M ap sonje ou, M ap priye pou ou (I will miss you, I will pray for you)

By Dr. Mark Ottenweller

A few weeks ago, thirteen volunteers and I sat in a tent with some of the 80 poorest and most neglected children on earth – orphans living at the Cadre D’Action pour le Developpement (C.A.D.) orphanage in Ganthier, Haiti. Many were suffering from scabies, diarrhea and all sorts of parasites.

As I sat there I thought about the words we were teaching them in English, French and Creole. I said to them, “I will miss you. I will pray for you.” The children repeated those phrases and then it struck me…they had never heard those words nor had they uttered them to anyone. You could see it in their eyes. Then I experienced an “a-ha” moment, we are here to show the something they have never experienced or knew about - how God cares about each of them.

You can give these children food, clothing, medicine and shelter… but they crave love. They want what we provide for our children – love, respect, appreciation and validation of their worth. That’s what the HOPE worldwide volunteers are bringing to Haiti - lots of it.

This first HOPE worldwide Haiti Volunteer Corps was life-changing for the volunteers, the local HOPE worldwide team and the orphans. We taught English, math, health, science, art and dancing (or at least our dance moves). Plus, we had plenty of fun art projects and parties.

We had several great Bible lessons with the orphans. One afternoon the volunteers shared Matthew 11:28: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” It was awesome.

The volunteers were the real heroes. Despite the heat, the bugs, bucket showers and sleeping on the ground, no one complained. Instead, for one week they gave their hearts and souls to the children. What a difference they made! Each day the sun, the stars, and children’s faces got brighter and brighter.

As we prepared to leave, I have never seen so much crying. Through their tears, these beautiful children verbalized those words they had never said to anyone. “We will miss you. We will pray for you. We love you.” With sincere hearts the team replied, “We will miss you. We will pray for you. We love you.”

Please pray with us for the poor and the fatherless of Ganthier, Haiti, and others like them all over the world.

[Below is a video message from HOPE worldwide's relief efforts in Haiti.]

Monica’s Moving to Minneapolis

Our sister in Christ, Monica Wright, was recently selected second overall in the WNBA draft by the Minnesota Lynx.  We are all so proud of her many achievements at the University of Virginia and are excited to see what God has planned for the next phase of her life in Minneapolis.

Valentine’s Day Evening Service

Due to the marriage retreat on Valentine’s weekend, church service will be held at 6pm on Sunday, February 14th at Burnley-Moran.

Church Service Cancelled

There will be no Sunday church service at Burnley-Moran Elementary School tomorrow (31 January 2010) due to the snow and ice.  Instead, we will be meeting in house church for communion service.

HOPE Worldwide Haiti Disaster Relief

Thanks to the generosity of disciples and friends, the Blue Ridge Church of Christ raised $1500 for the relief work in Haiti. HOPE worldwide’s first on-the-ground response began only a few days after the earthquake hit.  Dr. Mark Ottenweiler and evangelist Stanley Demornay managed to bring supplies and encouragement to the disciples in the Port-au-Prince Church of Christ.  You can read Dr Ottenweiler’s account on HOPE worldwide’s website.  Please continue to pray for all of the work being done to rebuild Haiti and especially that of HOPE.  They have outlined a strategy with short-, medium-, and long-term goals for how to best impact Haiti:

• Meet the immediate needs of food, shelter and health care for all of the disciples who have lost everything and the 50 others relying on them.
• Train the disciples for new jobs. Hire disciples to carry out HOPE worldwide relief efforts.
• Over $300,000 has been donated and pledged to HOPE worldwide Haiti Disaster Relief.
• Another $700,000 is needed from you, your friends and other partners.
• $100 will support one person for one month.  Click here to donate.

Update on Haitian Earthquake Relief

Thanks to all who contributed to the special benevolence collection of last Sunday.  The funds will be sent to HOPEworldwide and Angel Missions Haiti to purchase relief supplies.  Check out ICOC Hot News (back online at a temporary location) for the latest news on our churches’ first-response efforts.  Dr. Mark Ottenweller of HOPEworldwide and Stanley Dumornay of the New York City Church of Christ and former lead evangelist in Haiti were able to travel to Port-au-Prince, Haiti overland via the Dominican Republic.  They reached the ruined Port-au-Prince church building and immediately distributed food and medicine.  Read Stanley’s post on the New York City church website.  Please continue to pray for the entire nation of Haiti, for the relief workers, and for the disciples in the Port-au-Prince church.

Urgent Prayers and Support Needed for Haiti

On Tuesday evening, Haiti’s capital of Port-au-Prince, a city of over one million people, was hit by a devastating earthquake.  Tens of thousands are dead, and possibly hundreds of thousands more are in immediate need of food, water, clothing and shelter.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Haiti. This Sunday, the Blue Ridge Church of Christ will be taking a special benevolence contribution for HOPEworldwide, the charity affiliated with our family of churches, in its relief efforts.

What You Can Do

Learn.  All of the news media outlets are providing coverage of the earthquake’s aftermath and ICOC Hot News (NOTE: website down since Saturday 16 January) is being updated regularly with news specifically from the Port-au-Prince church.  Fifty disciples and forty of their friends are currently living in the rubble of their church building and will run out of food and water on Saturday.

Pray.  ”The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save.” (Zephaniah 3:17)  Pray that the way for the supplies may be cleared, that the harbor and roads leading into Port-au-Prince may be passable.  Pray for the orphans and widows that have lost everything to be comforted and cared for.  Pray for the Pray for God to move powerfully to work miracles in the middle of tragedy.  Pray for the disciples in the Port-au-Prince Church of Christ to receive much-needed food and water, and to represent our God, as they already are doing.

Give.  HOPEworldwide is preparing an emergency team to bring relief to the Port-au-Prince church and is accepting donations.  Our benevolence contribution this Sunday will go towards their efforts.  Tom and Vanessa Carpenter of the Roanoke Valley Church run Angel Missions Haiti which planted three clinics in the country in 2008 and is organizing a medical supply shipment to Haiti.  Disciples in the Dallas-Fort Worth Church formed Haitian Support after the last major disaster in 2004 and are also preparing an emergency shipment.

Worship Service Cancelled

We will not be meeting tomorrow (Sunday, 20 December) at Burnley-Moran Elementary due to hazardous road conditions throughout Charlottesville and the surrounding counties.  Everyone is encouraged to hold their own house church service.

God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways;
he does great things beyond our understanding.
He says to the snow, “Fall on the earth,”
and to the rain shower, “Be a mighty downpour.”
Job 37:5-6

The Virginia Churches are United and Growing

The annual Virginia Men’s Retreat was a great success, and, in addition to preaching a few excellent lessons, Mike Talliaferro had his ICOC Hot News cameras rolling to capture footage and good news from all across the state.  Check it out!