More On Haitian Orphans

Dan Cruver:

We are very encouraged by all the serious interest that has been expressed in the Haitian orphan care initiative. Our prayer is that it will be the gospel itself that fuels our desire and commitment to come alongside the Haitian church to care for Haiti’s orphaned and vulnerable children. The media coverage of Haiti’s situation has done much to bring attention to Haiti as a country. But only the gospel will move us forward to meet Haiti’s immense needs over the long haul. What Haiti needs is Christians from neighboring countries who are moved to serve them long-term by the power of the gospel.

When we were without hope in this world, God came to us in Christ to rescue us, to serve us, to reconcile us to Himself. In the person of Jesus, the transcendent God of the universe “humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8). God the Son did not become a man for us for the short-term. He became a man for us forever. Even now the man Christ Jesus makes intercession for us, his people. This is the gospel truth that will mobilize us for long-term, self-sacrificial service to Haiti’s people and orphans.

Let us all together pray that God in His grace would press the gospel deep into our hearts with the result that we would faithfully serve the people and orphans of Haiti over the next many weeks, months, and years.

In our efforts to develop a clear plan of action for mobilizing churches to be the hands and feet of our Haitian brothers and sisters in Christ to care for their orphans, we thought that thinking in terms of phases would be most helpful. The following two phases will likely expand as our understanding of the situation in Haiti grows over the next several weeks:
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Phase 1: Emergency Response

Pray. Let all the media coverage on Haiti inform what you pray about in the morning, at breakfast, during lunch, at the dinner table with your family, as you sit in your living room in the evening, and as you drift off to sleep. Let the gospel shape how you pray. Pray with great confidence that the God who has come to us in Jesus has not forgotten us or the people of Haiti. Pray knowing that since Jesus did not sit down to reign over all things until after he made purification for sins (Hebrews 1:1-3), he is profoundly for his people.
Pray as a family. Pray as a small group. Pray as a church. Pray.

Give. Donate money to reputable organizations that are already on the ground in Haiti. This is the most tangible act you can do for the people of Haiti right now. They are in desperate need of water, food, and medical supplies. Donating money is currently the best way to meet those needs. We are currently working on a list of recommended organizations. Please check back.

Advocate. The Joint Council on International Children’s Services is leading the way in advocating for Humanitarian Parole. Check their Haiti page often for updates and for information on what you and your church can do to advocate for Haiti’s orphaned and vulnerable children. Educate yourselves and advocate for Haiti’s children.

Plan. We want to encourage churches to begin thinking about how they can serve Haiti in the weeks and months ahead. Begin considering how your church might serve  a Haitian church when the time comes. For example, begin thinking through the following questions:

• What can we do over the next several weeks so that we don’t forget about the people of Haiti?
• What will our church be able to do if/when Humanitarian Parole is granted for Haiti’s orphans?
• Where in Haiti can we send our people to serve on short-term trips come summer?
• How many people can our church send?

Phase 2: Long-term Engagement

We are currently strategizing with other organizations in order to provide churches with recommendations for long-term engagement with the people of Haiti. Our hope is that many churches will begin thinking about how this crisis in Haiti might change their ministry trajectory over the next five years.

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