Clorox

This has been a pretty exciting week for Haiti! I'm not sure how much news has gotten back to the States about the Demonstrations in Les Cayes. Protesters have attacked the UN and so far we know that at least 5 people have died (but I'm not sure which side the dead were on). Here's what we've heard from Rod and Debbie Wray, missionaries in Cayes:

All around our area of Cayes there have been roadblocks and tires burning since early yesterday morning. Here is part of a newspaper article;

Demonstrators angry over Haiti's rising cost of living
attacked a United Nations peacekeeping base and looted
food shops in the south.

About 5,000 people demonstrated in the southern
peninsula city of Les Cayes, where protesters chanting
slogans against President Rene Preval attempted to set
the UN police base on fire and stole rice from trucks
as Haitian police stood by helplessly.

This is a picture of one of many roadblocks which were blocking the road to the Cayes airport.

The U.N. are trying to restore order, but not having much success.

The Haitians are very upset at the huge increase in prices over the past few weeks. A small sack of rice has gone from $20.00 U.S dollars to $35.00 U.S dollars in two weeks. A 20 foot length of 1/2 inch rebar has gone from $7.00 U.S to $12.00 U.S in the past three weeks. Both diesel fuel and gasoline prices have increased and just about all other items have increased in price also.

The starvation here has reached new levels with the cost of living increasing so dramatically. When I see people for medical problems, I will sometimes ask if they are getting enough to eat or if they have been able to eat and I've been surprised that the answer is always yes, especially if the person is severely underweight. I just found out today that I've been committing a major faux pas by my question or even talking about food. RaeLeen was telling me that to admit to being hungry here is a VERY shameful thing (comparable to discussing having an STD in the States). Instead of discussing hunger, people out here have started talking about 'Clorox'. What they mean by this is their stomachs are burning with hunger just as they would burn if they drank clorox. I've been here nearly a month and I still can't even get my mind around the misery people live with.

One reason the people are striking out against the UN is that they're supposed to be here to help make things better, but instead they have stood aside as the situation grows more desperate. When I was down here in 2006, we came across the scene of a bus accident. There were nearly 100 people needing medical attention and three empty UN trucks passed the scene without slowing down. A friend of the Bustins said that in Port Au Prince UN soldiers stood by as a girl was raped. The stance of the UN has been that they are here as 'peace-keepers' only and as such they observe and do not interfere. The people aren't standing for it anymore. David thinks that after a couple of days the Haitian government will respond by lowering prices some but with international prices increasing, they might not be lowered much.

Everyday more and more people have been showing up for medical attention, some with minor aches and pains, but a lot with true medical issues. I've struggled in the past with feeling so inadequate to meet all the needs I see, and I sometimes have to fight that feeling off during the times when all I can do is offer a little Tylenol to ease pain for a short time. This morning I read II Cor 12v.9: "And He said unto me, 'My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." What an encouragement this is. God is going to accomplish through me what He wants to, and it's going to be His strength, not mine. I just have to keep serving the people he puts in front of me. We do whatever we can to help but even if I could provide for all the material needs of everyone I see, it wouldn't make an eternal difference unless God changed their hearts as well. Haiti is the way it is because of a long history of corruption and rebellion and it won't change until the hearts of its people change.