Be Still

November 17, 2017 Posted by Jocelyn Pitman

One month.

It’s been one month since I packed my bags, loaded them up, and headed to the airport.

It’s been one month since I left my home in Canada in tears to say hello to my home in Haiti.

It’s been one month since I said good bye to family and friends and said hello to my new family filled with brothers, sisters, and friends.

It’s been one month since I said good bye to my church family and small group and joined with the joyful voices in Haiti worshiping God in devotions and church.

It’s been one month since I left my crazy life back home to adapt to my crazy life in Haiti.

It’s been one month since I left the comforts of home, and life in Canada, to live in hot, humid Haiti where things never go as planned and you never know what’s going to happen.

It has been one crazy, amazing, joyful, sad, and incredibly humbling month.

My first week in Haiti was tough.

I kept thinking I couldn’t do this.

I couldn’t possibly be away from my family for so long.

I couldn’t live without the comforts of home.

I thought there was no way God would have called me to live here for 6 months if I was feeling so upset about it.

I felt like there was no way I could survive 6 months here.

I remember being so excited to come before I got here. It was like time was standing still and my departure date was never going to come. People would constantly ask about my trip and I would gladly tell them my plans, thoughts, and dreams. I remember packing, and repacking, and then repacking again to make sure I had everything and that everything was packed as tightly as possible. I remember spending my days and nights thinking about what the kids were doing in Haiti right at that moment. And I spent my days getting more and more excited about this new adventure God was leading me on. Until it was time to say goodbye.

There were so many good byes. From my co-workers, my friends, people at church, and family. I was so tired of saying good bye by the time I left Canada. I was more than ready to start saying hello again. My first week in Haiti was filled with a lot of hellos and it was great but there was still one last good bye that I was dreading. Brian had picked me up from my house, drove us to the airport, and we got on the plane together. Brian stayed for a week in Haiti but then I had to say good bye to him too. He was my last piece of home, my last good bye. The day he left I wanted to go with him, I wanted to run after the van and beg him to take me home with him. To not leave me here, so far away from everything familiar. I wanted to get on that plane with him and drive back home. That was a hard day but as he drove away, I realized that God’s plan for my life is not always easy, nor does it always feel good. It’s not always sunshine and roses; sometimes the moments that grow us the most are the ones where our hearts are breaking and God is making us into something new. God was growing me in ways I never thought possible, and it was hard, but so so worth it.

In the weeks since all my good byes I have learned and grown in amazing ways. Yes I still miss home and can’t wait to see my family and friends but God has given me a wonderful family and lots of friends here in Haiti. The comforts of home still cross my mind and once in a while I get a hankering for McDonald’s french fries. But life is bigger than french fries and iced coffee.

In my first month here, I have seen and heard of heartbreak; stories that are beyond your imagination. I have spent nights in prayer for the hurting children, and families of Haiti. God has placed a desire on my heart for the people of this country. My faith has increased immensely while being here.

I have learned a lot of useful skills while I’ve been here. I have treated countless illnesses, done things I had never tried before, and learned valuable lessons.

One of the biggest things I feel God has been teaching me this past month is just to be still. Exodus 14:14 says “The Lord will fight for you, you need only be still.” My every day life was on the go, run run run, and busy as I could be. When I arrived in Haiti, I tried to do that. My first week I felt completely off because I was used to being busy 24/7. Here God has taught me to just sit, and be still, and pay attention to what He is doing and saying. I have taken more time to pray here and meditate on what God is saying to me than any other time in my life. I feel more in tune with Him, and because of that my faith grows daily.

I can honestly say I love being here in Haiti.

I love the work I am involved in.

I love the people I work with.

I love all the kids so much.

I love the food!

I love laughing with the employees as we try to sort out the language barrier and end up making crazy hand gestures to figure each other out.

I love worshiping with everyone at church and devotions.

I love the beauty of this country and am breathless every time I see those mountains.

I love seeing how God is using this ministry to bless people in the community and how He is changing lives.

I thank God every day that I am able to be a small part of this ministry and see His blessings being poured out.

I love that I can call this place my home and really mean it. This place truly will always have a place in my heart.

Please continue to pray. Pray for the kids on the compound. Pray for the employees. Pray for the kids and families in the community. Pray that they would come to know Jesus. Pray that He would direct their lives. Pray that this ministry would continue to make an impact.

God’s got some great things in store over the next five months and I can’t wait to see what will happen next. Don’t forget to slow down and realize all He has blessed you with. It’s easy to miss it when we try to run through life. Let Him take care of the battles, and just be still.

