Word from Wiese

Help for Haiti

Help for Haiti

25 August 2021

Dear Friends in Faith,

“God’s got the whole world in God’s hands!” What a fantastically encouraging song we sang growing up.

  • Good news that God’s got all of us—around the world—in God’s loving hands.
  • God’s got you and me, in Georgia (or wherever you are reading this.)
  • God’s got Afghans who have left or are still in their country. (This week, COS leaders are participating in a webinar with Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service to learn more about how we might help. More to come.)
  • God’s got our friends in Haiti, living in this hemisphere’s poorest country that has faced yet more devastation from the one-two punch of earthquake and Tropical Storm Grace. (What a horrible name for a tropical storm!). 2,200 lives lost, 138,000 homes and buildings damaged or destroyed, and thousands left homeless and less resources than before. UNICEF estimates that 500,000 children will be affected.

HTF Zoom

So many of you have lovingly asked, “How are our mission partners in Haiti and how can we help?” Please watch this video for a quick interview we recorded this Monday with HTF Director Danette Miller. In-country Director Maya Fond Rose tried for 30 minutes to join our Zoom call, but indicative of the country’s infrastructure challenges, the connection wasn’t sustainable. But Maya sends his greetings to you all!

 

The good news is that the autistic young adults and school children we sponsor were not affected by the earthquake beyond some minor damage that can be repaired. More good news is that Maya, with his amazing network of connections, is well positioned to transform our financial (as well as prayer) support into material help that he can make sure is delivered to needy families in earthquake-shattered L’Asile, which is just down the road from Jacmel, home of our Wings of Hope and Trinity School. So, please use this link to give financially as you are moved:

Giving Link *

*For online giving, please use the drop-down menu under funds and choose the Haitian Timoun Foundation. For checks, please write “HTF” in the memo.

Last spring, COS was incredibly generous as we rallied $17,500 of resources for our Haitian brothers and sisters in Christ. Thanks for your “above and beyond” gifts today in light of the immense challenges these children of God face in Haiti. God bless you and we’ll pass on information as we hear it from HTF.

Let us pray:

God, thanks for your promise that you hold every single person around the world in your loving hands. During these difficult days, that feels pretty wonderful to remember. Stir us Lord, as we rest in your hands, to use our hands, to fold our hands to pray for the world’s challenges, to use our hands to write checks or use credit cards to activate our financial resources, to extend our hands to give each other waves, hugs, pats on the back and anything we can do to remind those around us none of us are alone. As we heard in last week’s Gospel, we are in the same boat, together, and Jesus is with us! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Haiti Earthquake