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!
