Update From Haiti
January 14: Israel is Already on the Way to Haiti
Photo courtesy Star-Ledger
I have just received an urgent appeal from a Christian Ministry that I respect which has been working in Haiti for thirty years. I want to say YES, but I can only do so if you say YES. Jesus said, "If you do it unto the least of these, you are doing it unto me." The Haitians need food, medicine, water, and blankets urgently.
I know by now you have seen the heartbreaking pictures and heard the terrible stories of devastation from the massive earthquake that struck Haiti. Tens of thousands are dead, and millions who were already desperately poor are now struggling on the brink of survival. Thousands more will die in the coming days from disease, hunger, lack of clean water and the absence of medical care.
God has instructed me to go to the members of the Jerusalem Prayer Team and lay this challenge before you. Though this is not our normal mission, the human tragedy is so vast. We cannot be like the priest and the Levite in the story of the Good Samaritan who avoided the man in need instead of helping him.
Israel is sending teams of IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) specialists, including five search and rescue teams and forty doctors to Haiti. They are planning to set up a full field hospital including surgery units and an intensive care facility in the capital city of Port-au-Prince. The teams will stay for at least two weeks. Once again Israel is one of the first nations in the world to respond to a dire crisis.
The commander of the delegation, Brigadier General Shalom Ben-Aryeh said the group would focus first on the rescue effort. "We have experienced (many of the same teams went to India in 2002 to help with quake recovery there) that after several days it is still possible to rescue people," he said. The Israeli teams expect to be fully operational by Saturday.
We must act now. Every believer has a duty to reach out in Christian love to those in need. This is not a moment for hesitation, division or debate; this is a moment for action!
I am asking you today to join me in sending a sacrificial gift to help the people of Haiti in this hour of urgent need. Your generous donation will allow me to respond directly to the most pressing needs that I find on my arrival. I made a trip like this to Mexico City some years ago following the earthquake there. I helped dig people out of the rubble and provided food, blankets, and medical supplies.
Being on the ground with resources allows a rapid response to provide what is most desperately needed. This is our moment to come together and save lives in the name of Jesus and the love of God.
Your gift today is urgently needed so that we can quickly get to Haiti and start providing this help. The government of Haiti cannot care for all of these needs, and response from the international community will take time to ramp up. Acting together we can start meeting these needs immediately. We will continue Blessing Israel today but let's not forget children buried and crying out in the darkness of the rubble.
The story of the Good Samaritan teaches us that to love our neighbors as God commands, we must meet their needs. This is our moment to show God's love to the people of Haiti. They need to know that Christians in America and other nations love them—and they need to see that love in action.
Please be as generous as you can when you give. The need is great, and time is critical. I need to hear from you today.
Your Ambassador to Jerusalem…and Haiti,
Dr. Michael Evans
