The Beds Arrive!

Finally! The shipment container full of 44 beds arrived a couple weeks ago. Up until now patients have been sleeping on army cots. It was quite a momentous occassion for Nathan because he has spent the last 3 months trying to get the beds out of port. He jumped over one hurdle after another trying to get them released. The process was quite tedious and certainly not straight forward. Everyone seemed to be waiting on paperwork from someone else. Finally Nathan thought that he had every piece of paperwork signed and went back in to find out why they weren't released and the guy at the desk handed him another piece of paper stating that they had changed 1 word on the other copy that he had already got signed, so he would have to go back and get everyone's signature again! Of course Nathan was more than ticked, but he had to do it anyway.

No wonder the rebuilding process here in Haiti is going so slow. There are valuable things just waiting in port to get to people in need, yet they just sit there. The longer they sit there, the more storage fees are acrued, so of course the port won't release them if they can get more money out of the deal.

What a mess it all is! It makes me realize more and more every day just how bad this world can be. Now more than ever I see why God sent a flood and why He will have to start over again. Not to be negative about everything, but this world can't be fixed. We can make it a little better here and there and make a difference for people that we interact with, but this whole world is a mess. Sin is completely destructive and its effects are devestating. The universe has concrete evidence that life apart from God ultimately leads to death.

Thank God that we have hope for the future. I saw a rainbow the other day and was reminded that God is faithful and that He will come through on His promises in spite of whatever circumstances we face. I think a good text that is a reminder of that is Revelation 21:1-5.

"Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth

for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away,
And there was no more sea.

Then I, John, saw the holy city, the New Jerusalem,

Coming down out of heaven from God,

prepared  as a bride adorned for her husband.

And I heard a loud voice saying,

Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men,

and He will dwell with them, and they shall be

His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.

And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes;

there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying.

There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.

Then He who sat on the throne said,

"Behold, I make all things new."

-Amy-