Preparation and Reflection

6 weeks ago, I was preparing for finals.
5 weeks ago, I was preparing for Haiti.
3 weeks ago, I was preparing for Germany.
Today, I prepare for my next challenge and adventure – the Holy Land.

With all of this preparation, I have put little energy into reflecting on what the last couple months have meant to me. Oftentimes, I cannot grasp the emotions that race through my mind, and thus put them to the side. When I see a child running in the street, my mind skips to David or Peterson who so freely ran in the yard. When the sun shines brightly making one want for shade, I remember Fond des Blanc and the young girls that followed us. When my shoe slips in mud, I think of our treks through the mountainside – our “White Whale” struggling to climb up the hills.

What does it mean to travel hundreds of miles, only to treat chronic debilitating pain with ibuprofen, or hunger pains with Tums and a packet of crackers? What does it mean to stay with 8 Haitian children, only to leave them 10 days later? What does it mean to see poverty and destruction at the core, only to drive past? What does it mean to cry as you leave, knowing that this place has found a forever home in your heart? These are the questions that I struggle with, the ones whose answers I do not know.
As I begin to dissect the issues and emotions, I do know that the spirit of service and social justice is a part of my character. Although our impact on the situation in Haiti is like a drop of rain in the ocean, we did, I believe, make a positive difference.

In one week, I will be in the Holy Land, experiencing the International Youth Peace Summit. I pray for safety in my travels and guidance while there. I pray that I might understand better, have compassion for all people, and grasp the truth and reality of the situation in Israel and Palestine.

If you need to reach me in the next two weeks, email is probably best: leaheinrich@gmail.com. I will also have my phone in case of emergency.