Haiti reflection

There are events in our lives that have the potential of changing our lives and prespective of life. Last Thursday thru Saturday was one of those events in my life when I visited Haiti. In 2010 they experienced a horrific earthquake that caused much destruction and loss of life. There are still many signs of the earthquake and the rebuilding is far from over. There are many sites of hundreds of tents that the people are still living along with an inadequate living conditions for thousands of people who are living in concrete homes. The infrasstructure is nearly none existent with no sewer system and roads more like the old west going over the mountains then what one might expect in the modern world. Travel in Haiti is very difficult and slow with most intersections without stop signs or lights. For many the only mode of transportation is walking but that is dangerous because in many places there is not a good place for them to walk. It is hard to discribe these types of conditions because you will not find anything in America close to these conditions. I have been in another 3rd world country and there are some similiarites but the conditions in Haiti is the worst that I have seen. Time does not permit to speak of all the cause of these conditions because they have been present for many years. Due to the earthquake and a couple of other factors there is a huge need for orphanages. I heard one statistic that there were over 300,000 orphans in Port au Prince alone. Some orphans have no parents and other orphans have parents but they have no possibility to take care of them. It heartbreaking to see all these young children reaching out for love and for someone just to hold them. Many times on this short visit a child walk up to me so I would pick them up and give them a hug. The main reason for this trip was to view and become aware of the ministry of Convey of Hope which feeds these children in 250 schools and orphanages in Haiti. After visiting several orphanages and schools and saw the conditions they were working I was both overwhelmed and honored to experience the work of dedicated men and women helping these young children. The vision of the directories of the orphanages was amazing and the stories of the miracles will stay with me for a long long time. Proverbs 21:13 "If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered." Jesus said that we will always have the poor among us. I am going to get involved in helping the poor of Haiti for I heard the cry. This proverb warns us that if after I hear that cry and I do nothing then my prayers, my cries will not be heard. I will be sharing more on Sunday and show many of the pictures that I took while in Haiti. The conditions are improving in Haiti but they have a long road ahead of them and we can become a part of the solution for Haiti. May the Lord bless you and keep you in His love. Pastor John