Praises to the King!

The world lost a great man yesterday. I can say that I never had the privilege to know "Big Dave" Bompart, but he reached through the tv and computer and touched the lives of so many of us. I first saw the story of his shooting in Haiti on tv. All I could think about were my dear Christian family members serving in Haiti and how they had just heard gunshots in their area just days before Dave's shooting. It made me start to think about the safety in the area and what God has in store for my friends and all those serving.
But as we all went through the week on Facebook and through the tv, we heard updates on Dave from his dear wife Nicolle. She poured her heart out and showed a faith so strong that it was contagious. Many of us watched videos of those worshiping in the waiting room as Dave clung to life and gave us a week to learn of his story and seek God's grace. Throughout this entire week, all of my prayers not only included Dave and his family, but also those non-believers who were hearing his story and were seeking answers themselves.
So, today, I wanted to be sure to send Praises up to the King and thanks for the extra week that Dave had on this Earth to touch other's lives in ways they never imagined. I was thinking about it last night and as I prayed and thought about sending condolences to the family, I also know that while it helps sometimes to hear we are sorry for your loss, sometimes all you really want to hear is Praise the Lord for your loss. I know that sounds strange to some of you, but as a Christian, I truly believe that it is a joyous moment to have a death of a believer. Mercy Me sings the song, "I Can Only Imagine" that talks about how we can't really know what that day will be like when we meet our Lord and Savior. We don't know what Heaven is like, but we can imagine how incredible it will be to be in the presence of our Maker. Big Dave is in Heaven now and He is so happy to be Praising his King and sending down Heavenly hugs to his sweet family and all those who have played a role in his life.
My thoughts are with  Nicolle today. I pray that God give her peace as he did Dave and that He shows her His will in her life from this point.
Rest in Peace, Big Dave.

Pain and Healing in Haiti

Photo courtesy of Waves of Mercy

Haitian earthquake survivor, 18-month-old Louvenda sits with her aunt in the home of a Waves of Mercy church family as she awaits medication to prevent infections from burns caused by the earthquake.

Photo courtesy of Waves of Mercy

Haitian earthquake survivor, 18-month-old Louvenda sits with her aunt in the home of a Waves of Mercy church family as she awaits medication to prevent infections from burns caused by the earthquake.

I want you to look at that little girls eyes. I want you to look hard at her and not feel something. If you don't feel something, then you probably shouldn't read further. I met Louvenda through this picture 2 years ago. I can barely stand it knowing that it has been two whole years since I fell in love with this beautiful baby. You see, there was an earthquake in Haiti. It changed lives forever. My friends at Waves of Mercy, an incredible group of missionaries who have made their lives caring for the already desperate Haitian people, were ones that were helping the earthquake survivors. It was my job, as a reporter to speak to them and bring their story  home. Here's the problem. I spent several hours talking to my friend Lori (who is now Conley btw ;-). Only to not write the story we had planned for the article. I got this picture and God started working. Everything I had written was deleted. I couldn't do it. I couldn't NOT talk about Louvenda. Her little eyes begged me to tell her story; to etch it in my own heart and others forever. Here is the story of Louvenda.

Local groups help earthquake survivors in Haiti

(by Kim Lunsford, Staff Writer - January 22, 2010)

Who will be saved? Mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles and complete strangers are making that decisions for families throughout Haiti. Louvenda is one of the children who became a victim of the Haitian earthquake.

Last Tuesday, the 18-month-old child was playing around the fire as her mother prepared dinner. Many Haitians do not have what some would call a normal kitchen. Outside the home, a little more than two feet off the ground, stands a round container resembling a crude wok filled with charcoal that is more like burnt wood than the briquette most Americans are used to seeing. Squatting around the pot centered in that wok, Louvenda's family began to feel the Earth tremble just as the other Haitians in and around Port au Prince. The pot tipped over onto the girl leaving her badly burned.

