Haiti Earthquake: How to Pray and How to Give
Haiti Earthquake: How to Pray and How to Give...Our hearts go out to the people of Haiti.
Our hearts go out to the people of Haiti. The 7.0 earthquake that struck on Tuesday, January 12th has wreaked havoc on this impoverished Caribbean nation, leaving over 100,000 confirmed dead and thousands of others missing. According to the CIA World Factbook, Haiti is one of the most densely populated, least developed, poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere, with eighty percent of its residents living in poverty. Haiti’s ambassador to the U.S. says that Haiti’s infrastructure is the world’s worst, even in the best of times.
The people of Haiti need our prayers. They need prayers for the many physical, emotional, and spiritual needs that have been magnified through this disaster. They need financial support and compassionate volunteers willing to care for them now and help them rebuild their nation in the future. They need uplifted by the reality of God’s love, grace, and mercy even in the face of disaster. Join with us as we pray that the Savior of the World would be real to them in their time of need.
The Red Cross estimates that the quake will affect at least 3 million Haitians, and it is affecting people within our local church body, as well.
Marian Willey’s cousin, Dr. Dan Snyder and his wife, Deanne, have been serving as missionaries in Haiti through the Free Methodist missionary organization since 1990. He is a doctor at a hospital in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, and has survived the disaster, along with his family, but many of his colleagues have not.
He and his family were ten miles outside of Port-au-Prince, leaving a grocery store when the earthquake struck. Just minutes after they exited the building, it collapsed and everyone inside was killed. In the days following, Dan made it to the Free Methodist headquarters, only to help pull bodies out of the rubble and learn of more close friends who had been lost. Marian’s family has limited contact with him, but it sounds as though Dan and his family are in the difficult process of evacuating. Your prayers for the Snyder family and all those devastated by this disaster are appreciated.
If you feel lead to give to the Haitian relief fund, we recommend the following organizations:
