Haiti (MNN) — While the Unites States, the United Nations and others are focused on the total relief aid needed in Haiti, ministries there are banning together to see as many Haitians as possible impacted by the Gospel.
The JESUS Film Project, Campus Crusade for Christ, and Global Aid Network — while already connected with one another — are partnering even more closely in Haiti in the face of the overwhelming need.
Most of their ministry has been to the people housed temporarily in the tent cities of IDP (internationally displaced people) camps.
"You find those camps all over the city of Port-au-Prince, and most of those camps will have from 2000-3000 people, even up to 40,000 people," said Esperandieu Pierre, the national director of Campus Crusade for Christ in Haiti.
Since people are stuck in these camps with nothing to do, especially at night, boredom has become a means of conveying the Gospel.
Pierre said, "They have nothing to do at night, and that opened a wide door for us to show the message of Christ through the 'JESUS' film."
Lately, relief groups have mostly been focused on the physical relief aid needed in Haiti. Pierre said this can be dangerous: "When disaster happens, people immediately think of the physical needs. They want to provide tents, food and water, which is great. But people lose hope."
These three ministries are providing eternal hope through the message of the "JESUS" film.
They are helping on the physical end, as well. GAiN USA has distributed aid in the form of food, medical supplies, clothing and shoes; they also worked with Campus Crusade over spring break, as college students prepared and packed 1,009,368 meals for the victims of the earthquake in Haiti. The meals arrived in late April and are now being distributed. And The JESUS Film Project helps the two during the day when they are not showing the film.
This physical aid, Pierre said, has made the Haitians trust them more in the message they have to deliver about Christ. The response has been incredible, and they plan to send 12 more film teams to Haiti soon.
"The people are ready to really cry out to God more than ever before. Then, the rest of the world will know only God could transform a national like Haiti," Pierre said.
Pierre also asked for prayer and for Christians to not forget Haiti, even long after the nation is out of the headlines–because the needs will still be there.
Visit campuscrusade.com, jesusfilm.org or gainusa.org to help out with any of these ministries.
