Hi, my name is David Diener. I am a Atlanta wedding photographer at www.atlantaartisticweddings.com. Over the years I have heard about mission trips to Haiti. My sister and my cousins who are ministers have been there on mission trips. I was enthralled when they shared stories of the country and how different Haiti is from the rest of the world. For some reason I could always find a reason that I could not go. The excuses that everyone else has--I have other obligations, I can’t get away from work, so you get the idea.
My church, Good Shepherd Presbyterian, has had people volunteer and work on mission trips to Haiti. When they came back, they shared slide shows of the country and the people, and I could see that they had changed from the person they were before the trip. Chris Calia, our neighbor, great friend, and leader in our church, did a minute for mission on Haiti. I listened as he shared his experiences in Haiti and told us The Atlanta Church Group was organizing another mission trip to Haiti. He also said they were looking for photographers to document their mission trip. Well, when he said that, it was like a sign from God for me to go on this trip. I looked at my calendar: the only free time I had was during the specific mission trip dates--another sign calling for me to go on this trip.
I talked to Chris, and he knew I had an interest in the trip so he invited me to an informational and planning meeting. I was so in awe of everyone there. They came from many diverse backgrounds but shared a common passion for the people in Haiti. They welcomed me and instantly I felt like I was part of a great team on a mission.
I am going to do my best to bring a voice to the mission trip. Hopefully this trip will build a bridge from Atlanta to Haiti to plant seeds of hope and a better future for the people there.
Now I need to ask everyone who reads this post for a favor. Please pray for our group and our mission trip. Please say a prayer for the people we are going to see. Thank you so much for your support which is essential for a successful mission!