Glimpses of Hope

On Sunday afternoon in Haiti, we were sitting at the snack bar, enjoying some sandwiches for lunch & talking about what life would bring once we got back from Haiti.  Jarred told me he was planning on going rock climbing at a national park in Utah in the month of April.  To which I said, "Why don't you come back here?  They need you here way more than the rocks do :)"  Jarred is a PA (Physician's Assistant) and has an incredible giftset (medical and non) that is ridiculously useful in Haiti.

Long story short, Jarred is back in Montrious.  He is there through the month of April and in the 4 days he's been there has already done his fair share of ministry.  When we were there last month, we met this little guy named Johnny.  He had some sort of incident in November - they're not sure if it was a stroke or what but a kid who was normal - able to speak, walk and play can no longer use the right side of his body.  We found him at his home just sitting in this chair.  He doesn't move... all day unless his dad takes him somewhere.

I will never forget standing outside Johnny's home in the fishing village, tears streaming down my face and hearing Jarred & Holly (our team doctor) say, "There's nothing we can do for him.  This will be his life."  He's a kid for crying out loud.  It is SO unfair.

When we got home, we decided the least we could do is try to get him a wheelchair.  Someone donated the perfect size wheelchair and today Jarred posted pictures of Johnny's glimpse of hope.  I know we can't save this little boy and he'll never walk or talk again, but we can make the time he has left on this earth better.  And from the pictures and the way Jarred talked about it today, the ear-to-ear grin and him spinning in circles in the wheelchair is just one of the reasons Jarred needed to go back.

It is Christ using his people to reach down to the least of these and say, "You're worth it.  You matter. " And that's awesome. That's the gospel.