Haiti Relief- It's all about the People

When we think of Haiti, out thoughts go to the death, injury, homeless, hungry; in short, to the suffering and physical issues brought about by their calamity. As we prepare to send a mission team there this week, it is important that we spend time praying and thinking about the “human” objectives of the mission – the spiritual, emotional, psychological healing that needs to take place in Haiti.

Pastor Kirk DeWitt sent a note the other day to remind us of the importance of working with the people of Haiti.  In the note, he forwarded a commentary apparently by someone in Haiti. While I don’t know the author of the commentary, I’m going to quote from it:

Jesus didn't just come to earth and dump a bunch of stuff on us.
He spent time among us.  Every day.
He took on our lives in every way.
He taught us.
He showed us life.

Our first Haiti Relief mission was packed with people involvement – from Jolie Pfahler saving the life of a little boy because she cared enough to check on him, to David de Vos praying with an old man alone in a hospital who later died, perhaps with a degree of comfort because David took the time to care.  There are many such stories from our first Haiti Relief mission.  As our team performed their tasks – all with a physical focus – they also found time to help the people in more important ways.

When he returned from Haiti, Ian Armstrong commented about the US military presence in Haiti.  They went in to restore order and maintain safety.  They did that, but as Dr. Armstrong said, they did it with a smile and a helping hand.

Quoting again from the commentary that Pastor Kirk forwarded:

I don't see much CONTACT being made with the actual Haitian people.

Work is getting done, rubble is being cleared.
But why are not more people joining in with the actual Haitian people?
Taking on their lives.  Spending time at their homes.
We can give them a bunch of "stuff".....but really, does that help in the long run??

All the aid that is coming in to Haiti is amazing.  It really is.
But it can't stop there.

The author did not see our first mission team; he could not have.  He probably won’t see our next mission team either, but that doesn’t matter.  What is important is that all of us – those on the ground in Haiti and here at home – not lose sight of the people, because in end, as the author points out, that is what it is all about.

Pray for our team that leaves this week; pray for them in the physical tasks they will undertake; and pray for them that when they engage with the people, they help the needs that go beyond the physical.

Posted via email from nelsons's posterous