Home / Stories / Were You There: He Provides

Were You There: He Provides

Elizabeth Green_featured image

Editor’s note: A friend of FMS and a Franciscan-hearted individual, Elizabeth Green reflects on how her trip to Haiti with Engineering Ministries International taught her a deep lesson in God’s providential care.

Children. Chickens. Roosters. Roads.  

As I woke up for the first time in Pignon, Haiti, I was surprised by how pleasant these sounds were to my ears. I didn’t mind that it was early in the morning, that I was sweating from the heat, or that I was sharing a room with a near stranger. After all, I was a stranger in a foreign land, my first time experiencing any country outside of the United States.  

But I didn’t feel like a stranger that first morning, and I have God to thank for that. I thought that I would feel scared, alone, and anxious that week. Instead, I felt present and vulnerable. I realized it was the strength of God inside of me that morning that made everything more pleasant.  

It was this same strength which I would come to lean into during the week. It was dying to myself, walking in communion with God, and making myself vulnerable to the people of Haiti to find their needs and see Jesus in them.  

I was given my first opportunity to see Jesus in someone that very morning.  

Meet Donald. Donald lived next to the guest house where my team was staying. He was twenty-two years old, spoke English, and loved getting to meet us. On that first morning, he changed his plans for the day to come with us into town to find supplies before heading to our service site.  

Donald didn’t know us, but he did what he could to take care of us. He was a living example of what Jesus stated in Matthew 25:40: “‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” He remained protective of us all week, showering us with love, and giving encouragement during late nights of work. Donald had his own needs, but he used his gifts to take care of us.

As we were leaving, Donald said something that would forever stay with me–something I never thought that I would hear a new friend in the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere say: “It doesn’t worry me to know that tomorrow I might not eat, because I know that God will provide and take care of me.”

And that’s exactly what He does. He provides.  

Reflection question: How has God recently provided for you? Spend some time reflecting on how his hand guides your future, your emotional security, and your relationships.

My name is Liz Green and I am a chemical engineer currently living in Pennsylvania. I have recently completed an internship with Engineering Ministries International (a non-profit Christian organization comprised of engineers, architects, and designers that donate their skills to the developing world) in Colorado and traveled to Haiti for my project trip during that time.