haiti is worthless?

Read this crazy email a friend here at Canaan received this week:

Dear Florence,

Tell your sister to immediately get out of there!! .... Haiti is an incredibly dangerous place. The authorities are corrupt and there is no end to trying to help these people who will do nothing to change their situation. I hope she gets home safe and directs her efforts and incredible kindness towards a more manageable result. A leader called "Papa Doc" was ruler of that place 40 years ago. Him and his son ran it with an IRON HAND !! Every one there seemed to take joy in being cruel. Goodness and kindness '"well intentioned people" sometimes are mis-directed.

Sally and Bob (names changed to protect their insanity)

life is more difficult here in haiti. i heard that said soon after arrived and, as i was putting my mosquito repellent on for bed last night, the thought occurred to me again. life is more difficult here. i can't go to the refrigerator for a glass of cold anything and I can't hop in my car and go to a movie or the store. to communicate outside of canaan, i use my "bit-e-bit-e creole" and a lot of hand signals to talk. to get on the Internet I have to wait for electricity. to take a shower, i turn the water on, get wet, turn the water off, lather up, and then turn the water on briefly to rinse off. walking is more difficult here too...everything is rough and rocky. No doubt....Haiti has been ruled by corrupt governments and there are no doubt many corrupt haitians too. (Though there may be more corrupt people in the U.S. though...we do have the highest percentage of people in prison in the world.)

But I've yet to meet the "cruel" people mentioned in the email. the people here are beautiful and sweet. I think Jesus loves these people a lot.

Joyfully "mis-directed,"

Mark