Northwest Mountain Times

We finally arrived in Port au Prince yesterday afternoon after an extremely moving nine days
in the Northwest Mountain villages of Petite Paradise, Guinaudee, Bouchon Patriot, and Tionce. It will be very difficult to try and summarize all that I have seen and experienced since we arrived in Haiti. There has been so much laughter, so many tears, but above all the exchange of love that has been overpowering. I have fallen in love with so many of these children and people. I am absolutely blown away by the fact that these people have so little but yet so much all at the same time. It again brings up the question as to who is "richer" or "better off." They may not have all the material items that the world classifies as wealth but they have their unwaivering faith...are they not richer as far as eternity is concerned? The children in these parts are overflowing with love and are starved for not only food but affection even more so.

In Port au Prince today we drove to one of the tent cities to set up a new tent for a family and I have now seen an entirely new type of devastation. The streets of Haiti are unlike anything I have ever seen. There are thousands living in these tent villages(organized tent establishments that do receive assistance from outside sources) and cities(run by individuals with no government assistance). And one cannot help but wonder if the stench that seems to reside over this city is not the lingering smell of death after the loss of over 240,000 people in the earthquake catastrophe.

It appears as though my next step will be spending some time with the children at this orphanage some of whom were left orphaned by the quake and the others whose parents just simply can not care for them. Either way these children too are very much in need of the same love and affection. May it be my prayer that God will continue to use me however He needs and that he will continue to teach me to love like Him so that I can share that with these little ones every minute I am to be Blessed by their presence. "...Walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us..." (Ephesians 5:2)

*Note: The baby girl above along with a few other babies were eating dirt and pebbles to fill their stomachs...an image that will forever be upon my heart.