Friday, January 15, 2010

Overwhelming Sadness - Overwhelming Gratitude

Last night I took five of my kids to the US Embassy to get them out of here so I can be of some help to Troy and the two ministries we represent in relief efforts.

They left me at midnight (or close to it - time is fluid and I feel a bit crazy). They left with two adoptive moms we love. Paige was a rock. Pray for her fifteen year old heart to be strong. Noah was very upset as was Lydia. Isaac asked, "Mom, is there any place to get a good haircut in America?" :)

They were taking anyone with a USA Passport to a cargo jet to board to an unknown location in the USA. I prayed for them and sent them off. This morning I was resting in the courtyard of the US Embassy waiting to be picked up when I heard Troy yelling at me from the gate telling me our kids are in New Jersey. THANK YOU to many of you that prayed they would get out. They are now going to be cared for by our oldest daughter and her husband and by my parents. I know God will heal their hearts and minds. Thank you God that my kids are on their way to respite and love and care. I pray that for all the frightened children in Haiti.

Many people were angry at not being able to bring bags. I got very angry listening to that as CNN inside the Embassy droned on and on about all the trapped all the dead all the hurting. I think a bag of possessions is hardly something to fight over. There are lives hanging in the balance and there is no end in sight.

The US Embassy employees who have also lost homes and friends are doing an AMAZING job on little to no sleep and dealing with a lot of hostile and rude people. I was blessed by watching them work. Pray for these employees.

Today we are beginning to prepare for mobile medical clinics and try to discern a safe and smart way to begin to do this in our area.

Haiti is disorganized and without infrastructure on the best day. For the aid to work and the teams of search and rescue workers to be able to do their job there is going to need to be a major effort of all people to lay down their own fear and personal need and allow the help to get to the worst off. Pray that people will think of others as best they can and that relief will begin to get to the places it is needed most.

Avek Jezi,
tara