Saturday, February 27, 2010

So tired, so this is going to be short. This was our first official day of running triage, which is essentially an ER of sorts for the hospital. Funny story...I was starting an IV on a little old lady and she was humming and nodding and murmuring in her native Haitian Creole. So I asked my interpretor what she was saying. He looked at me and laughed and said, "she's praying". I busted out laughing and looked her and said, "me too my friend, me too!". Only the 2nd IV I've started since nursing school...the 1st being yesterday.

I can say this...when you look into the eyes of these Haitian people...you can see their souls. A lot of these people truly love Jesus. I asked an elderly lady today (via interpretor), "what do you know about my Jesus?". She looked back and me and said, "I have Jesus right here (pointing to her heart). He's my Savior, my friend." She said, "I've been watching you today (she'd been lying on a bed attached to an IV all morning) and I love you, because you loved people." She humbled me to my core. She also mentioned she like my freckles, which tickled me even more. So I had to pull out the ol camera and show her a picture of my Gracie. She told me, "she's a gift, a gift from God, you love her." So precious, and I told her that...I even had the opportunity to pray with her. The honor of all honors of my day.

See you all tomorrow...hopefully more humor, just tired tonight. Remind me to tell you about the taptap buses and donkeys some time...:)

Friday, February 26, 2010

Day three...on the road again. So apparently our hospital is about 12 miles away, yet it takes 1 1/2 hours to get there from our compound. I'm not sure where all these people come from, but by 6:30am the streets are full of people. Everywhere. Cooking. Walking. Kids playing in rubble. I don't know what they do all day, but they are there. Just waiting. And watching. It's funny, when you walk by they all stare...all of them. The kids always give us the thumbs up sign, too cute. And I even got a thumbs up from a UN soldier as we passed the UN compound.

The people here are so appreciative...they cannot understand why we all are here to help. They are some of the most humble people I've ever met. You can stick a needle in them 2 or 3 times (hey, my IV start skills are rusty and most of these folks are dehydrated, cut me some slack!!) and they just smile and nod. Either they are sweet and humble or putting some voodoo curse on me (we see LOTS of voodoo stuff around here), so I vote for sweet and humble. And the value these folks put on family! When one comes to the ER, several come. Mostly out of concern...although some show up because, well, there's nothing else to do. The highlight of my day came when I got to take care of a sweet little girl (my area of expertise!!!). She was a head injury patient...a piece of rubble from a neighboring house hit her on the head as she played outside. We took the best care of her we could before transporting her (by way of a lovely Toyota driven by our security manager) to the only other hospital around, a children's hospital. I got to love on her and dry her tears and make her goofy glove balloons. The joy of my day :)

Well...time for lights out...sooooo very tired. The learning curve is huge here, old school nursing all the way. God's brought me here for a reason and His plan unfolds a little more each day. Stay tuned for tomorrow's blog...maybe I'll tell you about the goats and cows...and donkeys...and chickens...and random pigs...night!

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Okay, so first I have to apologize. The title of my blog yesterday did not match my blog. I was tired, so chalk it up to old age forgetfulness and 1 hour of sleep! And yes, there was a, ew, hair in my pizza at the airport, and yes, I ate the pizza (sans hair), because quite frankly I was terrified I would be eating nothing but craisins and nabs for the next week and a half. So now that housekeeping is out of the way, on with today's journaling.

Our day started at 5am..well, technically, I was awakened at 3am by a moped driver apparently testing the durability and longevity of his liquor cycle motor. It took about half an hour and then I figure he either passed out drunk on the sidewalk or went home. Either way, the raucous noise stopped and sleep ensued.

I honestly don't know what to say about our 12 hour bus trip to Haiti today. Honestly. Little Miss Carsick took half a phenergan (supplied by one of my fellow "always prepared" nurses on the team) and sacked out for about 2/3 of the trip. Glad I fished my pillow out of my bag before the trip. Let's take a minute to talk about the bag. I think it's high time my hubby buy me some real luggage. I'm tired of the redneck comments about my luggage being covered by racing sponsor logos. Samsonite baby, Samsonite. Enough said.

At one of the points I was awake, we stopped at the Pollo Red for some breakfast. Those that were brave enough to try the local fare munched on everything from empanadas to funky meat and cheese "biscuits". I say meat, because I was afraid to ask what it truly was. As we boarded our bus (a lovely Hyundai built "tour" bus, about half the size of a greyhound, with windows beautifully accented by blue curtains...you picturing it yet??), I sat down with my Coke and Doritos (costing me approximately $2) and settled in for the ride. One has to begin thinking about rationing ones liquids when traveling on a bus for 12 hours...bladders only hold so much!

