We are not allowed to give the children money, water, or food. We have a limited supply ourselves. We are giving them the gift of sanitation for the whole community, the showers and toilets here will be for the surrounding hillside, not just the school. But, how many children and grown men can you see explaining to your that they hungry and thirsty before your heart bursts? One child asked us for a drink and said, "I am dead."
It is hard to get used to the poverty. Port au Prince is the New York of Haiti. As much as one half of the population lives in Port au Prince. So, they have a cultural pushiness and survival bravado here that reminds one of New Yorkers. But, the human tragedy is real. People are dying and the tent cities offer no protection from the elements as hurricane season approaches. Housing, jobs, electricity, education, where do you start?
I believe that you have to start with the hope we find in Jesus Christ. I believe that a powerful movement of the spirit is needed to move this nation forward. I believe that only the God who created the earth can redeem Haiti and provide a path forward.
After the halfway point on my walk this morning, heading back towards home, I saw something you don’t see every day. It was a mockingbird chasing a hawk. The hawk was probably five times the size of the mockingbird. But the chase was all in the attitude. The mockingbird was squawking and chirping in a language that would make a sailor blush. The hawk wanted no part of it and was trying the flee but could not get away from the mockingbird. What had the hawk done? What had agitated the mockingbird so much? Had it been a transgression? Was the hawk just too close for comfort? Or did the two have a history. I was walking a bit later than normal and had not yet seen this routine. The unusual scene distracted and entertained me as I reflected on a myriad of permutations. As I’ve felt like the one receiving the squawk most of my life as a leader, I was surprised at how proud I was of the little mockingbird. Maybe ...
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