Haiti's Enu Zizi? Ena Zizi: Any Way You Spell it, She's Quite a Lady

Before anything else:

From "Haiti quake appeal"
Caritas Internationalis (Caritas is "the Vatican's charitable organization". (Catholic News Service)

As if Haitians hadn't had enough to deal with: A 6.1 earthquake happened there this morning.

"...The U.S. Geological Survey said the new quake hit at 6:03 a.m. about 35 miles northwest of the capital of Port-au-Prince. It struck at a depth of 13.7 miles but was too far inland to generate any tidal waves in the Caribbean...."
(FOXNews)

The good news: This morning's quake may not have done all that much more damage.

The bad news: It's hard to tell, with so much of the country knocked flat by last Tuesday's 7.0 quake.

Ena Zizi, or Enu Zizi: Either Way, She's What Americans Call "Lucky"

I know: Lots and lots of people didn't survive the big quake, died before rescuers could get at them, or died a little later.

That's a tragedy.

I think I can be forgiven for being glad about the people who didn't die, though.

One of them's Enu Zizi. Or maybe it's Ena Zizi. "Ena" sounds more like a woman's Christian name in American English: and that's how the lady's name is spelled in the news here.


(from Catholic News Service's Photos on Facebook, used w/o permission)

On the other hand, Caritas Internationalis, the outfit whose rescue team pulled her out of the rubble, spells her name Enu Zizi. They're not Americans, not all of them, anyway. Caritas is headquartered in the Holy See ("the Vatican" for most Americans).

It doesn't matter much, except to folks who know her, how her name is spelled. The point is: as of a little earlier today, she's alive. Dehydrated, with a dislocated hip and a broken leg, but alive. (FOXNews)

Enu Zizi (Ena Zizi? like I said, depends on whose account you're reading) was - never mind. It's in the news:

"...Ena Zizi had been at a church meeting at the residence of Haiti's Roman Catholic archbishop when the shaking started, trapping her in debris. An ardent Roman Catholic, she said she prayed constantly. Zizi was rescued Tuesday by a Mexican disaster team that was created in the wake of Mexico City's 1985 earthquake.

" 'I talked only to my boss, God,' Zizi told the Associated Press. 'And I didn't need any more humans.'..."
(NPR)

There's a little more, from another source (which also used material from The Associated Press - I haven't found the AP story):

"...Ena Zizi had been at a church meeting at the residence of Haiti's Roman Catholic archbishop when the Jan. 12 quake struck, trapping her in debris. On Tuesday, she was rescued by a Mexican disaster team.

"Zizi said after the quake, she spoke back and forth with a vicar who also was trapped. But he fell silent after a few days, and she spent the rest of the time praying and waiting...."
(FOXNews)

The archbishop was killed: and it's likely enough that the vicar died, too. Quite a few people died in that earthquake - and are still dying.

Mexican Disaster Team: With "Caritas" on Their Uniforms

That Mexican disaster team? My guess is that the disaster team was, in fact, based in Mexico. I think that describing them as simply "Mexican" is a bit of an over-simplification. Quite a number of them had "Caritas" in big letters on the back of their jackets, though. (Caritas slide show)

It's natural enough for news services to write "Mexico" instead of "Caritas" - Lots of people have heard of Mexico. Caritas? Not so much.

Moving along.

Being Conventionally 'Spiritual,' Accepting Uncertainty

Anyway, Enu / Ena Zizi is alive.

Why?

Maybe it's just random chance. Maybe. Could be.

Then again, maybe not.

I think God is at work in Haiti. Also America, Malaysia and Zaire. And, that God is involved in what's happening in Haiti. And no, I haven't snapped and gone Pat Robertson.

Wanting Explanations, Accepting What Is

If Ena / Enu Zizi had been with one of the religious groups I was familiar with in my earlier years, her fellow-believers would have - likely enough - been talking about her rescue as a miracle (hallelujah!), showing (praise God!) how (amen!) there was A Reason (maranatha!) for her Miraculous Rescue (hallelujah!).

Maybe it was a miracle.

Lower the threshold, and every breath I take is a miracle. So is the snow outside. I thank God for all of the above.

