The tragedy of the earthquake in Haiti became very real for me yesterday. Just like many of you, I have followed the news of the awful devastation caused by the earthquake that hit this island nation Tuesday afternoon. I have prayed many times for the people of Haiti and even took time to mention Haiti in chapel on Wednesday so that our students would know to pray and know that we are working on some opportunities to serve the people affected by the earthquake. I thought I was pretty sensitive to the whole thing. Until yesterday.
I went to my daughter’s school to pick her up. Late in the afternoon they combine classes so that they can clean some of the other rooms. I went in to her classroom to pick up her bag before retrieving her from the class next door that they had moved to. When I went in her classroom, one of her teachers was in the room cleaning. I greeted Ms. Rosalind and asked how her day was. With a smile on her face, she said “not so good.” I normally ask how she is and she always says “great.” I stopped and asked what was wrong. She said, “I am from Haiti.”
My heart immediately hurt for this woman. I asked her if her family was alright. She said that her mother had just flown to Haiti on Sunday for a visit. Rosalind said she had heard from her brother that her immediate family was alright but that many extended family and friends were missing. She told me that her brother is a teacher in a night school. He was running about 15 minutes late getting to school on Tuesday evening. As he was getting out of his car, the earthquake hit. He stood in the parking lot and watched his school full of teachers and students collapse. All of the floors crashed into each other and landed in a big pile on the ground. He immediately ran towards the school and tried to help pull people out. Had he been on time to school, he would have been on the third floor in a classroom towards the middle of the building and most certainly killed.
As Rosalind poured out her heart and her stories to me, I couldn’t imagine what she is going through being here in Acworth and knowing that her family, friends, and her country are dealing with such sorrow. She is a very sweet lady and I am disappointed that I had never before asked where she was from. She has a thick accent and I just assumed she was from the Caribbean and I moved on without asking. She cares for my daughter during the day while I am at work. She has indicated to me on several occasions that she is a Christian and for that I am extremely grateful.
After we finished talking, I walked into the next room to pick up my daughter so that we could head to the grocery store and then home to eat with our family. My heart physically hurt as I held my daughter because I knew that many parents in Haiti rushed to daycares and schools begging God that their daughters and sons would be alright…only to walk alway empty handed. Please pray for Rosalind, her family, her friends, and her country today. And then…click the Compassion International banner below and donate towards the relief efforts. Once you have felt the hurt in your heart, ask God to help you see how you can turn that hurt into a message of hope for Haiti.
