The fight.

Our team here on the ground engages daily in many "fights."

We fight hunger, and poverty.
We fight homelessness and abuse.
We fight slavery and abandonment.
We fight against illiteracy and cultural insensitivity.
We fight corruption in every level of the government.
We fight against the norms that tell us marital fidelity is somewhat of a fluid concept.
We fight prejudice against Haitians and prejudice against Americans.
We fight to not be seen as "those missionaries."
We fight to live what we claim to believe.
We fight for education and health care.
We fight for basic human rights.
We fight for life.
We fight to teach our children to know more and do better.
We fight the evil desires pent up in our hearts.

Everything here seems like a fight lately.

But in my opinion, there's no greater fight here in Haiti than the battle against the demon of discouragement.

Discouragement tells me--
This isn't working.
This isn't worth it.
You're not making a difference.
You're wasting your time.
"They" will never learn.
This city is too broken to be fixed.
This country is too broken to be fixed.
The piles of rubble are taller than the houses that remain... it will never be removed.
There's not enough money.
There's not enough time.
This kid will never understand how to accept love.
That baby is going to die no matter what I do.
You're not going to change anything.
Why should I continue to care when no one else does?
Why should I work SO FREAKIN' HARD when nothing is changing?

There's this book that I love. It's one of my very favorite books. It's called, "God is no Stranger." And it's filled with simple prayers of Haitian Christians.

Here's a prayer that's very real to me lately--

Senyè,
Gen yon gwo dyab ki rele dekourajman.
Nou mande w’ voye l’ ale.
Paske l’ap nwi nou.

Translation:
Lord,
There is a big devil called discouragement. We ask you to send him away because he is bothering us.

Today I praying that prayer. And I am just trying to disengage a bit and lay on my bed and think and breathe. And as I thought about all these "fights" I am engaging in, this verse popped into my head...

Exodus 14:14-- The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.

Oh that I would have the strength and the discipline to do that.



(All photos by Israel Southern--used with permission.)