1 year ago

Thursday was the one year anniversary of the 7.0 earthquake in Port Au Prince.  I have waited to post about it because I don't know what to say.  I wasn't there, I don't know what everyone went through.  I didn't see the victims, or the destroyed city.  I didn't loose a loved one.  I didn't have a limb amputated.  I don't sit everyday and wonder if my child, husband, mother, or father was killed, or if they are out there somewhere thinking that I too was killed.

But I have seen some of the effects.

When flying in and out of Port Au Prince, I saw all the tent cities, that are still housing people today, one year later.  I have held and loved on some of our babies who lost parents or loved ones in the earth quake.  My life was not changed, but theirs was.  Millions of lives were changed during that 50 seconds last year.

One year later, and what has changed?  I wish I could say that a lot has changed, but it hasn't really.  There have of course been some changes, but a million people are still living in tents, in horrible conditions.  Nick and I often say that we wish there were places in Haiti to go camping, but we would feel horrible sleeping in a tent for recreation when that is a million peoples home.  What we consider fun, is their worst night mare.  One of the things we miss the most from home, is killing thousands here.

I heard recently that after the tsunami in Indonesia it took 2.5 years to clean up all the rubble and there is 13 times the amount of rubble here in Haiti after the earth quake.  Wow.

After the earth quake things were really hectic here at COTP since they were in the process of evacuating 36 children who were already in the process of adoption.  We were asked to come down and help out here since they had no one else who could.  Our decision to come down for those two weeks really shocked a lot of people and is something that several people still hold against us.

When we came down we missed Nicks Grandpas funeral.  I left the decision completely up to Nick, and all though it was hard on him, Nick knew that the right thing to do was come here.

Matthew 8: 21-22 Another disciple said to him "Lord first let me go and bury my father."  But Jesus told him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead."

We may not have been there for Gramp's funeral, but we know right where he is.  We can go visit whenever we want.  We are spoiled compared to the millions of people in Haiti who will never get to properly bury their family members.  Who will never know where their bodies are.  We said goodbye and were there by his side the night he passed.  Haitians didn't know that the earth quake was coming and didn't get to say good bye.

Thank you Lord that we are not only blessed in life, but in death!