World Renewal International

HOPE for HAITI

It has been a challenging month. I will never forget the moment our Office Administrator, Peggy Kingery, called me and said, “Gary there has been a earthquake in Haiti.” We have ministered over 10 years in Haiti. We have had many sad and difficult situations. You do not get used to disastrous news, but when you know a country and its people are on the edge, your expectations are in a different set of readiness. Nevertheless, an earthquake? I quickly began reading the news reports on my computer.. “This is really devastating,” I knew immediately. You know the rest.
Praying and evaluating our situation in Haiti with our staff began. Almost all of our work was about 90 miles or more from the epicenter of the quake. After several days we learned that our facilities in the second largest city of Haiti, Gonaives, are fine. We also knew that the resilience of the Haitian people would put them on the move to flee to our city for help. They have arrived by the thousands most with just the clothes on their backs. We have tried to be as ready as possible. Remember, our city and ministry are still rebuilding and recovering from the devastating hurricanes and flooding from September 2008 and before. Our first step was to open a Haiti Relief Fund. I knew we need to help ourselves, others or both. Here is our plan:

· Haiti Relief Fund [100% of donations goes to Haitian needs] The response has been so encouraging! $22,000 so far. Food and supplies have tripled in cost. Our challenge is to meet the long-term needs as well as the immediate. We hope folks will not forget Haiti as time goes by. We need this fund to continue to grow.
· Christ Compassion Orphanage is an essential to provide for “orphans in their distress” as James wrote. In the past months we purchased land, and have the funds for the dormitory, The Ireton House, to be built. We will need another $50,000 for the school/church facility on that same land.
· Orphan Sponsorship [$30/Month] will allow us to care for more orphans that we created in just a few seconds of earthquake. We must first get complete sponsorship of the 27 orphans we have allowing us to care for more. At this point most of our children have little chance of adoption. They were found on the streets abandoned and without family. They are being educated, fed, loved and cared for in a Christian environment. We believe they can be key leaders in the future.
· Church Planting is still our first and imperative goal. Why? Raising up a Great Commission Church in any community or neighborhood is the best act of love humans can offer. Great Commission Churches fulfill the Great Commandment in offering the body of Christ to human beings. These churches will meet the many needs of a community and people. We have 11 congregations and 9 pastors, 5 of those churches have schools. A functioning School of Ministry to train pastors and leaders is scheduled by fall of 2010.
· A.B.E.L. Agricultural Businesses Enriching Lives is about chickens and goats, at least for now.[We hope to add other ways in the future.] A female goat-$75 or brood of chickens-$25 will provide a business and milk and eggs every day to a Haitian family.

Please join us in prayer and support of these long and short-term plans of Hope for Haiti. If you have questions, please call me 317-513-9042 or our Haiti Field Director Max Wright 317-590-6099. Max, according to his wife, has made over 35 trips to Haiti. He is just one of our extremely effective volunteers.

Thanks for stopping by.