Note: Pastor Jamie is in Haiti this week, where he is participating in a training conference for local pastors. Smiles are rare on the streets of Haiti, but nearly every single child I’ve seen lights up the rubble with a beautiful grin. As a dad, seeing cute kids is a shortcut to joy or, as I tell my own children, "happy tears." The smile of a child is a universal prescription for breaking down culture barriers and bringing perspective to difficult circumstances. Kids are just plain awesome: running, singing, dancing, and laughing, unhindered by what other people might think. Their joy is infectious, but at the same time I know these kids aren’t happy all the time. During a Q&A session at the Pastors Conference yesterday, one local pastor asked about how to deal with children who are violent with each other. He planted his church two years ago, and now this young congregation is growing up quickly as they learn to care for children disturbed, orphaned, or otherwise affected by the earthquake. I have great hope for these kids, in spite of the circumstances. God is gracious, and through the work of the church, Jesus is pursuing the lost, adopting the orphans, and healing the broken. For those who belong to him, he gives a childlike smile of joy that lasts forever. Follow Pastor Jamie's updates from Haiti on Twitter and Facebook.