Haiti - A Priceless Pearl in Peril

Haiti is a land marked by great contrasts. On one hand it is a place of breathtaking beauty from the mountain peaks to the azure blue ocean that marks its boundaries. The rugged fishing boats that resemble more of an era hundreds of years ago rather than the 21st century, yet regal and stalwart, dot the shoreline casting their nets to retrieve the "catch of the day." From the street vendor pedaling their wares to the tiny woman with a robust voice sporting a basket filled with bread atop her head. "Bread. Bread," she yells in her native tongue of Creole in that all too familiar high-pitched tone attempting to capture the attention of the passerby. Horns blowing and "top-tops" filled to capacity with animated passengers talking it seemed all at the same time but still understanding each other.

The sights, sounds and yes, even the smells of Haiti were all so captivating and fascinating to me as a teen-ager growing up in a country, though not of my birth, that became a part of my life. I grew up the daughter of a Church of God missionary/overseer and had the privilege of learning much from its people. As our family embraced their country as ours they welcomed us into their lives, not as guests but as friends.

The history of Haiti has been marked with peril yet promise, tragedy yet triumph, crisis yet courage. Today the "Pearl of the Antilles" has once again been challenged by a devastating earthquake with it's subsequent aftershocks. This has thrown this country yet again into a turmoil that has shaken not only the earth but the very core of its existence as we've known it. Thousands have perished and thousands are missing. The buildings that stood as a symbol of their government, commerce, healthcare, education, their lives have crumbled.

I have spoken to those who survived the earthquake and heard them recount the event in vivid detail. Hearing the cries of those who have lost family and friends has been heart-wrenching. To see the precious children that have been left because their parents perished in the quake. Then there are the wonderful adoptive parents here in the states (I'm sure other countries as well) awaiting to welcome into their loving arms the child they have been in the process of adopting for years. Now they are having to watch and wait to see what will happen as the governments try to work it all out. Lost paperwork buried in the rubble. Confusing advice. Communication difficult. Each day that goes by they are concerned for the health and welfare of their child. We are seeing some signs of progress. My prayer is that due process will be done with an expedience that will enable these children to be united with their adoptive parents as soon as possible. I also pray that the aid that the various countries around the world are sending into Haiti will get to where it's needed expeditiously. Thankfully, we have people on the ground who are doing their part in making that happen.

In the midst of the rubble and ruin I am seeing once again the resilience of the Haitian people to believe that recovery is possible. It is clear that there is a courage and a tenacity that can only come from a faith in God that cannot be shaken. It was as though it was yesterday I can hear the prayers of the people at the Bourdon Church of God from late at night into the early morning hours. Our house was across an open field next to the church. Their prayers reverberated across the field and found their way into my room and into my heart. I knew that God surely heard their cries and gave them the strength they so desperately needed. That same God still hears their prayers even now.

From the ashes of tragedy to the aspirations of triumph the Pearl of the Antilles can be revived and renewed. Will we be God's hands extended? Thank God for those who have accepted the assignment and for those who are giving, going and sending much needed help. This will not be an overnight process and will not be without its challenges. For the sake of the children and for the future of a nation, let's not forget "the Pearl."