By now many of you have seen the footage of the devastation in Haiti.  If you’re like me at all you’ve been wondering “What can I do?” “How can I help?”.

I was wondering if we should organize a team to head over there, maybe we collect canned goods or something, but then last night I was watch the evening news and Former President Bill Clinton was on; he had been appoint UN Envoy to Haiti for this crisis and I listened closely to an answer to one of the questions he had been asked.

“Mr. President, how can we help?”

His response was simple – unless you are part of the global rescue efforts in Haiti, the best thing you can go is support the relief organizations financially.

I know this is a rough time, and I know that some of us may be jobless or barely making the payments.  But the truth is that in America we are richer than any other nation out their and I’d like to encourage you to follow the Former President’s encouragement to give.

There are two organizations that I’d like to recommend:

1. Samaritan’s Purse

2. Compassion International

This is a portion of the email I received today from Compassion:

Compassion sponsors and donors serve more than 65,000 children in Haiti. At least a third of them live in the areas that were hardest hit.

I am asking you to please send a generous gift today to help these precious children and their families.

We are working rapidly to assess the situation and determine the full extent of damage:

• Sadly, we anticipate there will be many deaths.
• We anticipate thousands of children and families will have lost everything.
• We anticipate many of our church-based child development centers will have been destroyed.

Without a doubt, the children we serve in Haiti are in shock and face immediate needs for food, water, medical care, shelter and counseling. We have teams prepared to respond, and we are deeply committed to helping each child.

Let’s do what we can, Samaritan’s Purse and Compassion already have existing relationships within Haiti and the money sent will do directly to the efforts to help.  As soon as I find out more ways to help I’ll let everyone know.

UPDATE:

I just received a message from a friend of mine who had some prayer requests to share from a ministry serving in Haiti:

Wayne ,my church up North has been extremely involved with ministries in Haiti. In fact, my parents did two mission trips to Port de Paix (north of Port au Prince) to help build schools. My minister and his family moved to Haiti to continue there efforts for several years.

This is what my he said: been in contact with Haiti. There are so many aspects of … See Morethis. It is mind boggling. Again, all the buildings where we work are ok. people are physically ok. emotionally things are a wreck. two major concerns. the orphanage is the last stop on the supply line. supplies will be very scarce and soon non-existent and very expensive.

Also, they are preparing for a large infux of refugees from Port au Prince. Money right now is about the only way to help physically. there are a couple of places we know of right now to help. Globe International at www.gme.org. If you want to help the orphanage, designate it. You can also help Haiti through International Disaster Emergency Service (IDES) at www.ides.org and designate it for Haiti. Please crank up your prayers.

Here are some prayer requests:

• People have been asking about what to pray for… here are a few Praises· Port de Paix was basically spared of the damage. Their buildings are intact. The children are safe. Concerns· Port de Paix is the last stop on the supply line. Supplies are very scarce and very soon will be non existent. They will become very expensive.
• The ministry is preparing for a large influx of refugees from Port au Prince.· For the city of Port au Prince· For their ability to know how to respond.· For the international community to respond as quickly as possible.· For those who have lost family members and friends.· For those who don’t know where family members are.
• Stability of the government through all of this.· Looting that will go on.· God’s help through His people will become very evident very quickly.· The strength, patience, and encouragement of the missionaries that are there.· For my friend, Gerard Eustache, who lives in Port au Prince and is unaccounted for.

More and more people we know are being listed as unaccounted. they say that 100,000’s people may have died. beyond imagination.