Missions Blog for Churches

Here is the second installment of our trip to Haiti. To see the first clip and some background info, click here.

Mission to the World and Reformation Hope International are partnering together with a Presbyterian Church in Le Plaine, Haiti to rebuild. This is part two of the story.

I recently traveled to Haiti to see some of what God is doing there. We participated in the first worship service in the first church to be rebuilt since the earthquake. MTW is partnering with Reformation Hope, International and The Presbyterian Church in Haiti to bring the Gospel in word and deed to the people of Haiti. Here is the first installment of our trip:

There are a couple of deadlines I want to remind/inform you of. The first is for the PCA Global Missions Conference, November 5-7, 2010, in Chattanooga, TN. The early-bird registration deadline is July 30th. So if you haven’t registered yet, visit www.mtw.org to do so or to find out more.

Also, MTW’s Disaster Response Training fills up quickly. There are a limited number of slots, so if this is something you’ve been interested in pursuing, now is the time to register. Click here to find out more.

Yesterday, Mission to the World (MTW) coordinator, Dr. Paul Kooistra, issued a letter of update and appeal for the long term needs in Haiti. I’ll paste his letter below.

I’m convicted by how quickly this situation fades from my mind. And I get pretty regular doses of it too, not to mention having edited (and am currently working on another) a few video projects. You’d think if anyone could remain mindful and prayerful of the needs in Haiti it would be someone like me. But I don’t. My kids help a lot. They remind me when we pray, all the things I’ve forgotten. And they remind me to pray for Haiti.

Dear Friends,

The crisis in Haiti has now become chronic. There are other big stories to cover, and media attention has dropped away. But orphans still roam the streets, many people are left with disabilities, and much of the population is living under shelters made with sheets and tablecloths. At the same time, life is about to become far more grim with the onset of the rainy season. Few of those who are affected have tents or shelter. The situation is made worse because of the lack of sanitation, which leads inevitably to disease and even greater suffering. Beyond the immediate, much building is needed—homes, schools, hospitals, and basic infrastructure.

The face of suffering is wearying, isn’t it? It is easier than we think to become accustomed to perpetual despair and need.

At MTW, we are preparing for long-term ministry among the Haitian people. While we can’t meet the needs of a nation, we can bring medical care and longer-term assistance to individuals with disabling injuries. We can establish care for orphans through our StreetChild Ministry. We can send short-term teams to help with construction. We believe new churches can be established and existing churches can grow. And we bring with us the greatest treasure of all—the gospel.

We are also hearing reliable reports that there has been an unprecedented surge of spiritual interest among the Haitian people. When the president of Haiti called for three days of fasting and prayer, the nation came to a stop. Most people gathered in their churches—or in the streets—in worship and prayer. Those scenes call to mind the words of Christ from John 4:35 in which He said, “I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields. They are white unto harvest.” There are many hard places in the world to carry the gospel, but in Haiti hearts are open. The fields are white. We have an unprecedented opportunity to proclaim the gospel in word and deed.

We are asking members of PCA churches to commit to giving toward Haiti recovery for one year. Attached to this message are a brochure and a commitment form that you can print and use if your congregation would like to participate. You’ll see that commitments of any size are welcome, as are one-time gifts. It could be a good project for groups or for families.

Thank you for considering the involvement of your church in this effort. We believe that we, together, have an unprecedented opportunity to serve the people of Haiti and grow the kingdom of God.

In Christ,
Dr. Paul Kooistra

PS: We are also posting the attached brochure and commitment form on our website (www.mtw.org/haiti). There you will also find regular updates and a prayer guide for Haiti. Your prayers are even more important than your gifts.

This is the second video from the second disaster response team that went to Haiti.

This is a video from the second MTW team that served in Haiti. The third team is currently on the ground and serving.

Second medical team just after they landed in Haiti — having left Ft. Lauderdale at 4:30 a.m. There are two more members of this team who stayed over from team one and are not shown in this photo. The team will be working in Dikini camp. Please pray for them and for those whom they treat. How thankful we are for these willing servants whom God has called and equipped for this work!

Here is an email from Chalmers Center about a helpful, FREE, web seminar that is coming up to equip people to help in Haiti without hurting:

As you know, a massive wave of aid has already been directed at survivors of the devastating earthquake that hit Haiti on January 10, 2010. But the aid given must be the right kind of aid to make a difference.

A Webinar Series to Help You Help Haiti
To help churches, relief agencies, and individuals respond appropriately to the crisis in Haiti—helping the Haitian people to take ownership of the rebuilding process—the Chalmers Center will host a three-part, webinar lecture series.

