Haiti - The road to Haiti begins in Kentucky - (Series- Article 4)

For the past 4 weeks I have be writing a series of articles about Haiti. I wanted to write this series and highlighting the 2 year anniversary of the devastating earthquake of January 12, 2010. The first two articles were informational about Country of Haiti and the people whom are so easy to love. I described the conditions one finds in Haiti and about how great the need is there for the most basic of human services and resources. Last week in my column I wrote about the call to service and about the role we can play with one simple question. What role will you plan in responding to the need in Haiti?
We all like a first person witness. We want to hear from someone that knows what they are talking about. I would not call myself an expert on the Country of Haiti, the politics of Haiti or the people of Haiti. What I would call myself an expert on the Love of Jesus Christ. His love is real and it is a forgiving love that removes all our sins. I am also an expert on His plan. He has a plan for each and every one of us. Scripture calls it an abundant plan too! He calls me and every other Christian to be an Ambassador of His love and His plan. I am not afraid to call you into His service. We have a draft in place, if you will. He calls and we answer. Isaiah 6:8 is very clear about how the draft process works. Our response is simply, “Here am I, send me Lord”.
Haiti is a country in great need. The people of Haiti need our help. Kentucky has been blessed with one organization that began with a simple trip that changed one man’s life, then mine, and now I pray you are next. Arnold Lemke was called into service when asked by his pastor to go on a short term mission trip to Haiti. Arnold answered that call, not with the slightest hint of what God was up to. One of the beauties of Jesus Christ is that you and I need do nothing to prepare for His call on our lives, except make ourselves available. Arnold discovered on his visit what all see when visiting Haiti. He saw the devastation of starvation. USAID, (United States Agency for International Development) released this fact you should consider. 80 out of 1,000 kids born in Haiti will never see their first birthday. Arnold began to feed twelve children after that first visit and today the Kentucky led organization, Children’s Lifeline, feeds over 7000 children a week. Serving as the Chairman of the Board, Arnold Lemke is one man that God has used to make a difference in the lives of thousands in Haiti. If we look at his impact from a much broader perspective that impact is multiplied by thousands over when you figure all those that have traveled on a short term trip as I did.
Children’s Lifeline is headquartered in Clay City, Kentucky, and located on mission in Archaie Quest, Haiti. The mission is a small compound that contains a work shop where ladies in the community and village work making items with fabrics donated. These handmade items then become sellable products creating income for them and their families. Remember, the average yearly family income is $450.00. The compound contains a medical clinic, a church, a school with classrooms and most importantly for many reasons, a soccer field. The one item I have waited to write about last is the yellow neon painted cross sitting atop the hill overlooking the soccer field and the mission compound. While it seems appropriate for a church, a mission or a Christian organization to have a Cross, this cross would become the most important symbol identifying the community on that fateful day the earthquake hit on January 12, 2010. Not just the city of Port Au Prince was impacted by the earthquake. The countryside was also in ruins and with road ways out the connecting link for food, which is beans and rice, the devastation of the quake, was felt by the entire country and people of Haiti. It is at this point the story of the cross begins. Outside relief organizations and other countries such as the United States were all looking for places that helicopters could land with shipment of medical supplies, food, water and personnel. The soccer field of the mission and compound had plenty of room for landing, but no identifying characteristics which could direct pilots to their make shift runway, except for one. The Cross.
The Cross worked perfectly in Haiti and the cross works perfectly every time, if only we would look to find it where we are. You can make a difference in Haiti, and the beginning point for that journey is located right here in Kentucky. Children’s Lifeline…..will you help?
Until then