Haiti - And you will help....right? (Haiti - Series Article 3)

I began writing a series of columns this month about the Country of Haiti. I did so to highlight the 2 year anniversary of the earthquake that occurred on January 12, 2010. By writing this series I hope to engage a new group of people to see their role in making a difference in a country and for a people that so desperately need our help. In our world today we can find people on the street corner asking for help, people on the other end of the phone asking for help, people sitting in front of us at church asking for help, it just seems like everywhere one turns there is someone asking for help. I am not disagreeing at all with the assessment we see, feel, or have experienced. On the other hand I am agreeing with you totally that there are a lot of folks calling out for help. I believe that the bottom line truth is that because there are so many causes requesting help, pleading their case and asking for donations, we have become immune to the reality of the call. The biggest reason for the immune status is because we are also aware of the great waste and fraud of so many systems, programs and efforts. With good intentions we have set out to review and investigate people and programs before we contribute telling ourselves all along, “this is what God would have me to do”.
I appreciate reservation and investigation; it too has a proper place in the picture of things. There is also a proper place and time for immediate action and response. I think the worse excuse anyone can hear for not getting involved in the needs of people would be “let me pray about this”. Before you send off cards, letters and emails telling me you cannot believe I said it is an excuse to say “let me pray about this”, let us be very honest with the truth. Many times that expression is used to make one person feel spiritual or even better than another by giving the suggestion that after prayer we will have a decision about the question or need we see. Prayer is great if it is needed but there are many things that Christians do not need to pray about at all. To save a lot of words and character typing let me share this as the perfect example for “no prayer” required. Let us go and witness! Who was the last person you shared the Gospel with? I have heard many people request prayer in church prayer meetings on Wednesday and church services on Sunday for individuals by name that had never made a public profession of faith in Jesus Christ. We hear the prayer request but our prayers have no action other than these public words which other hear. Our prayers have no feet. Our prayers have no hands. Our prayers have no ears. Our prayers have no arms.
Haiti is a country where the people are living in shacks of plastic. Haiti is a country where its people have no safe water for bathing. Safe drinking water is not even in the Haitian vocabulary.
In the mountains of Southeastern Kentucky we all have an image of a shack. Our image is the same as those in Tennessee or anywhere that poverty has gained a strong hold. A rundown house could be one image with age having taken a toll creating a need for lots of repairs. In Haiti the affect of the earthquake left not only 300,000 plus killed by the quake, but thousands upon thousands homeless who now live in what is known the world over as “Tent Cities”. Plastic shacks are hard to explain but let me try. Image a plastic tarp that has been spread out to form a ceiling or a wall to protect those who call that location home. In “Tent City” it could be any number of individuals, from 5 to 10, all squeezing in together to call this type of living condition their home. No sanitation, no running water, no place to hang your clothing to dry, no place for a space to think, no protection from criminal activity life robbery , rape and yes murder. No way to protect any of your belongings, but lets us be very frank. In Haiti, your personal belongings most often you are wearing. There are no other possessions.
Testimonies are first person accounts of things witnessed. My testimony is very simple. Jesus Christ came into my heart and saved me from my sins. My testimony is very simple. Haiti is a country where the most basic gift of a towel or a bar of soap by us, makes a world of difference there. I want my testimony to by clear. I don’t even need to pray and ask God anything about this. It is clear. To whom much is given much is required.

Until then