“Only a life lived in service to others is a life worth living”- Albert Einstein. On May 6 through May 13 my classmates and I traveled to Haiti on a mission trip. This was my second trip to Haiti, a country that I love as much as my own. Even though I had already been to Haiti once before, going back was still a new experience for me. I was with a whole new organization doing a whole new project. I really enjoyed this experience.

            When we landed we met our driver and he took us to the PID compound. As soon as we got there, I started to not feel well. I thought I was just tired, so I went and took a nap. When I woke up I was still not feeling better, in fact I felt worse. I was upset at myself for not feeling well. I felt as if I let my professor down because he wanted me to be a leader seeing as it was my second time there. I did not want to lie in bed while everyone else was out working and making a difference. I decided that I would go out to the work site the next day and help just as much as everyone else was. We worked in a village called Canon, a village that PID had been working in for a while.

            When we arrived to the worksite and unloaded the bus, the children of the village swarmed us.  “Blanc! Blanc!” they all yelled. It brings so much joy to me when I see children more than happy to see you there not only to help but to play with them as well. The village we were at was at the bottom of a mountain. There was very little shade on the site, which took a toll on me. I am a very pale girl so the sun is definitely not my best friend! Being out in the sun caused me to get sick again. I spent the next two days back at the compound because I was too ill to go out and work. I felt horrible because all I wanted to do was be out there with my classmates making a difference.

            I could go on from here and explain how beautiful the beach was and how amazing our day there was there but I do not feel that that is what I should be talking about. Our trip to Haiti was about serving the beautiful Haitians and learning from their amazing culture. Our trip was about learning to appreciate what we have. Our mission for the trip was to serve the Haitians but I believed that they served us more than we served them.

           Imagine living in a tin house that does nothing but trap the heat in. Imagine living in a house made out of sticks and sheets when there’s a rain storm. Imagine not having enough money to feed yourself and your children so you get what you can for your kids and you go without. Imagine being pregnant or getting sick in a country that has poor medical service. How would you feel if you had to live like this? I know that I wouldn’t be the happiest person. I wouldn’t be able to feel blessed. I wouldn’t be able to see the things I have as enough to live. Maybe that’s because I come from America where you can never have enough. Maybe its because I have never had to go countless nights without eating. Maybe its because I have never lost sleep simply because it was raining. Maybe its because in the summer we just turn the AC on when it gets too hot. Being in Haiti makes you see the world differently. Even after a week, you begin to understand why they are so happy. 

          As a class we traveled to Haiti to serve and improve the lives of those in need. We left Haiti as different people. We left Haiti gaining the ability to see the world we live in in a different light. I think I can speak for everyone when I say that Haiti changed us. The Haitians are the ones that improved us, just as much if not more as we improved them. We were servants that were the ones served.

        Bondye Beni Ou Ayiti!!!!!!!