Voices of Hope with Anthony Ray - Let God's People Wake Up and Get Up

Do you say you love Jesus? Prove it. Be "boots on the ground" for God's hurting children.

If you caught the Voices of Hope show on Blog Talk Radio today you had the privilege of listening to Anthony Ray. He is going to Haiti to minister. On the show he outlined the need for Christians to rise up to be "boots on the ground" both at home and abroad. The idea of  being "boots on the ground" called deeply to me.

We cannot all go to foreign countries but we can all help in some way. Maybe we can't give $100 to help get someone to Haiti but maybe we can give $2. Perhaps we can't donate $2 but maybe we can move tables, arrange yard sale items or help with a fundraiser.

I remember a time when a homeless couple was "boots on the ground" for Hope for Healing.Org. They had no money but they helped solicit auction items to help our fundraiser. This was done while they were job searching. Both of them got jobs and Hope for Healing.Org had the most successful fundraiser that we have ever had before -- or since!

This couple said that they had reason to help. They are beautiful people who just needed a little help to get back on their feet. The fundraiser was 2 years ago. This couple is still living independently and are no longer homeless.

Haitians cannot say that. The earthquake devastation has created a homeless population that will take years to overcome. My blog readers know that I have already talked about the restaveks. These are children of poverty who have been trafficked to wealthier families because their parents cannot feed them.

Now, nature's destructive forces have wreaked havoc which has driven a wedge deeper between the poor and affluent segments of society in Haiti. More children are at risk for trafficking because more people are at risk of starving. Parents who cannot feed or shelter their children will do anything they can to keep them safe, even at great risk. It's a vicious cycle.

That's why the work that Anthony Ray is doing by being "boots on the ground" is so important. That's why the mobilizations of organizations such as UMCOR and the work by the Courageous Church in Atlanta with Pastor Shawn King is vital.

A whole world of people are dying because of poverty, malnutrition, poor living conditions and more. They are dying physically but they will only die spiritually if we let them. As God's people let us be the people that we claim to be. Let us, as God's people, wake up, get up and start living the faith we claim to have.

Let all of God's people say "Amen"!

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Learn more about Anthony Ray on Twitter, his website and on Blogger.

Haiti Relief and Human Trafficking

Nagging me from the back of my mind is a statistic that I saw recently. It estimated that Haiti has around 250,000 people (mostly children) in bondage. Until today, I could not find the statistic. It came from the HumanTrafficking blog at Change.org. Amanda Kloher writes that the quarter million child slaves in Haiti are known as restaveks.

The trafficking of humans has been a longstanding problem in Haiti. In 2007, the Pan American Development Foundation received $6.4 million dollars to provide services to women and children and create a cross-border awareness campaign.

The stories that rescued restaveks share are horrendous. They are in last place in the Haiti society. These victims of human trafficking are the unseen, forgotten children of the desperately poor in Haiti. With the aid that is beginning to flow into the country you have to wonder when, or if, it will reach these children.

Haiti Earthquake Relief; Pets and Animals

Some agencies are working to assess and help animals and pets in the Haiti earthquake relief efforts. Most of us would agree that the rescue of animals takes second place to the rescue and recovery of humans. However, there is reason for the Haiti earthquake relief to cover Fido too.

The World Society for the Protection of Animals reminds us that when disaster strikes habitats are lost. Even domesticated pets, when having to fend for themselves, will act accordingly. This can become a safety issue to the general public. Sick animals can spread disease. Injured animals in pain can lash out at humans. Wild animals are always unpredictable and become more so after fleeing from habitat destruction.

Plus, as in the photo, pet owners are fond of their animals. Responsible pet owners would want someone to help their pets if they couldn't. The additional worry only compounds the stress that disaster victims are already under.

From these perspectives, it makes sense to include pets and animals in the Haiti disaster response.  Some charities are doing just that. In addition to the World Society for the Protection of Animals a few other organizations are listed below.

More information:
International Fund for Animal Welfare
Christian Veterinary Mission
Humane Society: Wayne Pacelle

Haiti Earthquake Relief: For Such a Time as This

Few events have rattled the world like the Haiti earthquake and relief effort. Hope and heartbreak are intermingled with the tears of the grieving. News reports tell of chaos and destruction. People shake their heads in dazed confusion and wonder where God is in the middle of this disaster. Then another person is pulled alive from the rubble and we know. He is there in the midst working to save and strengthen. His love is a balm to our grief, struggle and disbelief.

Aid workers were already on the ground. As the poorest nation in this hemisphere Haiti was a nation in need of assistance before the earthquake leveled buildings. The United Methodist Committee on Relief , UN Peacekeepers and mission teams from around the globe were already working to make lives better for the people in Haiti. Now, those same aid workers are working hard to save lives.

Supporting the various faith organizations are churches of all denominations and people of all religions. When crisis strikes there is not time for argument. Lifesaving efforts are paramount to denominational or religious differences.

For such a time as this, the church has the opportunity to be an alive and vibrant people in the face of great hardship. Those of us who are not in Haiti cannot imagine the horrors that the are being faced. Reports try to convey the suffering. The lessons from Katrina, Rita, California wildfires and other disasters tell us that those who are not there cannot fully understand.

What we can understand is the desire to help. I am a United Methodist. My spirit is bolstered by knowing that there is a structure that allows for the collection of funds and the distribution of goods. Those who wish can volunteer to load trucks, hold bake sales, collect supplies and organize the local efforts that are being undertaken by the church. Other denominations have similar networks.

Those networks are in place for such a time as this. There has been no better time for the church to stand up and be The Church. We cannot (and should not) all be in Haiti. But we can all be a part of the Haiti relief effort.

Here's how:

• Praying is easy. It takes very little time and no money. 
• Giving money is the next step. Just think what would be done if everyone in the US gave $1 each? 
• Buying supplies is something most of us can do. Toothbrushes and combs are not expensive. A single person can purchase items for a kit or a few people can go in together. More information is online.
• Volunteer. Ask your pastor how you can be a part of your church relief effort.
• Maximize your effectiveness by getting training in advance. No matter how much we rebel against it disasters are a part of life. We must plan and respond. Maximize your effectiveness by getting trained and being prepared in case a disaster strikes near you. 

Hopefully, there won't be another Haiti earthquake. For all disasters, we must remember that God brings good from bad by preparing his people to respond, for such a time as this, and other disasters.

More information:

United Methodist Committee on Relief

US Aid

Save the Children

World Vision