I just returned from an incredible week serving the city of New Orleans alongside 21 other university volunteers. I couldn't help but continuously draw a parallel between the devastation seen there and that of Haiti.
It was so surreal passing through neighborhoods of crowded dwellings that couldn't be called anything more than shacks and seeing the instantaneous and abrupt transition to beautiful 2 story homes and city studios. I would have never imagined that 5 years later, there is still so much of the city that has not been able to return to normal. Driving through the city streets, water damaged houses and roofs still adorned every street. Many locations were still marked with bright red X signs signifying the building had been searched the days following Hurricane Katrina. Only 50% of students in public schools have returned and we even passed by 2 elementary schools that were still boarded up and untouched since the hurricane. One even had an announcement on its sign dated to August 2005.
Despite its still recovering condition, the city of New Orleans has such a distinct and lively culture that was evident even in the 5 days we spent there. Whether it was team memorabilia and billboards in support of the Saints "Who dat" nation or the hope and pride for the city itself- the spirit of everyone was so incredible and encouraging! All of the people we interacted with, from young adults to seniors, radiated with unbelievable pride and passion for New Orleans when they relayed that they had lived there all their lives or had just transplanted to N.O. since Katrina.
It made me wonder that if the people of New Orleans, a city in the U.S. (the 4th richest country in the world) could still be facing economic challenges and struggles 5 years later- then what will Haiti's (the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere) recovery from the January earthquakes look like? Almost 2,000 people across the Gulf Coast died from Hurricane Katrina while nearly 300,000 people have died from the Haitian earthquakes. Hurricane Katrina hugely affected the operations and life in a major city while the earthquakes devastated an entire country's government and population. Many people from the city of New Orleans moved away to begin life in a new town and haven't returned, yet the people of Haiti don't have the means to go anywhere. The current struggles of the city of New Orleans center around regaining lost business, tourism, and leisure. But with 80% of the population living under the poverty level pre-earthquake, I fear the struggles of Haiti will continue to be worsening issues of food, health, and shelter for many many years to come.
I thank God for the opportunity to serve in New Orleans and how it has began to prepare my heart and mind for what I will encounter in Haiti. My heart truly goes out to the people living in devastation I can't even begin to grasp or imagine. I am continuing to pray for a humbled spirit that will be able to just pour out God's love through service and actions during my time in Haiti.
The following verses have been really resounding over the past few weeks and I think really apply to my perspective about my trip in May.
"Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." -Matthew 6:1-4
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