to help someone or a group of people, but you can’t maybe because you’re not the right person or maybe because you don’t have the right connections, the time isn’t right, you don’t have the means… etc.? An example is older kids in America that need to be adopted. It breaks my heart and I want to adopt and give them love SO BAD. But Will and I are so young yet, and the time just doesn’t seem to be right. The point is, it’s a difficult place to be when you want to help someone so much but you just aren’t the right person to help. This is how I have often felt– I want to help someone or a group of people, but I can’t because I can’t do it all by myself. Something that has occurred to me on this trip is that…I can’t pay for every one of those children to go to school by myself. But I do live in a country of wealth and I CAN be the spokesperson to a church, town, or a group of people who, as a whole, CAN financially send them to school. I CAN be the voice for the orphans who are forced to fend for themselves. Pastor Monoit may not have connections to Americans to tell us his dreams for the kids and his financial needs, but I do. So, a couple jobs as a missionary to my own country are: 1.) to share the Good News. and 2.) to educate Americans on the reality of how people are living in other countries, and how we can help them. That’s it for now. I’m still in a processing period as I’m working to transition back into American culture. If this email makes no sense….just…forgive me and know I have a trillion and one things going on in my mind. …all the time. =) haha! I want to ask you for prayers. There has been an idea stuck in my mind from the moment Pastor Monoit met with us–a way to help the children. I tend to get ahead of myself when I begin dreaming and I really want to do what is best for the kids–which may have nothing to do with my ideas. So, please pray for wisdom, patience, and clarity of His path. With love, Stephanie]]>