我們為海地祈禱

這幾天先生關注著海地的地震，今天（美國時間周六中午）又發生了4.5級餘震。目前，大約有近5萬人喪生。悲哉！   

對海地最初的印象是幾年前先生放給我看 Compassion International基督組織在海地拍的錄像，記憶深刻。中美洲的海地離美國弗羅裏達州並不遠，但卻是中美洲最窮困的國家，也是世界上最貧窮落後的國家之一。

加勒比海島國海地有著美麗的海景，藍綢般的海域，但海地的曆史悲苦而動蕩。海地曾經是印第安人居地，1492年哥倫布發現海地島後，西班牙人蜂擁而至，並從非洲運來黑人充當奴隸，海地一度成為黑奴進口港。1697年海地落入法國人之手。1804年，海地獨立，太子港(Port-au-Prince)成為首都。獨立後海地內戰不斷，政府腐敗。海地居民大部分是黑人和黑白混血種人，官方語言為法語。

錄像拍到海地貧困的居民，破爛不堪的民房、貧瘠的土地、孩子們在陰溝邊玩，渴了就喝陰溝裏的水。75% 人生活在貧困線以下，80% 的海地人是文盲。而周邊國家，尤其是美國不斷的讚助，常常被腐敗的政府貪汙去，導致海地少數的富人愈富，窮人愈窮。為了改變這個局麵，Compassion International基督組織在海地建學校，鼓勵美國基督徒們讚助海地孩子讀書，通過教育，讓孩子們學習技能，幫助自己，更幫助家人或社區。 

兩天前傑明通過Compassion International基督組織對海地作了捐助，今天我們再為海地的地震救助和海地人祈禱。

 

  We pray for Haiti... May Lord comfort the people...

 （圖）：海地地震後的房屋，遠處是碧藍的加勒比海

圖片來源： http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/01/13/article-1242929-07D9251D000005DC-556_964x640.jpg  

    傑明還向孩子介紹了"Judgement Day" 這首以海地首都太子港為背景的歌曲，輕舟每次聽了，都很震撼，歌詞大意是：太子港的貧困區，大雨瓢潑時，無家可歸的人睡在泥濘裏，很多孩子在垃圾堆邊找食物，因為饑餓，很多孩子夭折。這些貧困人的臉，我無法忘記。。。而同時有豪華遊輪經過太子港，遊輪裏的人遊客享用著豐富的自助餐，岸邊的海地人卻如同鬼魂一般愕然注目地盯著。短短的距離，卻是截然不同的兩個世界。詞曲作者Randy Stonehill 也是歌手，他的歌曲被Compassion International基督組織選用，旨在喚醒美國富人，讓他們多一些同情心，多幫助海地的窮人。

Judgement Day
詞曲/歌手：Randy Stonehill

In the slums of Port-au-Prince
When the rain comes pouring down
The homeless people sleep on the
  muddy ground
And the children die so young
'Cause there's not enough to eat
When their only food is the garbage
They have found

I just can't get their faces
Out of my mind
No matter how hard I try
And I realize I must never forget
There, but for fortune, go you and I
I just couldn't believe my eyes
And I wanted to cry out loud
Can't you see there will be
A terrible price to pay
On Judgement Day

The cruise ships painted white
Are anchored in the bay
The tourists fill their plates from the
  lunch buffet
And the people on the shore
Gazing up like silent ghosts
Are doomed within a life
That is worlds away

關於Compassion International基督組織讚助孩子讀書的介紹：

來源：http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_500e53690100e1t0.html

傑明在教會作鼓勵美國人讚助貧困孩子的演講時，引用了聖經的一句話：“From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. (Luke 12:48b) 因為多給誰，就向誰多取；多托誰，就向誰多要." 他還用了一個很形象的比喻：夕陽下的海灘，潮水退後，無數的海星 （Star Fish）被推到岸上，一位老人彎腰拾起一枚又一枚的海星，不停地將它們投擲到海水裏，一旁的小男孩不解地問老人：“岸上的海星這麽多，你如何救得過來？”老人彎下腰，拾起腳邊掙紮的海星，扔向海裏，對孩子道：“我無法救所有海星，但是，我確實救了這隻，它得以幸存，我改變了這隻海星的命運（I made a difference for this star fish.）" 貧窮本不是孩子的過錯(Poverty is not children's fault)，若給孩子接受教育的機會，孩子的智力，潛能方得以開發。Compassion International與普通救濟或救災不同的是，救濟或救災能夠緩解一時，然，“授人魚不如授人以漁”，通過讚助孩子教育和醫療，並讓孩子參加所在社區的基督教會主日學活動，了解神的大愛。身量，學識，靈性並重地成長，成熟，孩子長大以後找到工作，可以幫助家人和社區，對改善貧困社區的境況，起良性循環的功效。

今天的新聞：

來源：http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,583172,00.html

Aid and assistance slowly made its way to Haitians left without basic necessities by this week's earthquake, though relief efforts were further complicated by aftershocks and the threat of looting and violence.

A magnitude-4.5 aftershock shook the capital of Port-au-Prince shortly before noon Saturday, raising new fears of damage. Rescue crews continued to work to free people believed trapped under rubble, while others carried out the grim task of disposing of the countless dead.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton landed Saturday in Haiti to meet with President Rene Preval, and the U.S. is sending more food, water and relief supplies. But it wasn't clear when that and other aid will reach all those in need.

"We are here at the invitation of your government to help you," she said at a news conference at the Port-au-Prince airport. "As President Obama has said, we will be here today, tomorrow and for the time ahead. And speaking personally, I know of the great resilience and strength of the Haitian people. You have been severely tested. But I believe that Haiti can come back even stronger and better in the future."

Clinton's remarks appeared designed to counter any notion of a too-intrusive American involvement in the aftermath of the quake, while also assuring Haitians the humanitarian mission would continue as long as it's needed.....

......

Clinton on Friday cited a "race against time" before anxiety and anger create additional problems. Relief workers warned that unless supplies are quickly delivered, Port-au-Prince will degenerate into lawlessness.

The U.S. Southern Command said it now has 24 helicopters flying relief missions — many from warships off the coast — with 4,200 military personnel involved and 6,300 more due by Monday.

The Red Cross estimates 45,000 to 50,000 people were killed in the earthquake. While workers are burying some in mass graves, countless bodies remain unclaimed in the streets and the limbs of the dead protrude from crushed schools and homes.

Haiti's government alone has already recovered 20,000 bodies — not counting those recovered by independent agencies or relatives themselves, Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive told The Associated Press. He said a final toll of 100,000 dead would "seem to be the minimum."