wfn.org | Christian Reformed Church Helps Stem Horror in Haiti

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> CRC Helps Stem Horror in Haiti

JAN. 16, 2010-- The Christian Reformed Church in North America
missionaries are reported to be safe and to have enough food and water
to sustain them for now following the devastating earthquake that
rocked Port-au-Prince, Haiti, causing widespread destruction, deaths
and injuries on Tuesday.

Church officials say the news until now has been mostly good, but they
have not yet been able to contact many of their Haitian colleagues.
Communication in Haiti is difficult and the fate of many of the
Haitian staff remains unclear.

They are asking for prayer for missionaries and their Haitian
counterparts and anyone else impacted by the quake.
The Christian Reformed World Relief committee has started mounting a
relief response to the island nation?s worst earthquake in 200 years,
dispatching an international relief manager to Haiti. Additional staff
is expected to join him next week.

An Event Response Team set up by the CRCNA to monitor the situation is
in regular contact with staff in Haiti and is working with them to
determine the next steps.

> Concerns for Chaos

Hundreds of thousands of Haitians continue to suffer without clean
water, food and adequate shelter following the earthquake that
measured 7.0 on the Richter scale.

?Right now people are experiencing trauma and utter shock of seeing
body bags and bodies under blankets in the streets,? says Tom Post, a
veteran CRWRC relief and reconstruction specialist who worked in
Mexico City after a big quake there several years ago as well as
played a role in helping communities in Indonesia rebuild following
the devastating tsunami of 2004.

International aid has been delayed because of Haiti's badly damaged
seaport and congested airport. The United States is sending up to
10,000 troops that are expected to arrive by Monday to help distribute
aid and maintain order, a U.S. military officer said on Friday.
The arrival off the Haitian coast of the USS Carl Vinson, an aircraft
carrier laden with helicopters, essentially provides a "second
airport" from which aid can be delivered to the stricken capital. The
U.S. hospital ship USNS Comfort, with hundreds of medical
professionals and medical support, should be off the Haitian coast by
the end of next week, according to news accounts.

> CRWRC Gears Up Response

CRWRC has been working in Haiti and with Haitian partners for some 30
years, which should help as it gears up to help rebuild quake-damaged
areas. Christian Reformed World Missions and Back to God Ministries
International also have staff in Haiti.

CRWRC says it will try to purchase materials, as well as water, from
the Dominican Republic, which is on the same island as Haiti and was
not substantially affected by the earthquake.

In Canada, the Minister of International Cooperation has announced
that Canada will match individual donations to registered Canadian
charitable organizations, such as CRWRC, that support humanitarian and
recovery assistance to people affected by the earthquake.

The government of Canada will match all contributions by individual
Canadians to registered charities up to a total of $50 million. These
funds will then be put into a CIDA-managed Haiti Earthquake Relief
Fund, and agencies like CRWRC will submit proposals to receive some of
those donations.

To qualify for the match, donations must be received between January
12 and February 12, 2010 and be clearly marked for the Haitian
Earthquake response.  For additional information, click here.
Allen Likkel of Christian Reformed Home Missions says the agency has
had many calls from congregations asking how they can help. He is
referring calls to CRWRC, which will be able to determine what kind of
help is needed.

Pastors of  Reformed-related churches in Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico,
said they will collect offerings at Sunday morning and evening
services to help their Haitian brothers and sisters.

Although the Dominican Republic was not serious affected by the quake,
there are many people there who are anxious because they have family
members in Haiti.

> Prayer Still Required

In response to the continuing call for prayer, the CRC?s Office of
Social Justice on Friday sent out a suggested prayer for Haiti and the
plight of its people.

?In the aftermath of Haiti?s worst earthquake in 200 years, our hearts
break for the families and the victims of this tragedy. As many as
100,000 people are likely to have died and one-third of Haitians ?
about 3 million people ? were affected by the earthquake,? says the
OSJ in an introduction to the prayer, which reads:

?Gracious God,

Your word of peace stills the storms that rage in our world.
Bring hope in the midst of the devastation in Haiti after this tragic
earthquake.
Bring comfort to those who grieve the loss of loved ones and material
necessities.
Let your love be known through the words and deeds of those who work
to bring order in the chaos.
Help us also to shoulder the burden of suffering in any way we are able.
Make us bearers of hope today
and let us also remember the poor and vulnerable in the months and
years ahead through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.?

For continuing information about the Haiti earthquake crisis, visit
www.crcna.org/haiti

Important note: Financial contributions for CRWRC's response are
urgently needed. Every dollar makes a difference and now if Canadians
give a donation to the Haiti Earthquake victims through CRWRC by
February 12th, it will double in impact due to a generous contribution
from the Canadian Government.

> Donate Online

Checks, marked ?Haiti Earthquake 2010? can also be sent to:

> CRWRC-US
> 2850 Kalamazoo Ave SE
> Grand Rapids, MI 49560.
> Ph: 1-800-55-CRWRC
> CRWRC-Canada
> 3475 Mainway
> P.O. Box 5070 STN LCD 1
> Burlington, Ontario, L7R 3Y8
> Ph: 1-800-730-3490
> ?Chris Meehan, CRC Communications

> -- Chris Meehan
> News & Media Director
> Christian Reformed Church in North America
> 1-616-224-0849