Should I take that Vision Trip?
David Nordhaus graciously shared his decision-making process and takeaways from a recent trip to Haiti. He joined seven other individuals in February 2018 to experience the orphan care and prevention initiatives of our partners in Haiti.
From experiencing urban life in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, to journeying up into the nation’s beautiful mountains, a GO Project trip opens eyes to the beauty and potential of Haiti and the children we serve together. Highlights for David included touring the GO Transition Academy, our 2-year vocational-technical school for children who age out of orphan care. They also visited LIFE, the living wage apparel manufacturing facility for GOEX, and a 6,000-tree banana farm, which both employ Transition Academy graduates.
I just returned from a vision trip to Port-au-Prince, Haiti. First, I want to thank Mike Fox for welcoming me into this group, scheduling and setting up the tours, for his kindness, and especially for his leadership. And also to Derick Scarberry for specifically asking me to go. If he’d not so emphatically asked me and taken the time to explain why I needed to go, I wouldn’t have. There’s no way for anyone to articulate what’s going on in Haiti in a sufficiently meaningful way that would have compelled me to say “you know what, I’m going to Haiti”.
I learned so much, and it’s true — one has to be there to let our Lord show us these things first-hand, so it sinks in, and has the opportunity to move your heart. This was a Vision trip, not a missions trip — each person’s calling will manifest differently and individually based on their gifts, interests, and skill sets. Maybe it won’t move some people, but they’ll still be richer for having gone, I believe. I can only speak for myself, that I was very moved by this experience, I’m praying about all that I saw and learned, and my brain is already working on how I can best offer my services.
This is not a call to action, there are no politics involved, I’m not a news correspondent going for a Pulitzer, and I’m certainly no hero — to be honest I didn’t even want to go. But now that I have gone, and I’ve seen the place with my own eyes, I can tell you that Haiti needs help — and the information we’re allowed to see or hear about the country is not accurate, and frankly doesn’t help.
At The Global Orphan Project, we are grateful David shared his experience. We hope this first-hand account increases your faith…. or answers questions about our Vision Trips.
