Hello HCM Family, I’m Katy and I’ve been partnering with HCM for about 10 years. I can remember the first time I went to Haiti, it was shortly after the big earthquake in 2010. I remember the devastation and the hurt, but what I remember most was the joy and hope that the people of Haiti carried on their faces. I met a group of young boys that summer, they were around 10 years old.
Two boys specifically spoke to my heart, Ritchamy and Daniel, who I nicknamed Danielson, yes from the Karate Kid. I did have to explain that movie to him. God drew these kids into my life and little did I know why. HCM was my very first mission trip and I fell in love with the people and the mission, and I wanted to keep partnering with them, I wanted to keep visiting because I wanted to keep building these relationships I made that first time going. I’ve been to HCM 4 or 5 times in the span of 7 years and each time I was prepping to go, I was hoping and praying that I would see the same people. I never knew if they were still around or if they had relocated, or if they were even healthy and alive.
Every time I landed on Haitian ground it felt more like home, and when I saw familiar faces, it felt more like family. Over the years I was able to see my young friends, Ritchamy and Danielson, and yes he loved his nickname, he even had some of his friends call him that! I was able to keep building my relationship with them, they grew older and smarter and better with their English. As they got older I was able to stay connected with them through Facebook. The last time that I visited in 2017, I remember we were having a full-on spiritual and theological discussion with these now young adults, of course with a translator, my Creole hasn’t gotten that good! I was in awe and so thankful that because I had built a relationship with these guys that they were comfortable enough to talk about their faith with me. As I stay connected with them they are doing well, one of them is actually in the States studying for school. At that moment as I was taking it all in, I was so thankful that I had found HCM, that I had decided to partner with this amazing organization not just once, but for a lifetime.
ONE trip might not seem like a big deal. ONE donation might not seem like much. ONE letter, ONE hug, ONE conversation. But over time all those “ONES” add up. What you do over time matters. When it’s repeated it accumulates and becomes something powerful. Love over time, relationships over time, time over time, people over time, all of those things over time becomes a family, it becomes memorable, it makes a difference. And over time you can make a difference too. Thank you for investing your time and your heart to partner with HCM. Don’t lose sight because at the right time we will reap a harvest (Galatians 6:9).