It is easy to dehumanize those who are different than us, especially those who are different in ways that make us feel uncomfortable. Our artist friends at Revolutionary Media of Portland, OR have made a provocative book to remind us about the personhood of the homeless.

It's called Dear World, and they are offering it as a free download from now until April 11th as part of a greater call to action.

What is Dear World?

Full of stories, examples, thoughts, inspirations, and challenges of how the body of Christ can begin to live as Jesus lived, and reach out to those in our very own communities, Dear World contains excerpts of letters written by the street community to the world. Readers will meet Miranda—a former meth addict who has found healing and restoration. They will meet Jeremiah, a young man who, like many Americans, misjudged the economic stability and lost it all. Their stories are paired with their portraits, and readers are given an eye-opening view of what life is really like on the street—and how we can help people stay off it.

What is the call to action?

1. Download - Download Dear World and tell your world about it. Retweet the link, or place it in your Facebook status.
2. Do Something - After you read Dear World, do something to help the homeless. The ideas are endless. Whether you take a homeless person to lunch and hear their story, write your senator, or volunteer at a soup kitchen, the goal is the same. Get out of your comfort zone to help someone else.
3. Document your story with words and or photos, then email it to info@TheRevMediaProject.com. We will post all the stories that come in to encourage and inspire others to affect this issue.
4. Discover - Revolutionary Media is offering prizes to 3 of the stories received. These three stories must encompass the heart of reaching out as Jesus' hands and feet. The 3 prizes include: a hard-bound copy of Dear World [valued at $65], a softcover of Dear World [valued at $45], and two Dear World posters [valued at $20].

Some books are for tasting regularly, not reading through once. One such book is Wise Counsel: John Newton's Letters to John Ryland Jr. edited by Grant Gordon (Banner of Truth, 2009). Newton was the former slave-trader turned pastor, and the author of “Amazing Grace”. The flavor of his ministry is such that frequent tastes are better than rare gulps.

I hope that he and you and I shall all so live, as to be missed a little when we are gone. But the Lord standeth not in need of sinful man. And he sometimes takes away his most faithful and honoured ministers in the midst of their usefulness, perhaps [for this reason] among others, that he may show us he can do without them. . . . Blessed is the servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall find so doing, with his loins girded up, and his lamp burning. (p. 280)

Marilynne Robinson’s novel Gilead—if you can call it that—continues to move me, months after I read it. I have waited to comment on it since I knew it would be around for decades (centuries?). I wanted to let it ripen in my memory.

Rev. John Ames is dying. The book is a kind of last testament he would like his young son to read when he is twenty-five, long after his father is dead. His voice is still with me.

So I went back to gather a few treasures. Gilead is not a "must read.” There are no “must reads” but the Bible. None.

So how do you choose what to read before you die and give an account to Jesus? I do it largely by what is awakened in me when I read samples. I hope these help. Some of the treasures.

He’d walk fifteen miles across open country in the dead of winter to settle a point of interpretation. We’d have to thaw him out before he could tell us what it was he had on his mind. (p. 16)

Existence seems to me now the most remarkable thing that could ever be imagined. (p. 53)

You two are dancing around in your iridescent little downpour whooping and stomping as sane people ought to do when they encounter a thing so miraculous as water. (p. 63)

In my present situation, now that I am about to leave this world, I realize there is nothing more astonishing than a human face. (p. 66)

Each morning I’m like Adam waking up in Eden, amazed at the cleverness of my hands and at the brilliance pouring into my mind through my eyes—old hands, old eyes, old mind, a very diminished Adam altogether, and still it is just remarkable. What of me will I still have? Well, this old body has been a pretty good companion. Like Balaam’s ass, it’s seen the angel I haven’t seen yet, and it’s lying down in the path. (pp. 66-67)

I have always liked the phrase “nursing a grudge,” because many people are tender of their resentments, as of the thing nearest their hearts. (p. 117)

Presumably the world exists for God’s enjoyment, not in any simple sense, of course, but as you enjoy the being of a child even when he is every way a thorn in your heart. (pp. 124-125)

At my time of life, I refuse to be angry. It was kindly meant. And it had to be done sooner or later. It’s true that if I have to spend my twilight stranded with somebody or other, I’d prefer Karl Barth to Jack Benny. (p. 128)

Boughton says he has more ideas about heaven every day. He said, “Mainly I just think about the splendors of the world and multiply by two. I’d multiply by ten or twelve if I had the energy. But two is much more than sufficient for my purposes.” So he is just sitting there multiplying the feel of the wind by two, multiplying the smell of the grass by two. (p. 147)

