There is Hope

25For I know that my Redeemer lives,
   and at the last he will stand upon the earth.
26And after my skin has been thus destroyed,
   yet in my flesh I shall see God,
27whom I shall see for myself,
   and my eyes shall behold, and not another.
   My heart faints within me!

I am reading these words from Haiti this morning, on the porch, with coffee, as the sun rises. As I look around I see palm trees and mountains. I am in a very comfortable setting and at this view, from the top porch, it appears I am in a tropical paradise. While, I have hope that one day Haiti will be a tropical paradise, a favorite vacation destination for many, it is not that right now. At the view right now, you can't see all the poverty, the starving children, the destroyed homes, the large tent city that is on the mountain, the sick and hurting. What amazes me about Haiti, is the resiliency and hope of the people. The have a spirit of Job. With all they have went through in the last year (earthquake, hurricane, political unrest, cholera outbreak) they have chosen to say the same words has Job, "For I know my Redeemer lives." while I can never say I have ever experienced anything as close to Job or the Haitians, I can have the same hope as they do. They eternal hope in Christ. As Christ declares that He as overcome the world, we to can overcome if we cling to Him. What a great promise to hold on to today.

Today we visited Grace Emmanuel School. It is so exciting to watch the progress of the school, of the students and the teachers. I have enjoyed getting to know them and developing relationships. It was interesting talking to the school director and his assistant about the anniversary of the earthquake. They were so thankful for God's provision and mentioned hope that God will continue to bless them, and next year will be a great year, because God is with them.

I do have to say that in the last two months there has been a lot of progress, new houses, new businesses, new bakery. It is so exciting to see. Again, there is hope.


Today's update... We arrived in Gressier, where I will be living. The land here is much more full of trees but the community is very poor. Excited to learn more tomorrow. Will post pictures later.