I recently got the chance to visit Haiti on a medical mission trip with Highland Park United Methodist Church. I must give my wife, Erin, all the credit for really pushing us to go, but I’m glad I listened. I spent several days working as a pharmacist at the Medical Clinic in Petit Goave. While my lack of medical background made me nervous at first, there were plenty of people to guide me and, to my surprise, I quickly began to catch on.

It just so happened that the trip happened right in the middle of the World Cup! One day, as we walked home from the clinic, I noticed people piled into wherever they could find a TV, faces glued to the screens. Most Haitians are big fans of Brazil, but there were still a few pulling for Argentina here and there.

When Argentina lost, a roar erupted across the town and people poured into the streets to celebrate.

In that moment, I was struck by how happy and joyous these Haitians were over something as simple as a soccer game, while at the same time they seemed to have so little in terms of resources. A lack of clean, running water. Virtually no AC. And mass amounts of trash. These are all things the Haitian people live with daily. The poverty is truly indescribable until you see it for yourself, but with all that being said, these people still find joy wherever they can.

There are times in life where I think it is safe to say we can get bogged down by the materialist mindset that is commonplace living in America. Not to say that we should feel bad for where we were born, but we have to remember that it’s not our ‘stuff’ that defines who we are. Rather, it’s only through Christ that we can truly know who we are.

We can’t find true happiness in our ‘stuff’. Watching people who, by American standards, seem to have so little celebrate with overwhelming joy and happiness was a profound reminder of what we are really here on this earth to do.

Love our Lord and help others. That is where true happiness comes from. All of our material things will fade away, but Christ will never leave our side.