I will digress eventually...

Open your mouth for the mute, For the rights of all the unfortunate. Open your mouth, judge righteously, And defend the rights of the afflicted and needy. -Proverbs 31:8-9

So I know, I know, where are the stories Stacia? What happened on your trip?? I will get to it, but I'm still processing, readjusting and mulling over my thoughts about my experience in relation to what has been going on here at home.

Today, on the way to work, the time in which I do most of my deep thinking (all five minutes of it), I was also listening to the news on the radio. The host was doing an interview with a Haitian businesswoman. The gist of the conversation was the woman describing her business model, which consisted of ten clients she would lease goods to, and when they sold her goods, she would get the profit plus interest. The day before the earthquake, she distributed her product to all her clients. The day after the earthquake she discovered that all of her clients stores were destroyed. Unfortunately, the bank that she owes money to was not destroyed and she has to come up with the money quickly. The interviewer asked her how much she owes, she replied, "Seven-hundred goud." "How much is that in U.S. dollars?" "About $100" The interview soon ended, and the audience was told that some Haitian financial government guy who was the interpreter for the conversation, was going to follow up with her to see how things turned out at the bank, and then we were invited to see the results of the story on some blog. I don't completely know the situation, but I became slightly irate...Why couldn't the news guy fork over the $100 to the lady so she could get the bank off her back and feed her kids?!

Somehow this anger turned into thoughts about how strong the Haitians are, despite a "weakening" situation. It also make me think about that one guy in history at some point who said that religion is a crutch to the weak. Perhaps religion such as it is, rituals, tradition, etc is a crutch, but faith in the One who can not be seen or understood is stronger to me than anything else. The Haitians have turned to that strength, and through their example, can change the world. I know at least they have changed me.