Pray for Haiti

Dear Prayer Partners,

As many of you have watched the devastation of what happened in Haiti this past Tuesday, January 12, many of us have felt helpless and asked ourselves, "What can I do?" We wanted to share with you resources and prayer requests that we are receiving from our own mission organization. To our knowledge, all of our personnel are safe but dealing with much heartache in Haiti. I, Monica, have been to Haiti back in 1998 with Florida Women's Missionary Union as part of a Florida Baptist partnership and Haiti has definitely touched my heart in many ways. It was by far the worst devastated country I have ever seen personally (and yes, I live in a third world country even now in Africa) so I cannot imagine how this earthquake has devastated the country of Haiti even more. We know that prayer is the biggest support we can give to Haiti right now but we know they need financial and manpower resources for those that are able to assist them.

Here is an excellent website and related article that we highly recommend for folks to check out as well as prayer requests for Haiti:

Haiti relief assessment underway after quake
Jan. 13, 2010
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- Southern Baptists are mobilizing to assess disaster relief needs after the largest earthquake in more than 200 years rocked Haiti the evening of Jan. 12.
The initial Southern Baptist disaster relief effort will be led by Florida Baptists, who have had ministry relationships in Haiti for more than 20 years and currently have six staff members who live and work in the country, said Jim Brown, U.S. director for Baptist Global Response. The Southern Baptist International Mission Board does not have long-term personnel stationed in the country.
The North American Mission Board’s disaster relief office is organizing an emergency consultation with state disaster relief directors to coordinate response to the catastrophe, Brown said. Disaster relief teams in Mississippi and Kentucky are on standby for immediate response.
An assessment team is being organized by Baptist Global Response, International Mission Board, North American Mission Board and state convention disaster relief directors to enter the country as soon as possible, Brown said. They will work with Haitian Baptists to identify immediate needs that must be addressed and will draft mid- and long-term plans for an ongoing relief effort.
Initial funding for the relief effort will come from the International Mission Board’s disaster relief fund. Contributions toward the relief effort also can be made at gobgr.org.
The 7.0 magnitude tremor hit 10 miles from the center of Port-au-Prince, a city of 3 million people, at around 5 p.m. Jan. 12, according to news reports. One source said the quake could be felt more than 200 miles away. The earthquake triggered a tsunami watch for Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Cuba.
Multiple strong aftershocks continued to rock the country after the initial tremor, said David Brown, who with his wife, Jo, directs Baptist Global Response work in the Americas. Reports from inside the country indicate infrastructure and many buildings suffered catastrophic damage. The main airport is closed; power and communications are down and security is a serious concern. Specialized search and rescue teams and military units from several countries are being rushed into Haiti to help secure the situation and begin relief efforts.
Apart from donating to the disaster relief fund, concerned individuals can help greatly by joining in focused prayer for Haiti’s 9 million people, more than 80 percent of whom live below the poverty line, David Brown said.
“Please pray for us as we assess and monitor the situation in Haiti after the 7.0 earthquake and subsequent aftershocks this evening,” Brown said. “The initial information indicates 2 million people in Port-au-Prince are directly affected. Please pray for victims and their families. Pray for wisdom as responses are initiated.”
The situation in Haiti is very fluid and additional information will continue to flow in on a daily basis, Brown said. Updates will be released as new information becomes available.

-----To donate to BGR's Disaster Response fund, click here. or www.baptistglobalresponse.com - an excellent resource of information on keeping up with Haiti as well as needs all around the world!!!

Or you can always check out our mission organization's main website for more information as well: International Mission Board - www.imb.org

Prayer Requests:
HAITI. “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust’” (Psalm 91:1-2, NKJV). With the devastating situation in neighboring Haiti, personnel in the Dominican Republic have requested help in post-trauma counseling and training in the area of spiritual support. Since this is such a critical need in Haiti, training will be held next week in the Dominican Republic. Please pray for the trainers as they travel and prepare the materials for the conference. Ask God for the emotional health of personnel as they confront the dire needs. Pray also for those who will receive counseling and training as they share God’s love with a nation that is in deep spiritual darkness.
INTERNATIONAL MISSIONS PRAYERLINEIMBFriday, January 15, 2010
"The LORD reigns! Let the peoples tremble. He is enthroned above the cherubim. Let the earth quake. .Exalt the LORD our God; bow in worship at His footstool. He is holy" (Psalm 99:1, 5, HCSB).

What is different about us? About Christians? Just like our neighbors this week, we have heard numerous stories about the horrendous events in Haiti. We watch news clips, read twitter and blog reports-we gather information to be aware of what is going on in the world. Just like our neighbors, our hearts have been broken for the people of Haiti. But what is different about us?
The difference is that we know the One who is able to help. We all have opportunity to give and many will be able to assist physically by going. But we Christians do not have to wait a single minute to send aid. We don't have to look in our wallets to see if there is any money to send. We can talk to our Lord immediately, begging for His mercy throughout these days of recovery.
Please take every opportunity to lift the Haitian people to our heavenly Father, asking in these earliest days that He will fill the people with a sense of calm and unity of purpose. Gunshots have been heard on the streets, but violence will obviously not improve the situation. Ask the Lord to comfort the frightened. Many are sleeping on the streets even though their homes have not been damaged. They sense no hope for the future.
Intercede for the initial responders who have worked diligently through the long hours, praying that they will find rest in Him. Ask God to provide unexpected ways for aid workers to get through the destroyed roads so that they can provide necessary supplies.
Lift up Haitian Christians who are striving to serve others while grieving their own losses. Plead for them to have God's mighty endurance and vision as they love their neighbors through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Exalt the Lord our God and pray that His holiness will be demonstrated throughout Haiti.

Thank you for your faithful prayer support!!!
Serving Jesus in Swaziland,
Steven, Monica, Lacie and Nathan Allen