Yes, we have homeless and orphans -- we have widows even in our own church. However, there is so much available for those here in America. There are missions, programs, churches, and numerous shelters set up just to help those in need. We live in such a blessed and generous nation.
I don't think we remember sometimes how blessed we are when our house is not big enough, our car is old, our budget is tight and we have to eat beans with supper, we can't rent a movie at Blockbuster, we can't eat "out", we can't afford to spend money on some extra thing we desire or we have to wait and save for a vacation.
Doug Phillips of Vision Forum has been in Haiti for a couple of weeks now working with the orphanages there. He has sent numerous posts which have been provoking and some that have been heart wrenching. The one from his latest blog has bothered me deeply. We have no idea of poverty in America, we really don't.
It was a link to a news article with pictures not only from the article but from things Doug has actually witnessed there on the ground in Haiti. People are quite literally BUYING mud pies to eat. There is little food and what is available is too costly for people to purchase so they are purchasing and consuming mud pies. Some are made with a little oil and sugar mixed in but it is still dirt. The article said it is a practice that was not caused by the earthquake but has drastically increased since the earthquake with entire families eating nothing but mud.
I held my little ones yesterday after feeding them dinner --- not a fancy dinner and definitely not "high-class" by American standards. Homemade soup and homemade bread but I am so blessed to be able to feed my children something that will not only fill them but nourish them. I have NOTHING to complain about.
Here is a link to one of the stories:
www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jul/29/food.internationalaidanddevelopment
You can also see Doug's blog if you are interested at: www.visionforum.com/hottopics/blogs/dwp/
Please pray for the people of Haiti.
