Monday, March 1, 2010

CrossWorld News: Helping Haitians Restore Haiti

Did not realize but this post is a repeat from Feb. 19 (Thanks for catching this Mary)

Over the last few days, the following reports have encouraged us:

Rebuilding the Walls
"Repairs on the wall around the campus started weeks ago as fallen blocks were salvaged and cleaned up for reuse, as the ground around the wall was prepared, as sand, gravel, cement and cement blocks were purchased, and as men were hired. Today the men are actually laying block. And another team is working on the repairs of the water cistern."

As we have considered how best to help with this rebuilding, the team on the ground in Port-au-Prince has had to make an important decision. Sometimes it would be easier to just ask a team of qualified North American builders to come and help us to quickly rebuild. On the other hand, strong, capable and willing Haitian men are desperately seeking work. For over a month now, many of them have had no source of income whatsoever. Giving them temporary work in rebuilding the essentials on the seminary campus allows them to feed their families, buy medicines, and begin to think about returning to their homes. Currently, there are at 26 men working on the wall, another crew has begun repairing the water cistern that supplies the entire campus, and many more are lined up asking for work.

Rebuilding Lives
The 3-person team that was here to do the counseling/debriefing had a good week. CrossWorld missionaries Walt and Pat Stuart met with 2 different groups of pastors and leaders. In these short sessions, they were trying to minister to men and women who are leaders and who have their congregations looking to them for help, for answers, and for strength. Big strong men wept as they shared their own stories and admitted they were empty and didn't know how to respond to all the needs around them."

As CrossWorld missionary Phyllis wrote recently: "The level of grief some of these dear ones have had to experience is mind boggling to me."

The Stuarts also debriefed the missionaries and several Haitian leaders and their wives who live here on the campus. In coordination with a Haitian pastor's wife, a group of young adults were trained and began meeting in small groups with the children here on campus for a time of trauma debrief. Please pray for those here who will continue to follow up with all these different ministries.



Building that which has Eternal Value
"February 12th-14th the Haitian government called the nation to come together for 3 days of fasting and prayer. And it happened! Here in Port-au-Prince, where the streets are normally thronged with people, with vendors selling goods, and gridlocked with traffic, they were empty and all businesses closed. The only place there were crowds of people was at churches where the people overflowed out the doors and onto the streets. In small neighborhoods, the people roped off their street and held services in the street.In our neighborhood the services started at 5a.m.; on our campus they began at 6:30 a.m. and went until noon. We realize that many regarded this time the same way they would buying a charm to protect them from the spirits, but you also hear the people saying that they realize they really don't control anything - it is only God who decides what will happen and who controls everything.

On our campus alone there were 300 who made decisions to follow Jesus. We had other students call and share the numbers that came to Christ in their areas - one place even included a witchdoctor.

The people are more sensitive spiritually right now. Please pray especially for church leaders and believers - that they would be empowered by the Holy Spirit during this time to seize this opportunity to live and to share the reality of the all-powerful loving God in their lives to those around them who are in great need and searching for truth."

Building for the Future
"We'd appreciate your continued prayers for the Haitian church leaders and for those planning the future of the seminary, STEP, as they are meeting and trying to make decisions concerning future direction."

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