Reminiscing about 15 years of Full Time Ministry with the Children of Haiti
September 2019 (Archive Post)
Boarding a plane that was bound for the Caribbean, I left behind a full-time secular job for full time ministry work. That was September 2004. Now in September 2019, I reflect back on the 15 years spent working with children in the country of Haiti and with children of Haitian descent living in the Dominican Republic.
God called me to Haiti and I went! In my younger years, I never would have believed that I would leave my family behind, the change of seasons nor my lifetime home in Michigan. I came thinking that I could somehow make a difference. Interestingly enough, most of the changes that occurred were changes within ME! I learned and am continuing to learn about
the culture in which I am now immersed. I learned that God can take the unqualified and still use them for His glory and in ways one would never imagine. I know now that if God can use me, He can use anyone! God has used me in spite of mistakes and failures and in times where I thought I was helping and may actually have been hurting. He used me anyway!
One goes into a “career” such as this to help people, but did doing so really make any difference? When in the midst of day-to-day living it is sometimes hard to see the results. It is not the type of work that one expects a “Thank you!” for, as it really is God’s work, not mine! I must say, however, that on the few occasions when people actually returned to me to say “Thank you!” I was reminded that at least for this particular person, I did help to make a difference in their life. That action, as well as my continued desire to serve God, brought me encouragement to forge ahead! Sometimes it takes looking back over 15 years to really see how God used me. I am grateful that through these years, God has walked beside me, holding my hand, lifting me when I stumbled and leading me onward. For things that were accomplished, I give Him the glory.
To have played a small role in the events listed below has been and continues to be my joy!
Assisting families going through the adoption process for at least 20 children
Finding medical care in the USA for at least 10 children who needed lifesaving surgeries or surgeries unobtainable in Haiti
Being “Manmi Nora” to at least 35 children living in orphanages
Finding sponsorships (over a 15 year period of time) for over 7000 students to attend school
Finding funding for the building of schools and orphanages and the upcoming medical clinic
Introducing multiple people, who came to work alongside me in short-term visits, to the Haitian people and their needs
Speaking to people in the states at churches, schools, community organizations, etc. about how they can help from afar
Helping Caribbean Children’s Foundation maintain its ability to serve the children through difficult financial times and through times of bounty
My thanks go out to my family, my staff, my board and the many volunteers who have helped in this journey. God is using you mightily for His glory!
The past 15 years have been a roller coaster of emotions, changes, adaptations and challenges. Through it all, God has been shaping me and using me for His glory! Thank you, God, for the experiences that have made me who I am! May God continue to bless the work that He has entrusted to me! May I continue to be shown faithful!
Nora Léon
Missionary to Haiti & the Dominican Republic
Until next time, God willing …………
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Other archive posts can be read at www.norainhaiti.wordpress.com
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