The rest of the trip was consumed by a game I call "Pot Hole Dodging or Face a Blown Out Tire and Whacked Out Suspension", snacking on my 4months worth of food rations and, you said it, sleeping. Bus sleep is never a good sleep, but on phenergan, ANY sleep is good. And I made the entire trip without commiting the "V" word. Yea!

As we crossed the border into Haiti (note to self and all future Haiti/Dominican Republic travelers...AVOID travel on Thursdays, also known as market day, or in North Carolina, flea market days...I have a whole new insight as to why they are so big in NC!) we began to take in the damage, little by little. The further we went, the more damage there was, and the more tent cities there were. Some homes were difficult to tell if they were that way from the earthquake or from just plain ol dilapidation.

We finally made it to our compound, a lovely barbed wire protected and security protected concoction of buildings. Our first warning? Stay away from the scorpions. They aren't the kind that kill, but the kind that make you wish you were dead. Also a good idea to avoid the tarantulas...they can't cause a lot of harm, but they may make you scream like a girl and pee in your pants when you see one :)

So my spiritual wisdom for the day? Can't put it into words. Every day God shows Himself to me more and more and I cannot wait to share it all with you one day. This trip is about helping people, but it's also a faith journey that God is using to build me up for something...I don't know if that excites me or scares me, but I think I 'll go with excited.

More tomorrow...wound care and triage are my assignments...here we gooooooooo!!

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

There's a WHAT??? in my Pizza??

Man, 2:15am seems like a long time ago. I think we laid down for bed at something like 10:30pm and of course my racing mind didn't allow sleep to come until about 1am. So an hour and 15 minutes of sleep?? Not too bad I guess! So we set off for the Charlotte airport...the easiest drive to Charlotte we've ever had!

We got to the airport and began looking for folks in our group, not that we knew who to look for anyway! But we saw the red shirt for the Baptist men, sucked in our guts and introduced ourselves. Yes, that wonderful man o mine drove me to the airport at 3am! My how times have changed! I guess I didn't realize how long it had been since I had last flown! So many hoops to jump through - and that was just getting out of my car, lol!

Boarding the plane, not so bad, but it was a small plane and on a cloudy morning, well, turbulence wreaks havoc on such small jets. We took off 30 minutes late, but no worries, we made our connector in Miami on time! As we hurdled down the runway in a much larger Boeing 757, I let my mind wander to the journey that God took me on to get me here.

It was a long couple of weeks, Satan messing with me, finding the faith and strength to stick to my committment wasn't easy. I could, and may, write a book on the way God has grown me in the last few weeks!

Come to find out, the other nurses on this trip went through their own trials, all orchestrated by Satan, all schemes to keep us home. But God is bigger that all of that, and here we are. Sitting in a 10x10 room in a concrete building, permeated by the 95 degree heat and 199% humidity. And we are pumped. We are more than excited. Yes, nervous, but so excited to see what God has in store! More later!

Sunday, February 21, 2010

As I prepare to leave for Haiti I have some pressing questions...how hard will 24 hour shifts be?...will I catch malaria or dengue (I honestly, even as I nurse, am not sure what dengue is but the name itself is quite intriguing and somewhat ominous)??...will my nursing skills be adequate for the challenges I'm about to face??...and most importantly, I have to ask...do I take M&M's AND Fruit Loops, or do I leave out one and pack socks...I mean, really, there simply isn't room for all of it! Those enormous bags (that are quite conspicuous with their big RCR and GM Goodwrench emblems on them) that I borrowed from my dad are getting full fast...hope my carry on can handle some stuffing as well!

I think of the food question as most important because, well, I have to say I am simply trusting in God for the rest of it. I've been taken on a life journey this week that had me at the bottom of the barrel...I mean, honestly, the darkest days of my life. I don't want to get into details, because truly, to even talk about them, seems to invite the darkness to creep back in. Put simply? It was lies from Satan, the great deceiver. It's the only compliment I'll ever give the evil one. He is truly a great liar and he pushed my buttons hard this week. Through prayer, scripture, speaking with godly friends, and the overwhelming power of the Holy Spirit, I can say that God won the battle, He is victorious, and in turn, I am victorious. That all being said, the path God took me down this week was one I've never traveled and pray I never travel it again. But it gave me hope...it gave me faith like I've never had or experienced before. God's love is infinite and perfect! It's a very easy thing for a soul to say to another, "have faith in God, He'll take care of you!"...when their faith isn't being tested. I know that now...I have a new perspective on that and now I can be of Christian service to others going through similar situations.

