I spent the better part of Wednesday the 6th watching videos of St. Thomas and crying. I spent that evening (and Thursday morning) checking Facebook until everyone I was worried about were reported safe.
I lived in the Virgin Islands in 2012. It’s devastating to look at pictures these past few days and see an area I know, yet is unrecognizable. It will take months upon months for the residents to return to anything resembling “normal.” Many of the islands have seen total destruction that will take years to rebuild. For those that did not, they are without power and have immediate needs such as food and water.
I would leave for The World Race tomorrow if I could. I wish we could move our start date up by a few months. My mind goes to Haiti and the Dominican Republic, the first two places we will be serving. I want to be on the ground! I feel like I am sitting on my hands waiting.
In 2012, Haiti was hit by a hurricane. In the USVI (United States Virgin Islands), the storm was downgraded to a tropical storm, yet Haiti experienced the brunt of the hurricane. I wanted so badly to help, but had no covering and no group to go with. It was difficult not to be able to provide assistance to my neighbors.
I’ve been looking forward to spending time with the Haitians, but this is not the situation I thought we would be going into. My heart aches for them. Those who barely had anything have once again lost everything. In four and five months respectively, we will be going to these places. I yearn for a job, to find some way to help. I want to run off the plane when we arrive. I pray we will be used.
Here I am. Send me. Preferably right now.
