Prayers For Haiti

Haiti

UPDATES APPENDED TO THE END OF THE POST AFTER THE JUMP.

UPDATE JANUARY 18TH, 2010 EST (at end of post has prayer requests for a first responder sent from one of our groups, a Living Waters Coordinator, and an orphanage supported by one of our group leaders.)

I just read this very touching account from Jeff Antebi concerning his experience in Haiti (photo credit goes to Mr. Antebi.)

I was talking with Scott and both of us remarked that a number of our friends know of other Christian friends/missionaries who are actually in Haiti right now. So I thought it would be a good idea to post the various connections made through the Exodus staff so that you could pray for them and help as you feel led.

Katie Hershiser and her son Connor – Alan Chambers is a friend of theirs. They go to First Baptist Orlando and were down there on a missions trip.  Alan has not heard if they have checked in since the earthquake or not.

Ed Lockett - Amber has a nasty cold and isn’t in today but she mentioned yesterday a good friend of hers is on a missions trip in Haiti.  She said that he was ok and is updating his facebook profile when he can (not much because of the lack of electricity.) I will update this once I hear from her. UPDATE from Amber 1/15/10 - My friend Ed Lockett has been a missionary in Haiti for over 10 years. He lives in Port Au Prince. He has been saying the same thing I’ve been hearing on the news. Things are pretty awful. At least he is safe.

Pastor Randy Landis is the senior pastor of Life Church in Allentown, PA. – Pastor Landis is Angela Buchanan’s parents Pastor.  He is in Haiti right now.  Jeff Buchanan found a link to an MSNBC piece that was written about their church and their efforts to get to Haiti to help with the relief effort.

Marc Elie – Yvette writes, “Paul and I have been supporting a boy and his family in Haiti through Compassion International for 12 years.  At this point, Compassion does not have any information concerning the health and welfare if its sponsored children and their families.  The boy’s name is Marc Elie. ”

Rev. John C. Rankin of Theological Education Institute and the Mars Hill Society for his son Stuart - Karen Booth passed along this update from him.

Greetings in the love of the Lord.

·         In Haiti, my son Stuart and his team were just two miles from the epicenter of the earthquake, about 16 miles outside Port-au-Prince in Grand Goave. Their protection was a miracle in three directions: 1) they had just completed a hike in the mountains where landslides occurred in the earthquake; 2) their sleeping quarters on the beach were destroyed by a mini-tsunami right after the earthquake; and 3) they were not exposed to any of the falling buildings. They were outside on flat ground when the earthquake struck.

·         The orphanage at Mission of Hope in Grand Goave has crumbled, all the houses in the area also, the nearby Roman Catholic Church crumbled, killing the priest and the nuns while they were in prayer, and a 3-yeard old child died of a crushed skull in the arms of one in their midst. They are low on food and water, with 32 orphans to care for.

·         All day the earth has been shaking, they have been sitting in the hot sun, with no clothes but what is on their backs, low on water and food, no working toilets, and who knows what the night holds. Please pray for their protection, and their needs to be met.

·      Also, please pray for Dr. David Hall, longtime friend and former head of the emergency room at St. Francis Hospital in Hartford. He is on a medical missions trip in Port-au-Prince, some of his colleagues are known to be fine, but as of this moment, we have yet to hear from him.

Thank you, and blessings in Jesus -

John

Many bloggers, facebook and twitter folk are compiling many links to various resources seeking to help out in Haiti.  Of course the most common I have seen is the Red Cross.

The Anchoress, a very popular blogger has compiled a great list of ways to help Haiti. So has Michelle Malkin.  Fox News has also compiled a list of reputable organizations.  And then there is a list of charitable organizations on the Desiring God Blog

I am watching for other Christian resources arise … there are a lot of them … but please add any prayer requests, reports or links to ways to help in the comments.  Please share this post with your social networks (twitter and facebook buttons below). I will update this post too.

UPDATE JANUARY 15, 2010

I updated Amber’s prayer’s concern above but here it is again:

My friend Ed Lockett has been a missionary in Haiti for over 10 years. He lives in Port Au Prince. He has been saying the same thing I’ve been hearing on the news. Things are pretty awful. At least he is safe.

Bob Jones from Fresh Word Ministries in Evansville Indiana (Exodus Member Ministry) sends word to pray for Doug Eckels.  Bob writes:

We have a friend in AG Missions “Doug Eckels” assigned out of Springfield, Mo that is presently in Haiti.   He just got there before the Quake for a building he was going to work on.   He needs protection.

Eva Lounsbury from Christian Life Center in Yakima Washington (ECA Member) writes:

I didn’t ask his name, but a family member of one of my coworkers is missing in Haiti.  He and some others went there just before the earthquake to build soccer fields, and while 2 of the members of his party have been found and flown back to the states (one in critical condition), he is still missing.

