Disaster in Haiti

Our prayers are with the people of Haiti this week.

Mark and I donated to www.convoyofhope.org. It is the disaster relief agency that we partner with as a church. Miracously, they have a warehouse in Haiti that was already feeding 7000 children a day. It was not damaged and had just been restocked. Convoy of Hope was able to begin delivering fresh water and food to thousands immediately after the quake happened. It is our hope and desire that you would give so that they can continue their work in the months to come.

Two of the missionaries that we support at North Creek are stationed in the Domican Republic, which shares the island with Haiti. At just 100 miles away, they felt the quake. Berly and a team of people were in Haiti, helping with transportation and relief efforts in the days following the tragedy. They are still there right now. I watch the images of the kids in Haiti and I just want to hold them in my arms. I obviously can’t, but I am honored that by funding Jamie and Berly to do missions work, they are able to be my arms extended.

After I clicked send for our donation, I spent the rest of the night thinking about why I gave. Sometimes it’s easy to focus on how difficult life is, but massive tragedies should make us stop and be grateful for what we have. Here’s my thoughts:

We had hot food on the table that I ate with my family.
I drank clean water.
We are healthy and safe.
My husband smiled at me from across the room.
I laughed when my kids were giggling together.
I held my daughter in my arms last night and she was alive.
I got the privilege of putting my dishes in the dishwasher, which is normally a disliked chore.
And the list could go on and on.

Sometimes we forget how blessed we are and we focus on our difficulties. As I watched the news, many images flooded my eyes. Some of them I cannot handle, but others are inspiring. I watched as beautiful Haitian men and women stood in their makeshift camp, hands raised, worshipping God with song and dance. Their bodies were still covered in dust from the rubble, some of their family members were no-doubt dead, and they lost all of their belongings in an instant. And yet, they worshipped. What a picture of faith!

So, give. Give to Convoy of Hope, give to our missionaries, give to the Red Cross, but find a way to be a part of impacting the world when it needs us most. And be grateful today for all the blessings that you have!