Rylan's Blog

     The exhaustion is real ya’ll!! It’s hot, it’s humid, it’s uncomfortable, and it is very foreign.  Beyond all that there are some things that are familiar.  This comes down to the people.  I have not met a single person who does not think or feel the same things we do at home. They have the same fears, doubts, questions, comforts, desires, hopes, dreams, reactions and basic functions of life.  For example I got to opportunity to be a part of a conversation one of the pastors Hearts United works with. In that conversation he asked Josh (our pastor) what denomination he was and Josh answered, “I’m a follower of Jesus.” The translator with us explained that denominations are very big in Haiti and that what denomination you belong to means something.  We experience the same core desire and outward manifestation of it in the States.  The core desire being, wanting to belong to something that matters, and the outward manifestation being that the denomination you belong to matters to make you someone.  We in the States fight the same battle that the Haitian pastors are fighting to help people understand that only belonging that really matters is belonging to the Kingdom of God.  Your denomination doesn’t save you and won’t ever give you a true feeling of purpose.  No, only Jesus and his sacrifice can do so the only true belonging that is belonging to is being a Child of God.  Your pastor, denomination, family, spouse, school, church building, car, friends or short-term missions trip can give you True Belonging like Jesus can.
           - Rylan