January 28, 2010 at 2:17 pm (Haiti)
I just had to post this blog link from a Mennonite Central Committee missionary in Haiti. His account of experiencing the moments immediately following the earthquake, before any one here even knew what had happened, are awe-inspiring.
http://kwhildebrand.blogspot.com/2010/01/hispanola-is-bird.html
January 27, 2010 at 3:06 pm (Bambootique, Honduras)
Check out our brand new Have A Heart earrings, just in from our jewelry cooperative in Honduras. The earrings are part of our collection of pewter jewelry, with the pewter being made from recycled soda cans collected and processed by Lencan (indigenous) artisans. These earrings are just $19/ pair and are in a very limited supply, so grab them soon if you want to give them for Valentine’s Day. They are of course fair trade and, being from recycled materials, are eco-friendly to boot.
January 19, 2010 at 3:09 pm (Haiti, In the News)
I have wept each day since the earthquake hit Haiti last week. I find myself compulsively drawn to CNN’s news 
coverage but then so burdened by the despair, the death, the horror. Especially hard for this pregnant mom are the images and interviews of moms and children. Yesterday MSNBC’s medical correspondent interviewed the mom of a 5-year old with a broken leg. The mom had just found out her daughter’s leg was infected due to lack of antibiotics and would have to be amputated. In front of her small child she told the interviewer she’d rather her daughter die than be an amputee. The fear and despair in that child’s face when she heard her mother utter those words tore me to the core.
But in a tragedy with a death toll possibly topping 200,000, THERE IS HOPE. This hope is all I, and even more so every single Haitian now in mourning, have to cling to. There are the news stories of dramatic rescues of the living still taking place, a full week after the quake. There are the stories from our dear friends, Dr. Joe and Linda Markee, now serving on the ground in one of Port au Prince’s few remaining hospitals. There is the outpouring of generosity from foreign nations, including ours, and the promises to make sure that aid continues beyond the immediate to help Haiti rebuild. There is the above picture, of the Terre Blanche clinic about 120 miles north of Port au Prince. It is still standing and is expecting the arrival of the wounded from Port au Prince seeking medical care. Haiti is a largely Christian nation and the images of the newly homeless singing hymns together in the face of the destruction is a testament to the hope the Haitian people still somehow have.
Like so many Haitians, my hope and comfort comes from Jesus Christ. The horrific images I see on TV make no sense to me but I believe in the words of Jesus in John 11:4 when he says “…this is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” May small stories of hope encourage and lift your spirit as well in the face of so much sadness.
For more on how you can help in Haiti visit Haiti Foundation of Hope.
January 13, 2010 at 2:58 pm (Haiti)
I am utterly dismayed by the news of the 7.0 earthquake to strike Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, last night. In a country where 85% of the population already lives in poverty, infrastructure is almost non-existent, and the government is perpetually unstable, this earthquake’s effects will reach farther than we are even yet imagining. Information out of Haiti has been slow-coming and, when the dust settles and TV crews can get footage out, I believe we will discover a major city of 2 million, just a short flight from Florida’s coast, has been totally destroyed.
I spent just a short week in Haiti in 2004 as part of a disaster assessment following Hurricane Jeanne. While I have not returned my husband, Steve (MD, MPH), has since traveled multiple times to Haiti to participate in the community health work of Haiti Foundation of Hope. HFH works in an area north of Port-au-Prince that, as far as we know, has not been heavily damaged by the earthquake. However the founders of HFH, Dr. Joe and Linda Markee, are leaving later this week for Port-au-Prince in cooperation with Medical Teams International to see how the two organizations can help at the heart of the disaster.
If you are looking for a way you can help, I strongly urge you to GIVE GENEROUSLY to Haiti Foundation of Hope. With Dr. Joe and Linda on the ground right away they will be able to assess the best way to use the funds given to meet immediate needs of those affected by this disaster.
Please also PRAY. HFH still has not heard from its in-country contacts, Pastor Delamy Bazilme and his wife Elvi. They live in Port-au-Prince so naturally we are all concerned. Assuming they are healthy and well, the first place they will be is out helping their neighbors and so prayer for their continued safety is essential. As a nation Haiti was already so desperately in need of miracles. That need is only now exacerbated.
Beth
