"Should I go to Haiti?"

I interact with several people a day who are feeling called, led, moved to go to Haiti. I totally understand. These people are our brothers and sisters, they are our neighbors.

Since I am not there nor in a position of authority, I take pause when asked what do I think about heading to Haiti, soon.  Important? Yes. Urgent? I don't know; the recovery will take years. Haiti will need real help long after she is in the headlines.

So, if we are thinking about heading south, we might consider the following.

God looks on the heart; examining our own hearts seems a good place to start. Bolstering oneself spiritually will be well worth it, many times over.

Next, an updated passport and shots are critical. Keep working to maintain or improve physical fitness; this preparation will also pay off. 

Stay informed. Sleuth out reputable agencies, churches, organizations who are doing work that you resonate with. Are they well established? What are their ties to Haiti? Do they have financial integrity? Can they connect you to someone who has been affiliated with them in Haiti to get the inside "scoop"?. What are their needs for personnel, volunteer or otherwise? Are they ready to accommodate you now or would you be one more person to keep fed, safe, find a bed and transportation for? You get the idea

Ask trusted friends and mentors what they think. 

Be prepared to hurry up and wait. We'll have plenty of opportunities to practice patience there, might as well start here.

And last, keep Haiti in your prayers.

CNN on rebuilding effort after the quake.

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/01/25/haiti.earthquake/index.html
Samaritan's Purse: Surviving Day by Day
http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/articles/surviving_day_by_day/
Audio Report from Haiti
http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/Samaritans_Purse_Today/post/audio_report/

So many

So many faceless and nameless buried without witness. So many left to wonder where their friend, lover, brother, daughter is. So many motherless children seeking safe haven. So many weary, worried and wounded.So many. So. How do I process this? I choose to believe that God notices. 

150,000 Quake Victims Buried, Haiti Says

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122925656&sc=emaf
Earthquake map of Haiti
http://edition.cnn.com/interactive/2010/01/world/google.map.haiti/index.html

Perfect timing ~ One pilot's story

http://www.maf.org/

Will White, pilot with Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) shared this story from January 22.

Here is a flight I did today.  I will try and explain it.  Sorry if this gets long. This morning MAF was to take a team of doctors to Pignon.  The night before someone called and cancelled the flight so we were not expecting to do it and did not go in early. The doctors showed up about 9am and I told them they would have to wait until after a flight that was previously scheduled.
We had arranged for a film crew to fly to the island of Lagonave.  We were dropping off food supplies and picking up a team that was inspecting the Wesleyan hospital for damage from the earthquake.