USAID
As I wrap up my processing of Haiti I want to look at what we’re going to do about it. By the end of the summer, the general consensus is becoming “crisis managed” and some of the major relief work organizations will (or have already) pulled out of Haiti.
The rebuilding process is literally going to take generations.
I don’t know if you understand…
GENERATIONS of Haitians will have to buckle down and band together to rebuild this country. And that’s under the optimism that it’s government can make the decisions that need to be made, determine where to begin such a massive overhaul, and steward the billions of dollars that have been donated to this cause.
But when it comes down to it, why bother?
We do this because the people of Haiti are first and foremost: people… right? We do this because children deserve the opportunity to learn or to live a life where their own drinking water won’t kill them. Rebuilding is a tribute to the fortitude of the Haitian people, the spirit of humanity and, for the Christ-follower, the obedience to James 1:27 and beyond.
As I walked down the streets of Haiti, I saw waves of tents set up to provide basic shelter for the hundreds of thousands of displaced people (human beings remember). I noticed one thing: American’s aren’t the only ones who have responded to this crisis.
Good news right? Thai people, European people, Brazilians, Canadian, Chinese, and a host of other countries have responded… It’s exciting.
So why was it so hard to see plastered over the tents, the inscription: “USAID: From the American people.“
Think About It
There’s probably no one who meant this as an arrogant gesture. But in the midst of the travesty that was the Haitian earthquake, we take the time to make sure it’s advertised who was there and that we helped. Do we ever think that way? Do we ever sacrifice a sense of selfless altruism when we serve? Have we, in a sense, robbed ourselves of the blessing of serving (Scripture says “do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing” … “give in secret”)? Does it not reveal the status of our hearts when we advertise before everyone “we were here…we helped!”?
What to do about it
My dad asked me a great question: “So what do we pray?”
My recommendation? Pray for the spiritual leaders in Haiti. They carry an incredible responsibility to not only provide for their own families but organize incoming teams, start schools, organize orphanages, (raising money for both), leading 3-4 services a week for their (in some cases) booming congregations – and quite frankly, they’re exhausted.
Secondly? I’m part of one of the many organizations who is doing something about this. We have a long term commitment to Haiti. We’re not pulling out, we’re mobilizing pastors, feeding children and helping rebuild.
I just returned and many more are going.
I am helping mobilize people into the nations of the world and will continue to do so if you are willing to invest in my efforts. Click “Support Me” on the left hand side of my blog and designate your investment into this and many other endeavors. I need several more financial partners who will give $50 and $100 per month toward these endeavors.
May God bless our efforts and God bless Haiti.
