Churches, groups worry about members missing in Haiti

This Tuesday the country of Haiti was hit by a massive earthquake, devastating the infrastructure there, killing thousands, and injuring many more. It is estimated that 45,000 Americans were in Haiti at the time of the disaster, many of them visiting or working there, many on behalf of churches, and many have yet to be heard from. Family and friends back in the U.S. attempt to stay optimistic as they wait for news. A two to three day lag in communication is common after natural disasters, but anxiety is rising as time passes with still no word. Stories of rescues and survival are beginning to spread, however. Two American missionaries were pulled from the rubble of their house after more than 11 hours buried in rubble. The parents of one of the missionaries said "It's a beautiful country, and they're a beautiful people, and they need a lot of help right now...Our baby is safe, but there's so many babies that aren't safe." Their daughter doesn't
want to leave Haiti in its hour of need. Many groups have been accounted for, but several have yet to be heard of.

Natural disasters are so horrific, and terrifying since there is almost nothing that people can do do predict, prepare, or prevent them. Haiti is one of the poorest nations in the world, and so it seems terribly unfair that after all their struggles there is only more devistation. I hope that these Americans are found safe and well, but I agree completely with Olivia when she says that sometimes it seems like Americans feel like they are "more worth saving." There is so much news coverage of the 45,000 Americans in Haiti, but what about the millions of Haitians? The people who are truly suffering are the natives of this destructed land. Does it not matter that thousands more of them are in mortal peril, buried under rubble, or fighting for their life in a hospital? No one cares about them because they are poor, and foreign. We should care that Americans are safe, but we should care even more about the well-being of Haiti. Haitian lives are just as valuable as American ones. Wealthy nations now must band together to restore Haiti so that it and its people can recover, and have a better future.

Check out Olivia's blog on the same topic here.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/01/13/haiti.missing.americans/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29