Blah

I'm sad today. Matt's been gone to Florida for a conference and my mom was here, which was great, but she left today. I miss him very much, and now I miss her too. One of Matt's cousins was killed in a car accident earlier this week and he's staying in Florida until tomorrow morning so he can be with family tonight. It's very sad - Matt's cousin was only 17 and I know his family is devastated.

I'm also upset about the earthquake aftermath in Haiti. I went to Haiti the summer after my freshman year in college and the poverty is unbelievable. It's one of those places where there is little to no hope. For most Haitians, there is no chance of escaping poverty. There is little access to education and the land is not ideal for farming. Unfortunately, Haiti also suffered from decades of corrupt government. As I've been following the news coverage, I read a quote that said the people needed food, clean water, and tents. And I thought, they needed that before now. Now, a people that were suffering before have to deal with the same old problems that plagued them, as well as destroyed buildings, lost family members and friends, and, tragically, dead bodies - with almost no infrastructure to make a difference.

I hope that some good, some lasting change will come out of this. I am disappointed by the ignorant, irresponsible, and mean-spirited comments of Pat Robertson and Rush Limbaugh. But I am hopeful and thankful that people seem concerned, that money is being donated and aid is arriving. Tomorrow, I'll be giving to special offering at our church that will go to Baptist groups already on the ground in Haiti, providing relief and hope in the name of Jesus Christ.

I wanted to post pictures of a certain cute toddler and Christmas #2, but that doesn't seem appropriate for my mood. Today, I'll spend her naptime praying and quietly doing chores, and tomorrow maybe we'll talk about some fun stuff.