Talk-y, Talk-y...or...Do-y, Do-y

Recently, we worshipped at St Simon's on the Sound Episcopal Church, while visiting our son and his family in Ft Walton Beach, FL.  It is a beautiful church, right on the water -- right at sea level!  It has the traditional red front doors...a lovely church building with just as lovely people inside.

Johnny's neighbor across the street is the Rector of the church:  a warm and friendly man with a sweet wife and two daughters.  They have been very welcoming to our family, and it has been our pleasure getting to know them.  Mark did not preach while we were there, as he had invited an interesting 77 year old priest to deliver the sermon.  The guest preacher works with an organization which helps the Haitian people, and he is passionate about his calling.  He is a gifted speaker...quite eloquent...who cares deeply about the desperate needs of the people of Haiti.  He spoke right from his heart, with the gist of his message being:  "Don't just talk about the stiuation; DO something about it!"  It hit me squarely between the eyes, as it should have.  I'll never think about our Sunday there without thinking about "Do-y, do-y instead of just talk-y, talk-y."

It's more than coincidental that earlier in the week I had spoken with an old friend who is very active with another ministry among the Haitian people.  His primary focus is upon boys who have been living on the streets of Haiti; they can never be adopted, as they have no papers.  His ministry is called Grangou, which means "hungry."  They now house, feed, clothe, and educate 58 boys, ages 3-19.  It is quite an undertaking and life-changing for those innocent and deserving boys.  "Grangou" needs money and shoes and underwear and clothing for those boys, as it also provides water, medical attention and the gospel message in addition to the things listed above...such a worthwhile cause in the poorest of the poor countries.

Then, again more-than-coincidentally, I attended a funeral of an old friend in Norris, TN and got to talk with her children, four of whom  are doctors.  We studied Haiti in vacation Bible School when we were preschoolers, where David began a life-long love affair with Haiti and its people.  After medical school, he lived there, where he ministered to the needs of the people medically and spiritually, as he is also an ordained priest.  He married a beautiful Haitian woman and spent many years there, working as an infectious disease specialist.  I thought it was so interesting that I would have the chance to once again talk with someone intimately involved with Haiti:  the third person in just over a week.  Add to these our friends who have been there on mission trips, those who have adopted Haitian orphans, and the many efforts we read about and/or see on the news.  These are front-burner needs, as near to our country as any country can be.  I get the message, Lord, and I want to help.

How can WE plug into these efforts?
We can pray...we can give...we can go...we can support missionaries and ministries with our tangible assets.  These constitute "do-y, do-y!"  We can talk up the efforts...we can encourage others...we can spread the word about the many needs we become aware of:  "talk-y, talk-y!"  We need to do both, as it can make such a difference in the lives of folks who just cannot make it on their own.  Haiti has  much devastation, very little fresh, running water...very little sanitation...very little infrastructure...no public education...and millions of orphans.  We have so much; they have so little.  It's a challenge to us all.  Help us to know how best to help, and we will do it.