Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

When people set out to fight against an injustice, their sites are often fixed on what can be. If the goal is to end world hunger, the trail blazer sees a world where everyone is nourished and well fed. If the goal is to build a church, the church planter sees a world where people come to find and follow Jesus. If the goal is to end sexual violence, the justice seeker sees a world where women are valued, respected and protected. 

Very rarely do visionaries see the adversity it will take to reach the aspired goal. They may not consider the burden that often must be endured before the blessing comes to pass. 

Opening the safe house has been more difficult than expected. Just this week, a small team from the Nadege board was forced to cancel their trip to Haiti due to a level 4 travel advisory recently issued by the U.S. Embassy in Haiti. At first, this appeared to be a setback until the team reflected on the end goal of this work.

From the beginning, Nadege has aspired to see hope restored to survivors of sexual violence through God using an empowered and competent Haitian staff team to do the work. He has appointed that team for such a time as this, and in spite of the level 4 travel advisory, Nadege’s Haitian leadership team will carry out the plan of the team who was scheduled to travel to Haiti. 

They will work towards the goal of opening the safe house this upcoming Spring and are way more equipped to effect change in their own country than the U.S. staff will ever be. The end goal is restoring hope to survivors, yes, but it also involves creating a culture of change makers in Haiti. Women and men who are willing to take ownership of fighting against the injustices affecting the country they call home. The trip may have been canceled, but the mission will still be propelled forward by those God intended to use from the beginning.

Adversity may be a part of the journey, but it is also a teacher reminding its students to equip and empower those who were created to do the work so that the big vision can be realized…so hope can be restored.