Here is a powerful example (stream audio) of God’s Kingdom breaking out…this time in the midst of incredible suffering from the Haiti earthquake.

Here’s the description from the Miami NPR station’s website:

This piece reconstructs an inspiring moment amid tragedy and pain, at a makeshift hospital tent in Port-au-Prince.  In it, four medical professionals from South Florida recount their experience landing in Haiti after the Jan. 12 earthquake, and struggling to meet a desperate need for medical help.

One describes the situation as “a war zone.” Another describes a feeling of worthlessness, given the scale of the catastrophe.

But then something happens that surprises them: a man begins to play a guitar in the corner of the tent, and patients begin to sing.  Soon every Haitian in the tent is singing or clapping or dancing.  The song: “Jesus, thank you for loving us.”

Stay with the story to get the full impact.

Project Medishare is one of the efforts Cross International assist post-earthquake, but all the glory goes to God here.

Island Time is one of the best radio pieces to illustrate what is going on in Haiti and worth 60 minutes of your time (especially if you like good radio).

Here’s the promo blurb:

Unprecedented amounts of money have been pledged to Haitian relief in the last few months. American households have given over $1 billion and in March, 120 countries pledged over $9 billion(!) to rebuild. The only problem is that – historically – blanketing a country in aid and money has never really worked so well. Is there a chance this time things could be different?

Celebration Baptist of Macclenney, FL is holding a benefit concert for Haiti on Saturday, February 13.

The Celebration Worship Team will perform along with bluegrass artists Southern Reign.

Celebration Baptist is 30 miles west of Jacksonville, just off I-10.  For a map, click here.

Thanks to Chet and Rosina Gray of Celebration Baptist for putting this together.

If your church would like to hold a benefit concert, contact me @ 1-800-391-8545 ext. 174 or via email.

Good overview below and here by Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church/Seattle on the damage done by the Haitian earthquake.

He and pastor James McDonald from Chicago spent 32 hours after the quake on-the-ground.

This provides a good, broad historical background on Haiti for those not familiar with Haiti.  He describes not only how devastating this earthquake was to the people, but also how and why the work of churches is essential to the recovery and rebuilding of Haiti.

If you’re looking for a fairly short (about an hour) overview of the Haiti earthquake and how the church is responding and why this response is essential, this is excellent.

Please share broadly.

View on YouTube here.

Here’s a follow-up from an earlier post, illustrating that compassion and good intentions are not sufficient elements in helping the poor:

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – A group of 10 American Baptists were being held in the Haitian capital Sunday after trying to take 33 children out of Haiti.

The church group, most of them from Idaho, allegedly lacked the proper documents when they were arrested Friday night in a bus along with children from 2 months to 12 years old who had survived the catastrophic earthquake.

The group say they were setting up an orphanage across the border in the Dominican Republic.

Full AP story (via OneNewsNow) here.

Cross International has many years of ministry experience in Haiti, and works with churches and missions (and orphanages) already on-the-ground.

For more about our efforts, go here.

Contrast with these photos immediately following the January 12 earthquake.

Click here to learn more & support relief to Haiti.

Cross International updates our website throughout the week with reports from staff and partners on-the-ground.

Go here to find out the latest…

…and keep praying and giving.

Photo: Cross International

Good word here from Together for Adoption about Haitian orphan adoption:

Given the current situation in Haiti, here is my question to those who are interested in adopting a child from Haiti: “How long are you willing to wait to give a Haitian orphan a home?”

My concern is that our compassion for Haiti’s orphans, our desire to give them a home, won’t have the necessary patience (endurance) to see it through.

What Haiti’s orphans need once adoption opens back up is Christians who have gospel-endurance.

Also see the very fine book When Helping Hurts (Moody).

Wisdom should guide our compassion and actions, all of which should bathed in prayer and washed in God’s Word.

Taken in and around Port-au-Prince immediately after the January 12 7.1 quake.

Also viewable on Flicker.

Please use as points for prayer.

Click here to learn more and support Cross International’s efforts in Haiti

He was right where He always is – in the midst of His people.

See this story (video below) about 69-year-old Ena Zizi, who was trapped for 7 days in the rubble of the National Cathedral in Port-Au-Prince while praying, along with other stories.

This Telegraph report is one of the few from secular news sources who recognize and report of God’s hand in the disaster:

Cross International efforts in Haiti can be tracked here.

Please pray for three of our project officers – Mike Henry, Mike Wilson, and Claudio Merisio – who are on the ground in Port-au-Prince with our partners in Haiti.