What can we do?

Yesterday we went and looked at house repairs that are needed in the Mizak area and in Shilo. This task is virtually endless, many of these homes were damaged in the hurricanes a couple years ago and now with the earthquake many of them are inhabitable.
Somehow – and I really can’t understand how the Haitians continue to survive through all the disasters. We went to one of the houses to get an estimate for repairs. I remembered this house well because the beautiful children were all here and there in the yard. Previously, we also sat with the lady and had some bread and coffee with her. She seemed delighted to have company and was grateful for anything we might be able to do for her and her family. As we looked at her house, I knew it was a replacement not a repair. The front wall of the house was bowing inward, looking as if it could fall in at any minute. The area by the roof was missing many rocks that had already fallen in. The family of 10 has been sleeping in a little 4 man tent since the earthquake that has holes and tears in it, next to the house. I just kept looking at the house and looking at the house, knowing we already had our 2 houses chosen that would be replaced this spring and we don’t have teams yet to replace more. I wondered how we could ‘fix’ something so that this family could have a home. I just didn’t know. I also tried and listen to the construction guys to see what they were saying, they were trying to figure out something too but kept shaking their heads and saying ‘pa bon’ (not good). Finally Paul turned to me and said, “What can we do?”. My heart sunk as I just shook my head and choked back tears. “I don’t know. This just breaks my heart because there are so many homes that need repairs and replacements. The house needs replaced but we already have our homes that are being replaced. I just don’t know” I said again as I shook my head. We continued to look and assess the situation and it is possible for them to just replace the one wall that is caving in and replace the parts of the roof that are leaking. And with these repairs they would be able to continue later with a replacing the rest of the home. The devastation in Haiti is overwhelming. I feel this way in the mountains and don’t even face the destruction that happened in Port-au-Prince. It is easy to ignore because it has left the news in the United States. We also ignore it because it is just too overwhelming, - How can we really make an impact? I agree – it is overwhelming and all too easy to forget, but you can help that one family with the 8 children sleeping in a tent for 4. Or the family of 8 that one of the women sleeps in a small pup-tent while her children stay with her mother. I know the list is endless but we have to start with one family and make a difference there. It is what we can do.