How to help Haiti

Two of our group members went to a conference with other pastors in Haiti. They spoke to the group of pastors, and they also listened to a Haitian pastor speak to the entire group as well. During the debriefing meeting that evening, the two participants described the biblical image the pastor used to describe the situation in Haiti.

Luke 23: 26 As they led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus.

When Jesus carried the cross, a man carried it for him part of the way. It is such a powerful image: a man helping Jesus carry His cross during His sacrifice for the entire world. This is what Jesus calls us to do.

Right now, Haiti needs help carrying their cross.

I also spoke with Wilbert, an interpreter for AIM (Adventures in Missions) as well as a pastor. He described a proverb that we all know well here in America: give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.

Wilbert expressed the need to teach Haitians skills. He is involved in a youth ministry; later in the week he was going to teach them how to bind books. His goal is to teach others skills in which they can use to earn money. Part of his ministry is helping people in his community achieve economic independence. It appears that people need to become entrepreneurs in order to make a living.

From my limited experience in Haiti, the best way to help is to work with them in a spirit of collaboration and consultation, reciprocal teaching and learning. While there is much we can teach them; we have much to learn from them about faith in Jesus.