Many children were orphaned by the 2010 earthquake.
(Image courtesy EFCA)
Haiti (MNN) — It’s easy to see the amount of physical need in Haiti: it’s the Western hemisphere’s poorest country, healthcare is lacking, and many villages don’t even have clean water.
But saving Haiti will take more than money. The problems of Haiti’s people stretch beyond limited resources. Starfysh founder Steve Edmondson says the battle is spiritual.
“We put a lot of stock, and need to put a lot of stock, in the power of God,” Edmondson notes.
On the Haitian island of La Gonave, Starfysh empowers people with a two-fold approach. While caring for physical needs like clean water and healthcare, Starfysh workers establish and cultivate friendships. These lead to conversations about Jesus and His salvation.
“When people just pray in general, and pray consistently, the things we do day-to-day are made more effective because God is in it,” says Edmondson.
“I can give you examples of how things have happened that we cannot explain by human terms.”
The latest example took place just a few weeks ago. A shipping container full of supplies needed for Starfysh ministry on La Gonave had been detained by the infamously corrupt Haitian customs officers. Using word-of-mouth and social media, ministry leaders mobilized people to pray for the quick release of the container.
“Within a week or two, that container was released from the [Haitian] customs that had pretty much hijacked it for months,” Edmonson shares.
“Praying is a practical thing that people can do. If we can move the hand of God through prayer, as God invites us to do, that is practical.”