As for why Enu Zizi lived, the archbishop and (probably) the vicar died - and why the confirmed death toll keeps rising? I don't know.

I - really - don't - know.

And that's okay.

I don't need to.

I'm not, thank God, responsible for keeping the world running.

Enu Zizi Prayed - Therefore She's Alive?

It's easy to assume that Enu, or Ena, Zizi lived because she prayed.

Maybe so.

On the other hand, 11-year-old Anaika Saint Louis died. Thanking God for life. "...'Thank you, God, because he saved my life,' she said. 'If I lose my feet, I always had my life.'..." (January 17, 2010)

Yeah, the 11-year-old girl lived - few a few more minutes or hours. Then, like I said, she died.

Thinking with my endocrine system, I could feel - deeply, sincerely - that (hallelujah!) Anaika Saint Louis's faith Saved Her. Then, on a whim, God let her die. I'm not gonna do that.

Or, I could concentrate on Ena Zizi and how her prayers saved her.

I could assume that Enu Zizi prayed enough, or the right way, or something: so she lived. And Anaika Saint Louis didn't.

I'm not gonna do that, either.

People Pray, and Live; People Pray, and Die

Most of my prayers are fairly routine affairs: thanking God for the food we eat, that sort of thing.

Then there was the time, seven years ago next month, when something went horribly wrong on the way to the hospital. My wife and I were expecting the birth of another child.

I didn't try making deals with God - I know too much to try that - but I did some very intense pleading.

Elizabeth died, my wife didn't.

And I still have no idea why.

But it doesn't matter.

And that's okay.

God Doesn't Owe Me an Explanation

I've read the book of Job. Job was a righteous man. He did all the right things. He was pious.

And he lost everything.

Job knew that what happened to him wasn't fair, and said so. At length. After quite a litany of his virtues, Job said:

"Of all my steps I should give him an account; like a prince I should present myself before him. This is my final plea; let the Almighty answer me! The words of Job are ended."
(Job 31:47)

The story picks up in the next chapter, with a young man named Elihu losing his temper with Job and his friends - all of whom were old enough to know better. Elihu goes on for several chapters.

I'll pick up where God gets involved, after Elihu's reality check.

"Then the LORD addressed Job out of the storm and said: Who is this that obscures divine plans with words of ignorance? Gird up your loins now, like a man; I will question you, and you tell me the answers! Where were you when I founded the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its size; do you know? Who stretched out the measuring line for it?..."

"...Have you entered into the sources of the sea, or walked about in the depths of the abyss? Have the gates of death been shown to you, or have you seen the gates of darkness? Have you comprehended the breadth of the earth? Tell me, if you know all: Which is the way to the dwelling place of light, and where is the abode of darkness, That you may take them to their boundaries and set them on their homeward paths?..."
(Job 38:1-6, Job 38:17-21)

Over the decades, dealing with bosses, I've learned when to argue my case: and when to say "yes sir," "no sir," or be respectfully silent. Sometimes it's been "yes mam," and "no mam," of course: but you get the point.

I'm pretty sure that last week's big earthquake in Haiti happened for a reason.

I'm even more certain that I can't understand what that reason is. The Lord of hosts, the great I AM, Father of my Lord, Jesus, is, quite simply, God. He's large and in charge: and under no obligation to provide me with either His reasons - or the ability to understand them.

And that's okay.

Enu (Ena?) Zizi: Quite a Lady

My hat's off to the lady who said "I talked only to my boss, God," after she was found. Even with a building dropped on her and death all around: she kept focused on what's important.

• "Major Aftershock Rocks Quake-Stricken Haiti"
  National Public Radio (January 20, 2010)
• "Quake survivor: I'm sort of alright"
  Press Association (January 20, 2010)
• "Haiti earthquake: Wednesday news updates"
  CNN (January 20, 2010)
• "People Flee Into Streets as Strong Quake Strikes Devastated Haiti"
  FOXNews (January 20, 2010)

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A tip of the hat to CatholicNewsSvc, on Twitter, for the photo of Zizi; and to iamcaritas, on Twitter, for the heads-up on the slide show documenting Enu Zizi's rescue.