Haiti

I have spent a good deal of time the past few days watching the news coverage of the disastrous earthquake in Haiti. Haiti is the poorest country in the western hemisphere and for the average Hatian, daily life--just trying to get food on the table, water and shelter--is a struggle. A disaster like this opens the door to a vast humanitarian crisis. Can you imagine, the blackness of the night without power, no toilet facilities, no water, no security-police forces or the normal U.N. peacekeeping forces, armed thugs, 1,000 escaped criminals (from the prison that was destroyed), dead bodies lying everywhere and the diminishing sounds of the trapped and dying from ruble, the stench of death in the air.

I prayed for Haiti last night. If I did not have the disability of my back, I would figure out how to get down there and help.

I believe the crisis will get worse before it gets better. This proportionally may be the worst disaster anyone of us has seen in our life time: a capital city destroyed, perhaps 40% of the population displaced, years of recovery, no infrastructure.

Some good organizations to give funds: Samaritan's Purse, World Vision, Red Cross, World Relief.