May 09, 2009
I don’t want to use the word “desperate” so many times that it becomes meaningless to those of you who read my blog. It is difficult, however, to describe Haiti and almost everything you encounter there with any other word than desperate. The problem is people hear this word and sometimes ask me, “Then why do you bother to go there? Is anything you’re doing there really make a difference?” Of course it makes a difference.
For if you want to save your own life, you will lose it; but if you lose your life for my sake, you will find it. Will you gain anything if you win the whole world but lose your life? Of course not! There is nothing you can give to regain your life. Jesus (Matthew 16:25-26)
At 2:30 am in the morning I leave for JFK, and at 6 am I’ll be on my way to Haiti for about 10 days. My reason for going is to take two very wonderful people to the hospital in Santiago. One of them is Carlene Joseph, the wife of Israel Joseph, our best friend in Haiti. She’s been suffering for a long time with a painful but not life-threatening illness. The other reason is to take David, a precious little 3-year-old boy with a severe heart murmur (which is life-threatening), for some testing. If all goes as expected, a wonderful hospital in New York City will pay for 100% of all expenses for David to come to New York for surgery that will save his life.
It is bittersweet and poignant that David’s father’s name is Daniel (pronounced don-yell in French and Spanish). Daniel is pictured above holding David in his arms at our recent medical clinic in March on our land in L’Acajou. Many of you who read this will remember that Daniel is also the name of my wonderful son that Lynn Ann and I lost on December 8, 2004. Even if my best efforts fail in trying to do the impossible, I know that carrying on this work in Haiti ~ which both my sons loved so much ~ is what I am called to do. Lynn Ann and I do this to honor the lives and memory of our sons and to honor Christ in losing our lives for His sake.
Please pray for Carlene, and especially pray for little David. Many people would say his life or death on this earth will have little or no impact. I know they are wrong. His little damaged heart is as important as any heart that has ever beaten. Till next time,
Craig
