Webster defines a challenge as 1) “a demanding situation,” and 2) “a call to engage in a contest or fight.” As we consider the present situation of our brothers and sisters in Haiti, the concept of a challenge cannot be understated or minimized. As they deal with ongoing gang violence, a government that is at times non-functioning, and crushing poverty, Haitians often find themselves in a very demanding situation which more often than not resembles a contest or a fight.
On September 12, 1962, in Houston, Texas, President John F. Kennedy delivered what has come to be remembered as his “moon landing speech.” During his speech, the President announced plans to place a U.S. astronaut on the moon by the end of the decade, a challenge that many at the time considered to be an unattainable pipe dream, one that would be too difficult to accomplish. But in the words of JFK, “We choose to go to the moon and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard; because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept … and one we intend to win.”
As supporters of and donors to Hope for Haiti’s Children, we have made the decision to accept the challenge to join the fight to bring hope to the children of Haiti. But for some of us, the resolve to continue our commitment may be weakening as we begin to question whether or not the HFHC mission is still viable under Haiti’s currently uncertain times. For some of us, the elephant in the room is the question, “Why continue to invest in Haiti?” For those of us with doubts, let me state unequivocally that HFHC’s efforts continue to be effective for the children we support.
Our dedicated Haitian staff continues to work day in and day out to provide services to the children in our schools and orphanage. Through their ongoing efforts, these children are being educated (the only way to a better future), receiving the food they need to grow and thrive, and learning the most important lesson they will ever hear – of the love of Jesus and hope of eternal salvation.
Despite circumstances that often appear dire, the challenge of continuing our mission in Haiti is one we are willing to accept … and one we intend to win. As Paul tells us in 2 Timothy 1:7, “the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power …” There has never been a more crucial time for us to lean into the words of Jesus – “with God all things are possible.”