What About HAITI?

What do you do when every fiber says to do something?

It is so difficult to see the images on TV and then deal with the heartache and emotions it brings up. Our first reaction is to go to Haiti and help, to assemble our students and be used by God.You are right, as Christians we should do something.

CityConnexx has been in close communication with our partner Compassion International who has offices and staff in Haiti and is assessing the situation every day. Haiti is still in a crisis/emergency situation. Authorities are in need of field medical workers, disaster trained response teams, crisis counselors as they transition from search for survivors to recovery of bodies. After this comes structural evaluations and moving in heavy equipment and operators from around the world to carefully remove and clear sites. That will be followed by evaluation and rebuilding efforts. With no consistent clean water and only temporary hospitals and tent cities, disease is likely to run rampant for an extended period of time. And unlike USA disasters like Katrina, Haiti does not have the resources and financial infrastructure to easily rebuild.

Mission groups will be needed in time, but not yet.

As part of the Compassion family, CityConnexx will keep you informed of the situation and when the time is right to go to Haiti - when your youth will not be a hindrance to the emergency efforts still underway; when they will be safe; when they can be used fully by God to impact the people in Haiti through service, hope and compassion.

So what can we do now?

For now we ask that you pray and wait... listen intently to what God says. Jesus practiced this on many occasions. Instead of reaction he demonstrated wise compassion.

Take this time to research what is truly needed in Haiti, not what is just in your heart. Make sure the efforts your youth and church dedicate to this humanitarian response is directed and maximized by God. For example, the CIDI advises that clothing is not a preferred choice for Haiti at this time. A common problem in disaster situations is that material items are sent in mass and they don't have the means to safely distribute them.

After prayer, money is the most important contribution that you can make right now. Again, research and select a credible facilitating organization or give to www.Compassion.com and know your donation is going directly to their disaster relief efforts.

“But the Lord was not in the earthquake… but the Lord was not in the fire…

                         but in the sound of a gentle blowing wind.” I Kings 19:9-12

May the gentle comforting winds of compassion blow in the months ahead for all those affected by the Haitian disaster.