What NOT to say to a missionary in Haiti

People sometimes make strange comments when they find out I live in Haiti. Normally I just let them roll off my back, most of the time people don’t even know their comments are rude or inappropriate. The problem is I’m not quite there yet with earthquake comments. It’s all too fresh and all too traumatic. Eventually I’ll be able to let the, “It’s God’s judgment on the country.” comments and so on go…but right now they make me want to slap people!

This makes meeting new people a little awkward and slapping people is just not right. My momma taught me that!

The conversation usually goes a little something like this.

Blah blah blah…

Rachel: “It’s nice to meet you, too.”

Other person: “So what do you do?”

Rachel: “I’m a missionary in Haiti. I run an orphanage there.”

Other person says with HUGE smile on her face: “In Haiti!! Really?!? Wow! It’s so amazing what’s happened there. Praise the Lord!”

Rachel thinks to herself: What kind of crazy person are you? What part of hundreds of thousands of people dying and millions of people homeless is amazing?? What part of mass graves and amputees EVERYWHERE is great? I know people who died! I know people who were trapped inside fallen buildings! I know so many people who are homeless!!! What IS WRONG WITH YOU!!!! I don’t think I like you.

Rachel: “Um…what exactly do you mean?!?”

Other person: “The earthquake! It’s so amazing. How great that so many people have come to know the Lord.”

Rachel: “Yeah, that part is great.”

Rachel thinks: I have GOT TO get away from Other Person!!

Rachel: “Do you know where the washroom is?”

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