It is hard to believe that our trip to Haiti is almost here. It seems like it was just the other day when we were praying and deciding if we should do this, and now we are putting the final touches on our trip. This past weekend, we spent some shopping for gifts. We got our sponsored child a backpack, pencils, soaps, toothbrushes, toothpaste, a jump rope, a stuffed animal, notebooks, towels, a jewelry-making kit, a Bible, and several other things. We may have went overboard, but it is hard to hold back.
As I’ve said before, this trip is sort of surreal for me. I have been sponsoring this little girl since 2002, which means it has almost been 13 years of communication through letters and photos. My wife became a co-sponsor with me once we were married in 2009, and she has fallen in love with her, too. However, this will be the first time we actually meet her in person. Up until now, she has merely been a name and a face in a photo, but very soon, she will be incredibly real to us.
To be honest, this makes me both excited and nervous at the same time. I am excited to meet her, see what she is like, and witness what Compassion does in the developing country of Haiti. In contrast, I am also nervous to meet her. I have a ton of experience working with teenagers, but for some reason, this is different. I hope I know what to say. I hope she likes us. Of course, we are praying that God will lead us, but I would be lying if I told you I was not anxious at all.
As we get ready to leave soon, I ask that you keep our trip in your prayers, too. Speaking of prayer, we thank God for all of you who are contributing to this trip – including finances, prayers, and other support. We really appreciate it! We do not know if we will be able to provide many updates while we are there (if any at all), but rest assured, I will be blogging about our experience when we get back.
Steve Cullum 