Written by Liz Clarke, January 15, 2015

I once had the privilege of attending a work conference where we discussed the alliteration of the 5 P’s….

Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance.

This alliteration has become somewhat of an anthem in my life as I didn’t mature to the understanding of proper preparation until my mid-twenties, but when I did it was life changing! In the last couple of days we have had quite a few encounters that brought this alliteration to the forefront of my mind. As I share them with you, I want to paint a picture as to the importance of the 5 P’s along with the struggle we face in Haiti as preparation doesn’t seem to be something of strong importance.

On Tuesday, Christi, Ebens, and I rode down to Port-au-Prince to pick up Many Hand’s newest team member, Sara Anderson! As soon as we reached our destination in Port we ran out of gas. Ebens immediate response was; “Not a good driver. If they don’t have problem, they don’t feel well.” He was speaking directly to the issue of Haitians tending not to think ahead. I’m glad that before we left I noticed the decal across the windshield that said Patience. It was a humorous irony through the situations that arose.

We eventually made it to the airport where Sara was patiently waiting and we started our trek home. All was well until we got a flat tire. That’s when we realized the driver didn’t have a spare. As we waited for someone to bring us a tire, Sara had what we’ll call her first “outdoor experience”. I’ll give you a hint: it’s another “p” word. (Sorry Sara, just following your lead and keeping it real!) We made it home in one piece, very thankful as we were also literally carrying 1 ton of tile in the back of the van!

The flat tire… with no spare!

Over these next few days we’ve continued to meet daily with the Many Hands Staff and have begun the practice of developing Radical Humility and Unity within our team. God has met us in this desire by giving us some good opportunities to work together. Wednesday, we ran errands together and today Sara, myself, and the guys decided to deliver 16 bags of food that were leftover from last weeks team. We enjoyed taking the motorcycle out for a fast spin and seeing God provide for many people in need. A highlight for Sara was being able to reunite with her beloved Denilson on Tuesday afternoon!

Sara meeting back up with Denilson and family. This was the boy who was badly burned in 2013 and MH4H has been walking with this family since.

Please be in prayer for Many Hands as our team continues the process of navigating God’s plan for our ministry, moving forward. And as you pray, we invite you to cover us with this set of 5 P’s to help us be faithful on this journey.

The 5 P’s of Haiti