The moment your life changes

I remember my salvation experience in 1993.  It was a night that I had serious questions.  It was at that moment that I knew there was more to life than what I was living.  I made a lifestyle decision that night which led me to a passion for the Word of God and service in Jesus name.  I have never regretted my decision to give my life to the Lord.  My recent decision to live and serve in Haiti was much like my salvation experience.  I found myself asking God how do you want to use my life.  I cried out to Him as I longed to be used in a greater way.  I desired to be purposeful in my living.  I felt called to serve in another country in my early twenties.  Throughout my life I went on short term mission trips to Mexico, Ireland, South Africa and Hungary.  I remained prayerful about the timing and location of my permanent home abroad.  One wonderful evening in April 2013 my Pastor’s wife Inga-Lill Guzik invited me over for dinner in response to my request for prayer about serving in the mission field. I felt a strong presence of the Lord as she spoke about Haiti.  Tears of joy fell as my heart said the word “home”.  From that point on things began to move and very quickly.  I went to the Haiti Celebration at Calvary Chapel Santa Barbara that next day and met the staff and missionaries from CHILD HOPE in Port au Prince.  With each conversation and video clip that night my heart looked forward to serving there.  My friends Angelo and Mary Saragosa immediately invited me to join them in Haiti, we left 6 days later with hope and excitement about what the Lord was going to do on this trip.  My first impression at Port au Prince airport was how lovely that a Haitan band is playing for the travelers as they get off their flight.  My heart was leaping and dancing.  I noticed the extreme poverty right away and knew there was a place for me.  The children moved me to compassion and automatic commitment of service.  The staff became my instant new family and the local missionaries an extension of that family.  My journey began when the Lord heard my cry and answered my prayer.