Adulthood is a wonderful thing, and brief. (p. 166)

But the fact is, I have never found another way to be as honest with myself as I can be by consulting with these miseries of mine, these accusers and rebukers, God bless them all. So long as they do not kill me outright. I do hope to die with a quiet heart. I know that may not be realistic. (p. 179)

And she kissed me on the top of the head, which, for her, was downright flamboyant. (p. 186)

We human beings do real harm. History could make a stone weep. (p. 190)

He could knock me down the stairs and I would have worked out the theology for forgiving him before I reached the bottom. But if he harmed you in the slightest way, I’m afraid theology would fail me. (p. 190)

It is true that we all do live in the ruins of the lives of other generations. (p. 198)

My heart was very heavy. There was Boughton sitting in his Morris chair staring at nothing. Glory told me the only words he had said all day were “Jesus never had to be old!” (p. 236)

It is worth living long enough to outlast whatever sense of grievance you may acquire. Another reason why you must be careful of your health. (p. 238)

It was truly a dreadful thing he was doing, leaving his father to die without him. It was the kind of thing only his father would forgive him for. (p. 240)

There are a thousand thousand reasons to live this life, every one of them sufficient. (p. 243)

“He will wipe the tears from all faces.” It takes nothing from the loveliness of the verse to say that is exactly what will be required. (p. 246)

This whole town does look like whatever hope becomes after it begins to weary a little, then weary a little more. But hope deferred is still hope. I love this town. I think sometimes of going into the ground here as a last wild gesture of love—I too will smolder away the time until the great and general incandescence. (pp. 246-247)

D. A. Carson's new book Scandalous just arrived in our mailbox from Crossway. As you can see in the image above, the title is written in woodgrain letters spattered with blood, illustrating the scandal (and the subtitle): The Cross and Resurrection of Jesus.

This relatively little book has five chapters, each one eyeing the scandal through a particular passage of Scripture:

1. The Ironies of the Cross: Matthew 27:27-51a
2. The Center of the Whole Bible: Romans 3:21-26
3. The Strange Triumph of a Slaughtered Lamb: Revelation 12
4. A Miracle Full of Surprises: John 11:1-53
5. Doubting the Resurrection of Jesus: John 20:24-31

If you're looking for some reading to help prepare your heart and mind for Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday next month, this looks like a great choice.

Check out Crossway's Scandalous page for more, such as browsing the entire book online or downloading a sample.

Mars Hill Church has posted the Sunday morning sermon John Piper gave there last week: "Be Killing Sin or Sin Will Be Killing You."

Is it time to start planning your children's ministries for Summer 2010? It's hard to believe, but summer will soon be here! And with summer comes a variety of children’s programs.

Children Desiring God offers four titles for use with elementary-age children, all of which are evangelistic in nature.

The Call of God—An Evangelistic Study for Children on the Work of God in Redemption. God is calling people to be a part of his family. This curriculum explores how God overcame the sin problem through the sinless life and death of Jesus on the cross, and thus enables people to respond to the call of God with faith. These lessons are also available in Spanish.

Things Hidden—An Evangelistic Study for Children on Kingdom Parables. Using kingdom parables, the goal of this curriculum is to awaken spiritual interest in children, so they might seek after the hidden treasure of God and find their satisfaction in him.

God Always Wins—An Evangelistic Study for Children on the Greatness of God in Salvation. These lessons show God as the great Victor who triumphs over all enemies, including Satan, death, and sin. He is great and mighty, and worthy of our worship!

Wisdom Calls Aloud—An Evangelistic Study for Children on the Wisdom and Fear of the Lord. This study uses wisdom literature to teach the difference between foolishness and wisdom, and shows children the need for a true heart change to fight against their foolish and sinful nature.

Visit our website to view sample lessons in English or in Spanish or to learn more about our Backyard Bible Club and Vacation Bible School resources.

If you want to know what it takes to host a Backyard Bible Club, Bethlehem's website lists the basics.

Michael Oh spoke at our 2009 Desiring God Conference for Pastors. I love his vision for Japan. As a Korean this commitment has the Christ-like flavor of reconciliation and risk. I would like for you to know him and, if God leads, support his vision.

He is president and founder of Christ Bible Seminary in Nagoya and a cluster of other ministries under Christ Bible Institute. Here is a short video where Michael presents the amazing opportunity for this seminary and church to be housed in downtown Nagoya.

Next month the Christian Alliance for Orphans will host Summit VI—a conference for believers who are committed to adoption, foster care, and global orphans.

Featured speakers include John Piper, Al Mohler, and Steven Curtis and Mary Beth Chapman. Steven will also lead the music.

