Dear brothers and sisters, as Tom Donnelly and Barb Deradoorian are in Haiti this week with LCMS World Relief and Human Care, and Michelle Garland is working at a Samaritan's Purse cholera clinic in Cite Soleil, we join together praying for all the happenings. Last night several of us gathered for prayer in the sanctuary ... January's Prayer Agenda will be included in this week's News & Notes ... please be in prayer ... it is truly a gift from God to communicate with Him ... He offers and desires this relationship between you and Him ... take time, turn off the TV or set aside any worldy thing that can distract you from the most important time spent, get into a comfortable position (or down on your knees, which is not always a comfortable position) and spill your heart out to Him ... He hears your every word and will lift your heart!
Here is an update from Barb:
First impressions: Haiti is beautiful (like the other islands) and Haiti is devastated. It is difficult for my mind to comprehend the extent of it - the people are living in conditions that the world should be ashamed of - and I think that much of this existed prior to the earthquake - but the extent to which it affected this entire country is undeniable. Yet, among all of this, the people are joyful, happy, friendly, warm, beautiful and making a way to live. I'm not sure I could do it.
We (the team - 12 of us from around the US and Haiti) are currently in Jacmel. We took a very interesting bus ride from Port-au-Prince (which is amass with people who are living in tents) through some of the most beautiful mountains I have ever seen. All the while honking our horn to warn those on the other side of the hairpin turn we were coming through. People, babies, children, buses, tap-taps (the local mode of transportation which consists of a brightly painted bus with open sides, jammed to the gills with people and goods, including stacked on the top with people on top of that), cars, everything - sharing the same road. And I do mean sharing - lanes are nonexistent here. We arrived in Jacmel yesterday(to more people living in tents, but also a beautiful city in its own regard) and are staying at a very Westernized hotel - I would not say this is a typical mission trip experience in that regard. It is directly on the ocean - but no one is in the ocean here - very different from my experiences in other islands. Of course, the litter in the ocean perhaps has something to do with that. No form of garbage disposal here whatsoever. Even the burning of rubbish doesn't keep up with the debris. We visited a build site yesterday and had an evening sharing with a missionary group here from the University of Illinois - Urbana - students, pastors, professors. It was a wonderful evening. Today has been filled with meetings this morning - I met with a Pastor who is the head of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Haiti and we are developing a business plan for microfinancing throughout Haiti. We have already applied for a $500,000 grant which has been awarded pending our plan. It looks like I will be returning here in a few months to begin training with the board of directors and others involved in the financing. I have a lot to learn before then. This afternoon we will be traveling to a tent city to distribute shoes and soap and then attending worship service at Pastor Markey's church (a 30x40 slab of cement with 4 "walls"-open air and a metal roof). I understand we can expect standing room only - with about 300 to 400 people worshiping. I can't wait!
I'm not sure what tomorrow or Friday will bring, although we hope to go work at one of the home building sites. I do feel there is some progress being made here, but it is incredibly slow. The one organization you can't miss seeing making an impact is Samaritan's Purse (Franklin Graham - Billy Graham's son, is the CEO). They are meeting the needs of the people with shelter, clean water, food, medical care. They will be holding a revival in Port-au-Prince this weekend - Franklin Graham will be here to share the good news of Jesus Christ.
If you would like to see some pics of the trip, you can visit www.lutheranchurchcharities.org and see what Tim Hetzner has put up. I haven't been to the site yet, but check it out. You can also visit a blog by a young lady on our team, Sofie Martin, at www.gospelinmotion.blogspot.com (hope4haiti).
Heavenly Father, we thank you for everything; for every good gift is from You! Your creation is spectacular and even though devastated, the country of Haiti is full of majestic mountains, sparkling ocean tides, and joyful, hopeful, happy, friendly people who You have made to be natural survivors, enduring the worst conditions most of us will never be able to comprehend!
Thank you, Father God, for providing opportunity for our friends to use the resources and talents You have given them to make this trip. Continue to be with them, providing for them in the areas of health, rest, strength, wisdom, and unity. Be their Guide as they meet and plan and organize projects that You have called them to do. Keep each person focused on You, Lord, so they can do the work You have laid out for them to do and so that everyone around them will know the love of Jesus through them. Lord, with You there with them, controlling the plans You have made, big strides can be made; may everything be done to glorify Your Holy Name, Lord God!
Father God, we raise up to you Franklin Graham and all of Samaritan's Purse; continue to bless the work they are doing in Your name. Give Mr. Graham Your words as he speaks to the people this weekend ... speak through him, Lord, as your children seek hope! Do mighty works in Haiti, Lord God, and as progress is made let it be obvious it is all because of You, Your goodness and mercy!
We pray all this in the unstoppable name of Jesus, amen!
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