Helping Haiti

Crossings reaches out to Haiti —By Jim Killackey
"I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." —Matthew 25:40

Nowhere on our planet are stout-hearted, dedicated Christian men and women needed more now than in the earthquake-ravaged country of Haiti. That’s why Crossings Community Church is partnering with Church of God members around the country to offer upcoming short-term, work-and-missions’ trips to help build more than 100 desperately needed, pre-fabricated housing units on the island hit in January by one of the worst-ever natural disasters in the Western Hemisphere, killing more than 100,000 Haitians.

“We have never shied away from acts of courageous compassion. For us to be actively engaged in doing ministry in Haiti at this time makes sense because the teachings and example of Christ are to serve others in need and to love them unconditionally,” said Michael Milligan, Pastoral Associate of Missions and Outreach. “The heart of the people of Crossings is naturally inclined toward serving others and is a perfect fit for the skill sets and giftedness of our people,” he notes. “Authentic Christianity requires actions based on our faith, not mere words of sympathy when others suffer,” he adds.

One Crossings member who has already signed on for a Haiti trip is Paul Roden, a Sunday School teacher and former firefighter and paramedic.

“Helping people is something I’ve tried to do for most of my life. I believe God put us on this earth to make a difference in the lives of others for His greater glory. That’s what I want to do, make a difference,” Roden says.

“The stories and photos of the Haiti earthquake devastated me. In my former job, I have seen people crushed. I have pulled the dead and injured from the rubble. I have seen the miracle of life and the agony of death,” he notes.

“The hundreds of thousands of injured and homeless still (in Haiti) face the struggle to live. Why am I going to help the people of Haiti? Because someone has to!” he emphasizes.

We often talk about being the hands and feet of Jesus, but this trip to Haiti is a perfect opportunity to put our faith into practice. How can we simply do nothing while others endure hardship and suffering? We can’t meet the needs of every person in Haiti, but that is not an excuse to do nothing. We do what we can do and trust God to handle the rest. So far, Crossings has received about $26,000 in disaster-relief contributions for Haiti.

We are all praying for our brothers and sisters in Haiti during this recent, terrifying devastation. Many of you have expressed the desire to help.

Crossings supports a ministry, Helping Hands in Motion, which focuses Christian ministry in both India and Haiti. Through your church tithe, you are already supporting relief efforts to end poverty and the lack of various resources such as food, water, healthcare and education, along with delivering the message of hope available only through Jesus Christ every day.

Ways you may temporarily respond to the Haiti disaster include:

Pray for the people effected (see box at right for some specific concerns).
Donate to Crossings Disaster Relief which is designed to support relief efforts for both local and world disasters such as this. If you wish to contribute in addition to your monthly tithe, you may make checks payable to Crossings with a note on the memo line for 'Disaster Relief.'
Give directly to the ministry of your choice.

INFO: CJ at 302.1247

Specific Prayer Concerns

General Update
(updated 7-4-2010)
This summer, we had the opportunity to send two construction teams to Haiti to assist Helping Hands in Motion as they constructed low-cost yet durable homes for the people whose homes had been destroyed. Each pre-fab wooden home costs $3,400, is perfectly suited for the climate of Haiti and can withstand intense sunlight, hurricanes and termites. Each team was made up of approximately twelve people.

Trip Update
Date: Thursday, May 27
Subject: News from Haiti
We are doing well. Everything has been better than could be expected. The food has been great. We have put up three houses already. We will be doing more in the next couple of days. The people here are wonderful and so helpful. We are getting more from them than they are getting from us. It is heart breaking to see the poverty but the people have the biggest smiles and are more content with life than we are. Please continue to pray for safety we are in the mountains and there have been many falls and we are two hours from town (only 10 miles). Also for safety coming home because Port Au Prince is not a very safe place especially near the airport. See you when we get back. —Andy & Ainslee