Louvenda's story continues as she is forced, like many other injured Haitians, onto a bus to be transported inland for either treatment or even death from their injuries. After a 12-hour bus ride into Port de Paix and passing out from the pain, the girl's fate was no more secure than it was when leaving the capital city.

Three busloads of homeless and hurt Haitians were delivered to the Port de Paix airport last weekend. In Haiti, it is the responsibility of the family that brings in the sick to feed them and pay for the necessary medications. Many victims have no family to pay for their care. They were just dropped off. In the care of her aunt, with no money and no medicine for treatments, the hospital turned Louvenda away.

Nobody wants the baby. They believe she will not survive the gangrene infection that would soon set in.

Nobody but Madame Diana and Papa Larry.

Larry and Diana Owens run Waves of Mercy mission in Port de Paix and have been in the country for 30 years taking care of Haitian orphans, street boys and widows in need.

After starting their original mission, Northwest Haiti Christian Mission, the Owens family began raising their children to know the work of a missionary. Today, while home base is in Versailles, Ky, there are two of their children as well as their spouses and their children who live and work in Haiti alongside them running the NWHCM. For their retirement gift to themselves, The Owens' created Waves of Mercy.

"They are no longer in Haiti helping, they are there living," said Lori Trousdale, director of programming and ministry at Amazing Grace Christian Church in Grove City, and their daughter.

In their outreach, they are reaching to the street boys and widows in the Port de Paix area of Haiti and their role is increasingly adapting after the tragic earthquake that has changed everything. Madame Diana and Papa Larry will be working in the hospital of Port de Paix. They will feed the injured, clothe them, and begin to make preparations for a home for well over 100 refugees.

They are providing shelter for Louvenda and her aunt and the Silvadene cream that helps neutralize the infection that might just save the girl's life.

Trousdale said this small mission is different than the other groups that are now going into Haiti. Rather than being a mission that takes out administrative costs, Waves of Mercy uses all funds to provide what local Haitians need.

This is the reason some local churches and organizations are getting involved, said Cindy Knehans, church secretary for Christian Assembly in Columbus.

"We wanted to make sure we were giving it to someone who was not eating it up with administrative fees," she said.

Christian Assembly is partnering with Amazing Grace Christian and other area churches, organizations and individuals to help aide the earthquake victims. Currently Amazing Grace Christian is gathering items to help the Haitians, not only through this hurdle, but the one that comes in six months from now when they are going to have more needs.

"When there is a need, that's what we are here for," Cheryl George of New Birth Christian Ministries said. "God has put it on my heart to do as many sheets as possible."

New Birth is focusing on the burial cloths the Haitians need to bury their victims. Their outreach ministry, Food for the Souls works to feed and help the homeless.

"Anytime there is a cry for help, we are going to step up and put our best foot forward to help," George said. "We are all family. We are all God's Children. We were put here to help."




This story went to print on the above date, January 22nd. I got news on the following Sunday that the day before the story went to print, Louvenda passed. I cried for her as if she were my own. I wept openly for the loss of such a beautiful little girl who was doing nothing wrong and was taken from this world way too early. But then I rejoiced because I know that God knew He would be holding her. He knew she would be coming soon to meet Him. I rejoice today knowing that one day I will meet this little girl in Heaven and tell her about the story I wrote for her in the final days of her life, the story that I cried over every last word as God gave me them to print. I rejoice knowing that God does wonders everyday and through the story of Louvenda, many in Central Ohio who read the story gave to Haiti and helped others who were fighting the same battle.
It's not over, people. There is still so much suffering and loss in Haiti. The poverty is so incredibly prevalent. The people of Haiti are struggling to survive, and the battle is still being waged. I ask those who are reading this to please consider those still in Haiti helping and pray. But more than that, give. They still need help. Consider the missions there. I know Waves of Mercy is always needing help, and with Big Dave struggling for survival right now, I am sure Eyes Wide Open International could definitely use help. There are others there that you may know of, but consider giving or at least visiting the websites above to see what you can do to help!!