Haiti: A Whirlwind of a Week – Part 2
As the dust began to settle, we began seeing the results. The blog we set-up received thousands of hits that day, our church web site received 15x the normal amount of traffic, the free e-mail account we set-up with Gmail was filled with thousands of e-mails and actually locked up because over twelve of us were in there trying to process all of them!
It was a hectic day, but it did show us just how many people cared. Some were willing to give temporary homes, some were wanting to adopt, others were wanting to offer donations of clothing and other items. It amazed me the generosity of our people and their friends who received a forwarded copy of the e-mail (or heard about it on Facebook or Twitter).
Now it is indefinite as to when the Haitian orphans will arrive (if at all, although we are seeing some released little by little), but the work doesn’t stop there. Our friends at Safe Families have been busy going through all the e-mails we received, lining up qualified applicants should the need arise for temporary housing or adoption, they’re amazing.
Can I tell you something else amazing that happened? Last weekend our pastor scrapped his sermon and focused purely on Haiti. Here’s a video of him interviewing his son Barry and Curtis from our Outreach team as they talk about their recent experience in Haiti…
Dave talked about the realities of what’s going on Haiti, how we’re going to have to continue to support Haiti long after the media stops covering it, because the effect of that earthquake will be felt for years. And one of the biggest things he did was bring a challenge to the congregation to raise money for Haiti.
The money we raised is to be distributed to two of our partners, Nehemiah Vision Ministries and Kids Against Hunger. One of the challenges Dave gave was that if we raised $40,000, Kids Against Hunger would set-up a food-packing operation in our gym. This would mean putting together food packages that would help feed a family of six (or even just six people) for an entire day and provide all the essential nutrients.
We got calls throughout the week, "did we reach our goal of $40,000?" Little do people know Dave. Our goal was never to raise $40,000, we only wanted people to know what we would be able to do through their generosity.
The final total collected to help Haiti? I believe it was over $220,000.
We don’t throw that number around to brag. Considering all the work that has to be done in the aftermath of this earthquake, that is only a start. And the food-packing that we’re doing for Kids Against Hunger? All 400 volunteer slots were filled within an hour of being available to sign-up and these volunteers will be packing over 200,000 packages of food. The response was so great that we’re trying to coordinate more times for Kids Against Hunger to come to Grace so we can pack more food.
Last week, considering how much work we put into it and our hopes being dashed at not receiving orphans, I was greatly encouraged by our church’s response. And I’m not talking about the response from Dave, I’m talking about from the people who we asked to "step up" and put "Plan A" into action. It is my personal hope, as someone who’s about to graduate with a degree in Pastoral Ministry, that last week stirred the hearts of our congregation. That they would not only remember Haiti, but think about the issues of social justice all over the world and do something about it!
When we first got the call about the orphans, those of us who were there at the onslaught of news knew that God was definitely up to something. Only time will tell what effect the Church’s response (the entire body of Christ, not just Grace) has on Haiti. In the meantime, I know that some people had their heart stirred by the efforts of Safe Families and have offered to open up their homes to kids who need temporary homes. This past week has truly shown me that when we’re open to the Holy Spirit, He’s going to work through God’s people. And Grace Community Church really stepped up to the plate, along with various churches around the world.
When I worshipped this weekend, I looked around at all the faces in the auditorium, filled with an immense pride to be able to serve and serve alongside the wonderful families of Grace.
"Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."
- 1 Corinthians 15:58
Quick Links: