HAITI ON MY HEART

Tonight is another one of those nights when I can't seem to think of anything to write here except to repeat the three words that have needed to be repeated far too often in recent years:

Pray for Haiti.

I keep thinking about the missionaries who have been kidnapped and how fearful they must feel moment to moment. God have mercy on the children involved, especially. 

The ransom has been set at $1 million per captive. And although each life is worth immeasurably more than any dollar amount, the simple truth of the matter is that the experts strongly discourage paying any sort of ransom in these situations. 

Many mission agencies have their missionaries sign an acknowledgment before leaving home that if they ever should fall victim to kidnapping, the agency will not pay ransom in any circumstances whatsoever. I don't know if that is the case with CAM, but Melissa and I certainly had to sign such paperwork for OMS.

But my phrase is "Pray for Haiti" because what these missionaries are going through is a subset of all the horrifying troubles across the nation. There are others who have been kidnapped in country, of course. Haitian men, women, and children. There is the unsettled matter of the President's assassination and the incredible political instability it has fostered. There is widespread starvation and fuel shortages and rule by ruthless gangs. 

And no rational reason for any Haitian to believe any of this will get better any time soon.

Pray for Haiti.