Karen Booth, Exodus Staff as Transforming Congregations Director,  sent this to pass on to other Methodist avenues of help:

United Methodist Communications continues to provide news coverage of the situation in Haiti, including how the church is responding, at www.umc.org/haiti.  We also want you to know of other resources available for churches and members who want to help.

Volunteers and Health Kits

According to UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief), there will be a great need for volunteers to help rebuild once the initial crisis is past, but it is not safe or possible for volunteers to go to Haiti at the present. However, UMCOR’s two relief supply warehouses are asking United Methodists to provide health kits that will be sent to Haiti. Instructions for assembling and shipping health kits are available here.

Donations

We are grateful that donations continue to come in online. Donors may also contribute by placing a check in the offering plate at a local church or by mailing it to UMCOR, P.O. Box 9068, New York, NY 10087. Checks should indicate “Advance #418325″ in the memo line.  United Methodist Communications is creating a special bulletin insert for churches’ use, which will be available Friday at www.umc.org/haiti.

Ministry Resources

Following the Asian tsunami, United Methodist Communications produced a video and study guide titled “God, Why?” to help people cope with the spiritual and emotional impact of disasters. The resource, available from EcuFilm, explores why such tragedies happen and God’s role in them.  The study guide provides a basis for group study and discussion.

During this time of pain and suffering, let us take comfort in the promise of Psalm 46:1, NSRV: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”

UPDATE JANUARY 15, 2010 1:18pm EST
Amber got an update from Ed.

“We are still alive at this point. We spent the night under the stars up in the hills. Didn’t sleep too well. The streets are completely packed with people wandering around. The damage here in Petit Goave (where Ed Lives) is massive. The Happy House (the mission where Ed works) is still standing, for the moment, but another house close to us collapsed.”

“We just received news that Pastor Freere’s Church has totally collapsed.  I am amazed how drastically things can turn on a dime. Christians here are reaching out to one another.”

“My area in the North is not hurt in terms of structural damage. There will be long-term problems because Haiti is run from the Capital. All service, food, propane, and even water to the rest of Haiti is now dead in the water and will be for some time. So there will be intense needs in the coming months for food and medicine especially.”

UPDATE JANUARY 18TH, 2010 EST

Paula McNabb heard from a friend of the ministry about another ministry helping in Haiti

As you are aware Haiti was hit with a devastating earthquake on Tuesday this week. Many people have asked me how they can help in this situation. I am intimately knowledgeable of an outstanding ministry that has a presence in Haiti and has helped in disasters throughout the world in times of emergency and normal times. Food for the Hungry ( http://www.fh.org/) is a holistic ministry that helps the poor and needy to the honor and glory of God through Jesus Christ. They do not compromise their commitment to honor God in what they do and they serve the poorest and neediest people of the world to provide for their physical and spiritual needs through a holistic ministry model. The help and services they deliver go directly to the people in need, not to corrupt governmental officials.

As of last night, of the 17 missionaries that Food for the Hungry has in Haiti, only 5 were accounted for and 12 were missing. They will be flying emergency support into a small airport that was not disrupted by the earthquake to help in this disaster. Food for the Hungry is a ministry that Mary and I personally support. For immediate information (updated regularly) regarding the disaster in Haiti click on http://www.fh.org/learn/news/disaster/haiti-rocked-by-powerful-quake?promocode=WA25WD0A2

Please continue to pray for the people of Haiti. God bless.

Katherine Allen from Exodus Member Ministry Sought Out in Virginia Beach writes:

One of our Living Waters coordinators is an EMT/Firefighter.  He was deployed to Haiti last Thursday as a first responder. We expect him to be gone two weeks, please pray for him.

He and his wife are expecting their first grandchild early in Feb.

Katherine
Sought Out

Debbie Rarick from Exodus Member Ministry You See Me Free in Waco Texas writes:

Below is an email from Yvrose about her and the 120 or so kids in her care at an orphanage in Jeremie, Haiti. Jeremie is an even poorer section than Port-Au-Prince about 100 miles out on the peninsula (24 hours by land before the quake).

I was with a team on a mission trip there a month ago. I have many pictures of the kids and the area on facebook. Thanks for praying.

From Yvrose

Dear brother and sister in the Lord  thank God because we not dead, the buillding shook up but now we are outsisde , we cannot stay inside of the house, The Lord saved my and my kids last night we slept in a tin roof house with concret in it.Please pray for me because  the house where my kids are in Port- Au- Prince is broke, I cannot go out to visit the other churches,  so I stayed with the with kids please continue to pray for because Haiti is danger, no school nor nothing. Psaumes 34:8

May God bless you,

Yvrose and Kids