By Heidi Bolz
It is with great excitement that I type these words; how I wish I could speak them instead! As the Connections Pastor, I oversee a ministry called First B Cares. This church family made it very obvious that the title of that ministry embodies the truth about First Baptist…we do care. That excites me! When we heard about the recent devastation in Haiti, many of us questioned what we could do in response to news reports showing the pain and suffering that had come to the Haitians in a matter of seconds. How could the FBC family tangibly help? The response was amazing—you graciously gave $7008.75 towards the relief effort.
OUR PROCESS
On Monday morning, the Pastoral staff discussed the multiple agencies with which First B could partner through that offering. Giving to agencies who attached Christ to their work was of importance as was the desire to give where immediate relief work was being done. “Let us not love with words but with actions.” (1 John 3:18)
The agencies chosen are organizations we trust and with whom we have had relationships with in the past. Haiti is not “new territory” for them and neither is disaster relief work. I spoke personally to workers at Missions Door, Medical Teams International, and Samaritan’s Purse and was excited by the conversations I had with them. Each of these agencies have connections and partnerships with others giving relief. Our $7008.75 has a specific and yet widespread opportunity to reach this part of the world for Jesus Christ.
RELIEF AGENCIES
Missions Door which began as the Conservative Home Missions Society, recognizes that the work in Haiti “is a marathon and not a sprint.” The missionaries they have in-country have made it possible for quick delivery of food, water and supplies. They have secured a hospital building for three months and have already sent out survival boxes with tents, blankets and water. Plans are already being made for teams to help with rebuilding as the need for immediate relief diminishes.
Medical Teams International, headquartered in Tigard, sent out its first surgical team of doctors and nurses the day after the quake. Two more teams went out this past week and ten more are set to go as soon as the negotiations with air traffic controllers in Haiti are complete. In the midst of all the need, they stop and ask, “Lord, what are you calling us to do?”
Samaritan’s Purse is the ministry through whom FBC provides Operation Christmas Child boxes. Immediately after the quake, they provided two water filtration systems, each one supplying 10,000 gallons of water a day. Four more systems are on a barge headed to Haiti. Samaritan’s Purse’s partnerships ensure that supplies are not just sitting out on the airport runway. Distribution of basic supplies is a reality!
CONCLUSION
The needs are practical and First B is showing it cares by meeting them through generous giving to faith-based agencies. To God be the glory! Let’s continue to live and love like Jesus by helping those who are serving the Haitians during these dark days. God will bring beauty out of these ashes!