January 4, 2011 Tuesday – 7:29am (Eastern U.S. Time) – Cocoa, FL – Report submitted by Air Mobile Joe

Why would anyone miss Haiti?  It is dangerous, unpredictable, very dirty,  full of disease and the list goes on and on.  Good reasons for not wanting to go there.  Then why would I be missing it so?  It’s the people, especially the children that draw me and my family back again and again.  

It’s the little gardens planted in the tent cities among squalor and tattered tarps.  It’s the kids making a “soccer ball” out of old rags or making the “airplane flying movements” with their little outstretched arms when they see me ride up on my little motorcycle.  It’s the little shops that spring up everywhere selling cold drinks to frying plantains.  It’s the resilience to keep moving on in the midst of staggering and unbelievable destruction.

It’s also the depression that I often see creep into a community and begin to take it over.  The times when we can come in and bring even a little help, like blankets on “cold” and rainy nights or a little food for the very ill, the very poor and desperate ones among the poor and desperate.  By the way, this is my eldest son, Steve, in the photo with this little garden in Caanan II.

I could go on and on, but the bottom line is I can’t go back to Haiti for a while.  Oh, there are good reasons for this.  Must complete the move and finish all the “wrap up” details.  For now, I must patiently tend the business at hand and pray for our beloved Haiti from afar, though Haiti is never far from me or my precious family.  I am so thankful that my wife and children share this love for this desperate little country.  

Well, so much for reflections this morning.  Have to get to work and continue the “move” and work on details of supplies and Rescuers for our next mission.  God Bless and thanks for bearing with my meandering blog.  

Air Mobile Joe

PS – Today is my son, Christian’s birthday!  29 years ago today, Christian was born in Haiti.  Today, he is a fine young man, a loving father and good husband and truly loves the Lord.  I am very proud of Christian.  Happy Birthday son!  Dad