Mayra Munoz (People to People Ministries) recently took a team to Haiti. Here is her story.

Blue tents everywhere. Dust. Dirt. Crumbled buildings. Rubble on the streets. The devastation, destruction, and death that the earthquake left are unimaginable. The sight is heartbreaking. “Overwhelming” falls short of what my heart experienced.

I have witnessed hard, painful, and difficult circumstances during my missions experience through the years. In fact, poverty, thirst, hunger… were not too far from the home I grew up in. I always prepare my teams – “welcome culture shock… your perspective will be changed, your life will never the same, you’ll see things you’ve never experienced before, so get ready!” But what I saw this time left me speechless.

My heart was pierced with compassion. My eyes were filled with tears. My mind struggled to understand this condition. My ears were overwhelmed with the sound of chaos. It is almost impossible to describe it. Pictures don’t do it justice.

This may surprise you, but the most significant memory I took with me, was not that of the destruction and desperate circumstances I saw. The dirty streets or the overwhelming smells I experienced. It was not the children walking barefooted on the street, half naked, or the men and women carrying unthinkable weight on their backs, for miles. It even wasn’t the unforgiving heat that so often tried to limit our work, and affect our physical bodies. I have an unforgettable memory from Haiti- a beautiful picture that has been sealed in my heart- Christ’s church rising up in the midst of darkness, praising with abandon, and worshipping without conditions.

After a week of overwhelming emotions, I told the Haitian church on Sunday morning, “you thought we came here to bless you, but you have blessed us beyond words.” This statement may not make much sense to you. Haiti is the one in need! Desperation is their companion. Hunger is their neighbor. Survival is their lifestyle. But in the midst of such a state, Christ’s followers have learned something – that in the midst of their nothingness, they have one thing to depend on – God, and God alone.

You may not quite understand what I’m saying, you may not get the picture – so let me help you. My brokenness was filled with encouragement the moment I watched my Haitians brothers and sisters – from the youngest child, to oldest man and woman, lift the name of God with such passion and fervor. To the average eye, “these people have ‘nothing’ to be happy about. These people lack reasons to be thankful for anything, other than surviving an earthquake, to only experience greater devastation and need.” But we have so much to learn from them, because they have no conditions to worship and celebrate God. They reminded me, there are more reasons to praise God, than not.

My heart was humbled, and my eyes were filled with tears, as I watched a middle aged Haitian woman run from the church tent, under the rain, to an open soccer field – dancing and shouting to Her Savior. I guess the church was too small for her undignified worship. I wish I could describe the scene better. Her freedom was unexplainable. Her passion uncontainable. Her love for God… without conditions.

They may have nothing for dinner that night. They will go back to a dark tent. They will sleep on the floor. They will put on the same outfit tomorrow, and every day after. When they wake, they will get up and fight for their survival. They will walk the streets and search for water, and food. They will bathe and wash clothes in a small creek, full of trash, next to dirty pigs. They live in the midst of chaos.

But when it’s church time, the darkness that seems to surround them, becomes insignificant. They will walk miles if necessary. They will put on their best and only outfit. They will bring their children to church. They will pull out their most treasured possession – their Bible, and they will be glad to come to the house of God. And when they finally get there, they don’t need to be told to praise – they don’t need to be cheered up. When they come, they are ready to lift up their hands, sing with passion, and declare they serve a good God. Doesn’t sound too much like us, does it? Who want to find a church with a late enough service, so we can sleep in on Sunday. A church with a short enough service, so we can get to lunch. Close enough to our home, so the drive is not too long. With a good worship leader, so we can be cheered up, and great music so it can set the atmosphere! Can you make sense of this? Is there something not right? You tell me.

And what about the stories I heard… what about the encounters I had, with young and old Haitians – who may have lost it all. I wouldn’t know where to begin. But I will never forget Vixamar – the director of the school in the IPHC compound. He lost his wife to the quake, and now his children had to be sent away to a relative. He has no way to take care of them. If you want to talk about “loss,” this man knows what that feels like. But his story was followed by a statement, something I have heard countless of times, but its meaning is so much greater now. A statement we all know how to make. We sing about it, and preach about it. But very few can say it the way Vixamar said it: “I know God is good all the time, and He has a good plan for my life!” We have a lot to learn from Vixamar, even though he would never believe it.

I told the team on our last night together, “we people have way too many conditions – to love God, to commit ourselves to Him, to follow Him, and obey Him.” Conditions to go to church. Conditions to praise His name: at all times. We have way toomany conditions to live a life of gratitude, and stop complaining about what we don’t have.

I believe God is already turning “beauty for ashes – ashes into beauty” in Haiti. Out of death, Life is rising! Out of physical need, abundant spiritual blessings are coming. Out of dryness, a rich and heavy rain of the Spirit is falling. My message to the Haitians was – “God maintains His glory in every situation, and He never loses control of our lives! Although life may seem a mystery to us, we are not a mystery to God!” But knowing this is not enough. And friend, we have a lot to learn from our Haitian family. They have “no conditions,” we have too many to count. They are thankful for the little they have, we find it easier to complain about what we don’t have. They can smile and be joyful in the midst of their circumstances; we spend too much time finding reasons to keep joy out of our lives.

Can I tell you something? Enough with the conditions! Live a life of worship, gratitude, and service. Remember, we have a lot to learn from the people we are trying to help. And I don’t know about you, but this is one of the most humbling lessons I have ever learned.

What are your conditions? Only you can answer that.

Live a life for God, without conditions.