Their latest trip to Haiti was not even a month ago. I am always amazed at the stories they tell. I have done LOTS of medical missions in LOTS of thrid world countries ... but let me tell ya, Haiti is in a class all its own. The conditions they see there you would/should never want to see: TB, malaria, AIDS, measles, typhoid fever, pneumonia, and meningitis, to name a few... and that doesn't even touch on its biggest problem: malnutrition! According to the World Health Organization, Haiti ranks worst in the world as far as access to safe water and seventy to eighty percent of the population suffers from malnutrition. It is the poorest country in the Western hemisphere with hte majority of its population living on less than $1 a day. Some of the stats I've read claim up to a 70% unemployment rate ... with no resources! Some things that make Haiti unique among thrid world countries:
1. a complete lack of infrastructure. There is no regular system of dealing with food, electricity, safety, etc. Now, there is a HUGE crisis and still no system in place to deal with anything! Think about Katrina ... it was HUGE, but even though the infrastructure was imperfect, there was infrastructure in place and in place FAST. In Haiti = nada. And, Port au Prince was the central hub of EVERYTHING ... so now there is NOTHING!
2. Haiti is a country of the haves and have nots with one of the most startling discrepencies between the 2. The small mullato (or light skinned population) has most of the countries resouces, while the large majority dark-skinned population basically has NOTHING!
So, here is a country already in crisis, devastated! I
t's been encouraging to see the response of people. I was amazed at the awareness and the prayers. Even today a UGA student came by the BCM to tell us that she was with Dawgs for Haiti and wanted to tell us how we could help! WOW! It's the same kind of concern and response we saw in the hours and days following Katrina. However, the fear is the same as well. I was just talking with Lindsay, whose family has been heavily involved with Eternal Hope in Haiti for years and we both agreed that we hope that people will not forget the commitments they've made to help Haiti, especially once the news coverage dies down and another crisis erupts around the world, when they've not been able to go or do what they wanted, when they get bored or simply complacent!
I am most sickened by the response of those within the Christian community who once again, ride in on their proud steeds and deem this God's judgment for sin! I cannot say that. This is NOT a new argument. It's as old as the oldest Scripture. People have generally atributed every malady, tragedy, calamity to God's sovereign judgment on sinful man. Praise God that judgement was settled once for all on the cross. Yes, indisputably, God is sovereign and He can cause or allow or stop anything He wills. Yes, although the death penalty of sin is satisfied, there ARE still consequences to sin ... not only to the sinner, but also to those in the shadow of their lives and decisions. Yes, because of sin, we live in a fallen world with death, disease and disaster. Really, our world is so fallen that we should have nothing BUT death and disease and disaster. Have you ever stopped to consider all of the horrible things God HAS held back from our world and our lives? My response to suffering goes back to Jesus' response to the Pharisees in John 9. They asked, "Who sinned, this man or his parents that he was born blind?" (pretty commonly held belief at that time) Jesus' response (I LOVE IT!) "Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him" (John 9:3). THAT is my prayer for Haiti today ... not answers, but that THROUGH this tragedy, GOD'S works might be revealed. We all know that sometimes it takes tragedy to get our attention and turn our eyes to God when we no longer have anywhere else to look.
I like what Beth Moore says ...
"Earthquakes do happen -something surprising, a violent earthquake - something we weren't looking for, we did not want. Sometimes it takes a violent earthquake to bring change to our status quo. God can use that unexpected violence that came to us to ...cause the ground beneath us to shake, so we would see, as Hebrews tells us, what cannot be shaken."
SO, what then shall we do?
* PRAY: There are lots of mission teams in Haiti (who probably cannot get home soon) ... and lots of Christian workers in the country. Pray for opportunities for them to share the only HOPE Haiti has right now ... that which is found in Christ. Pray for their health and their stamina, for their protection and their provision of resources!
*GIVE: There are many reputable places to give: North American Mission Board (100% goes to relief; 0% to administration - http://www.namb.net/) Red Cross, Compassion, World Vision
Lindsay and I were talking tonight about doing shoebox type hygiene kits and sending those over through the couriers they've used with Eternal Hope for Haiti. We're going to work on a list tomorrow and get BCM, SONAT, and Faith in Practice active in doing something tangible that can eventually help!
* GO: There aren't many of us that can or should go right now. But there are those who are going. Pray for the Head of TN Baptist Church group as they head out Sunday. Doug Porter is their pastor and leader.
If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. I John 3:17-18
THIS is my lingering picture of Haiti. Bear with me as I don't recall every detail of this story. Three of the SONAT (nursing) girls went with Eternal Hope in Haiti last spring break. They were brokenhearted at the conditions they found - medically, physically, emotionally, spiritually. At one of their clinics, they saw a severely malnourished infant, very ill, very small. Her family could not care for the sick child. It was decided that she would be taken to the orphanage where she could be treated and fed. Allie, one of the girls on the trip fell in LOVE with little Ana! She became the nurse, mother, angel sent to love and nurse that little one back to health.
This was Ana then, 3 mos old (April 2009):
and 7 months later, THIS is little Miss Ana now:
Oh my goodness, what a little love, food and medicine can do! Isn't she a beauty?
Allie was excited and nervous about returning to Haiti and seeing Ana. Would she even remember her? One of the sweet blessings of that trip was the orphanage workers let Allie keep Ana at the hotel with her for the week they were there. She had a suitcase full of clothes, formula and treats for Ana and she got to love all over her all week! Seems overwhelming sometimes to think that our little actions and contributions could ever matter in the HUGE ocean of need in which we live. Mother Teresa said, "We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop." SOOO, we do what we CAN, WHERE we are, with what we HAVE!
My prayer tonight for Haiti comes from Isaiah ...
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the LORD
for the display of his splendor.
They will rebuild the ancient ruins
and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
that have been devastated for generations.
Is. 61:1-4
1 comment:
wonderful Karen, truly wonderful!
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