I mentioned last week that my dear friend and colleague, Shelly Benfield, was volunteering with Midwives for Haiti at the time of the earthquake. Another friend and colleague, Michelle Duckworth, left for Haiti last Sunday with over 100 pounds of much-needed antibiotics and other medical supplies. She had to fly into the Dominican Republic and travel by bus for hours to finally make it to Haiti’s capital. You will find notes from both of them below.
So this week, more than anything, I appreciate SO much that my friends work tirelessly to bring HELP and HOPE to as many Haitian people as they can. They are my heroes.
I hope you enjoy reading what others are appreciating this week. And, as always, please leave a comment if you’d like to share what you are appreciating now!
P.S. If you would like to donate to relief efforts in Haiti, I have a few suggestions: Midwives for Haiti, of course, and Doctors Without Borders (http://bit.ly/6tCOkG) and Heifer International. Heifer is not a “first responder,” like Doctors Without Borders, but they have projects that provide families with farm animals and training. Donations to Heifer will help Haitian families recover in the wake of the earthquake (http://bit.ly/579YnG).
P.P.S If you have a few more minutes, I’d be delighted if you read another of my articles featured this week at Ginger Garner’s fabulous blog Breathing In This Life.
Ginger asked me to share one of my articles with her readers, and I was delighted to extend one of my favorites because it seems to fit perfectly with her blog’s theme of trusting one’s body. So — and this is one for the Annals of “You Can’t Make This Stuff Up” — as a graphic for the article, I sent her an iStock image of a woman doing yoga. She wrote me right back to say that the woman in the picture was none other than HER!
Ginger is too multi-faceted for me to offer a brief bio, but I have to include that she is currently chair of the Swansboro, NC Haiti Initiative and was involved in efforts to help the Haitian people even before the earthquake. Since last week she has been blogging almost daily about her efforts. She’s giving great suggestions for how you can help, too. I hope you will go to her blog and read about the amazing work that she does!
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Note from Shelly: Wednesday was a very eventful day and I know we did great stuff but it was also a sad day. We are so exhausted and dusty and dirty. We are tired and thirsty. But we have each other and we continue to do everything we can to help. There is so much to do. Please pray for us that we “do no harm” and that we make good choices.
- Shelly Benfield
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Note from Michelle: I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to be here. Haiti is very near and dear to my heart. When I saw the earthquake on TV the first thing that went through my head was, “How are my friends?” and my 2nd thought was , “How can I get there?” It has been an honor to be able to serve. I have witnesses some of the most profound acts of faith by the Haitian people.
- Michelle Sluder Duckworth
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I am grateful for stalks covered with bright red holly berries brightening up my desk! Found them on my walk, not too far from your house, actually, in a pile of cut branches. Treasures tossed aside, happy finder here. 
- Damaris Pierce
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I appreciate so much right now Stacey that I normally take for granted (returned from a month volunteering in Africa yesterday). Just a few things include paved roads, safe tap water, running toilets, clean feet, hot showers, fast internet, & available education for our children. I also truly appreciate the opportunity I had to work with orphans, nursery school students, and a women’s empowerment organization during my stay. The spirit and smiles of all the people I met were truly uplifting.
- Laura Griffin
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My gratitude list has been very long as of late. Today I am appreciating the huge amount of love given to me freely from family and friends, the rainy grey sky giving off the gentle light through the windows, the women in my life to inspire and urge me to reach deeply and live big with authenticity and the kitties curled on the back of the chair where I sit.
Hugs, Stacey!
- Amy Grimes
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Today I am appreciating Christine Kane, her wonderful way with words and her generosity to share so much with her peeps. I am in the middle of her Uplevel Your Life self study program and having many aha moments. For a peek at the aha moment that knocked me off my chair today, see my blog at http://ghentfever.blogspot.com . The universe continues to deliver and I’m working on exploring new perspectives behind new doors, new pathways to be able to see that. Thank you Christine!!
- Kathy Troidle Jackson
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I am appreciating everyone volunteering their time in Haiti. What a wonderful, beautiful thing. Thank you!
Thank YOU so much, Colleen for letting us know you appreciate this so much, too!