I hope to write about my weeklong experience some day...I pray it will encourage others, but mostly I pray it will exalt and glorify my King. Psalm 121 was powerful for me this week...so were various others in Ephesians, Corinthians, Phillipians and Hebrews...not to mention 1 Kings and other Old Testament verses. God brought them all to me in various ways...through my Christian sister and mentor...through a daily devotional via email (how did Greg Laurie know what I was going through???)...through a Christian sister, my cousin who has had more than her fair share of tests of faith...through a friend and confidant at church...and through plain ol' hitting my knees, rebuking Satan and digging in His perfect Word.

I don't want to have to go through what I went through this week again...but the closeness I have with my Maker...and the experience and lessons I have gained from this have changed my life and my relationship with God...for the better.

So now, I'm off to answer the highly debated question...M&M's...or socks?? Hmmmm....

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

So by now I guess everyone knows...it's official...I'm going to Haiti! My heart has been there ever since the earthquake, so now my body can follow it there, lol! I leave in one week with a medical team, so I can go moonlight as a nurse. I am super, super excited. I am also super, super nervous. First of all...I haven't worked in the nursing field in over 3 years...so good luck to all of my poor patients! If I put the enema in the wrong place, so sorry! Secondly, I suppose God has some great stuff planned...because Satan is digging in his heels and working hard on my mind. Luckily, he has no strong hold on my heart, it belongs to my Creator. I called one of my very best friends in the whole wide world...you know, the one you have to borrow their undies and they don't care (the one that is about 10 sizes smaller than me, lol!), the one that was with you when you birthed yo baby, the Christian sister and mentor that God places in your life? Yeah, I called that one. I was broken and in tears. Satan had placed some very real fears in my mind and I was feeling very defeated. She made me put on my big girl pants and look at it from God's perspective. She gave me scripture and rebuked Satan on my behalf. This morning she texted me more scripture...Psalm 121..."I lift my eyes unto the hills, where does my help come from?" And it goes on to say how God has covered me...I am in His hand. See...I know all of this...but I struggle with faith here because of how real Satan has made my fear. Hearing it from strong, faithful Christians, well, God is using His faithful to help me in my unbelief. He is using His word, He is using His people, He is using music...He is using His Holy Spirit. See, the Bible tells us there are fights over God's people between the Holy Spirit and evil forces. I can only imagine the battle that was going on over my head these last few days. Today, I thought the fear would be gone...it wasn't. It was as real as ever. So as I left my office this afternoon, I got into my little Honda and cranked up some Casting Crowns...in my tears and snot, I began to rebuke the evil one. The one that has tried to convince me he is in control. But he's not. See, that victory, for my heart and soul, it's been won. It was won over 2000 years ago by the One who wanted my heart more...the One that loved me enough to pay for my transgressions. So I told Satan he is officially done. I will have no more of it in Jesus Holy name and he might as well give up. I do not fear him, I do not fear his control...cause he has no chance at controlling me. I am in God's hands...I am protected in the shadows of His grace and mercy. I belong to Him and no other. God ultimately asked the question of me, "Who do you love most, Leslie?" and my obvious answer was my Lord...so, He said...then follow me.

I don't like leaving my family for a week and a half...and I've received criticism for that. That's okay...I am far more concerned with God's opinion of me than man's. I covet your prayers in the next couple of weeks. I want to look forward to my trip with my anticipation and excitement in going to a foreign country and helping others. It's unchartered waters for me, a trip of this depth and magnitude. I want to be armed well with God's full armour...His love...His word...His strength...and His hope. So I say, God, guard my mind, guard my heart...keep the evil one at bay. I will not utter his name, as it is worthless to my worship of You. May I stay fully focused on You and only You as my heart is prepared to serve. Amen.

