Haiti Status Update

Nothing seems to be happening. I think things were going a little too fast to keep a handle on in the midst of such chaos and they have halted much action until they can assess and evaluate.  I am sure that calls and e-mails started flooding in and they were overwhelmed with the onslaught of folks wanting to help the Haitians.  I am always encouraged at how galvanized we are as a community when a tragedy happens.

I know this might be an unpopular opinion, but I do think they are doing the right thing by SLOWING down the process. Now if they stop the process, I'll be mad as a wet hen.  But I think when children's lives are involved, you have to be sure you have a good handle on what you're doing.  Don't get me wrong, time is of the essence and if I could pluck every one of them out of their situation, I would do it tomorrow.  But in fact, there has to be a plan in place to track the children and ensure their safety once they are in the US.  We have to have someone following the kids like a social worker, who can make sure they aren't getting passed around like a puppy.  We have to have a huge community of support to care for these misplaced children.  So while I would ideally like to see this happen in the next week or so, I doubt it will because I've never seen our government do anything that quickly, and the Haitian government couldn't possibly be thinking about it.

I saw last night that 80% of Haiti lives below the poverty level for that country.  I can assure you, there are alot of orphans who are not there as a result of the earthquake.  What I don't want to see happen is for it to become "trendy" to have a Haitian orphan.  So many people jumped on the international band-wagon after Angelina and Madonna made it "cool" and I don't want that same thing to happen to Haiti.  It's not always a good thing for a child to be placed outside an orphanage if it's not a good home that wants to parent a child.  I've said it a million times, but people who adopt because they want to save an orphan usually lack the stamina to parent their children through the traumas they bring with them.  If your pay-off happens the minute you touch down in America, then you're in for a very difficult time in the months ahead.  I don't want people to take Haitian orphans for the "thrill" of the rescue, only to realize that de-lousing, de-worming, ridding parasites that possibly the entire family will pass around, transitioning a child to family life, etc. are long and drawn out processes that take alot of energy for very little pay-off in the short-run.

I know I'm preaching to the choir here.  I guess what I'm saying is that IF the government is slowing down on things in order to get a handle on it, but not going to abandon the idea altogether (still remains to be seen) then it's a good thing.  If they are going to put the brakes on because the effort is too large, then that is another reason why government can do very few things well that individuals can do better!  It seems SO simple to me... if only they would ASK me, I could tell them HOW to manage this process, then I could have given them my very simple solution.  It's simply unimaginable to me that folks wouldn't be on board with plucking these children out of the danger zone, but of course, as soon at the jerk (you know, satan) got wind of something that was going to glorify God, he would have to stick his big ugly nose into it and start to scatter all sorts of seeds of doubt, etc.  JERK!

John 14:15-17 from The Message translation (emphasis mine)

"If you love me, show it by DOING what I've told you.  I will talk to the Father, and He'll provide you another Friend so that you will always have someone with you.  This Friend is the Spirit of Truth.  The godless world can't take him in because it doesn't have eyes to see him, doesn't know what to look for.  But you know him already because he has been staying with you, and will even be IN you!"