a door to hope

“I did not expect the people of Haiti to forever re-shape who I am, how I act, and accept a calling to serve. If you are not serving others, you are not missing an opportunity to change someone else’s life…..you are missing an opportunity to change your own life!  http://estesfamilymoments.blogspot.com/2010/07/how-visit-to-haiti-changed-my-life.html”

“Though Haiti has a special place in my heart, the trip each year has enabled me to take many from my church family on their first mission trip.  During the last eight years, more than 100 different people from my church have gone on a trip to Haiti.  Many of these are now serving in ministry because of what God did in their lives while in Haiti.  Others received a new understanding of the needs around the world and became exponential givers while accepting less for themselves.  As a minister, there is no greater thing than to provide an opportunity like Haiti and be present when God does His life changing work.”

“In 2006, I went to Haiti for the first time not knowing why God wanting me to go. It did not take long to figure out that He wanted it to be part of my life. Since then not only has it affected my life but has affected my family’s life. Even though they have not been able to go, they have made sacrifices to help bring hope to the people of Haiti. To me seeing the change that Haiti has brought to my life is great but seeing my family change has been one of the biggest blessings.”

“When God does a shaking, He doesn’t always just shake the Earth. Sometimes he will shake the Earth to shake your spirit. Sometimes God will shake the Earth to shake your heart. Sometimes God will shake the Earth to get your attention.” My pastor, Don Smith, said this to me in July of last year during a sermon regarding the work I was doing in Haiti. Those words were so powerful because they were so incredibly true. God used Haiti to take my brokenness and help rebuild the brokenness of others. Now my heart is broken by the things that break God’s heart. You or I need no other reason to go and be the hands and feet of Jesus.”