haiti.

my heart breaks for that country. never before in my lifetime have i felt such an emotional attachment to the utter devastation of another country. i don't know why really. but i have cried so much this week, and it is all for haiti.

i don't know what to pray for.

i don't know what to do.

and it is hard not to believe our helplessness against the situation that just keeps mounting.

i read this article by paul farmer, a man who's ideas i just love. i appreciated the practicality and the clarity with which he writes. i don't know if his thoughts are the answer, but he knows more than i do that's for sure.

the link is below. I highly suggest reading it. It was the first hopeful and future focused article I have read.

but here are some highlights i thought were interesting:

"We cannot give up on improving coordination by dismissing important actors as unable to perform their function. The Haitian people, victims of yet another series of blows, are already helping one another, and many have built up informal networks to help their neighbors in need of food, water, or first aid. The Haitian attitude expressed in the saying, ``If there's enough for two, there's enough for three'' has no doubt saved many lives over the past 72 hours."

"Aid should be coordinated and conceived in a way that shores up Haitian capacity to respond. The planeload of surgeons mentioned above were responding to a call from the Haitian National University hospital. It should be noted that the leadership of that hospital (also surgeons) and the director of nursing have been at their posts for days. They are showing up to work even without the coordination and cash and supplies they need. Identifying such priceless local partners is important for many reasons related to relief and rescue, but it is most important for reasons related to recovery."

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/breaking-news/v-fullstory/story/1429930.html