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Remembrance...

As I stood in front of several hundred people, my mind raced back to the call I received telling me of the earthquake and the severity of it. The images for ever in my mind from CNN and Fox news of the country I had known since I was five.

I could feel once again the moment I landed in Haiti one day after the quake and saw the destruction, the thousands of people clutching to possessions and family they still had, walking out of the city.  I thought of all of the tent city’s I had visited and driven by…the people, the smells, the horror of not knowing if life would ever get better.

I then recalled the day that I sat with our team and brainstormed MOH 500 and how we had to do this because people could not live like they were. They deserved Hope!  Now, after hard work and much anticipation, the day had finally come to move families from the tents they had lived in for over a year and a half into a true home.

A new beginning...

As we began to call the names of the 103 families that would get their new homes this day, it was moving to be able to witness God’s transforming power right before our eyes. Mothers holding their babies walked forward to receive the keys to their new homes. As I congratulated them and said, "God bless you", the looks on their faces were worth all of the work. I wanted so badly for all of those who had worked so hard on this project and gave so much to be able to be there at that moment to see what God was doing. It was very special!

I am so thankful for our partner, Hope for Haiti, and so many other people that have given and worked to make this day possible for these families. It was an incredible day.

The challenge in the midst of it all…

As the day closed and the 103 families were smiling and moving into their new homes, I stepped away from it all to see the other side of the story. There were over 400 families that did not get their names called. These 400 families went back to the same blue tent homes they had existed in since January 2010. My heart broke for the father that has to look his baby in the face and try to explain to him why others have nice new homes and they have to continue in the misery.

I left challenged! Challenged that while we saw 103 families’ needs met, I saw over 400 with great need. I left challenged to one day be able to hand keys to each person there so that they can all see hope in action…challenged that they might not just hear the Gospel message we have been telling them about, but that they could actually see it.