A few really neat (and hopefully, short!) notes:
I spoke with folks from the children's charity, Variety International, this past week and had a really wonderful conversation. It's great to see that we're all on the same page, and quite energized by it. During the conversation one of the individuals asked me about a revised proposal that I had submitted a couple of weeks ago. I had eliminated the distribution of iodine as part of the program. Why had I done that?
I explained that
1. we had raised about $2500 through the calendar sales, and that money would go to buy the medications
2. I realized that we could potentially reach 25,000 kids (instead of 12,000) if I took the money from the calendar sales AND the money from the purchase of iodine and split those funds up to purchase the Vitamin A and Albendazole.
They were appreciative of this, and then offered to add extra funds ($8000) to purchase the iodine as well!!
They want me to come out to do a lunch talk at their annual meeting in May. This could be a really neat opportunity to help the people of Pestel. Their annual meeting will be held in Hollywood.
Hey Mom! I'm going to Hollywood!
Shortly I'll be meeting with a district leader for the Kiwanis to talk about applying for a Kiwanis International Grant.
Also, the medical students have been doing a fantastic job of finding supplies!! They've been able to obtain scales and tape measures for free, really (really!) nice backpacks for free [the backpacks will be given to the workers so that they can carry their items up into the mountains and stay organized), geometry sets (which was one of Father Parnell's requests!) for free, and so forth.
And they've been working hard on developing forms (for the project manager). It's coming together nicely.
A few other thoughts (not news...just thoughts):
The earthquake reminds me that the best of our work is not in the buildings and construction projects and economic schemes, as important as those are to our lives and theirs. The best of our work comes in following God's will, wherever that may take us. There is a mystery in all of this.
One example: God says that those who are generous (liberally so!) to those in need will see the work of their hands prosper. Those who build the house with God will succeed, and those who do not will labor in vain.
The leadership of the orphanage, St. Joseph's Home for Boys, lived this way and built this way. Those who gave and supported St. Joseph's did so as well. And God prospered the work of their hands, multiplying their efforts (10-fold, a 100-fold etc), producing a "harvest of righteousness" (think: big, broad fields of goodness and right-ness!). Yet, their building fell. It's crumpled...gone...demolished.
The building, as it turns out, was temporarily important. And by temporary, I mean 25 years worth of temporary :) They celebrated their 25th anniversary last Sunday, despite not having the building.
Do you see?
All of the boys living in the orphanage survived the earthquake. They got out alive.
Same for Wings of Hope. All orphans alive and well.
The buildings have been leveled. But God's will was not thwarted because His people followed along after Him. Praise God for His protection and His wisdom!
Second thought: I have been conflicted about the situation in Haiti. There is great suffering and need in Port-au-Prince, so how can I be joyful about the donation of a backpack or a tape measure?
However, I've encountered these difficulties many many times now. Every time I return from Haiti it is hard to reconcile what I saw there with what I see here. It is a very hard tension. And it causes me to throw up my hands again and pray. That's the truth. [I wish I could say that I don't throw up my hands anymore and that I just pray. But the truth is that I still try to 'make sense' of it, and when I can't, up go the hands].
I know that I am called to help the people of Pestel, Haiti.
I have long avoided using phrases like that because I haven't really known what it meant for most of my life, and I was leery that it comes across as "Christian-speak".
Yet, I have never felt a call/leading/pointing/driving/compulsion so great as this--something I am absolutely convinced of, and not even because it 'makes sense'. In fact, it doesn't 'make sense'.
As I pray about Haiti I learn again that I am, at this point in my life, called to labor on behalf of the people of Pestel.
The need there have only increased, you see. The volume of people in Pestel has gone up by another 30% since the earthquake.
There is much to pray about.
Ben
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