The Needs Are Overwhelming

I remember living in Haiti and walking from one end of the mission compound to the other for meals. Three times a day, I had to weave through a throng of people who asked for my shirt, my skirt, my shoes, my Bible...anything that was on me, anything that I carried. I would arrive at the kitchen and see the table spread with our meal and I would feel such guilt. Why was I able to enjoy such bounty when there were thousands of people outside the mission gate who were hungry? I wanted to give them the shirt off my back and the food that was set before me.

However, about three months into my one year stay, I had grown accustomed to the begging and my heart toughened up a bit. I would see visitors come and go and struggle with the same things I did at first, but in order to survive day in and day out, I could not feel that intense need every moment. I didn't want my heart to be calloused, but I also had to find a balance so I could breathe.

Pray for those who are in Haiti day in and day out. Pray that they will have compassion for those who are hurting, and that they will be able to teach them to care for themselves. Haiti does not need to depend on the USA or any other nation. Haiti does not need to depend on the "blancs" to pull them through. Haiti needs to learn to cry out to Jehovah Jireh, their provider. He will meet their every need if they turn to Him. Alone.

Long Term Missionary Families

Please continue to pray for those who have served in Haiti, long before the earthquake. Many are struggling to find the balance between caring for their own families and meeting the overwhelming needs around them. Prior to January 12, 2001, Haiti was needy, needy, needy. There is a "give me" mentality that thrives in Haiti that has only been heightened since the disaster. Pray that each family will seek God's face and know what He is calling them to. Pray that husbands will love their wives as Christ loves the church. He said, "Come to Me, you who are weary...I will give you rest." Pray for wives to feel safe sharing their concerns with their husbands. Pray for children to be honest about their needs and fears about being in Haiti. Pray that this tragedy will bring families together and not tear them apart.

Rescue Haiti's Children

Rescue Haiti's Children: Walk Through a Tent Village from Douglas Phillips on Vimeo.

Prayer for Haiti...

Comfort those who mourn,
strengthen those who are weak,
shelter those who are homeless,
fill those who are hungry,
heal those who are wounded...