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Daytona Took My Fingernails

Today is a day of love...February 14...Valentine's Day...a day for expressing love to those that are near and dear to our hearts...today is also the start to the 2010 racing season...the Daytona 500...Let's go racin' boys!!! Trust me, in a home where NASCAR and all that goes with it pays the bills, Valentine's takes a back seat...no, let me rephrase that...you know the third seat in the back of a Suburban? yeah, Valentine's sits on THAT seat in comparison to the Daytona 500. Today's race was no exception. During one of the two red flags, the hubby got up to wash the dishes - and he MAY have taken one bathroom break...but I'm not for sure. I guess when you put in 60 hours a week into something you live and breathe, you just gotta see the fruits of your labor!

This particular race took a lot longer than most, mainly because mother nature had wreaked havoc on the track in the last few days and the effects were only seen today. Six hours...six loooooonnnnng hours of racing and red flags...all to get us to the final few laps. Our cars were top contenders...but in the end, we fell a little short but still had 3 top eleven finishes...pretty darn good! One of our engines actually won the race and in the Ward home, that's bragging rights. Although my poor fingernails got the worst of end of the deal (I think may need to invest in some tips or Lee Press Ons for a couple of weeks!), I was a happy girl...mainly because my love was a happy boy. I am proud of him and his accomplishments. This being Valentine's Day I can just be frank and tell you...he makes my heart flutter...14 years later, he still just does it for me. I thank God for him every day...I'm a blessed girl.

I think of the way that I love my husband and it makes me think of the way God loves me. You know, a husband and a wife share a different kind of love, but it's also much the same. We, as the Church, are the bride of Christ. And God loves each member of that Church body in such an all consuming, heart enveloping, suffocatingly gooey ooey way, that it makes me giddy. It makes my heart flutter. I am so in love with my Lord...unabashadly, wholly, souled out in love with my Lord...yet He loves me more. I mean, I love my husband and all, but I remember the first time I saw my daughter, when my doctor handed her slippery little pink body and I remember the type of scary love (doesn't that sound like an oxymoron? but it was, it was scary just how completely I loved this creature that I had barely even held, much less ever seen!!) that I had for her. That is the love our Savior has for us. He created you and I...and loved us so much that He came to this earth in our own form, so that we could relate to Him and accept Him even more just so He could be the propitiation for our nastiness...a nastiness He could never emulate, because He is so completely perfect. Amazing that more and more people reject Him every day. His love humbles me...His love is unearned ~ sounds a lot like grace doesn't it?? ~ His love is perfect. It's incomprehensible...it's wonderful.

So, on this day of nail biting racing...and this day of love (honestly, the man didn't even get me a card!)...I have to ask...have you accepted His love fully and wholly? You can be a follower of Christ...walking the fence..doing just enough to keep afloat ~ and that "keeping afloat" varies for different people ~ and never fully experience His love. I challenge you...talk to Him daily...and stop and listen for Him to speak to your heart...get into those 66 love letters He has given to you to help you through this life...fellowship with other believers...they can give you insight to where God has brought them from...forgive others so that you can fellowship and worship the way god wants you to...fully experience His love ~ today! And I'll keep you posted on those Lee Press On Nails...

Saturday, February 13, 2010

All in a Saturday Afternoon...

I went to the Little Miss Thomasville Pageant today...well, to be more specific it was something long and drawn out like, Outstanding Little Miss of Thomasville, but what's the diff, right? No, I didn't go for grins and giggles, I went to see my niece and my cousin's little girl compete. So picture the TLC show, Toddlers and Tiara's and then add in two perfectly normal, minimally made up, beautiful little girls and you've got this pageant down. It was great...in a way. My niece is three...so her greatest accomplishment to date is the fact that she is fully potty trained (no, she still doesn't sleep through the night, so that one is out!), so that's what her mommy listed on her application...as her greatest accomplishment...and that's what was read when she crossed the stage during introductions. It was hilarious...I mean, tears rolling down my face. Besides the fact that she tripped as she walked out onto the stage (credit the brand spanking new prissy pink Chuck Taylors that mommy wisely bought a size too big so she can grow into them...this kid grows like the Jolly Green Giant, so she goes through shoes really quickly!), the whole thing went off without a hitch. Bella went on to win the competition in her division...I like to think it's because of her beauty, her poise and grace and her eloquent answer to the nail biting question segment (what is your favorite song? Twinkle twinkle little star...Why is that your favorite song? a'cause it's what we sing when we go night night), but possibly she won because she was the only kid in her division. That being said, her proud aunt knows she would have beat any competition hands down...my beautiful, smart, well spoken, lively, highly imaginative niece? Hands down!