~Joce

About Jocelyn Pitman

Jocelyn Pitman was born in a small town on the East Coast of Canada. She always had a desire to serve people and enjoyed helping in her church and at home with her family but never really looked beyond the small town of Yarmouth. In April of 2015, she traveled to HATS for the first time and fell in love with the country and people. After returning in December 2016, it was clear that God wanted her there longer than a week. After much prayer and guidance, Jocelyn returned in October 2017 to begin a six-month term. When home in Yarmouth, Jocelyn is actively involved in her church, serving on the mission’s board, and doing fundraisers for HATS.

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Testimonials

I had anticipated that I would enjoy spending time getting to know the children and being a part of Karen’s daily life in Haiti but I had not anticipated that it would capture my heart like it did. I will miss spending time with the children and Karen but I am hopeful that I’ll be able to see them all again in the not too distant future.

Sara-May Cardy
HATS Visitor
Thank you Karen for everything you do, all the hard work and dedication that you put into this place, all of the work behind the scenes. Thank you for putting up with all the craziness that we bring when we come to your house for the week, just thank you times a million and one for everything Karen. I can write about my week until I am blue in the face (maybe not write that long but if you know me I can definitely talk for that long), and can sing about kit kat bars until my voice gives out, but I cannot even begin to try and articulate in song, dance, or other random art forms how thankful and blessed I am to have been given this experience not only once but twice! Thank you – thank you – thank you – thank you!!!!!!!

Kathleen
HATS Visitor
It’s my hope that I manage to touch their hearts in some small way, the way that they have touched mine – in a major way.

Cherie MacDonald
HATS Visitor
This week has been amazing – one of the best weeks of my life thus far, hands down. I can’t really think of any other experience in my life that can even come close to comparing to this. Though my visit here was short (too short), it has been incredibly eye-opening, and life changing. I will never forget the people I have met here, or the things I’ve gotten to experience! Most of all, I would like to say how remarkable it is to see first-hand the amazing work God is doing here. I am behind this ministry 100%, and will continue to support it. I am so, so blessed to have been given the opportunity to come here, and I am REALLY not looking forward to saying goodbye to the children tonight. My heart sinks just thinking about it. There’s no doubt that they’ve had a bigger impact on my life than I’ve had on theirs. I will be leaving a big piece of my heart with these people and this country. God bless.

Jess Buckle
HATS Visitor
We’ve made a difference, I believe. Big stuff, little stuff; it all contributed to the greater good and that big picture: keeping HATS a surviving and thriving, safe haven for the children of Deschapelles, Haiti. And oh my, what children they are. As expected, it was tough to leave. There were tears, whispers, hugs and I’ll miss you’s. I learned that it gets easier (only a bit) for those who’ve done this a few times. As Bob says “I’m part of the furniture now. I don’t say ‘goodbye’, I say ‘see you later’.” Maybe that’s how you cope with leaving…you return. Once, five times, 10 times. However many. Guaranteed you’ll leave a different person than when you came in.

Aimee Feaver
HATS Visitor
This is my first time traveling outside of Canada and I am proud to say it was for a mission trip. I have always wanted to go on one and see what it like in other parts of the world and do what I can to help out. Haiti is a terminus life change for me and how I look at things. Seeing these kids and how they have such a passion for each other and for us is truly inspiring. I look back to what I was like at that age and I don’t think I was half as kind or generous as they are. This morning we did devotions and as I was speaking about what an impact they had on me only in one day I started to tear up…it was very emotional to talk about.

Isaiah Henderson
HATS Visitor
This morning, we woke up as the sun came up and as we all began to trickle downstairs; we were met with warm welcomes from the precious children. As the children arrived, we were deeply touched and came to the realization of how important the HATS organization is to this country. Many children who would not have had any opportunities are now well nourished, educated and have a loving home and a mother who loves them more than we could ever comprehend, Karen Huxter.

Nicole Boudreau & Marcia Muise
HATS Visitors
One thing that has impacted me on this trip is seeing the children and all the dedication in this orphanage. There is so much going on behind the scenes to keep the HATS orphanage and school running.

Donna Wheeler
HATS Visitor
I am so thankful to God for allowing me the opportunity to be here and experience his splendor. This day will forever be in my heart and mind. The scripture that resonates with me today is “…whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Matt 25:40. I am so happy I decided to come to HATS, this experience will stay with me for my life time.

Crystal Young
HATS Visitor
This is my first trip to Haiti and I’m hoping that it will not be my last! I could start by telling you all about my experiences however I’ll start by saying that Haiti DOES hit you in your heart! Not a day goes by when I’m not fighting back tears. Hands Across the Sea is an amazing place! Our team has been assembled of different men that all who all felt God calling them to do his bidding. Since I have been here I was quick to realize that we are just helpers here. Karen and her team of workers are, what I believe to be, the real workers of God! Each child presents their own challenges and Karen and her staff make sure that all of the children, not one child, are seen to!

Bernie Melanson
HATS Visitor