In my quiet times with God I like to thank him for the basic necessities he provides like food, shelter, clothing and my health. To be honest though, I recently realized thanking God for these things has become rote and stale for me.
Why? After visiting Haiti I realize I can no longer take these basic blessings for granted. In fact, I should really expand upon them. I should be thanking God for not only providing my shelter, but also providing clean running water, including hot and cold water, a place to shower, a refrigerator full of a variety of food (that I shamefully admit sometimes go to waste), electricity, and a comfortable safe place to sleep at night. I can’t stop there…I also need to thank God for garbage trucks, sewer systems, paved roads, medical care, education and different modes of transportation.
Why? In Haiti these things don’t exist. Trash is piled as high as 15-20 feet in certain places and it smells. Medical care is almost non-existent. There is no public education. Haitian parents must pay for their kids to go to school and with unemployment at 60-80%, education of the children is a low priority. There are no sewage systems in some of the areas and you can see human waste in the ditches.
Many Haitians barely have a roof over their head and certainly not the type we are used to. Most Haitians don’t have running water or electricity in their homes and must go to a public watering facility (a well) to get their water. Some of the kids have no clothes and believe it or not underwear is a luxury item for many. Food is also scarce. Many parents feed their kids “mud pies” that have no nutritional value just to stop the hunger pains in the bellies of their children.
Despite all of this the Haitian people are kind, friendly, affectionate and appreciative. AND believe it or not, HOPE exists for these people through the work of organizations like Haiti Outreach Ministries. HOM provides education at a nominal charge ($20/year) for kids from pre-k through high school. These children daily receive a free nutritious meal. They have a chance to learn in a clean, safe and welcoming environment. They all have nice uniforms; the girls wear white frilly socks with white ribbons and bows in their hair, and the boys always have their shirts tucked in. I found that all the kids were respectful, loving and truly joyous with around us.
How does HOM provide all of these benefits? Through child sponsorship’s, which I recently decided to begin by supporting sweet Hadassa Vilexis (see picture above of Hadassa and me). Through financial support and through the work of mission teams, like Kairos, that come to help keep the facilities looking nice and running well. Time spent with the children is also a very important aspect of a mission team’s experience while in Haiti. HOM provides free care in several medical clinics, sewing and computer classes and beautiful places to worship.
If you want a new perspective on your own issues and concerns I suggest you visit Haiti on a mission trip like the one Kairos takes annually. I know for me it helped me to put some of my own problems in perspective and has changed me profoundly. I will go back, but in the interim I plan to find other ways to help.
– Debbie Mitcham