Haiti
From the title, you can probably tell that this song will be about Haiti! Cool thing: I got to go there with a really cool group of people. Although I have been on missions trips before, and although I have served a different culture (being in the bush of Alaska is my fav!), this was definitely different. First, I was on a medical team and I can do nothing medical. I prayed with patients, but I’m definitely not clergy. Not that I am saying you have to be clergy to pray with people. I’ve just never prayed that much, and never through a translator, and never in that setting. It was a bit intimidating. However, the Haitians were full of grace. If you have gone on a missions trip and experienced meeting other members of the Church worldwide, it is amazing to have your eyes opened to how big the kingdom of God really is. I think with every new culture, my mind will be taken over by the vastness of it. To God be the glory. In heaven, it is a good thing our brains can’t explode (at least I don’t think they can), because that will be a lot of God’s kingdom to be blown away by at once.
It was my first experience in a 3rd world country. I also knew no Creol (I am now very proud of my 6 or so phrases that I can still say) and it was my first time attempting to build friendships/acquaintances with people I could not speak with. Despite these things and the vast difference in culture, it was humbling to note the similarities everyone I have encountered shares. Everyone desires to be loved. Everyone can be shown love. Side note: putting in the effort to learn phrases in someone’s language is probably the best first impression that you love them. Also, everyone desires to have worth. I saw that on so many faces, and heard it from a few of them. They tend to think a lot of us, as white people. (Which is also quite humbling…we don’t deserve it.). But, they want to be loved, accepted, and shown that they are worth something by us. But, they need that from God, not us. That’s what this song is about. It is my musings along those lines.
Because of a distinct question that was asked of me the first day: “Do you think Haiti is beautiful?”, I chose to use beauty as synonymous for worth in this song. I think I said, “Yes, the landscape is beautiful,” and then talked about the mountains, ocean, etc. It was pretty apparent that my translator was not necessarily tracking with my answers, or it wasn’t what he was asking. I was challenged to think he was most likely referring to the Haitian people and culture – not the landscape. And, it is a good lesson: people have far more beauty and worth than a landscape. How do we convey that? Whew…I’ll wrestle with that for a while, and it’s implications far outstretch just Haiti.
Haiti
“Is my country beautiful?” he asked
I said, “Yes,” but I didn’t really know yet
That he spoke of more than scenery
As we rode through the streets
Sometimes we cannot say what we mean
Words can be such inconvenient things
I believe I know what he was asking:
“Is there beauty in me?”
Seven days are far too few
To spend with those you cannot yet speak to
Never had quite enough time
To answer their expectant eyes
Sometimes we cannot say what we mean
Words can be such inconvenient things
I believe I know what they were asking:
“Is there beauty in me?”
I haven’t been to many places
But this is not unique to Haitians
We all long to know what grace is
Sometimes we cannot say what we mean
Words can be such inconvenient things
Help us speak the confession of our need
That we may find our beauty in Thee