A NOT-SO-SHORT MISSION TRIP

My husband and I had finally finished the paperwork to adopt an American child. We discussed what we should do before becoming new parents. I had previously gone on several mission trips, and we decided to experience this together. Our church youth group was going to Haiti about six months after the massive 2010 earthquake. We had no practical or medical skills that could meet their needs but God was prompting us to go.

I asked my husband, “What if our little boy is in Haiti?” But we both knew that would be crazy because we were prepared for a domestic adoption.

On the first day of the trip, my eyes locked on a beautiful little boy, Izaiah. I can’t explain it but I loved him immediately. He had tragically lost both his parents as an infant. We were told it would be impossible to adopt him since adoption of Haitian children had been completely closed because of the recent earthquake.

But I loved him like my son, and so did my husband. God began making a way for us to move forward with pursuing the adoption of Izaiah. Doors started to open.

But the journey was not without unbelievable trials. Paperwork that was supposed to be completed months prior had not been done. Numerous challenges came up that stalled the adoption. We wanted to preserve the special bond we had built with Izaiah so we thought I should stay in Haiti until the adoption was finalized. I ended up staying at the orphanage with Izaiah for one year and nine months. My husband went home for work and would visit us as often as possible.

Living in Haiti changed me as a person and as a Christian. Many of the orphans in Haiti have living parents but are simply too poor to provide for them, and the children end up in orphanages. We learned one of the best ways to help is to support local businesses. We have invested by buying directly from Haitian coffee farmers. Our purchases allow these farmers to stay in business and provide for their families.

Simply by being strategic with our purchases, we are strengthening families and participating in orphan prevention. Our friends know us for our great coffee and for our special son, Izaiah, who stole our hearts on what was supposed to be a “short-term” mission trip to Haiti.