God is our refuge and strength
an ever-present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1)
January 14, 2010
Dear United Methodists:
Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, Prince of Shalom, Healer of our brokenness, and Hope of the world!
I write to solicit your help for the people of Haiti. Every hour the media brings new details of a catastrophe of historic proportion - a magnitude-7.0 earthquake followed by more than 30 aftershock earthquakes averaging 5.0 on the Richter scale. The International Red Cross estimates that over three million people in the impoverished nation have been affected. Major buildings including the Presidential Palace, the UN headquarters, hospitals, schools and prisons have collapsed. Whole neighborhoods have been wiped out. Thousands, maybe more than fifty thousand are dead. More victims will be added because of the lack of medical care, poor sanitation, and shortage of food and safe water. Countless numbers of families are in search of their loved ones, whom they have not heard from. Our prayers are with them.
We have received information from Haiti that Revs. Tom and Wendy Vencuss of the New York Conference are safe and that the Methodist guest house in Port-au-Prince experienced very minor damages with no injuries to the occupants. I would like you to know that United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) has had a strong presence in Haiti, and is making plans to send teams, material resources and funding to Haiti as soon as possible. When it is advisable, the New York Conference will be organizing teams to assist in the rebuilding of Haiti.
In the meantime, I ask you to pray for the people of Haiti and those directly affected by this major natural disaster and to give generously to the relief efforts of UMCOR by connecting to the donation page for UMCOR Haiti: http://new.gbgm-umc.org/umcor/, or you can send your check, made payable to the New York Annual Conference, to 20 Soundview Avenue, White Plains, NY 10606. Please note in the memo line: Advance Special #418325-Haiti Relief. Every dollar we send goes filled with faith in Jesus Christ to make a radical difference in the lives of these our sisters and brothers whose suffering we can barely imagine. We cannot be there just now in person, but with our gifts we can be bearers of the love of Christ bringing healing and hope.
