Last November when I went to Haiti by myself for the very first time I was so anxious to serve because I felt like I was growing in my faith and as a man. The one story that still sticks with me today is the story of going to the Godet Orphanage. I was able to spend two days in a row with the children there. I was able to make relationships with many of the children. We made crafts, played "simon says" and just had a fun two days of VBS. This is just the beginning of my story. Flash forward to the second week of my summer trip this past summer. I was able to go back to Godet! I was beyond excited and the thing that really touched me is that all the kids that I made a relationship with knew and remembered my name! Hearing their little voices scream “Chase!” was the best feeling I have ever experienced in my life. Knowing that I made a difference in their lives makes the cost of each trip worth it.
The feeling of making an impact in a child’s life is second to none. But the even cooler aspect of it is that the children that I am there to help actually end up making a bigger impact in my life. This November will be my 6th trip to Haiti since 2012. Every time I come back, I come back with a new “God Sighting”. And these “God Sightings” carry over into my daily life back home. Since I moved into college, I have grown majorly in my faith and I pray about Haiti each and every day. I am aware that God has put Haiti in my life for a reason and I honestly never shut up about Haiti. All my new friends that I’ve made can tell you that I am super annoying because all I talk about is the experiences I have been through in Haiti and how those experiences have affected me in the way I live now.
All I can say is that I truly experience God each day and I am aware of his Presence. I have Haiti to thank for that and also the A Door to Hope organization. Brent has taught me so many things along with Chris. They have been the role models that have been my guide throughout my mission work in Haiti and I pray that God will help me with my dream of working in Haiti for a career. Whether it be with A Door to Hope or another organization, I know God has extraordinary plans for me and knowing that I have people such as Pastor Brent and Pastor Chris who support me, I feel like I can reach my dream!