Haiti Outreach posted by jwatson on Jan 15, 2010

We’ve all seen the photographs or watched the news videos of the devastation (now turning to desperation) following the recent earthquake in Haiti. The Red Cross is estimating that 45,000 to 50,000 people were killed in Tuesday’s cataclysmic earthquake. Beyond the physical suffering there is a spiritual suffering that we see in the eyes of Haitians including many children.

Evangelism Explosion has a significant ministry in Haiti, under the direction of Pastor Pierre Banes Lauroure, EE’s Director for Haiti, that has developed many key EE churches, and partnerships with other key ministries, aimed at a holistic approach to offering both physical and spiritual assistance.

Rev. Pierre Banes Lauroure, EE Director for Haiti

Even before this earthquake, Pierre had an multi-point vision to reach the children of Haiti with the Gospel:

• Develop a Haitian Creole Kids’ EE website
• Create Creole Kids’ EE teaching material to assist the local ministry
• Develop a Haitian Creole DVD training video as part of the teacher training pack
• Establish 11 Kids’ EE Teacher Training Summer Camps
• Create and reproduce black and white versions of the Haitian Creole Farley Cards for the children to color
• Partner with HaitiOne to feed 300,000 children physically and spiritually
• Train and supply the teachers with the new materials required to implement the program within their churches or schools

Obviously, the earthquake changes the priorities of some of these events and the addition of a few. In the next few weeks we will focus on:

• Partnering with HaitiOne to feed 300,000 children physically and spiritually (http://www.unitedcaribbean.com/haitione.html)
• Create and reproduce black and white versions of the Haitian Creole Farley Cards for the children to color
• Providing materials for outreach teams
• Offering training to workers with other organizations who want to share the Good News

Dr. Ken Silva, EE’s Vice President for North America (which includes Haiti) recently wrote,”Thank you for your concern and prayers as we seek God’s wisdom in response to the earthquake disaster in Haiti. Please pray with us that EE Haiti’s Director, Pierre Banes Lauroure, and all our EE family there are safe and find the immediate help they need. Pray also for their strength as we know they will be offering physical and spiritual care to all those in need around them. Our desire as a ministry is to partner with the relief effort by coming along side Haitians to share the love of Christ through the Gospel. Our Caribbean leadership has set up a project to provide help for any of Pierre’s needs and for the needs of those working with him, assistance for churches involved in EE ministry, materials needed for witness, and help for staff and teams to travel to areas where assistance can be provided. Please continue to pray with us that God will use this devastating situation to bring many of the hurting to Christ and glory to Himself.”

Evangelism Explosion is now raising gifts from concerned Christians like you to:

-Print outreach Materials- like Kids’ EE Farley Cards and Gospel Tracts ($5,000)
-Offer assistance with the travel costs for Caribbean Staff who will help with the outreach events ($7,000)
-Provide help with Children’s Feeding Station Outreaches ($8,000)
-Offer training and materials to any ministry workers (with any ministry) who wants to witness for Jesus ($5,000)

GOAL: $25,000. Any funds raised beyond this initial need will continue to provide assistance to our Caribbean ministry with future outreach events in Haiti and other parts of the Caribbean.

If you would like to be part of this outreach event, please go to http://www.eeinternational.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=96399 and donate whatever you can. If you can encourage your church or Sunday School class to be part of this, even if just through prayer, that would be a big help. We will have daily updates from our Director for the Caribbean, Rev. Devon Linton, at http://blog.eeworks.org/.

Thank you for your prayers and gifts at this critical time. May the Lord continue to be with you in these difficult days.