I had been asked to prepare a training on “Recovery from Abuse”, for those that work at the Orphanage. The training would help them better assist the kids they were working with that came from a background of abuse.
Although I have taught different life skill classes and have done public speaking in the states, I was somewhat intimidated to do so in another country. At first, I declined the offer to teach but then prayed about it and asked them if I could be put back on the schedule to teach. Thankfully I was able to still give this presentation. As I prepared back in the states I just prayed for God to use me and my words in the way he intended to reach the people I would be speaking to that day.
Now I am here in Haiti and today is the day.
I woke up eager to teach.
As soon as I got up I realized something was not right. “Am I really getting sick on the day I am to teach?”.. Yes , indeed! That was the case. I went up to the guest house for breakfast but I could not stay that long because I didn’t feel well. I went back in my room and layed down and just asked God to heal me so I could do the work I knew he wanted me to do that day.
Time went by and it was a couple of minutes before I was to start teaching. I said to myself, “even if I have to lay here and teach, it will be done today!”. I got up and stood there for a moment to see how I was starting to feel. I decided to be on the safe side and just sit down while I teach. I thank God that I didn’t get sick during the time I was speaking. It was so cool to work alongside my translator too in that capacity.
I learned that in Haiti, receiving a certificate for something was a BIG deal! So I made sure to bring some certificates with me and at the end of the training I went around to each person and signed their name and my name and gave them a big hug and thanked them for completing the training. After that, one of the male orphan workers known as a “daddy”, thanked me so much for the training and expressed how much the different points we covered were really good and could help them in the daily work they do with the kids there. That was so encouraging to me! I thanked God that it all worked out!
When everything was finished , I stayed back with another teammate from going into the villiage because I still wasn’t feeling the absolute greatest. Although I really wanted to get out there and work, I felt God’s presence with me assuring me that it was okay that I had to stay back that day. Take time and rest. It hit me that even in a mission driven life , God does call us to rest too. That was refreshing to feel and know that.
Ashley Wilson 