A Missionary’s Response to Haiti

I’ve been out of the blogging loop for a couple of weeks while taking care of my mom during her battle with cancer, but yesterday’s tragedy in Haiti has called this missionary girl into action.

What are we to do when our world is literally shaken? How do we respond to tragedy when it is impossible for us to be there to lend a helping hand? The answer is…we can give. We can help relief efforts by financially supporting their work. But when we give, it’s important that we know we are giving to those agencies that will sow spiritual seeds as they minister to meet the physical needs of those whose lives have been forever altered.

There’s a saying among among missionaries that says, “We must be careful not to make them comfortable on their way to hell.” It’s a reminder that while we are reaching out to minister the love of Jesus in their time of need that we don’t forget their most important need is Jesus.

It is to that end that I am giving a few links and suggestions as to how to give to those who are making a huge difference in Jesus name. I’m having trouble posting them as links, but you can copy and paste them to access their sites.

To those who are on the field now:
1. Missionaries Currently Serving There – You may know of a missionary that currently serves there or perhaps your church does. Those missionaries already have established relationships with people and organizations who can help them in the process of disaster relief. Many agencies depend on those missionaries to direct them to the greatest places of need. You can help them personally as their ministry has just been expanded far beyond their ability to financially meet the needs.

If you don’t know a missionary personally or if your church doesn’t, our mission board has several missionaries in Haiti. They run orphanages, feed homeless children and adults, and minister to their communities for the sake of the Gospel. You can give to help them minister in this time of crisis by going to the website and choosing to donate online. The site address is: http://www.christianlightfoundation.com (Be sure to type “Haiti” in the box labeled ‘Country’).

2. You can give to reputable agencies who specialize in disaster relief in the name of Jesus. One of the best ones I know of is Samaritans Purse. I once went through a disaster relief training course with them and found out they are the first ones in and the last ones out. Their response teams are top-notch and well trained. You can give online at http://www.samaritanspurse.com

The Southern Baptist Convention– Through the IMB, they have a great reputation for ministering in time of need. You can give on their site at http://www.sbc.net/redirect.asp?url=http://www.imb.org

World Vision – Although I’m not as familiar with them, World Vision is known for their ministry to those in need, as well. You can help them help those in need by giving online at http://www.worldvision.org/home.nsf/pages/home.htm

The Red Cross – Although not overtly Christian, the American Red Cross is one of the best in disaster relief and many Christians serve others through the American Red Cross. You can give to them online at http://www.redcross.org/

These are just a few opportunities to help those whose lives have been devastated in a moment of time. You may not feel led to give to any of these organizations, but let this be a time that you give to those who will never have the funds to help themselves.

Perhaps you can go with one of these groups to help in the disaster relief. My only advice is…be like Nike and “Just Do It”

If you know of a missionary on the field there or a trustworthy organization that you would like to mention, please do so. We’re trying to form a list and we welcome your input.

5 Comments

  1. With so many hearts torn apart after seeing the devastation I am sure many “theifs” will be out there to take advantage of the situation. Thankyou for this reminder to give to reputable places.

    Convoy of Hope
    Here's their Facebook link with info about what they are going to do in Haiti.
    http://www.facebook.com/search/?q=convoy+of+hope&init=quick#/convoyofhope?v=wall&ref=search

  2. One more…

    Assemblies of God
    http://ag.org/top/haiti.cfm

  3. Stephanie I hope you don't mind but I remembered http://www.salvationarmy.org also.

  4. Thanks so much for your additions! I'm so glad you all know of others that we can send help to. I really appreciate your input.

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