The webinars are scheduled for February 17th, February 24th, and March 3rd, from 1 to 2 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (US).  They will be presented by Steve Corbett and Dr. Brian Fikkert, authors of “When Helping Hurts:  How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor…and Yourself,” a paradigm-shifting book about the causes and solutions to the problem of poverty. The book is in its fifth printing since it was published in July 2009 (www.whenhelpinghurts.org).

Help Without Hurting
This webinar series is intended for all those responding to the needs of the Haitian people, including churches, missions boards, missionaries, ministries, Christian relief and development organizations, NGOs, individuals, volunteers, donors, and short-term missions teams. The webinars will help participants:

1. Gain an understanding of the harm that can come from an improper understanding of the nature of poverty and its alleviation.
2. Identify the basic principles and tools needed to develop relationships with low income individuals.
3. Be able to implement biblically-based economic development ministry programs.

The principles taught in the webinars are not a magic formula for success. However, they are powerful, and they have been used by God in even extremely difficult settings (including in the tsunami of 2004 as described in the book).

Registration
There is no charge for the webinars. However, to join a live webinar session, you must register. Register Now »

If you cannot join a live webinar, a download link of the recorded webinar will be posted on the webinar registration page within two business days following the date of the live webinar session.

Share This Information With Others
Please share information about these webinars with your ministry team and with those in your larger ministry network who might benefit from this training.

In Christ,
Bernie Alimonti

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About the Chalmers Center
The Chalmers Center has equipped agencies, churches and individuals across the U.S. and in more than 100 countries around the world to use economic development strategies to minister to poor people—including microfinance and microenterprise development, and programs centered around savings and asset accumulation, financial literacy and job training.

Following the tsunami of 2004, a Christian relief and development organization working in Indonesia asked the Chalmers Center for help in designing a small-business recovery program. Hundreds of businesses received assistance, local institutions were strengthened, and the midterm project evaluations indicated improvements in people’s relationships with God, self and others. A major international humanitarian organization even requested a grant proposal for funding to scale up the program. To learn more about the Chalmers Center, its training opportunities and resources, visit www.chalmers.org and SUBSCRIBE to our mailing list.

1. More medical teams are arriving in Dikini, and our team has been asked to move inside the Adventist hospital, where the sickest patients are being referred, in order to help care for the growing patient population. This will enable the team to be more effective since they will be able both to work and to sleep inside the hospital compound, avoiding two hours of driving time each day.

2. Team member David Hilmers received a phone call today to say that his father passed away. David”s father had been ill and David had seen him before leaving for Haiti. David wants to remain in Haiti with the team and leave with them on Saturday. Please pray for him and his family.

3. The Haitian government is continuing to ship refugees out of Port-au-Prince, and areas in the north are receiving them without resources to care for them. It has been estimated that 55,000 people are being located to Goinaives to the north. This is the area in which Pastor Etienne pastors churches and works with a network of other churches. So the present team has recommended that the next team relocate to Goinaives. This would allow our teams to fall into line with how we normally work through the local church and targeting an under served population. Church members in the area would also be able to become more involved. Our method is always to work with and through the local church wherever possible so that the church gets the credit, God gets the glory, and the kingdom is expanded.

4. Please pray for a flight out of Haiti on Saturday for our team and a flight in for the next team. Ideally, this will be a turn around that will serve both teams. Hoping to hear by today or early tomorrow.

5. Continue to pray for Erin Pettengill’s long term health after accidental exposure to contaminated scalpel. Test results for hepatitis C are still pending.

The medical team in Haiti continues to make progress treating the wounded. Here are some updates from over the weekend that came via Twitter:

• 1/30/10 – MTW team doing well. Set up in camp. Have seen 50 patients already this morning with 70 more in line. Everyone healthy and doing well.
• 1/30/10 – MTW team has mostly done wound and trauma care. One patient transported to the nearby hospital, which has promised to give free care.
• 1/30/10 – The team treated over 300 patients today. Most cases are for pain (from impact or falling debris), dehydration, & urinary tract infections.
• 1/31/10 – Please pray for Erin Pettengill’s (RN on team) long term health after accidental exposure to a contaminated scalpel.
• 1/31/10 – Pray for stamina for the MTW team. The temperatures have been very warm and the medical tent runs about 95 degrees.
• 1/31/10 – The MTW team treated 150-200 people today, including a young girl whose hand they had to amputate. Please keep praying for this situation.
• 2/1/10 – MTW team has moved their camp & clinic location to a local hospital. Good, safe location. Communications are back up and functioning well.