By Emily Hilburn | Mobilization Coordinator, Journey 117
Tonight I can’t seem to get our Haiti team out of my mind. True, I hadn’t met most of our team in person until we met up in Miami to fly into Haiti (and half of them I didn’t meet until I got to Haiti). True, we only spent a week together. True, I haven’t seen any of them in person since I said goodbye in the Miami airport in October. But, they impacted my heart forever, and here is why.
This was probably the most diverse group of people I have ever taken overseas. OK, scratch that. This was the most diverse group I have ever taken anywhere! The ages ranged from 24 to 62. We came from California, Oklahoma, Missouri, Colorado, Kentucky, Tennessee, Texas, Washington D.C., and even three from Canada! We were male and female, married and single, teachers, photographers, mothers, pharmacists, government representatives, truck drivers, and advocates. From the world’s eyes, there was nothing to bring these people together. But God knew better. God began working in each of these people’s hearts at different points and in different ways to draw them to the plight of the orphan. He then worked in different ways to bring them to our ministry, Journey117/World Orphans, and gave them a desire to know more about their role in orphan advocacy.
Yes, we only spent one week in Haiti, but God used that one week! The lives of these people are still being written. God is still working in their hearts and showing them the unique way He has called them to be a voice for those who have no voice. I can’t tell you what will happen with this team, even three months later. But I can tell you one thing: As different as their lives were before this trip, that is how different the callings will be on each of their lives afterwards. The trip was a catalyst, a point in time for us to get away from our world and seek to hear the heartbeat of God more clearly. The trip doesn’t change our lives, God does. And I can’t wait to see how He continues to change the lives of these 12 people. I know He changed my life by allowing me to spend a week with them in Haiti.