While I was traveling in Haiti last month as part of Community Covenant Church’s visiting team, our truck developed a flat tire. We went to a small shop in Port-au-Prince to get it fixed. We began a conversation – the kind we all have just to pass the time – with a man who worked in the shop and was waiting for another customer. In that casual discussion, I learned this man was on his way home from work to see his wife, children, nieces, and nephews when the January 12th earthquake occurred. Eight people were waiting for him to come home. He was the only survivor and now lives in a tent city.

I asked, “How do you do it? How do you go on?” His reply: “Life goes on, I have no choice.”

Later that day, we stopped at a tent city outside of Croix-de-Bouquet to check on some children we heard were not doing well. Men working with a homemade grinding wheel were trying to grind pieces of rubble into aggregate to build a home. I thought, “Don’t they realize the concrete was never mixed properly?” That’s why the original building collapsed. The new aggregate was sure to fail. But they had no choice. It was all they had and living under a tarp for nine months was no longer acceptable.

The leaders of the tent city approached us and after a brief conversation, they led us down the narrow walkways between tents to see the children we had heard about – twins, barely clothed. Their aunt begged us to take the children with us; their parents had been killed in the earthquake. She believed she had no hope of ever giving them a better life. She had no food or money, only children – giving them away was her best option. She had no choice.

Another little girl, with a distended stomach, climbed into the arms of one of our team members. She was hungry and had worms. But she didn’t cry; she just wanted to be held. Her mother stood at a distance watching. We were told she was hoping we would take her daughter to a home where she would be fed and receive medical attention. It was the only choice that made sense to her.

We departed, leaving the children behind and promising we would send food next week. None of our team chose to look at one another as we left.

In Petionville, the wealthiest community in Haiti, we agreed to meet a friend in front of the hotel by the town square. The area has become a tent city with hundreds of people jammed into the small square. We could not help but look between the tents into the desolate community. About 15 feet down the path was a naked woman bathing in a basin. Her children were sitting and talking to her as people passed by. I wondered how she could ever choose to regain her dignity as a woman after enduring such humility.

Up the road, a crowd of people waited by the woman’s prison. They were bringing their loved ones some food since the prison has few resources. We were told that families bringing food are required to eat some of it in front of the guards – to prove the food is not poisoned. People sometimes choose death over life in Haiti.

We received word that people in Artibonite were suddenly getting sick and dying. A friend received a phone call from his worried father saying that the problem appeared to be in the water. The well pump in his father’s village had stopped working the week before and people were forced to drink from the river. That night, he called to report that 14 people were vomiting and had diarrhea, but there was no way to get those who were ill to a medical facility. Later that night, we learned the disease was probably cholera. His father called back in the morning to report that two people had died in the night.

We provided money to purchase a new well pump and made plans for its delivery it the next day. That was when we learned the bridge to the village had washed out in the rains a few weeks ago – no vehicles could get through. So arrangements were made for horses to bring the pump there in a few days. It was the only choice we had.

Two months after the earthquake, the United Nations hosted a donor conference for Haiti Earthquake Relief. Many countries together pledged to give Haiti $9.9 billion dollars for relief and rebuilding, with $5.7 billion coming in the first two years.

Today, some 1.6 million Haitians live in tent cities – up from an estimated 1 million in January. Their choices are few and unimaginable. There is little evidence that the promises made by global leaders in March have been honored. Why would they pledge to provide relief money and then, as the challenge grows more difficult, choose not to honor their commitment?

In one of Jesus’ most penetrating parables, He illustrates the eternal consequences of our earthly choices.

"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'” (Matthew 25:34-40)

May we all ask God for wisdom as we face our choices.

Click here to watch a recent NBC Interview with Pastor Dennis.

Feel free to forward this article.