No Place Like Home

Got back this morning after having spent much of the week in Haiti, or traveling to it, or from it.  I saw so much during this trip, and experienced so many things, and spoke with and listened to so many people - the images and conversations burned into my heart and mind - that I am kind of on total overload right now.  I have many things to share and ultimately I will, but for now I'll keep it brief.  While my body arrived in Atlanta at 2 AM, the rest of me is still somewhere in transition.

One thing I am certain of though, and I can confidently share without thinking about it too much is this: You and I are fantastically blessed to live where we live and do what we do.  The most under-resourced among us is fantastically rich by comparison to the hundreds of thousands of Haitians living in the deplorable conditions that have created a culture crippling poverty inherited from centuries of brutal and corrupt leadership.  It was bad before the earthquake.  Real bad.  

I spent the bulk of my time with a group of people I referred to as "young Nehemiah's".  A cadre of young, energetic, Haitian-born leaders from all professional disciplines.  Educated in the United States and Europe - mostly all from a heritage of wealth and privilege, having the option to choose where they will live and what they will do - they, like Nehemiah, have come home to rebuild their country.  I am astounded by their dedication, their faith, and their willingness to sacrifice their lives in the service of a nation which is broken in every conceivable sense.  Truly inspiring. 

The provision of food, water and shelter continue to be of imminent importance to the masses displaced by the earthquake, and to those who were already living in unimaginable lack before the earthquake.  The UN, Red Cross and several hundred NGO's (non-governmental organizations) like Help Haiti Now are doing a remarkable job getting resources to those who need them. But the task at hand is so overwhelming, it seems to dwarf their ability to serve so many needy people.   

The long-term solutions to Haiti's problems are not going to come from movie stars serving in the tent cities, or politicians jetting in and out, or profit-hoarding contractors looking for a win-fall, or even from slick cable news anchors adorned in the coolest safari attire.  Where is the answer coming from?  From the young Nehemiah's who understand that 'to whom much is given, much will be required'.  My money's on them.


More on this later.  See you Sunday.