Prayers in the dark

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I was awake from 2-5am for no real reason at all.  I just woke up out of a dead sleep, and my eyes stayed open for three hours.

I tried all sorts of things – reading, watching a movie, thinking about boring things, tossing and turning, changing the temperature, changing my blanket situation, moving out to the living room for awhile – but nothing worked.  Thoughts were racing through my head – stress, mostly, I think.

I had a lot of heavy things on my mind last night – Haiti being the biggest.  I’m a bit slow on the uptake, not having a TV; I knew that Haiti had been hit by an earthquake, but I had no idea the actual extent of the tragedy until I started reading articles and watching CNN.com videos last night.

If it hadn’t been for chemotherapy, my parents and my sister Sarah would have been in Haiti right now.

Sarah spent last summer working with Mission of Hope in Haiti, and fell in love with the people.  The plan had been to take my parents back with her in January – right now.  It’s a sweet mercy and a complete mystery why things happen the way they do.

These were the kids whose prayers were mine last night.  It’s important for me to see their faces.

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haiti

wendolyn

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7 Comments

  1. Tim on January 14, 2010 at 12:05 PM

    “It’s a sweet mercy and a complete mystery why things happen the way they do.”

    Sweet mercy indeed

  2. Greta on January 14, 2010 at 1:25 PM

    Oh man… to be honest, I’ve been trying to avoid really considering the Haiti earthquake and its aftermath. But this blog convicts me and reminds me of lines from my own song:
    “Maybe we’re all the lazy angels
    We know what needs doing, but don’t awake
    This is a war for truth and justice
    But it’s easier to look away.”

    I had been looking away. Thanks for showing me their faces Annie.

  3. Jacklyn Johnston on January 14, 2010 at 1:42 PM

    Annie, I have recently started running with East Nasty and was rooting around on their site and stumbled across your blog. I’m really glad I did :) I’m right with you, I see the images on the tv but that almost keeps me at arm’s length. It hasn’t really hit home you know, I feel sorry but just go on with regular life…I hate that tv makes us so numb.

    These pictures and the faces are amazing. It really brings it home. Thank you so much for posting.

  4. Tad on January 14, 2010 at 2:52 PM

    I was scared to death Tuesday afternoon, when I got a text that the earhquake had it. There is a team from the UPC Young Adult Ministry in Haiti as we speak. It turns out they are in the far north and therefore safe, but I was truely affraid for the first time in a long long time.

    Now I hope that god will use them in a special way to come along side of the Haitians. There are some gifted engineeers and nurses/first aid trained people on the team.

  5. Lyla on January 15, 2010 at 2:31 AM

    Ugh! Things like this are so hard to wrap my brain around. I’ve been reading the headlines as I wait for buses but I’ve tried not to think about it because it hurts to try to comprehend how intense, terrifying, and sorrowful things are in Haiti the past few days. Thank you, Annie,for writing your blogs so beautifully and sharing those pictures. Made me lose my shit for a minute… but that’s what I needed.

  6. Heather on January 16, 2010 at 7:53 PM

    TJ (the hubby) has gone to Haiti multiple times with the Colorado Haiti Project and it totally torn up right now. He would be there in a heartbeat if he could. I am so completely heartbreaking for the people of Port au Prince and then all the outlying villages who rely on the city for everything. Thanks for sharing those pictures too.

  7. grayquill on January 18, 2010 at 7:51 AM

    I came your way via Molly Hightower’s blog. Your pictures are beautiful! I am so glad your family is safe and I hope the treatments are going well.
    May God Bless!

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