Thinking about Haiti...and its LONG Struggle...and Pat Robertson?!?!

I have been thinking so much about Haiti and the people there as of late. I have been also reading up on its history and "forgot" how many difficulties Haiti has endured over the years (really, the past few HUNDRED years)....such as slavery, riots, floods, hurricanes, political strife, extreme poverty, disease, etc.I encourage you to read about Haiti's history - http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34831414/ns/world_news-haiti_earthquake/?gt1=43001. Very interesting to say the least...and it's near many vacation destinations and places where people have been on mission trips with churches, etc. (I was in Cuba during March of 1993 as well as in Ecuador in February of 1999 on mission trips...and to the Bahamas in August of 2007 on a cruise. I know MANY of you have been to the BVI's, Bahamas, and other places for vacations and mission trips too. You know what it's like to be there.)

I really do wonder if Haiti will EVER recover from this terrible earthquake. They're the poorest and least developed country in the Western Hemisphere. Eighty percent of the population live in poverty. (Reading these statistics is staggering...especially knowing where Haiti is, geography-wise.) They've already been through enough hell on earth....and this earthquake really did make bad matters worse. It's like one step forward and twenty steps backward for them.

My prayers are with them.

Also, did you know that less than 3000 people perished in the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks and less than 2000 people died from Hurricane Katrina in September of 2005??? Over 123,000 lost their lives in the December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and the death toll estimate for the Haitian earthquake is over 100000. Thousands die in wars across the world. I'm not discounting 9/11 or Katrina because those events did hit home, but it seems as though the United States really has been blessed and taken care of!! Something to think about.

Oh, this is a little off-subject, still not too far...what are some of your views about Pat Robertson and his comments about the Haitian earthquake? http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1953504,00.html. This disturbs me.

Talk about bad timing! It would've been like someone telling me at my Dad's funeral when I was grieving that it was tobacco which eventually killed my Dad...and that my Dad was taking a chance by smoking for years...even though he did quit. (There could've been some truth to that and yes, there are Biblical prophesies concerning earthquakes and the end times - http://ldolphin.org/quakes.html, but timing is the key for some things.)

There are also SO many Facebook groups and pages (some of them too vulgar and hateful) AGAINST Pat Robertson especially since he mentioned that the Haitian earthquake is a result of a pact the Haitians made in 1791 (well over 200 years ago) with Satan so they could be free of French rule. Just do an Internet search for more detail. It's crazy because I wonder if the California earthquakes were caused by a pact made with Satan back in the 1800's. I'm sure Pat Robertson would say so! The Haitians need our prayers and help, NOT our judgment in this day and age! Also, has Pat Robertson forgotten that many American Christians (serving as missionaries) did DIE in Haiti during the earthquake?