Lucy, You Got Some Splaining To Do

On January 12, 2010 the earth under Haiti shook and changed the city of Port-au-Prince forever. A few days later a shaking began in the foundations of my world and I suspect it has changed my life just the same.


People have asked me why the earthquake in Haiti touched me the way it did. After all, I wasn’t directly affected by having family or friends there. But, just days after the quake I began to see Facebook updates from friends about Dan Woolley and David Hames. Because I am a Christian I began to pray along with their families and friends. When Dan was rescued I rejoiced with his family and continued praying for David.

Over the course of four weeks I prayed fervently for a miracle. My heart was as full of David and his family as it was of my own family. I talked about them by first name. Several people mistakenly thought that his wife and I are friends. Truth is she and I have never met. I have never met David. Yet they are part of my extended Christian family and my life is now tied up in theirs. I wept tears of sorrow for the family when I heard David’s body had been recovered.

During the four weeks David was buried in the rubble in Haiti God worked in my heart. He showed me through this tragedy what Christian community is all about. He opened my eyes to how my love for Him should shape my life. He used the earthquake to break me down and take me out of my comfort zone. He shook the foundations in my life. The shaking brought down some of the unstable structures. Those structures weren’t physical; they were beliefs and habits that needed to be changed. God asked me hard questions. He wasn’t taking my pat catechism answers. He probed until I spoke the truth. It wasn’t pretty, but it freed me and caused me to truly examine my heart. I believe that God will continue to walk me down this path for many more miles. He hasn’t finished with me yet. I am going to take His hand and walk with Him.

I have learned through Facebook that David was an incredible man. He loved his wife and family intensely. He loved God just as immensely. David had a great sense of humor and kept those around him laughing. He was a support for his friends and family. He had a passion for helping orphans. He wanted to show God’s love to the world. He was well loved and will be greatly missed.

One of David’s friends wrote that we prayed for a miracle and it took us a while to realize David was the miracle.


Those close to the Hames family have set up funds to help the family and to continue David’s work for the orphans in Haiti and Swaziland. If you are led to help, please click the picture of David in my sidebar. The link will take you to a site to contribute.