I can’t add anything to this; just watch it: Dreams.

This is the coolest thing I’ve seen in a while.  When the earthquake hit in Haiti, a group of Marines and Special Forces guys heard about how badly people needed aid, so they threw together a team to go there and do something about it personally.  As we’ve seen before in Thailand and New Orleans and now in Haiti, the big relief organizations and governments just can’t move very quickly and precisely when something like this happens.  They’re like a barge: it takes a while to get it moving, but once you do, it can move a lot of stuff.  A small group of private individuals can’t deliver as much aid overall, but they can get specific help to the most critical places faster.

So these guys formed Team Rubicon and headed to Haiti, setting up base at a Jesuit mission that still had a working well with fresh water, so they could help get water, medical supplies, and other aid to people who needed it.  Because of attacks on aid convoys and the general lawlessness, their military experience was critical for the safety of themselves and the people they’re helping.  They all volunteered and paid their own way, so all the money that people have contributed to them has gone 100% to supplies.

Now that the big relief organizations are getting settled in and organized, Team Rubicon is getting ready to step out of the way, but it sounds like this effort has gone so well that they plan to keep the team together so they can respond quickly to future disasters.

Yes, I know I’m two days late, but I’ve missed this feature lately.

Gabriella Holding a Relic of the True Cross

For the past couple weeks, there have been nightly rosaries at St. Rose for Gabriella Deters, daughter of Jessica and Michael Deters, who I think is almost a month old.  She’s been in the intensive care unit at Children’s Hospital in St. Louis for most of that time.  I’m not privy to all the details, but apparently she came down with some very bad infection.  Three times now the doctors have said there was nothing more they could do, and it was just a matter of time before she’d be gone.  Each time she’s rallied back, and this weekend it seemed like the news was cautiously optimistic for the first time.  She’s not out of danger yet, though, so when you’re saying your prayers this week, you might want to include one for little Gabriella and her family.

Here’s the inspirational part: Jessica’s report as of Sunday morning.  It’s on Facebook, so I hope this link works for everyone.

Here’s a heartwarming story about a pastor in Texas who donated a kidney to one of his parishioners.  That’d be tough.  I could see giving one to a close family member like a parent or child, but beyond that, it’d be a hard decision to make.  After all, you can only do it once.

(HT: And Sometimes Tea.)

Here’s a story about a Texas couple, Deidrea and T.K. Laux, who found out the baby they were expecting had a rare DNA problem that probably wouldn’t allow him to live more than a few days past birth, if at all.  They decided to give him that chance and make the most of whatever time they had. Read more »

I usually don’t post on the weekends, because there are usually plenty of things going on, and when there’s free time, it’s best used for resting.  So I think on Sundays I’ll start posting a motivational or inspirational piece that I ran across during the week.  That won’t take an hour or two of writing and proofreading—I hope.

So here’s the first one.  It’s short and sweet, but a good reminder that we all face struggles, and that we can overcome them.  (Hat tip to Fallible Blogma.)