Haiti

Over the weekend Bree and I attended a very exciting men’s volleyball game. After the game we thought about watching a movie, but when we turned on the TV, virtually every channel was showing the special and the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake. The images of the rubble and Haitian people captivated us.

I was overwhelmed by how much devastation the earthquake caused. Huge buildings are now just piles of rocks and twisted metal. Paved roads are completely torn apart. The earthquake directly impacted over 3 million people, and the last estimate of the death toll that I heard was close to 100,000.

But I think what touched us the most were the pictures and stories of the survivors. With anguish and despair thousands of them are searching for loved ones who are either lost in collapsed buildings, among the heaps of dead bodies, or surrounded by the disorganized crowds.

Among the few happy endings that we heard was a mother who, after the earthquake demolished her home, spent 50 hours digging through the rocks in search of her infant son. She could hear him crying, but she could not find him. She searched all night and all through the next day, and the whole time her son’s whimpers grew softer and softer. Finally a rescue team came to help her, and after 50 hours of exhausting labor and awful anxiety, this mother was reunited with her baby boy. They both received sufficient medical treatment and will make it through this disaster alive.

However, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of Haitians who are not receiving adequate medical treatment. The devastation is so massive that the doctors and EMTs simply cannot provide aid to everyone. They need antibiotics, clean water, food, clothing, and our prayers. 3 million people are in need of emergency aid after the major earthquake.

The First Presidency issued a statement about the disaster; part of it says, “Money is not the only need in Haiti. People are frightened, bewildered, and wholly uncertain about their future. In addition to what people can do in helping with food, water and shelter, there needs to be a calming influence over that troubled nation. We invite our people everywhere to supplicate God for a spirit of calm and peace among the people as urgent aid and reconstruction efforts continue.” You can read the entire statement here.

Bree was telling me that this disaster is an opportunity for America to show its support and help this country that desperately needs our help. We can donate money by visiting hopeforhaiti.com. In addition, we can simply pray for their physical and emotional welfare.