Yesterday morning, I was a guest at a terrific breakfast in downtown Houston. The occasion was a fundraiser for Hope For Haiti's Children, a group I worked with in my 2003 mission to Port-Au-Prince. The fellowship was wonderful and I was blessed to visit with Christians from a number of my mission trips. The food was delicious as well, as it normally is at fundraisers. The program was emceed by Thom Besso, maybe the funniest guy I know, a brother who I have spent much time with in both Haiti and Honduras. A video was shown, displaying both the triumphs and trials in the poorest country in this hemisphere, if not the world. Plans and long-range goals were presented to help the poorest of the poor. It was a gut-wrenching hour and a half for me.
There is a moment in most effective presentations where you are grabbed, reeled into the message and its implications. Mine came from something Ken Bever, the founder of HFHC, revealed with an unforgettable illustration. Ken held up a round piece of baked dirt and told us it is what the kids are eating in Haiti; dirt mixed with a little flour and salt, molded and cooked into the shape of a pancake. The price on the street? Twenty-five cents US. I googled and found more, more than I wanted to know. To think that little children, who Jesus taught the kingdom of heaven is like, are reduced to eating the soil of the earth to survive is beyond comprehension. I asked my students yesterday afternoon to raise their hands if they did not like what we had for lunch. Now, our lunch is catered, professionally cooked, incredibly varied, already paid for by tuition, and ALL YOU CAN EAT! A number of hands went up in each class. I told them about the mud cakes, not to shame them but make them realize how unbelievably blessed we are. (Truthfully, sometimes teachers complain about the preparation of our lunch, as well.) Ironically, we all left the breakfast with full stomachs. Those we need to help have never known that feeling. Jesus taught that man does not live by bread alone but by the Word of God. Part of that teaching includes treating others as if we were helping Jesus. So many of us are angered by the accounts of greed and corruption of funds donated to charitable endeavors but trust me, every penny HFHC raises goes straight to bless the little ones in Haiti who know only too well the price of poverty: it's dirt cheap.
Applicable quote of the day:
"Society comprises two classes: those who have more food than appetite, and those who have more appetite than food."
Sébastien-Roch Nicholas de Chamfort
To see what Hope For Haiti's Children is all about, please go to:
http://hopeforhaitischildren.org/
God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1
www.hawleybooks.com
E-mail me at steve@hawleybooks.com
3 comments:
I did not know people were eating dirt in Haiti. Horrible. If I ask my husband to give money to one more thing, he'll divorce me! LOL I don't know if we can help with money, but I will pray.
That is a heart wrenching discovery about those kids. The organisation you have featured deserves a second look by all of us as they use all of their resources to help that nation. Apparently nations promised so many dollars and haven't honoured their commitments yet...shame on them!
Steve, thank you so much for telling their story. I'll never forget walking in a market and looking down at a plate full of dirt cookies for sale. I bought some so that I could help to tell the story too but each time I hold one, it breaks my heart. With the unrest in Haiti right now, I fear that they are eating these since they can't afford the food.
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