“Stay with us Lord” This is the desire of every heart that encounters Christ in a deep and personal way and never wishes to be separated from Him.
Just as the disciples’’ heats burned within them as Jesus revealed himself to them, so too does my heart burn for the Jesus I meet in Haiti.
It is no surprise to those accustomed to working with the poor and suffering that Jesus is present in a very real and tangible way. On my first rip to Haiti, I went as a missionary. To experience everything first hand; the pain, the suffering of a people the likes of which I had never before witnessed. I did indeed meet Jesus there and I wanted very much for that encounter to “stay with me”
This past Holy Week, I went to Haiti as a formator. Not only did I personally meet our Lord intimately there, but, I had the beautiful privilege of witnessing missionaries encounter Jesus on their own journeys. Journeys, I had a part in navigating. I can only imagine the joy it brought to Christ’s heart as He revealed His presence to his disciples along the way. Joy as each detail He revealed pulled together all the pieces of past experiences until a beautiful mosaic of His love was before them.
What a joy it brought to my own heart to see 27 missionaries encounter Jesus in a new and more profound way. As I boarded my plane home I found myself silently praying ”Stay with me” Haiti is my Road to Emmaus.
