Haiti, Two Years Later

Today marks two years since the devastating earthquake shook the ground in Haiti. This video still gets to me every time I watch it...

{Please watch this video.}


These two years, Compassion International rebuilt and restored Haiti. This is what I read today on Compassion's blog:

We can report that Compassion has completed its short-term and transitional strategies to bring immediate relief to the impacted children and their families. We provided food, safe water, shelter and medical assistance.

We worked with our church partners to get our programs back up and running, provide post-trauma counseling to the kids and the church staff, and provide shelter, desks and chairs for classes to resume. We are back to the business of caring for and developing the children of Haiti.

Compassion also announced today that every Compassion sponsored child in Haiti is now equipped with a Water of Life system to provide them and their families with a lifetime of clean water! So. Awesome.

A year ago, on the first anniversary of the earthquake, our family decided to sponsor a Haitian child. We fell in love with Bell Bradley the minute we saw his photo on Compassion Canada's website... a four-year-old boy who has the same birthday as my boy! This is him then...

And here he is today...

Don't you just love how much he's grown?!? He is turning six in 2012! We've gotten to know him a little bit through his letters... he is apparently very serious, loves to play soccer and basketball, is a leader. He wants to be a great communicator and a mechanical engineer when he grows up! Isn't that just awesome?

As Haiti continues to rebuild and restore... our Haitian brothers and sisters need our help more than ever. 

I know that Haiti can not be rebuilt and restored overnight... but every little bit that each one of us can do to help is a small part of the big picture! As the quote by Mother Teresa says:

We can do no great things, only small things with great love.

Would you consider sponsoring a Haitian child with Compassion... releasing him/her from poverty in Jesus' name? 

‎"Christian hands never clasp and He doesn’t give gifts for gain because a gift can never stop being a gift — a gift is always meant to be given…."

~ Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts.

Be a gift today, friend... a blessing to the people of Haiti, fellow children of our Heavenly Father... the Giver of good gifts, who does not change like shifting shadows.

Unwrapping more of His love in this world.

Act justly.  Love mercy.  Walk humbly with God!