My cousin's little girl (whom I had the pleasure of being with when she was born!!) blew me away in the preteen category. The most beautiful young woman out there by far...and I say this because she just was, no prejudice, promise!...and in a normal, non made up sort of way. Wise beyond her years and beautiful in a way that no one can recreate through any amount of make up, fake eyelashes or hairpieces, our Hannah is amazing. What a cool kid. In a division where most of the girls sang songs about things way beyond their years, dressed in outfits more befitting of a 35 year old, Hannah stood out in her clogging shoes and rockin' outfit. Very age appropriate, very Hannah. And then in the question and answer session...who is your idol? Her mama...for being a single mom, working her butt off to give Hannah a great life (not her exact words, but pretty darn close). Not a fabricated answer that anyone fed to her...one from her heart, she knocked that one out of the park too!

In the end, she got 1st runner up...yeah, the kid with the hairpieces won...but that's okay. Today my favorite pageant contestants showed their stuff...stayed true to themselves, and true to who God made them to be. know their mama's are as proud as their aunt...pageant stuff is fun! Maybe I should be in one...you know, Mrs. Chubby Mama's Over 30...think I could pull that one off...now to figure out my talent...
Snow? Again? Yea! I love it. The best snows are the ones the forecasters never call for and then they just show up like an annoying relative. But this has been a good week...and I refuse to complain about the things I cannot change...like snow! I feel a little guilty blogging while Paul has Gracie outside "playing" in the snow (but hey, how many snow days have I gotten dragged outside while he went to work??). So I think I'm going to enjoy my weekend of snow! Not to mention that this weekend sparks the official kickoff to the 2010 racing season...hey, when you're husband puts 70+ hours a week into a sport, you get the right to be excited about such things! Some people wait with baited breath for baseball or football season...in the Ward house it's racing!!!!!!

God is always faithful and true, I know that in the depths of my soul. But this week He has been especially real to me. I've been in prayer for quite some time about a couple of issues...issues that may not seem big to other folks, but they were huge for me. God answers prayers all the time in small ways and big ways...but lately, He's showing Himself to me in really big ways. AND God is using every day people to answer those prayers for me...people that don't know they are being used by Him but are making themselves open for being used. That's huge! I know He's preparing me for something, just not sure what! But I do know this...it makes me excited to know something's coming (and it's not the annoying relative!). It's also humbling to know that God finds me worthy of using. I honestly don't even know how to react to that nor do I have to words to express my feelings about that. Basically it's sort of like one of those prostrate on the floor moments, feeling so unworthy, yet so loved and wanted. No, that doesn't come close. I'm such a small piece of His overall puzzle, yet I'm big in His eyes...amazing. He knows every hair on my head...wow.

I will say this...I know God is preparing me for a mission trip that I am very much looking forward to. So please keep that in your prayers! But I know there is more coming down the pike...and I'm so excited to see how He's going to use me...for what purpose? I know that...to glorify, honor and exalt Him. What more reason do I need??

I'm gonna go enjoy the snow now...life is good...life is God!

Sunday, February 7, 2010

I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else. ~C.S. Lewis

C.S. Lewis is a great author...I love his writings...from the Screwtape Letters to the Chronicles of Narnia to Mere Christianity...the perspective of a former atheist on Christianity is eye opening. In darkness, without Christ, we see nothing true, only void and dark shapes. In the light, in Christ, we see everything for what it really is...marinate on that. Soak it in...read some C.S. Lewis some time!

Friday, February 5, 2010

Contentment is for the Weary

I have to say...I am content. It's the end of a long, snowed in week, Gracie was only in school for a very brief 4 1/2 hours yesterday...and I'm content. I'm blessed with a job that I can work from home on days like today...so I'm content. I've gotten my house cleaned up today (with some much needed and appreciated help from Gracie!)...so I'm content. My laundry is caught up, my hard working husband is happily doing his thing today at ECR, my house is warm, we are all healthy and I'm seeking God's will daily in my life...I'm more than content.

I posted a few weeks ago on Facebook that I am going to choose to wake up each morning with an attitude that will help me conquer my day with happiness and joy. I will find joy in everything I do...I will praise God and give Him the glory in everything I do. Trust me, this does not come without much needed conversation with God and it certainly could not happen without the Holy Spirit that lives within me. I choose to look at life with a "glass half full" view - obviously not always an easy task, and sometimes I do fail! Every day I get on Facebook and I read people's posts about how rough their lives are, about what a bad day it was, wondering when the snow is coming and then complaining that it's here. And I think, wow, life is tough on people. Some people have a difficult time finding joy in, well, anything. Some people that I know live with daily, chronic pain and illness. Some folks I know are struggling financially to the point of fear and hopelessness. Some of my friends are dealing with difficult work situations or children that are straying from where God wants them. And my heart hurts for my friends. And I pray for their situations...for their hope...and for their contentment in life. And some of my friends complain, simply, because they have no contentment. They have no perspective. Have negative attitudes, simply, because they can.

