Ponderings..

Before I add my last update and photos I just wanted to share how this has affected me and my thoughts concerning the trip and life in general.  I do not wish to sound self-righteous for I am learning too.  I returned from Haiti yesterday and now I am in Spring Valley sitting in a Starbuck (theres a surprise!) drinking my Pikes Place blend, eating my artisan egg, bacon and gouda sandwich looking around at the wretched excessiveness that is America, thinking; "We are a blessed nation".  Now those that really know me know that I do not complain about petty things, having grown up fairly poor in the beginning of our ministry, when I was 9 or 10, I remember it being so cold in the boys dorm where I was living that the shampoo would coagulate, having really nothing to play with except stick guns, and a big can for kick the can game, and some toy soldiers (which one ended up burning down a house, but thats another story), Then we really had nothing! I remember when all we had to eat was oatmeal for breakfast for 2 years because we didn't have anything else, eating kidney beans in any form you can think of because we were donated a large shipment of almost expired cans of kidney beans, and really didn't have much else, except a truck load of canned coconut milk to wash it down, I remembering eating Army MRE meals (those ready to eat packaged meals), from the Vietnam war or it even seemed world war II, ), they had canned meat, stinking hard thick crackers which I think could be used as a weapon if the enemy got within throwing range, a tiny can opener, dried food, cookies, salt,  and etc, even a small pack of cigarettes ( which I sometimes promptly hid to try out later, cough, cough), and lots of Government processed cheese; which to this day I am sure only those that work in the Los Alamos military base know what was in it.

Anyway I always tried hard not to complain now when the food at the ranch is lame, because at least we have food. But even back then we were rich compared to what I saw in Haiti.
By the grace of God we are where we are. Those people did not ask to be born in that country, it's not their fault they have existed under slavery in the beginning, that their government is more corrupt than ours, thus affecting their livelihood, and finally the earthquake.

I have never seen such utter poverty, and misery, people getting by with barely 85 cents a day or less, scrapping by with anything they can find, wallowing in filth, living within feet of each other in leaky tents where the temperatures inside go up to the triple digits, where when it rains water leaks in from the top and flows through the bottom.  

The earthquake destroyed so many homes, that the mothers who normally stay home are out selling anything they can, and children are not going to school, the country is regressing. Here we are, a year later and still there are thousands of tent cities set up everywhere all over the city, hundreds of thousands of homes still destroyed, it would take 1000 dump trucks, trucking out rubble every day, 25-30 years to remove all the rubble. 

You get the picture, yet, I saw no one complaining, most trying to live with as much dignity as they can. As Don Miller said in his book: "Life amid the absurdity of human suffering, still has meaning." Life still has meaning and we need to let them know that Jesus can give them more meaning for life. We know if they come to him, they will still be poor, but one day, they will be rich beyond their dreams, with streets of gold, living in a mansion, eating fresh fruit every day. We need to give them that hope, that life on earth is fleeting compared to eternity in Heaven. Haiti is a fairly Christian country, it is was very evident as I saw church after church, large tent after large tent, with people spilling out to the street, sing and clapping and praising God, I thought; Wow, we cry and moan and bitch over the smallest things, yet these people have lost everything but their faith in Jesus and pure true joy coming from knowing Jesus loves them.

Singing and worshipping God among the rubble and ruins of Haiti

It seems that when all this happened, they had a choice, get better or get bitter. From what I saw, they are choosing and trying to get better. We spend our lives trying to avoid conflicts, but conflict is what builds us and binds us together. The deaf over there have chosen to come together to help each other. Sharing similar experiences, especially tough ones, binds people together.
One new neighborhood that was being built for a large camp of displaced people who lost their homes, has beautiful small brightly colored wooden houses, thousands of them going up. We got to visit some of the tenants of these new homes, they were so grateful, many said that these homes are better than the ones they had before, therefore the earthquake in a way is a blessing, because so many are getting newer nicer homes. "There is no conflict that man can endure that will not produce a blessing." Don Miller.

So where am I going with this? I'm not sure. Besides making sure I never complain about anything again, trying to do my part in continuing helping the deaf of Mexico, helping Haiti or wherever God tells me to go and give a hand or more. And looking again at what a blessed country we are, I recently heard that even the homeless in America have enough to eat and live in better conditions that those in other countries. I know that sounds harsh, but it's true. We can all help others. God has given us what we have, not only so we can live comfortably, play the latest Xbox game, pay way too much for a cup of coffee and throw away enough left over food to feed a small nation. But God has blessed us so we can bless others. I recently heard and read something in the bible. It's in Ezekiel Chapter 16, God is telling Israel how he found them naked, and all beat up, he cleaned them up, cared for them and they became a very prosperous, blessed nation. But, they were beginning to stray, do stupid things and God was going to destroy them like he destroyed Sodom, because.. well, heres what the verse says:
"Behold this was the guilt of your sister Sodom, she had her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease but did not aid the poor and needy... so I removed them. Ezekiel 16:49-50 " And we read what happened there.  Are we really doing enough to help the poor and needy?
In an effort not to give to or help the poor many have quoted the verse John 12:8 ⁸ For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always.” The poor are going to be around for ever, so why help them, theres no end? Jesus said that to Judas when he complained it was a waste of money when the costly perfume was poured on Jesus, because Judas wanted to loot the money box. Jesus said that meaning, you will have a chance to help the poor after I am gone, right now, lets just focus on the time we have left together, and help the poor later, because, they are going to be around for awhile. 
So what should we do, what does the bible say?  Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. James 1:27.
So, come on world Our lives are stories, what is your story? We live in a world where bad stories are told, stories that teach us that life doesn't mean anything and that humanity has no great purpose. It is a good calling then to speak a better story (go out and do something good, something great!), How bright a better story shines, how easily the world looks to it in wonder. How grateful we are to hear these stories, and how happy it makes us to report them. Lets go out there and dazzle the world with good works and good stories (lives), bless others, give, serve, LOVE others, look to Jesus and being in Heaven one day.