A few days ago I was with one of my kids ordering a bagel at Panera. When they gave me the total they asked if I wanted to give $1 towards Haitian Relief. While I desired to do something about the incredible devastation there, I also know my suspicions of giving money, especially earthquake relief, to a bread company to manage.
We have all heard of the fiascos that seem all to common with those businesses that take money for the poor or struggling, only to find out later that it was misused and wasted. While many choose to give to these groups, you can only do so knowing that there is likely little accountability. Certainly, you will probably never know exactly where your money went.
You just can’t outdo God’s plan of the local church.
Later that day I received an email from Bro. Rodney Johnson, formerly a missionary that our church supported to Haiti. He had to leave the field due to MS, but his health has improved enough in the last year that he wants to go back and do whatever he can to help Haitians through the current crisis. I distributed an email to the church list letting you know that we would be helping them get to Haiti to provide help through the churches they were involved in there. The primary one is the Calvary Baptist Church in Port-au-Prince. This money will go towards their travel expenses, then anything left over will go to helping the Haitian people directly. Since this comes out of our current Missions budget, if you already give to Faith Promise Missions, you are already a part of helping the people of Haiti. Some of you may desire to do more, so we are going to accept designated funds for the next few services to send with the Johnsons to Haiti so they can provide relief, not only physically, but in a manner that points Haitians back the God who alone can give them adequate comfort through all they are facing. Once Bro. Johnson is done, he will report back all that he was able to do with the funds to be a blessing to the people.
Please pray for the Johnsons and others that will be traveling with them as they minister at such a crucial time in the history of this small country.