Standing in front of her well-stocked pantry, Lacy wondered what she should fix for supper…would it be chicken potpie, meatloaf, leftover turkey (no-they were all tired of that) or the pork steaks she’d just bought?
At the same time in Haiti, Rosemarie sat by the fire in her outdoor “kitchen” and pondered the same question, what would she fix for supper? They ate the last of the meat 3 days ago. Since then they’d finished off what little rice they had. With a sigh, she peeled the remaining patat (a root vegetable similar to a potato) to fry and began to fix some cornmeal gruel. Hopefully the younger children would find it filling enough and wouldn’t notice the absence of meat or other vegetables. The older kids and her husband would, but what were they to do? The floods last month wiped out their crops so there was not only no food, they had nothing to sell in the market to buy more food. The older 2 kids would have to quit school because there was no money to pay for it after the first of the year. She shook her head - that was the least of her worries. The next crop harvest was months away. Food was the immediate need. Some of her friends were feeding their children dirt cakes [Made of clay, water, a dollop of shortening and a pinch of salt, they have no nutritional value, exacerbate malnutrition and are used only to dull the pangs of hunger.] just to fill their stomachs. She’d considered it when she saw them in the market Saturday. But she didn’t want to resort to that. What was she going to do?
Meanwhile Lacy began to cut the vegetables, set the table and get the steaks ready for the grill. She would fix the meatloaf tomorrow and put the cauliflower with it then she’d save the potpie for the weekend after their shopping trip to the mall.
Two mothers fixing supper, caring for their families, but worlds apart. Can we here in the US even imagine what life is like for the Haitian people? Since January 12 they have gone through a devastating earthquake, a deadly cholera outbreak and a flood producing hurricane. Three strikes yet the Haitian people are not “out for the count”. They are a resilient people. Despite all they have gone through in this year alone, they continue to cling to the Lord, they continue to put their hope in Him and continue to smile and somehow carry on. Despite their circumstances, they still greet you with a smile and hearty handshake. Wow! What an example for us!
Could you? Could I?
RMI is responding to the overwhelming need for food by providing food packets. These pre-mixed packets are rice based, fortified with vitamins and nutrients and have been scientifically created to help those suffering from scabies, malnutrition and other life threatening illnesses. Each packet serves a family of 6.
We need your help to get this food into the hands of needy, hungry families! For $25, a case of these food packets will feed a family for a month. That is 216 hot nutritious meals, less than .12 cents a meal. What better way to have an immediate, practical effect on a Haitian family’s life!
This is a great project to involve your whole family. Most of us can handle $25 for a case of food. Challenge your family, prayer group, Bible study, your deacons, pastoral staff, Sunday school class or church. How about your workplace? Can you get your favorite restaurant to put out a collection jar? Do you spend that much on Starbucks coffee in a week? How about feeding an entire family for a month instead? Your local Christian school can take on this challenge…kids helping to feed other kids!
Just $25 a case. You can do that! How about several cases? The need is immediate. Please consider how God would have you respond. Haitian families need you now! Don’t delay – donate online (www.rminet.org) or send in your gift right away so these meals can get into the hands of people who desperately need it.
Together feeding the hungry,
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