Today is the Day

Today is another day. Today is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. Today was a better day in a lot of ways.

Today, I spent the day working with the missionaries I am staying with as they help with the construction of several houses for people near by. We helped with the building of one particular house today that was just down the street. The woman who lived there had a home, or what was barely a few pieces of scrap metal and poor bricks thrown together. During the earthquake, her shack was destroyed. She is a local school teacher.

Her and three other families are having brand new homes constructed out of block over the course of two weeks by this team that is staying in the same complex we are. Today, I offered my help in whatever way they needed. I spent the day working on mixing concrete, moving block and sifting sand. We worked from 8:30 in the morning to 6:30 at night with only a 30 minute break for lunch. It wasn’t too physically demanding, as we paced ourselves.

At the beginning of the day, there was only a foundation and a concrete slab laid down. By the end of the workday, we had walled the entire building about 6 feet high with block. The building measures 11 feet by 13 feet. I praise the Lord that we have the chance to make a huge difference in the life of this lady and be able to share the love of Christ in this way.

Yesterday, I was speaking with one of the other women on the compound here, and they were talking about a child that they saw. There is a little boy, maybe four or five years old that lives on this street. His mother has abandoned him and from what we hear, his father doesn’t want him and won’t support him. They had found the child just walking alone on the street. He has a large burn on the bottom of one of his feet that they had attended to. They were talking about this child and what they should do.

They saw this child again today, walking on the street alone. With permission from the father, who really doesn’t care, the women who are staying here took the child in for the day. They gave him a bath, re-dressed his foot, and fed him. I had a chance to look at the child…  I don’t know his name… he is extremely malnourished right now. He has been tremendously under fed since the earthquake and is nearing the point of starvation.

My heart is torn for this child. There is very little that this team currently here is able to do for him. He needs urgent help, and there is so little that we can provide beyond helping during the time we are here. It is a concern that anything given to the father for the child would never be given to him. His father from what we know, does not care for this child’s life. At this point, it is unlikely there is a place for him to be taken in as an orphan too. There are more orphans roaming the streets than you could ever try to count. There seems like so little at this point that can be done for him. 

I don't have a picture of him, but I will try to get one. Please be praying for this child. Pray that the Lord would provide for him, and give him a place where he can be cared for. He is in the Lord's hands.

I am doing good today. At this point, I have moved past grappling with what the Lord has not enabled me to do, and have set my mind on all the Lord has provided for me to serve here in Haiti. While there are so many situations that I just don't have the means to help, I know that God is in control. He can provide for their needs. I will do all I can to support each person I see with a need, but for so many of them, I can only pray and encourage them in whatever way I can. If that is what the Lord has enabled me to do, then it is obviously enough for me.

Thank you for your prayers and support. I do have one more prayer request. There is a massive fuel shortage in Port Au Prince right now. There is literally no gasoline within 50 miles of the city... none at all. We had planned to go to Cap Haitien tomorrow but the Lord has said He has other plans. We will be in Port till at least monday as of now. I don't know what is going to happen. I just know whatever happens, the Lord will provide. I am safe where I am and the mission that I am at originally planned on me staying a week here anyway. There is plenty to do here too. Just be praying as well that we would be able to get gas in the next few days. The city is supposed to get some on sunday. 

Thank you again for your prayers and support. I wish you all a good night (or day) and a great day to come tomorrow. Just know... this is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. Let us not waste today with anything else than the love and message of Christ, for you do not know if today would be the last day before the Lord's coming. Thanks for all your support. 

-Garrett Luck