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It was very difficult to leave Mission of Hope this year, even more so than last. In 2014, I knew I was coming back within the year. This year, I knew that I would be back in Haiti one day, but I didn’t know when that day would be. And that’s hard. It’s hard to say goodbye to a country that has had such a huge impact on your life, a place that you fell in love with and never wanted to leave.

But eventually, we have to. We have to leave places we love and return home. The funny thing is, sometimes it doesn’t feel like home at all. The one word that comes to mind when I think about how I felt in Haiti is "peace". There’s something about removing all of the distractions that seem to take up so much of our time here and focusing on prayer, worship, thankfulness, togetherness, and service.

I’m inspired by the honest, unflinching faith of the people we met in Haiti. Often, they would randomly insert sentences into our conversation like, “I trust God to provide for me”, or “God is capable of doing anything”. That kind of complete reliance is something that we as Canadians, living in a country where clean water and shoes and medicine are taken for granted, will never be able to fully understand. But I hope that I have learned to be more grateful for the things that I have and more willing to sacrifice for others.

Haiti will always be close to my heart, whether I am there or not. I will never forget the stories of the people I met and the experiences I had in a culture so different from my own. I am incredibly thankful that I had the opportunity to go twice in two years, and I appreciate the overwhelming support I received from my friends, family, church community, and even people I barely know. My prayer for everyone on both teams is that we find ways to carry on the passion for service we developed while in Haiti, and that we recognize that our mission is never over.

-Lydia