My Tuesday picture of Haiti : Smile

This picture was taken on a beach outside of Jacmel. This young boy was walking around in the July heat with that Christmas hat on. I don't know where he'd found it, but he was obviously very pleased with it.

One thing we don't read much about in the news about Haiti is how its people are gifted with an indomitable sense of humor, and a profound joy for life.

A friend who is a doctor, and loves photography, took the picture below and posted it on his Facebook wall, a couple of days ago. (Merci, Jean-Robert.) It's the entrance of the camp that now covers the grounds of the Institution Saint Louis de Gonzague (where my husband did all his schooling.) in Port au Prince. "Welcome to Las Vegas," indeed.

Six weeks since the earthquake in Haiti, and the rains have come. Basic survival needs like water, food, shelter, medical care, sanitation and waste management continue to be at the forefront of the relief effort. But I also worry about the trauma suffered by so many people, especially children and teenagers. This organization Operation Safe (here) seems to have found a way to deal with that issue. I particularly liked the page on their website titled Eight Specific Ways to Pray for Haiti, (with a link to an update posted three weeks later), and the clear, practical, and informed way in which they approach the problems at hand.