As you go through your day I hope your thoughts and prayers will be with the hurting people of Haiti and those who are laboring to assist them.
This is the plea of one missionary mom who is living through the aftermath of the earthquake:
The sun is about to come up. The aftershocks continue. Some more noticeable than others. There is no way to even begin to share the things we’ve heard and seen since 5:00 p.m. yesterday. To do so would take hours that we don’t have to give right now. Some of them feel wrong to tell. Like only God should know these personal horrible tragedies.
The few things we can confirm: yes, the four story Caribbean Market building is completely demolished. Yes, it was open. Yes, the National Palace collapsed. Yes, government buildings nearby the Palace collapsed. Yes, St. Joseph’s boys home is completely collapsed. Yes, countless, countless, countless other houses, churches, hospitals, schools, and businesses have collapsed. There are buildings that suffered almost no damage, and right next door will be a pile of rubble.
Thousands of people are currently trapped. To guess at a number would be like guessing at raindrops in the ocean. Precious lives hang in the balance. When people are pulled from the rubble there is no place to take them for care because Haiti’s medical care system is almost nonexistent.
I cannot imagine what the next few weeks and months will be like. I am afraid for everyone. Never in my life have I seen people stronger than Haitian people. But I am afraid for them. For us.
When the quake hit it took many seconds to even process what was happening. The house was rocking back and forth in a way that I cannot even begin to describe. It felt fake. It felt like a movie. Things were crashing all over the house. It felt like the world was ending. I do not know why my house stands and my children all lie sleeping in their beds right now. It defies logic and my babies were spared while thousands of others were not.
There are friends and co-workers who are missing. People we work with and love. There are more than I can name, but in particular we wait on one single friend who lived near the Hotel Montana—which has reportedly collapsed.
The horror has only just begun and I beg you to get on your knees—I truly mean on your knees—and pray for the people of this country. The media might forget in a few days, but people will still be trapped alive and suffering. Pray. Pray. Pray. After that—PLEASE PRAY.
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