Why Go?

I (Garrett) recently returned from a week long mission trip to Haiti. We worked with a couple that had ministered in Haiti longer than I have been alive. To say that this man and wife had seen quite a bit in their years is an understatement. 

One participant on the team asked the couple a question. “Wouldn’t it be better just to send the $1300 we spent on the trip to you instead of traveling and working for a few days?” 

This is a valid question. The average Haitian worker makes about $1 a day. $1300 would provide about 3 years of work for one person. The response from the missionary couple though, is what really piqued my interest.

They said that they would rather have one person come and serve, than use the money to hire workers. They can hire workers any time they need to. They have a few dozen workers that they start their pay at $5 per day (a great wage for Haiti.) They said that there really is no way to measure the value of having someone come and serve and experience the work they are doing in Haiti. If just one person visits and returns home to tell their friends about Haiti and the work this organization is accomplishing, the potential results for the ministry are invaluable. Also, they emphasized the fact that a person cannot come to serve and not be changed. That is part of the reason to go on a trip. You cannot see a child suffer or see someone struggle to make it and not make the choice to be a catalyst to change the course, no matter how small, for the people you can impact.

That is why I want to encourage everyone that reads this to go! You cannot believe the value that will be added to your life and the potential impact you can have around the world by answering the call to serve.