Haiti could teach the world a lesson on faith and hope.
This was the lesson "Survivor" contestant Will Wahl learned when he traveled to the impoverished Caribbean island nation in January to introduce a type of water filtration systems, The Gospel Herald reports.
With the help of church leaders, Wahl was able to raise enough funds for the project geared towards improving the living condition of a community in Haiti. The water filtration systems were installed at the Light and Peace Mission in the town of Bon Repos, just north of the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince.
Wahl, an 18-year-old member of the Trinity United Methodist Church in Hackettstown, New Jersey, said Haiti played a huge role in his life as a Christian. During his visit there, he said he saw people who "had nothing, no home, no food, no worldly possessions."
"But they did have hope," he said. "They had a faith in God that I had never seen before."
Wahl said he was amazed at the sight of Haitian believers in a church service displaying a love of God and other people unlike anything he had ever seen.
He said although he already has faith and courage in God, this was reaffirmed and made stronger by his experiences in Haiti.
"The people of Haiti taught me that worldly possessions do not equate to happiness, but hope and faith can certainly make one happy," Wahl said.
With what he'd seen, he felt a calling from God to spread His Gospel "so that other people could know God's Word and the happiness that only God can give."
He said Haiti also played a role in his inspiration and preparation for CBS reality TV show "Survivor." Contestants on the show endure life sometimes without food, clean water, and amenities. But Wahl said this is nothing compared to the hardship that Haitians have to endure daily.
"Many Haitians do not have the luxuries that I gave up to play 'Survivor.' And by seeing what the people of Haiti are going through every day, it gave me the strength and courage to go on the show," said Wahl, the youngest contestant in the history of the show.
"I knew God was with me just as He is with the people of Haiti, and that if I keep my faith, everything will be alright," he said.
Wahl's official bio statement on the "Survivor" website lists Jesus Christ as his inspiration.
