Letter from Liony in Haiti

Letter from Food For The Poor Country Manager, Liony Batista

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday 01/19/10

Beloved,

There are so many stories of lives lost and so many wounded hearts in Haiti that it is beyond words. When asked by a reporter to describe its events I could only say: "I don't believe a word has been invented for what is happening in Haiti. It is total disaster.” But through it all, the people of Haiti have been remarkably resilient despite insurmountable odds. Don't be too concerned with reports on some looting or a little chaos. The people of Haiti have shown tremendous civility while having to face thousands of people lying in their streets or trapped under the rubble of cement. It is beyond comprehension, I feel, that they have fared so well under such dire circumstances.

The Food For The Poor/Haiti office has shown incredible stamina while facing their own tragedies, as no one has been left untouched by this disaster. And still they are out there in the trenches. Because this is a war of a different nature and it has to be fought and won. Yesterday at the hotel, people from Haiti he is familiar with came each with their particular story: parents deceased, children lost, husbands or wives missing; there have probably been enough tears shed in Haiti to flood the greatest of rivers...a few times over. So do not lose your determination to convey to those you know and who have supported FFP that this is an unprecedented event that defies comparison, but that through it all God’s gracious mercy shines greatest when all hope seems lost. God wants to rebuild Haiti. God wants to show Himself great with those who suffering surely must have reached the corridors of heaven a thousand times over. And God is relying on the goodness of the human spirit and the generosity of those who would stand firm in spite of their own predicaments to stretch out their hand and their hearts to help those who now need it most.

Pray for the Haiti office. Pray for those voiceless children left fatherless. Pray for the security and peace of this small but defiant country we all know as Haiti. And pray for those of us here who are trying to get things done and brought into this country; those of who are putting our very small grain of salt in an incredibly vast sea of pain and suffering in the country of Haiti.

Miss you all...



Liony