Team Uncaged

Originally posted at relief.theworldrace.org by Tiffany Handley on 15 June 2010

The final installment of the Caged saga - why our team was UNCAGED!

On Tuesday, Sister Florence took our team up to the mountains. The ten of us piled into our cage and spent the better part of the morning inhaling diesel in single-lane, stop-and-go Haitian traffic. Hauling the truck up the mountainside was definitely an adventure. At one point, the back gates flung open and we almost lost Robby and Burke! Stopping on a mountain road to stretch and buy some produce, we breathed in the stunning views which were refreshing but short lived. After only half an hour, we climbed back in the truck, journeyed to an old French Baptist mission, and found our truck battery had died. After pushing the truck, we jump-started the engine and continued on to Sister Florence's brother's beautiful house.

A few hours later we found ourselves piling back into our cage as an ominous early evening storm poured down. Between the muddy, potholed roads and the water dripping through the tarp and down our backs, we were all reminded of the difficult country we were in. Most of us turned on our iPods and slumped in our rain coats. Smiles were few and far between.

About twenty minutes into our three hour drive, Heather received a text requesting prayers for one of the other team leaders who was extremely ill. We banded together, prayed for a speedy recovery, and then prayed over our own team's health and spirits. We closed the prayers and felt slightly more rejuvenated but a thick silence still clung to the muggy air.

Robby had spent the better part of the ride deep in prayer and spoke up that God had impressed it upon his heart to pray for the members of the other relief team staying at RENMEN with us. Sammie Jo tossed out more prayer requests, and we all agreed that God was telling us to call out to Him. As we prayed, the Spirit swept into each of our souls, filling us with unspeakable joy and excitement. We spent the last hour of the drive singing out praises and worshipping our faithful Father who had called us to this broken nation. We felt "Amazing Grace" echo through the city as our voices carried hope to the people gathered on the street in the summer night.

We all knew at that time how the Holy Spirit was working through each of us and reminding us that God's power and love are infinite. Though our bodies were being jerked around in our open-air metal box, God could never be trapped or stifled.

Later that night, Kellen proposed a team name change pertaining to our transportation for the month because of the amazing energy that awoke in us on our drive home. Almost simultaneously, three girls had heard the word "UN-caged" spoken to them. And what a fitting name that was for our team. Even though we've spent nearly a week behind the gates and walls of RENMEN and the rest of the time in the back of a truck, God has impressed on us that through Him we can serve and love boundlessly.


Team Uncaged - Haiti Dance Off from warren cheely on Vimeo.