Continued prayers for Haiti

Unfortunately, the news out of Haiti is grim. The optimistic side was guestimating a death toll near 50,000. Initial speculation had numbers in the 100's of thousands. Unfortunately, with them having recovered 70,000 bodies already from the wreckage, it looks like the earlier, more devastating totals are a closer match with reality. The estimate is now at about 200,000. In a poorly constructed tightly populated city of 2,000,000, I fear that they are being overly optimistic once again. Sadly, the situation is also bad for rescue workers and survivors. Supplies of water, food... the basics are falling short of the need. How do you have enough for 3,000,000 people...?

Haiti's already poor health and infrastructure situation, such as a lack of water, and sanitation systems, has brought additional challenges to the rescue operations in the Western Hemisphere’s poorest nation.

The damage done to the main port of the country as a result of the earthquake, as well as the main roads and airport, have limited the distribution of aid.

~source

I received this prayer today through email. It does a great job of summarizing my thought and prayer for the people of Haiti and all those involved in rescue and relief efforts.

Lord, I just want to say THANK YOU, because this morning I woke up and knew where my children were. Because this morning my home was still standing, because this morning I am not crying because my husband, my child, my brother or sister needs to be pulled from underneath a pile of concrete, because this morning I was able to drink a glass of water, because this morning I was able to turn on the light, because this morning I was able to take a shower, because this morning I was not planning a funeral, but most of all I thank you this morning because I still have life and a voice to cry out for the people of Haiti. Lord I cry out to you, the one that makes the impossible, possible, the one that turns darkness into light, I cry out that you give those mothers strength, that you give them peace that surpasses all understanding, that you may open the streets so that help can come, that you may provide doctors, nurses, food, water, and all that they need in a blink of an eye. For all those that have lost family members, give them peace, give them hope, give them courage to continue to go on! Protect the children and shield them with your power. I pray all this in the name of Jesus!

We here are truly blessed!!!!!

I had a beautiful thing happen last night. I was outside and looked up to the magnificent star-filled sky. We live far enough from city lights to really have an opportunity to see and appreciate the magnitude of the universe, millions of twinkling diamonds plaster the sky. It's breathtaking on a clear night. Well, last night, as I was star-gazing, a brilliant ball of fire raced across the sky with it's tail streaming, as a luminous contrail reaching across the expanse of the sky. It stopped my words. It stopped my movement. I couldn't even signal my wonderful groom to look. I was paralyzed with awe of our great God. I immediately poured out thanks to Him and it was gone, another special love note from a loving Father.

Today was an interesting day so far... It started with a simple adjustment that lasted way too atypically long. They were having a Monday, too, apparently. This made me late for the dentist, who was running behind, so I got caught up and only had a short wait. I decided then to make my deposit at the bank, which is on my way and generally only takes a few seconds. I prepared my checks and money and deposit slip, placed them all in the tube thing.... placed the tube in the chamber and pressed send... that's when it started... this HORRIBLE RACKET that they could hear on the other side of their no-doubt very thick glass. A loud roaring noise rumbled and whirred and the tellers looked at me, like I had done something. They immediately came on and asked what I had sent... meaning, they didn't get it. Well, with it no longer in the chamber and not with them... UGH! So, this racket continues for some time as the machine tries with all its might to try to send the canister through the tube to the teller. Still nothing. Well, then, smoke starts to pour out of what I can only imagine to be the motor on this crazy contraption. The couple in the car two lanes over are starting to get nervous and give an eye witness report of what was going on... as if all the tellers' noses weren't pressed to the window gawking at this nutso scene... Well, then, the smoke gets thicker and starts boiling out of every crack and crevice the machine has to offer, apparently even filling the tube that travels into the bank. Well, that was my signal to pull up and away from this thing before it burst into flames in my face. A teller and the manager came running out and try to communicate the same way I was with the tellers inside... hand signal showing billowing smoke coming from the machine. They asked me to come inside so they could figure out how to take care of me. The crazy drive-thru teller machine repair man was called in to seek out my deposit which I was assured will be recovered... good grief. Crazy start to a day, but if that's the least of my problems, I still consider myself exceptionally blessed.

Have a great day!
~Dewdrop