Dan O’Deens, director of Breathe Partners, has sent this report of how Charis Fellowship congregations are responding to help after the recent earthquake in Haiti.
The devastating earthquake in Haiti provides a peek into the progress made in mission work in Haiti. In the past, Haiti had become dependent on the generosity of people from the ‘outside.’ Books like Toxic Charity and When Helping Hurts characterized the state of mission in Haiti.
TODAY, I am so proud of our Haitian Pastors and Churches. Although Haiti once again is in a ‘relief phase’ due to another catastrophe, the church is being mobilized and this time the mobilization is Haitian Church to Haitian Church.
We have six Haitian Churches who are mobilizing their congregations to be on mission and they will travel and build a relationship with a pastor and the members of a church which was devastated by the earthquake. A church building will be constructed, shelter, and simple provisions will be made available. Long-term relationships will be established.
After the relief, these six churches plus a Haitian movement from The Fraternity of Charis Haiti will work to organize a unified effort to provide free training in Purpose Driven Essentials and The PEACE Plan, to mobilize every member to be on mission, hoping to spread the Gospel throughout the entire nation of Haiti. All ‘through’ the local Haitian Church community.
We applaud the efforts of our Haitian Churches and leaders. Well done! We love you, we are praying for you and we stand together with you.
IF you are looking for a worthy cause to provide ‘relief’ assistance to, please reach out and I will be happy to direct you to the proper source depending on where you would like to direct your funding. At this point there seem to be three main opportunities:
1. Church 2 Church Relationship and Restoration Projects (6 at the moment) – Breathe Partners.
2. Medical and Personal Assistance – Three Strands and Caribbean Vision Ministries. Encompass World Partners Crisis Response is partnering with Three Strands and Caribbean Vision Ministries.
3. Personal Relief Efforts – Significance of One
All three of these groups can be trusted and will work through Haitian churches. We are praying for a mighty work of God even more powerful than this last earthquake.
After the earthquake relief we are excited to provide training to all churches in Haiti. Thank you to pastors Moise, Samedy, Jackson, Chelo, Montinat, Dumont, Elysee, Luc, and Desire. We are all cheering you on and standing with you and praying for your leadership.