July 9, 2015 was the longest day of my life. I was running on two hours of sleep as I grogily made my way through airport security with the rest of my group. When my plane landed in Haiti, I assumed that it had to be close dinner time. It wasn’t even noon yet. The day had just begun and a nap wasn’t anywhere in my near future.

Over the next ten days I would help build a house, try to learn a new language, and make connections with people that I thought were so different from me. Going to Haiti, I thought that I would be the person to make a difference, but it turns out that the people I met made a difference in me. I went in not expecting the joy and openess that I saw.

I remember walking through village and saying “bonswa” to everyone I saw and I’d always be greeted with a warm smile. I remember a couple inviting us into their home. It wasn’t anything fancy, but they were so excited to show us where they live. I remember helping children carry buckets of water back to their homes and ending up at the same place numerous times. By the third or fourth time, the father showed us where he makes clay pots that he sells for a living. He explained to us the process and I could see how proud he was of being able to support his family in this way.

Now, I may not remember everyone’s name, but I remember quite a few faces and conversations. Those are the things that I think of as I hear the tragic stories and see the devistating pictures of Hurricane Matthew’s effects.

I’m going to be blunt: Haiti is a broken country. Many of the people are not broken, but their country is. When the earthquake struck in 2010 there was so much destruction done and they have not physically recovered from that. Emotionally, though, their joy is contagious. I hope that they are able to hold on to that during this difficult time.

So here’s a call to action: do something. Send a care package, donate, or even pray. No action is too big or too little. I know that Haiti will prevail and its people will be filled with joy once again. But until that time, it is up to us to help.