Heart for Haiti

A  year ago tomorrow the earth shook violently in the small and desperately impoverished nation of Haiti.  The devastation in both human and infrastructure terms were inconceivable. 
I am a news-aholic and in the days after the quake as I trolled the news trying to get my head around this tragedy in a country I had so little knowledge of, I stumbled onto a blog written by Tara (and Troy) Livesay.  I have followed their story from those first few chaotic and terrifying days as their children were airlifted out on an American Airforce plane, through their anguishing exile in the USA as they waited for citizenship for their youngest adopted child, and now their much desired and hoped for return to a, sadly, still very much devastated Haiti. I have enjoyed their candid writing on all sorts of topics and learned much from their discourse on transracial adoption (they have adopted 3 Haitian children) and the efficacy (or not) of very large NGO's.
So Haiti has been much on my heart and mind over the past 12 months and as the first anniversary of the quake is tomorrow I am hoping that the small, emerging signs of hope will blossom and grow and that restoration of peoples hearts and minds and physical bodies as well as their homes and businesses continues. That those working their will be protected and effective in their work.  That the devastation of already suffering people by cholera will cease and that the seeds of democracy will grow. 

AMEN!

The West must not forget its obligation and commitment. And we must do more.

If you'd like to follow the Livesays in Haiti go to livesayhaiti.blogspot.com

Two of my favourite quotes:

"If you are neutral in situations of injustice,  you have chosen the side of the oppressor.  If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality" Archbishop Desmond Tutu

"Mans capacity for justice makes democracy possible, but man's inclination to injustice makes democracy necessary". Reinhold Niebuhr

May God bless Haiti and all its people today and may He give them grace and fortitude to carry on day by day. 

Also mindful today of the devastating floods in Queensland Australia.