Please don't misunderstand this post as a way to toot my own horn. Not so...I fall short every day. But I pray, also, to do better every day. So I choose to be joyful in the Lord. I am content. We are in a season of life that God has blessed tremendously and I know well enough to understand when God is pouring His love on me and I know well enough to call out to Him in praise and worship of the amazing God He is. My life isn't perfect by any stretch of the imagination. I have struggles, I have personal self issues, I have health issues and I have daily problems in life that sometimes bring me down. I refuse to hold on to them...to dwell on them...to allow them to be at the forefront of my life. I choose to deal with them as they come...and move on. Do I always handle my problems and issues with grace and dignity...heck no. I'm human. But the God that rocks my world, rules my life and lives within my soul gives me the strength to tackle my issues...and in the end be content. I get weary from life...just life in general. Heck, turning on the boob tube makes me weary with all the junk going on in our country and in our world. But I have hope. I have such a great hope in God and His promises...that I am content. No, that's a gross untruth. I am far more than content. This world weary girl is happy, blissfully happy! Praise God above for His love, His mercy and His perfect will...that gives me hope and gets me through my day...more than content.

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Have you noticed that the coverage of the earthquake in Haiti has diminished greatly? I know a lot of folks are happy about that, it was depressing to watch! It makes your heart hurt, but makes you thankful all at the same time and between the two you start to feel guilty about how great we really have it. Sigh. Or at least that's the way I feel. It takes me back a few years ago....

On August 29, 2005 we all watched as one the largest, most powerful Hurricanes in the history of the United States (or at least since the records started to be kept!!) roared it's way into the Gulf coast region...leaving behind death and devastation. The ensuing chaos and confusion unfolded before us on national television. It was hard to watch. Our own citizens, our brothers and sisters, were suffering. So many died, so many were displaced. As I watched the first 24 -48 hours of the devastation God began to speak to my heart. When I saw the people standing on top of random bridge waiting to be rescued because they were surrounded by water, I was in fear for them. When I saw a reporter snag a haggard looking black man that was clinging to a little girl, I began to weep as I heard him, in the most heart broken despairing voice I'd ever heard, tell his story of how he just couldn't hold onto his wife and little boy any longer in the flood waters and they were swept away...I weep now as I think about it. A passion welled up inside of me for these people. My heart was hurting for them. In that instant God, inaudibly, spoke to me and told me to go help these people. Regardless of why they were still there when the Hurricane hit, regardless of their financial state, regardless of their beliefs and morals, go help. So I did. Several times. I cannot begin to explain the blessing of serving hungry people meals, of slipping them $10 so they could buy gas, of standing on a roof in the hot Mississippi sun, fixing the holes, and at the same time fixing the holes in these folks hearts. All the while, Mississippi and New Orleans were gradually being forgotten by the general public. Their lives had gone back to normal, so hadn't the folks in the Gulf Coast region?? No, sorry, they hadn't . Two years later it was still hard to find a Taco Bell with more than 2 or 3 people working!!

The reason I say these things is this...don't forget Haiti. Don't forget the people there. Once again, God has told me to go. When? I don't know. Whenever the door opens. I have passport in hand and the blessings of my family and employer to go. That doesn't mean everyone has to go. That doesn' t mean you have to donate money, food, or anything for that matter. Pray for them. Pray for their lives. Pray for their souls. Pray for their safety. Pray for their eternity. Just pray. Someone has to intercede for these people. Pat Robertson was criticized for insinuating that the sins of these people's fathers had brought on this tragedy. Maybe. Maybe not. The voodoo and witchcraft that is so prevalent in the Gulf area of Louisiana originates from Haiti...the creole way originates from there. Over 200 years ago Haiti became a pagan nation. God has every right to chastise in those situations. Regardless...they are creations of God, no different that you and I... He desires for us to gain a passion for these people's heart...will you if don't already have that passion? That being said...He desires for us to have a passion for all hearts...your neighbor, your spouse, your family, this nation and other nations as well...where do you find your passion?