International Mission Organizations are refraining from travel to Haiti due to safety and security risks. The US has upgraded a travel advisory for Haiti, which is consistently at a level three, to a level four, the highest risk category. Haiti remains in an uproar as a result of the president not assisting and fulfilling the needs of the people in Haiti. The US embassy in Haiti has limited resources to help Americans who find themselves in harm’s way.
The country suffered tremendous damage due to the earthquake in 2010, so Haiti has not yet been restored to its previous state. There are issues of hunger, lack of basic resources, and medical attention. People are dying, and women are giving birth to babies without medical assistance of any kind. Many areas in Haiti have become slums because families have not been able to rebuild their homes.
Short term mission trips to Haiti are at a halt for now, but as a mission, organizations can still support the nation and remain connected to the people via prayer. How? Start by opening your house and hosting community events of prayer, featuring videos, photos of previous trips, and documentaries.
Everything Begins with Prayer
Prayers are where the real work of ministry begins. To pray for the needs of others is a gift because prayer does not always come easily, yet it’s precisely what people need. Spiritual awakening and encounters with God begin when His people humble themselves into prayer and intercede for each other.
Since short term mission trips to Haiti are not taking place at the moment, people may begin to forget about the nation. But, prayers don’t have to stop.
What can we do? We can organize a prayer calendar and have people participate in prayer commitments and prayer rotations. These prayers can be hosted in person or over the phone, on skype or a multi-call software. Together we must pray to return to having missions to Haiti
Mission from Home
Haitian culture is beautiful, unique, and lively. It’s one with delicious cuisine, so why not host a Haitian dinner where you invite the community, friends, and family to participate in an event featuring Haitian food. Just because organizations cannot pursue and organize mission trips to Haiti does not mean that we cannot embrace the Haitian culture. An evening like this can make way to sharing about Haitian roots, culture, and memories.
Videos and Pictures
Above we suggested hosting a mission from home themed after the Haitian culture, which can be an opportunity to introduce and videos and pictures from Haiti mission trips. Visual imagery would not only be a great touch to a Haitian dinner event but also a great reminder of the beautiful people of the country and the assistance that they need.
Photos and videos can be extremely encouraging for the organization’s staff and volunteers. They can make for a great experience for individuals who have not had the opportunity to participate in a mission trip before.
While telling others about experiences in Haiti is a great start, giving a brief preview of what it looks like to serve a community is more effective. One of the most powerful ways to demonstrate and provide people with an experience preview is a documentary because it offers good insight into the lives of those who live in Haiti.
A documentary from a Mission Discovery trip is a reminder of the conditions in Haiti. It offers a way for others to understand the needs, and thus offer ideas and strategies on how they can help when the time comes to pursue a mission trip to Haiti.
