"Sak Passé?" ("What's Up?" in Creole!)

My name is Louis Le Noan, and as a Global Service Intern, I led the HOPE Youth Corps in Haiti this July. The night we arrived at the orphanage in Les Cayes, where we would be staying for two weeks, the children greeted us with hugs and kisses, even though we had never met them before. They also had a song prepared to welcome us! We quickly understood that they were going to teach us a lot.

We went there to help rebuild disciples’ homes, to paint the orphanage building, to start a garden, to clean the beach, and connect with the kids. In the end, we also learned a lot from these children: how to love simply, how to share, how to be excited about friendships and new faces and how to appreciate and live as a family.

We understood more deeply what Jesus talked about in Matthew 25:40: "The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’".

I believe that this is what HYC is all about: making an impact and serving a community but doing it together, as a family, and putting our trust and faith in God to see what he can do around us and in our personal lives.

A lot of tears were shed when we left the 13 children we had lived with for two weeks, but above all, we had dreams and hope for them and their future. Through the work of Danny (founder) and Petuel (director), Oasis Home For Kids was able to give all of us a vision of what God can accomplish, and also a vision for the children. They will surely become the next leaders and world-changers! I encourage anyone to go on a HOPE Youth Corps and more generally, to decide to fully be the servants Jesus calls us to be. It truly pushes us to examine ourselves, and to learn to rely on God, all the while making a change for good in the community.

Mariah Boger, the Global Service Intern who co-led with Louis, had this to share:

HYC Haiti wasn't a walk in the park. We served by rebuilding homes, building a garden from a flooded area and lots more. We were under the hot sun of Haiti. Through all of the sweat, it was very rewarding. It was amazing to serve multiple disciples in two different cities. We also got to serve and spend time with orphans and other children while we were there. I have such a desire and love for children, so spending time with them was so rewarding and refreshing. HYC Haiti was hard work, but it was also a lot of fun. There were times in Haiti when I was struggling, whether physically or emotionally, and the sisters really took care of me. They always made sure that I was getting my rest, whatever that might be, and I really appreciate it. We became a family on HYC. Those friends will be there for a lifetime.