Mark and I were blessed to have been a part of the team from LifeSong Church on a recent mission trip to Jacmel, Haiti, serving in the community of Morne Oge. Sometimes blessings arrive at your door, wearing a disguise. ~E
9/25/13
“Discipline”
Ephesians 5:15. So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise.
I begin this entry a day late, as several of us have been really sick the past few days. It has lingered in Mark and me longer than in the others though and we have already missed one full day of projects and interaction. Mark slept all day Wednesday, getting up only when necessary. After the rest of the team returned in the afternoon, we attempted to join in Gameday activities. We ended up asking for a ride back to the hotel. Pam was so sick, she left before us, our Haitian friends so worried about her that they prayed over her.
Later in the evening, our team leader Ashley brought us food from the Restoration House — that was the BEST white rice and banana EVER. They’ve been so kind to make sure our needs are being met.
It’s a struggle to know what to do ….. if we should just tough it out on the mission field or stay in bed. There’s guilt from not pitching in to help with projects, there’s sadness and disappointment at missing out on all the cool stuff going on outside these four walls. I so want to be a part everything, this is why we came, right? But here we are, choosing to stay put at the hotel (without power, light or air conditioning) this Thursday morning while the tap tap picks up the rest of the team.
I believe this was the wisest move for us. Mark calls it the Haitian Hustle, our stomachs are in revolt and we both suffer uncontrollable bouts without warning. He’s sleeping again, like he’s done for almost 24 hours. We’re feeling so weak, our bodies depleted.
When I think of the word discipline, I often think of punishment. Maybe that’s too strong a word, though …. Perhaps restriction is a better fit for this situation. I don’t think God is punishing us, but we’ve definitely been held back, our activities restricted.
We were given a choice. We had to choose to stay behind today and recover, the wisest thing although very difficult emotionally. Fact is that going out in this heat, sick and dehydrated with the “Haitian Hustle” would have been foolish for us and a hinderance to the team. Definitely another example of what I want not necessarily being the best thing for me. Still, it’s so hard to miss out on everything for a second day in a row.
all4the1 