Together as one

Psalm 38:3
"3 A person's steps are directed by the Lord, and the Lord delights in His way."

    Since today is Sunday, we woke up at 6:00am to go to church. If you have never been to a church that does not speak the same language as you, it is something you need to put on your bucket list. Hearing people praise God in their own language is a beautiful experience. Sometimes as Christians who live in West Virginia, we get so used to going to church and singing praise music that it becomes just a routine. Wake up at 9, go to Sunday school, sit through service, and then leave. Being in a different country, it is a much different experience. Singing songs with words that you do not know how to pronounce, listening to the emphasis the people put on the word "Amen", yet still feeling like I was praising God in the highest way possible. After church, I thought about the song "Holy Spirit". The chorus of the song is "Holy Spirit you are welcome here, come flood this place and fill the atmosphere. Your glory God is what our hearts long for, to be overcome by your presence Lord." The chorus of this song is the feeling I had in Jerusalem Baptist church. The lyrics say, Lord, all we want is to be consumed in you and nothing less. Even as Christians, we still judge. We may look down upon other churches if they do not run the same way ours do, but when it comes down to it, all we want is to be consumed in the spirit of God.
     After church I took a well needed nap (Sunday is the day of rest so I took advantage of it!). After all of my energy was restored, I headed to the orphanage. After a while, Kate and I were the only ones left! Since I know very little creole, I pulled out some nail polish to play with. After I painted Tiana's nails, I noticed children lining up. I not only painted finger nails, but toenails as well. If you didn't already realize, a Haitian's foot is not always the cleanest. I think I'm their minds, it made them feel loved to have me paint their toenails. Just as Jesus washed the hands of the disciples, I painted the toes of the orphans. I'm not by any means saying that I am Jesus, but only comparing the feelings of the disciples to those of the children. As a child who does not have a family, any form of affection is appreciated. By painting the nails of these children of God, it humbled me. Back home I take things for granted; not feeling like I have the cutest clothes, best hair, or phone. These children just wanted their nails painted. Taking all of this into consideration, I have decided to keep myself accountable for what I buy. I am going to ask myself "Is this practical, is this useful, and how can I use this to glorify God?". After all the nails were painted and dinner was served, all the children got a special smoothie drink. I sat at the table with the kids and watched them eat their big bowls of rice and enjoy their smoothies. I felt a poke on my back and I turned around. Two teenage girls handed me a smoothie and just said "thank you". It was such an honor to accept the gift from them. It really made me feel appreciated and like I was making a difference in their lives by showing them God's love.
     Overall, this only being the second day, I have realized so many things that I didn't before, grew stronger relationships, and grown in my faith. I thank God for giving me the opportunity to come here and serve Him as a disciple of Christ.