A few weeks ago a team of five joined me on an administrative trip to Port de Paix, Haiti. We arrived in Port au Prince and planned to take the small twin engine plane to Port de Paix the next morning.

As we have come to expect in Haiti, our plans were interrupted. There were no seats on the plane. The only way to get to Port de Paix was a 130 mile road trip. So we rented a van and off we go. The first 80 miles were rather easy. We traveled about three hours on paved roads through numerous small villages and then stopped for lunch in Haiti’s 3rd largest city of Gonaives. The next fifty miles took nearly six hours and all of our endurance and patience.

We drove through two rivers, up steep winding roads where two vehicles could not pass one another and dodged holes that were so deep that we broke off the bumper guard that protects the front of the van. It was a very long and difficult drive.

. . He (God) led you through the vast and dreadful wilderness . . . to humble and test you so that in the end it might go well with you” (Deut. 8:15-16).

That’s often the way the paths of our life change. A report from the doctor, a call in the middle of the night, or an employer’s pink slip can thrust us into a “dreadful wilderness.” God often chooses to take us away from the comforts of life and lead us on a more difficult road to “humble and test” us.

As when the Israelites were led into the wilderness, God’s Word says that these difficulties are for our own good. It’s not easy, but we are better for having traveled the difficult road.

HOLD the Children Guatemala:

Last week we established a new HOLD the children school in Cuidad Vieja (the Old City), Guatemala. What a joy to see to the staff’s dedication to these needy children. The photo at left is the children of Kairos. You will hear more in the future about sponsoring children at Kairos
Christian School.

Rich Rohde is the Director of HOLD the Children, a child advocacy division of Mission Discovery Short Term Missions.