Give to Haiti, deduct from your '09 tax returns

Thanks to a new bill passed by Congress, gifts made through February 28, 2010, for Haiti earthquake relief are eligible for a tax deduction on your 2009 return. Any gifts made to a 501c , such as Samaritan’s Purse, for Haiti relief between January 12 and February 28 can be counted as a tax-deductible contribution on Form 1040, Schedule A. 

https://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/Giving/Haiti_Donation/

Also, many corporations will match your financial gift. And many relief organizations will accept your airline miles. See this from United Airlines:

Donate miles to our partner charities who are actively involved in Haiti relief efforts through our Charity Miles Program. These organizations will use your donated miles to fly aid workers to affected areas. http://www.united.com/page/article/0,6867,1363,00.html?jumpLink=/charitymiles

The children of Haiti

But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Luke 18:16 King James Bible

These last few days I have been assured that David is doing well, so I can focus a bit more easily on my sons. One is wrapping things up to graduate from high school, hopefully in March. The other is hitting the books in his second year of college. The one at home has been teaching me how to play cribbage; the older one and I had lunch together today. I know they are safe and thriving.
But what of the children in Haiti? The ones not grown up yet. The ones dependent on the adults in their lives to care and provide for them, teach them, enjoy them and keep them safe? How do they thrive? What of the ones who have been separated by death or displacement from their parents?
And how do we process reports of child trafficking? They are disturbing, to say the least! It is difficult to accept that there are people who would take advantage of the chaos in Haiti in such a way. There are even allegations that children are being exploited as organ donors. And I thought the devastation from the earthquake itself was unimaginable! (Scroll down for today's interview on the subject with Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive.)
How can we respond? 
Pray. Such a simple word, such a powerful action. Believe. That the Lord of the universe will intervene on behalf of these children, unique images of God. That there will be such an outcry on behalf of the children of Haiti that there will be miracles of deliverance. Be ready. To give, to wait, to learn, to intervene, to suffer.
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/01/27/haiti.earthquake.orphans/index.html

What about the relief workers?

David's images set to music


Thanks to a good satellite connection, David and I had a long conversation last night. He is doing well. After the first several days of extremely challenging conditions, the relief work that he is participating in and documenting, is running more smoothly.
Because of Samaritan's Purse long standing partnerships, contacts and 30 year presence in Haiti, they are strategically positioning themselves for the long haul. David may be staying longer or coming home for a short break and returning. We are totally ok with that.
He spoke again of how good it is to be there in the land that is home, with the people he can so easily relate to. I know that there is nowhere else he would rather be right now. He feels he is able to process all that he is experiencing as he goes through his images each night and chooses the ones to pass on. From what I can tell, he is doing well. He truly appreciates the prayers and interest of all of you! 
I am thankful for the unique cultural and life experience preparation that David has. From all reports, the earthquake which rocked Haiti is truly one of the worst, if not worst, catastrophes the world has known in recent times. At least in terms of the brutally crushing injuries the survivors have suffered. When you couple the immensity of injuries and necessary rehabilitation for the countless amputees with the paucity of the Haitian infrastructure, it becomes mind-boggling. 
I think of the relief workers who are ill-prepared for this devastation; I pray that the God of all comfort would be real to them, even as they ask the hard questions. Will you keep praying? 
Thank you from the depths of my heart.


Cindy, for David and our sons, Josh and Nate

"All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah! Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us. We have plenty of hard times that come from following the Messiah, but no more so than the good times of his healing comfort—we get a full measure of that, too."  2 Corinthians 1:3-5, The Message

A look at a former commodities trader running a school for Haiti's future leaders:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704762904575025382061100568.html?mod=WSJ_World_MIDDLENews

"Should I go to Haiti?"

I interact with several people a day who are feeling called, led, moved to go to Haiti. I totally understand. These people are our brothers and sisters, they are our neighbors.

Since I am not there nor in a position of authority, I take pause when asked what do I think about heading to Haiti, soon.  Important? Yes. Urgent? I don't know; the recovery will take years. Haiti will need real help long after she is in the headlines.

So, if we are thinking about heading south, we might consider the following.

God looks on the heart; examining our own hearts seems a good place to start. Bolstering oneself spiritually will be well worth it, many times over.

Next, an updated passport and shots are critical. Keep working to maintain or improve physical fitness; this preparation will also pay off. 

Stay informed. Sleuth out reputable agencies, churches, organizations who are doing work that you resonate with. Are they well established? What are their ties to Haiti? Do they have financial integrity? Can they connect you to someone who has been affiliated with them in Haiti to get the inside "scoop"?. What are their needs for personnel, volunteer or otherwise? Are they ready to accommodate you now or would you be one more person to keep fed, safe, find a bed and transportation for? You get the idea

Ask trusted friends and mentors what they think. 

Be prepared to hurry up and wait. We'll have plenty of opportunities to practice patience there, might as well start here.

And last, keep Haiti in your prayers.

CNN on rebuilding effort after the quake.

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/01/25/haiti.earthquake/index.html
Samaritan's Purse: Surviving Day by Day
http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/articles/surviving_day_by_day/
Audio Report from Haiti
http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/Samaritans_Purse_Today/post/audio_report/

So many

So many faceless and nameless buried without witness. So many left to wonder where their friend, lover, brother, daughter is. So many motherless children seeking safe haven. So many weary, worried and wounded.So many. So. How do I process this? I choose to believe that God notices. 

150,000 Quake Victims Buried, Haiti Says

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122925656&sc=emaf
Earthquake map of Haiti
http://edition.cnn.com/interactive/2010/01/world/google.map.haiti/index.html

Perfect timing ~ One pilot's story

http://www.maf.org/

Will White, pilot with Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) shared this story from January 22.

Here is a flight I did today.  I will try and explain it.  Sorry if this gets long. This morning MAF was to take a team of doctors to Pignon.  The night before someone called and cancelled the flight so we were not expecting to do it and did not go in early. The doctors showed up about 9am and I told them they would have to wait until after a flight that was previously scheduled.
We had arranged for a film crew to fly to the island of Lagonave.  We were dropping off food supplies and picking up a team that was inspecting the Wesleyan hospital for damage from the earthquake.

Joy in the midst of sorrow

"I’m sure you’ve seen the singing and praying of Haiti’s believers. The television news men have not been able to ignore it. When the world is falling down around us, the Holy Spirit is at work in the midst of what to us seems out of control. When we remember that, we are strengthened, we have joy in the midst of sorrow, we give thanks even for the heartache, and God gets the glory." Boxley Boggs, in the sermon he preached today at Town North Bible Church, Texas.

These comments of our friend Boxley pretty much summarize for me the last 12 days; "the Holy Spirit is at work in the midst of what to us seems out of control...we have joy in the midst of sorrow..."

Our son Nate and I saw evidence of that today when we interacted with David, live via internet. I cannot tell you how good it was to see for ourselves that he is well, in fact thriving. "I'm really glad I'm here; it's so good to be with and talking to the Haitian people again....I'm loving it."

Another day at Bolosse

An update from Cindy McMartin, missionary with CrossWorld living on the Bolosse campus (where my David lived for 2 years, and where Samaritan's Purse went with a water purification system yesterday:

^{Where to begin? It’s hard for us all to remember what day it is, let alone what happened during the past few days. David [Scmid] said to me today, “We’re into our 3rd week since the earthquake, right?” I said, “no, it hasn’t even been 2 weeks.” The days run together and there is always so much going on. We go to bed exhausted and usually wake up weary.}