Posts Tagged ‘random thoughts’

Earthquake in Haiti

Good morning–or afternoon!

I hope you are having a good day today even though I’m not there.  For class today, you have a free blogging day.  You may blog about anything that’s on your mind.  Just remember that it needs to be school appropriate, and it is also public.  Anyone (your principals and parents, for example), can and do read these blogs.

I haven’t seen much news this weekend because I’ve been busy packing, moving and unpacking, but there is no way I could avoid hearing about the devastating earthquake in Haiti.  My heart aches for the people suffering there and for people here who have friends and family caught in the tragedy.  Even though Haiti is one of the smallest, poorest countries, there are many people in Indiana who have connections there.  If you watched the Colts this weekend, you heard that one of their players has family in Haiti.  A coworker of a friend has adopted and is waiting to adopt another child from Haiti.  Fortunately, the orphanage where there child is living, is 150 miles from Port au Prince (the epicenter of the earthquake).  Still, they are worried about enough food getting to the orphange since most imports come through Port au Prince.  Two mission teams from my home state of North Carolina were in Haiti when the earthquake hit, and both teams have been accounted for.  They survived the earthquake and waiting to find a way home.

I can’t even begin to imagine the desperation the people in and near Port au Prince must be feeling.  Everything collapsed around them.  Those who survived hear the cries of victims trapped under the rubble.  Dead bodies are lying everywhere.  What would it be like to search for missing fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, children?  How do parents comfort their hungry, thirsty children when there is no food or water to be found? How do you cope when you’ve lost everything?  What images from Haiti have stood out in your minds and hearts?

From this tragedy, there has been some good.  Many of us in the United States have realized again how lucky we are.  Yes, this great recession has hurt a lot of people here–people who have lost jobs and homes.  But even during the worst of our economic problems, we are wealthy compared to the losses being suffered in Haiti.  People who have little, are giving much to the people of Haiti.  The Red Cross, radio stations, churches, schools and civic groups have come together to offer help to the people of Haiti.  During worship at my church on Sunday, the pastor spoke about the tragedy in Haiti and how we are called as a church to help.  He set out a five-gallon bucket (with John Deere logo) to collect donations.  My family gave as well as many others.  We still have time to get involved.  It will take a long time for the people of Haiti to pull their country back together.  What can you do to help?  What can our school come together to do to help?

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