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February 24, 2010

It might not be all that significant unless you know me or my friend Beth, but I love all the stories that this snapshot tells, all the small symbols it captures of an enduring friendship:

*A connection made in graduate school. Some strong bonds are made when you survive English T.A. boot camp together.
*Two English nerds who get a rush out of writing and editing and smart communication and (okay, let's be honest) geeking out on grammar and punctuation.
*A kitchen table, where the best work and the greatest conversations are sparked.
*A friend who labors nonstop to spread humanitarian relief across the Caribbean, and especially now to Haiti.
*An afternoon we both spent working on Nazarenes Help Haiti, a Web site where tons of content -- from news to video to photos to links -- on earthquake relief can be found.
*An iPod remote, 'cause how could you cope without the perfect mix?
*An artist's lovely painting of a cup of coffee, the goodness that fuels us on long nights and prods us awake on early mornings.
*A vase of flowers, a gift of beauty amid too many reminders of pain and rubble.
*A baby's jacket, a symbol of new, giggling, sweet life.

January 13, 2010

My attention today, as with many around the world, is on Haiti and its earthquake victims. I spent some time last night with friends looking through photos of our trip there in March.

Here's my shot of the Haiti Presidential Palace. Though just a building, its destruction is emblematic of the enormity of a crisis in which thousands are feared dead and many more thousands face real dangers moving forward.

Below is what it looks like today.

I realize that attention will soon (not too soon!) turn to other crises of a 24-hour news cycle. But I hope that some people will remain focused on Haiti tomorrow, and the next day and the days to come. Haitians lived on literal precipices of life before this earthquake, and I can barely imagine what those needs will be now. There are many relief groups already doing great work there (as Rex points to on his blog), but I have to give a personal plug to a faith-based organization called Nazarene Compassionate Ministries and its Caribbean Emergency Fund. Giving to the Caribbean Disaster Response fund enables people on the ground to provide immediate basic necessities such as food and water and, eventually, continue in the reconstruction process of homes and lives. Corruption is a serious problem in Haiti, but I can vouch that if you donate to this group, your funds will be used immediately as well as wisely and with integrity.

April 14, 2009

I'm still processing all the lessons learned from my recent trip to Haiti. Five of us Nashvillians traveled there to visit friends, find out a little more about the country and help out where we could. Don't get me started talking about how much I loved the journey. Just count yourself lucky all I'm doing here is posting a few pics.

Here we are after cleaning out mud from a school in the Gonaives area struck by September 2008's devastating hurricanes. After initial shyness, several of the village kids helped out in a big way and taught us a few things about swinging shovels.

We re-roofed a house damaged in those same storms. (And yes, believe it or not, there are shots of me successfully using a power saw without harming myself or others. In a skirt, no less.)

We met adorable children, who laughed at our bungling attempts to speak Creole. And while entertaining said children (one day, they numbered 300!) with tons of balloons, bubbles and soccer balls, we, by necessity, learned how to speak their language a little bit better.

Yes, we witnessed some great needs in Haiti. But we came away with memories of a lot more beauty than we ever expected.

To learn more about the work of the Haiti Water Project, one of the efforts we witnessed making a big difference in the everyday lives of people, take a minute to watch this video.

Jamie Roberts

Editorial Director

o: 615.690.3406

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