Pictures of Hope for Haiti

Haiti.

Destruction. Pain. Sadness. Death. So many questions.

A little over a week ago, we woke up to the devastating news of Haiti's Earthquake. The pictures. The stories. The lost lives.

I got out my old photo album of a mission trip I took when I was 15 to Haiti. I can only imagine what this is like for Haitian people.

This already poor country hit even harder. The little they had, taken away from them.

We gathered around the table. I shared with the kids the memories I had when we landed. The gates of the airport were lined with herds of people waiting trying to sell you something on your way out. Memories of little children walking up to your vehicle on the street begging for money.

Angel shared memories of when he was 8 and an earthquake hit Mexico. The lasting effects of surrviving a mass destruction. His house still has damage from it to this day. They never had money to fix it.

We talked about as Christians, what should our responce be? What can we do from so far away?

Philippians 2:1-3
If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.

We prayed for Haiti.

Alisia shared a friend's mother in her class has been planning on going down since November and is still planning on going in three weeks. She is a nurse and the team will be doing relief work. They will be going down to an oprhanage located about 10 miles from Port-Au-Prince.

We called right away to see what we could do to help.

The need is great.

The airlines have lifted the tight restrictions on extra baggage. Mission of Hope is requesting the following supplies:

Child or Adult Advil/ Tylenol

Child or Adult Multivitamins

Cold Medicine

Antibiotic Ointment

Antifungal Cream
Bandages and gauze all sizes

Iron Tablets
Tums
tape

We decided along with helping to collect supplies, we want to send pictures. Pictures of hope. A little something so the kids will know they're not alone. The kids started drawing right away.

And they haven't stopped. Each night, as we watch the new pictures and hear the new stories, they are drawing. Pictures of hope.

So many questions. It doesn't seem right. I was listening to Steven Curtis Chapman's new CD Beauty will Rise and the words seemed so real to me.

Slowy panic turns to pain

As we awake to what remains

And sift through the ashes

That are left behind

But buried deep beneath

All our broken dreams we have this hope

Out of these ashes

Beauty will rise

And we will dance among the ruins

We will see it with our own eyes

Out of this darkness

New light will shine

And we'll know the joy that's coming in the morning

In the morning

Beauty will rise

Unity. Faith. Joy. Opportunities. Life. New Hope.

Here are some good sites with dirrect updates in Haiti:

Mission of Hope
Compassion International

Samaritans Purse

http://livesayhaiti.blogspot.com/

If you would like to send a picture of hope or other supplies dirrectly to Haiti, please leave your contact info in the comments and I will e-mail you more info ASAP.

"Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,' says the LORD, who has compassion on you."
Isaiah 54:10