Thursday January 21, 2010

I will with God’s Help…

That is not just a slogan or catchy phrase used by the Diocese for Wyoming Episcopalians, but it is what defines us as Christians. The Baptismal promise is not just our promise to God, but to the world. To proclaim by word and example… Right now the example needed is aid to Haiti. Our brothers and sisters are suffering a tremendous loss. Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, and one of the poorest countries in the world. Day-to-day life was hard enough and aid has always been needed. Now, after the catastrophic earthquake, the people of Haiti are clinging to survival. Day-to-day has become minute-to-minute for many.

There are many ways to help. A few charities with responsible track records of providing aid in times of emergency are listed in this eSpirit edition: Episcopal Relief & Development, The Red Cross, and The Salvation Army (although there are many others). You can also give directly through the Diocese by going to the website: www.wyomingdiocese.org to “Donate Online” and give to Global Mission: Haiti (the Diocese mission fund for Haiti). There is the phrase, “give til’ it hurts” and that is a rather negative way of viewing mission aid. So, please give until it feels good. Although the world seems mobilized now to help Haiti, your donation, however much, is desperately needed. Another thing desperately needed for Haiti right now are prayers…deep, directed, and mindful prayers.

So please pray for Haiti and consider giving through a charity of your choice, remembering the Baptismal Promise:

Will you continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers? I will, with God’s help.

Will you persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord? I will, with God’s help.

Will you proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ? I will, with God’s help.

Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself? I will, with God’s help.

Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being? I will, with God’s help.

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By Mr. John Masters, Esq. Email:john@efwy.org

The news from Haiti describes the unimaginable. Families shattered by death; children whose limbs are crushed; roads impassable from debris; water and sewer systems once barely adequate now destroyed; basic shelter flattened, often over the bodies of the inhabitants; and streets lined with countless bodies of victims. Against this backdrop will raise the specter of untreated wounds, of disease, of thirst, of starvation, and more death.

As we learn of the depth of human tragedy in Haiti we may be tempted to ask, where is Christ in this picture?

Cynics point to times such as this as evidence that Man is alone in a dangerous world.

And Christians are tempted to fall on their knees in despair.

Yet, to me this is where I find Christ: in your eyes, the eyes of my friends and family, and even the eyes of a stranger on the street or the eyes of an orphaned child digging for his sibling in a pile of rubble.

We, Christ’s Church, are the hands, legs, and strong backs of Christ in this world. Tragedies are a call for us to act, to get off of our knees and act. To open our checkbooks, retrieve our cash or credit cards, and act. To organize ourselves and our resources needed in Haiti and act. There is plenty of time for prayer but what Christ is calling us to do is to reach out to our sisters and brothers in Haiti and to act in whatever manner we are capable of acting. Send gifts, send your spare coat, send yourself as a tool of justice. There is time for prayer and time for action and now is that time. I call upon the good people of this Church to respond to the cries of the mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers of Haiti. Let us be known first by our actions; then we can be known as Christians.

How can we act? We can volunteer our time to organize relief missions to Haiti. We can volunteer to travel there to as part of a mission. We can organize transportation sending supplies in relief. Can the people of Wyoming fill a National Guard C130 with food and water? Can we fill two? Three?

We are called to act and one way is to support our Church through its arm already swinging to action: The Episcopal Relief and Development Fund. Or we can support the Red Cross, or the United Nations Relief Agency. Whichever you prefer, please do something to help, do something to be Christ’s presence in this world.

On this day we have sent $5000 to ERD for Haitian relief work. This is merely the beginning of the task at hand. Please join us.

John Masters
Executive Director
The Foundation for the Episcopal Diocese of Wyoming
 

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By Ms. Linda Fleming. Email: lfleming22@yahoo.com

Waiting for word about Sanda
Photo: Sanda Beaunamy, Haiti child sponsored by St. Paul’s ARK children

Just two days after the devastating earthquake in Haiti, the Amazing River Kids, ARK , met at St. Paul’s in Dixon. On that day the school bus let off about 20 K-4th grade children in front of the church in Dixon. Five pre-school children and their mothers were already at the Parish Hall. Much to the children’s surprise, rather than the usual milk and cookies at the serving window were instead slices of white bread cut into quarters and glasses of water. The happy chatter turned into questioning. Christy Stocks, one of the leaders, explained to the children to take a piece of bread and a glass of water if they wished. After the refreshment, which a few of the children partook, the ARK children all went into the chapel for their lesson.

Christy seated on the riser before the alter rail and the children with puzzled looks on their faces were seated as they always do on the floor around her for their Bible lessons. She then told them about the earthquake in Haiti and about Sanda, the Haitian girl that they have helped support with their letters and financial contributions for many years. They talked about the earthquake devastation that many have nothing to eat, nothing to wear and how a small piece of bread and a glass of water would mean so much to Sanda and others in Haiti.

The children learned that the sponsoring organization from Compassion International based in Colorado Springs has sent out an email and told the local sponsors that when Compassion receives details from Compassion Haiti about specific children they will contact the sponsors.

Sanda was sponsored by the St. Paul’s Sunday School for two years and then has been sponsored by the ARK group for the last ten years. She is now 18 years old. She writes to the ARK members in French and it is then translated into English. The ARK children had sent her some Christmas money. She wrote back that she purchased some sandal shoes with the money. Last spring the children sent her a package of their drawings with stories. Her returned letter thanked them for their “drawing sheets.”
After learning about the earthquake and that their “Sanda” had not been heard from, some of the children quietly walked back by the serving window and took a piece of bread before beginning their craft activity.
 

The ARK children each year also participate in the Heifer Project.

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