i don't even know what to say....Haiti continues to surface in my thoughts throughout my busy days since hurricane Matthew ravaged southern parts of the country on October 4th. i don't even know where to put "it"~ this most recent disaster, in my brain. i admit, it's like i almost feel numb to the news that dribbles out from this land so near and dear to my heart. i feel so sad~ i read articles, here's a recent one and another and i look at photos and see snippets on the news (short, rare snippets, because the media's ongoing obsession with Donald Trump seems to strangely take precedence over life and death survival and suffering and disaster affecting millions...what is wrong with us??) and it just horrifies me, the complete paradox of our two worlds. while mothers and fathers sit on concrete floors with no covering overhead from the sun and rains at night, while attempting to shelter their traumatized and hungry children, my children hop on a school bus that picks them up at the end of our driveway, with lunches in backpacks and jackets and shoes, and i go off to the gym to exercise and maybe stop off at the grocery store on the way home if i feel like it, hoping there is room in my deep freezer for the meat i bought on sale. how is that even real? seriously, my freezer is too full! what a ridiculous problem....it makes my stomach hurt and i feel guilty. we also just came through Thanksgiving, where twice (yes twice, not including the leftover meals that followed!) i sat around a table laden with plates of deliciousness, surrounded by my dear family members whom i love, and never once did i experience the grief of losing a loved one to disaster. no, we were there together, grateful and carefree, while i wondered if i had room for that second helping of stuffing...yes, i'm thankful, so very thankful, but it almost feels like my head is stuck in the sand somewhat, because i'm soooo out of touch with the real agony these Haitians face as they yet again attempt to rebuild from the devastation...i don't know, just wrestling with this lately...and kind of thinking out loud here...which is a scary thing, i know :)
of course there are still things to be done, many ways to help. it still feels a bit removed for me, i admit (geography is kind of a legit obstacle...it's not like i can just hop in my car, after all), but obviously there are those real people and organizations there now, like right now, and many who were there long before hurricane Matthew and the earthquake of 2010 and the disasters in between. they are reputable and doing the day-to-day grind of ministering to the hurting and displaced and broken lives they see day after day, with skills and experience and cultural awareness that is so key....
i will provide a few links, and stop rambling for now....check out these websites and consider ways you might want to support these groups in Haiti, as they slug through the hard stuff and step-up with love and care that so many Haitians are so desperate for. consider the ways you can be an extension of their mission~ prayerful, hands-on in country, financial backing, etc...
Real Hope for Haiti ~ they are kickin' it themselves and their work is nothing short of life-sustaining and life-changing, but they also mention other trusted organizations there on their website. check this post for a more extensive list.
and a few more,
rise again, Haiti, rise again...
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