West End Baptist Church

Every day the news flooding into our homes brings horrifying images from the earthquake in Haiti.  Anyone with half a heart responds by saying, "What can I do?"  Daniel Vestal, Coordinator for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship reminds us that there are things we can do.  We can pray; we can give; we can go.

Prayer is not something we do before we get started with our mission work, it is in fact the first work we as Christians should think of doing.  Through prayer out work is clarified.  Prayer is two way communication with God.  As we pray, we must intercede for the suffering Haitians, but we must also listen for the still, quiet voice of God to speak to us.  He may nudge us toward sacrificial giving.  He may remind us of skills and talents we have that could be used to help alleviate suffering.  He may make us willing to offer the gift of hospitality to some of those who will become refugees in search of relief.

It will take a lot of money to help the people of Haiti.  Millions of dollars are pouring in from countries all over the world and we may be tempted to feel like our contribution is too small to count.  This is not true.  God is in the business of turning small contributions into miraculous gifts.  Next Sunday West End Baptist Church will receive a special offering for the people of Haiti.  The money will be channeled through VA Baptist and will all go to alleviate suffering in Haiti.  Don't be tempted to shift some of your regular gift from the budget offering to the special offering.  I believe God expects this to be a gift over and above what we would have given anyway.  Let's give in a way that expresses gratitude for the abundance of blessing we enjoy every day.  Even as we give sacrificially, we must give joyously.  God loves a cheerful giver.

Some of us can go.  You can go onto the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship's web site and fill out an application that indicates your skills and your availability.  Teams are being put together to help with the long-term rebuilding that must take place immediately following rescue and recovery.  If you are uncomfortable filling out an application, let someone on our local mission committee know of your interest.  We will explore what we as a church can do through direct involvement.

Ava and I lived and worked in Haiti.  One of our sons, Telius, is Haitian by birth.  We had the privilege of adopting him.  He learned today that his relatives in Haiti are safe.  They live in the Cap-Haitien in the north of the country.  We are grateful, but our hearts are broken because of the suffering and devastation that has touched millions in the Port-au-Prince area.  One of our grandchildren, Lucson, a Haitian child, was adopted into our family last year.  Over twenty of his playmates are still in the capital city area.  They are safe, but they are basically homeless as their home was badly damaged.  Please join us and the thousands of others who are seeking God's leadership to find what we can best do to help.