Okay, so it's been brought to my attention that I was a complete A-hole concerning the situation in Haiti and the members' response to it.
I did more than just step on some toes. I insulted some.
For that, I sincerely apologize. [I mean that.]
I guess it was personal for me as my dad was one of many who went there to help. I am intensely proud of my dad.... as I'm sure most of you are about your dad.
I have never given out information here like my last name and stuff, for reasons you might not understand or even care about. But, I feel it's okay now.
My dad is the Rev. Jim Harris (of Salisbury, NC... not the one that shows up in google) and he has been a faithfull and dedicated servant of his Lord all my life. I'm sure you've never heard of him, but only because he chose NOT to go into the cable ministry when it was offered to him. He would have been great at it as donations would NEVER have gone for anything but a meager personal existence and the rest for outreach. I believe that, and KNOW IT for a fact.
Anyway.... he is retired now. Has done so several times, but keeps getting called back to some church who needs an inspirational shepherd to help them grow and minister to others. He's in his late 70's.
He had already agreed to be part of a mission group going to Haiti BEFORE the earthquake, to help a small community to feed it's people, and provide medical and spiritual healing to them.
With the earthquake, his mission changed.... but not his resolve. The hotel he was to stay in for the first two nights was destroyed, as was the road to the outlying village he was to go to. He would have been sleeping in a hut for most of the trip. As it turned out, he didn't even have THAT luxury. He slept on an air mattress mostly outdoors for the 10 days he was there. He didn't get a shower until the 3rd day... if you could CALL it a shower. The man is almost 80!
While Sanjay Gupta was reporting the lack of medical supplies, his team EACH took a whole suitcase full of medical supplies and carried a small backpack of personal supplies. They spent their own money in Santa Domingo for water and food to take with them for the refugees.
They only made it to the border, to a hospital that had not opened yet in the town of Jimani in the Dominican Republic. I don't have the link now, but if interested, you can google hospital / Jimani / haiti and probably learn all about it.
He told me that they didn't NEED to go into Port au Prince, because the people were coming to THEM! I think they went there one day, but mostly they supported this new hospital that had not even opened yet.
The first day they got there, he immediately asked the doctors if he could help the patients in any way. He was told to do whatever he could. He asked the first victim in the first cot if he could pray for them and was told absolutely, yes! At the second cot, a young man joined him to interpret for him. That young man never left his side after that until my dad "offered" him to the surgeons for their own needs for an interpreter. Another young man immediately took his place.
My dad prayed for each victim in that hospital for the next 12 hours straight without rest or food. After a short nap, because he was exhausted, he went back to his "misson." Besides praying, they also set up a "mess" and fed the people. And did much more.... for 10 days in the most grueling of conditions.
Since they were not actually IN the most devastated area of Haiti, they had rudimentary electricity, and in a nearby town where they went to buy water and supplies for the refugees, they found a store with a COKE cooler with a bad thermostat. The large bottles of Coke had frozen to some extent and had ice in them. He had never enjoyed a cold Coke more!
When an aftershock hit, the people fled the building even tho it was stable. A man jumped from the second story balcony and, though he had only minor injuries to begin with, broke his back in the fall.
I haven't seen all his pictures yet, but he told me about how the children played in the nearby creek to keep cool, almost oblivious to the devastation that had changed their lives forever. And he told me about how the deeply religious Haitians would break out into spontaneous songs of praise everytime an aftershock hit and they found they were still alive.
My dad is back home now, though the snow delayed his return, and he seems more alive than I've seen him in many years. And that is saying alot since he is NOT one to be slothfull.
I've included a few links to local stories about the mission if anyone is interested. The last one is to a station with some video of them at the airport before they left. My dad is the white haired man in the blue shirt and blue jacket in the middle. He is also the one praying at a cot in the bottom picture of one of the links. [As for the videos.... choose the one that is 1:47 long. It is the best one.]
He is refered to in one article only as "Harris." I found that interesting but not necessarily important. Kinda like calling me HOBO. :lol:
I sent some money with him to be doled out to anyone he felt really could make good use of it. I have also contributed to the Clinton fund. I don't care if any of the rest of you donate or not. Not my business.
I would only ask that you take a moment to care about these people. They really are resilient and religious people. They just don't happen to live in America.
From mission trip to relief effort in Haiti | Salisbury, NC - Salisbury Post
Wineka column: Baptists in on Haiti relief | Salisbury, NC - Salisbury Post
Local church members leave for Haiti - WBTV 3 News, Weather, Sports, and Traffic for Charlotte, NC-
thank you.
Hobo
Hobo helps Haiti
