Haiti

A few pieces of information regarding the terrible disaster in Haiti and how you can help.

First, my brother Andrew (who has been to Haiti previously) has an excellent blog post that you can read here.

Second, I am glad that the question on many peoples' minds is not whether to give, but how. Even the poorest among us does not compare to the abject poverty that is the norm for these people, and the absolute collapse of an already poor excuse for infrastructure has literally left them with nothing.

There are a number of excellent organizations that are already working to aid the people of Haiti. Compassion International, Living Water International and World Vision are three that Kristen and I have given to in the past, and three organizations that have the people and resources to make a difference.

However, Baptist Global Response is the organization I would recommend giving to in this case. Subsidised by giving of Southern Baptist churches to the International Mission Board of the SBC, 100% of giving goes directly to Haiti disaster relief, as overhead is absorbed by the IMB. You can read an IMB article about their response to the disaster here, and this is the link that will take you to a page to give. You can give via credit card through a secure page after entering your billing information- designate your gift to "Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund."

Please join me in prayer for the people of Haiti as the initial shock of this terrible tragedy gives way to the difficulties they will be facing in the coming hours and days. Here is a prayer update from the IMB website:

URGENT PRAYER UPDATE
IMB
JANUARY 14, 2010 HAITI.
As we are all aware, Tuesday evening before dark, a catastrophic earthquake rocked the island nation of Haiti, with the epicenter being ten miles west of Port-Au-Prince, the capital city of two million people. As the news has brought this catastrophe into our homes and heanrts, we have all been praying. We know to cry out to the Lord immediately, to beg for His mercy throughout these earliest days as initial responders work diligently searching for the injured, recovering those who have died. And we give humble thanks for those Haitian Christians that we do not know by name, nor have we heard their stories. We give thanks that they are there expressing the love of Christ to those who are frightened and confused.
David Brown, who with his wife, Jo, directs Baptist Global Response work in the Americas has said, “Please pray for us as we assess and monitor the situation in Haiti after the 7.0 earthquake and subsequent aftershocks…The initial information indicates 2 million people in Port-au-Prince are directly affected. Please pray for victims and their families. Pray for wisdom as responses are initiated.” Personnel in the Dominican Republic have requested help in post-trauma counseling and training in the area of spiritual support. Since this is such a critical need in Haiti, training for nationals will be held next week in the Dominican Republic. Please pray for the trainers as they travel and prepare the materials for the conference. Ask God for the emotional health of personnel as they confront the dire needs. Pray also for those who will receive counseling and training as they share God’s love with a nation that is in deep spiritual darkness.
Please continue to pray for God’s mercy and compassion on this country, interceding with steadfast prayers for the thousands who are suffering in the midst of untold destruction. Additional information and prayer updates can be found at http://imb.org.


**Thanks to Alexis Bednar for the info on BGR and the IMB prayer update.