Alongside the plenary sessions there will be more than 50 workshops about the various ways you and your church can lead, partner, and encourage others in the demonstration of the gospel through orphan care.

See the conference webpage for more details or to register.

Here's a video invitation from John Piper for you to come:

A couple days ago, John Piper gave his recommendation for a book he recently finished: Same Kind of Different As Me.

For what it's worth, here are some of the books the rest of us at DG are reading.

Theology & Christian Living

• Counterfeit Gods
• Crazy Love
• Dug Down Deep
• Finally Alive
• Future Grace
• Holiness
• Notes From The Tilt-A-Whirl
• The Prodigal God
• Puritan Papers, Volume 1
• Spiritual Depression
• Unpacking Forgiveness

Biblical Studies

• God's Ultimate Purpose
• The Meaning of the Pentateuch

Church Life & Practice

• The Church
• Prophetic Etiquette
• Total Church
• The Trellis and the Vine
• When Helping Hurts

Prayer & Devotional Life

• The Hope of Glory
• A Praying Life
• Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices

Marriage & Family

• Adopted for Life
• The Exemplary Husband
• Gospel-Powered Parenting
• Love That Lasts

History & Biography

• Jonathan Edwards: A New Biography

• Lives of the Three Mrs. Judsons
• Lloyd-Jones: Messenger of Grace
• Monkey Business: True Story of the Scopes Trial

Apologetics

• Life Is a Miracle
• The Reason for God

Fiction

• Atlas Shrugged
• The Gripping Hand

• The Lord of the Rings
• Peace Like a River
• Remembrance of Things Past, Volume 1

Business & Success

• Getting Things Done
• Linchpin
• Making Things Happen
• The Medici Effect
• Purple Cow

Economics

• SuperFreakonomics

Sociology

• Outliers
• The Tipping Point

?????

• A Big Little Life

Past reading lists:

• 45 Books DG Staff Are Reading Right Now (June 2009)
• 50 Books DG Staff Are Reading Right Now (April 2009)
• Our Favorite 2007 Reading (January 2008)

If you want to crawl inside the possible world that opens when a dirt-poor, illiterate, former-share-cropin’, homeless 50-something enters the life of a swank, upscale, southern, Christian art dealer, read Same Kind of Different As Me. These two men tell their increasingly interwoven stories in alternating short chapters that kept me coming back night after night.

Their names are Denver Moore and Ron Hall. There is a woman who binds them together. But if I tell you what happens to her it might ruin the story for you.

Here are the kinds of lines that would keep me going even if the story didn’t (which it did):

• “Denver and I are not preachers or teachers but sinners with a story to tell.”
• “You never know whose eyes God is watchin’ you through.”
• “I hope people will recycle the love they’ve been givin’ to somebody that’s not easy to love.”
• “This earth ain’t no final restin’ place, so in a way we is all homeless.”
• “Just tell ’em I’m a nobody tryin’ to tell everybody about Somebody who can save anybody.”
• “How do you live the rest of your life in jus a few days?”

Niños Deseando a Dios is pleased to announce the completion of a second Sunday School curriculum in Spanish, ¡Cuán Glorioso Es Tu Nombre! (How Majestic Is Your Name!).

This study explores the names of God as an expression of his character. Each lesson encourages children to see and rejoice in the goodness and greatness of God as they explore the meaning of his glorious names. You can view a sample here.

Since Children Desiring God launched its Spanish web site in July 2009, God-centered children’s Bible curriculum has been made accessible to Spanish-speakers throughout the world.  We praise God that our resources are now being used in Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, Cuba, El Salvador, Honduras, and Argentina, as well as in many areas of the United States with local latino ministries. 

We pray that the next generation of Spanish speakers will come to know God and to love and trust Jesus as they learn the truths of the Bible from a God-centered perspective.

Please spread the word about our Spanish resources to any church, ministry, or missions department serving Spanish-speaking people that may be interested in utilizing these resources.

Do you dare to pray for big things—really big things? Have you been set free enough by God’s enormous gospel to be greedy in a godly way?

Andrée Seu of World Magazine writes,

As faith grows—as we see how big is God’s heart, how lavish His inheritance, how powerful His arm, and how willing He is to be involved with us in the moments of our days—we join a long line of believers who suddenly realized the same thing. They turn on a dime from being fearful and self-deprecating to being avaricious in a godly way: “Send me!” said Isaiah, who had just a moment before wanted to die.

Read the whole brief post on “How Your Devotions Get Leggy.”

Over the weekend Nathan Wilson, author of the recently released The Chestnut King, wrote a playful piece about why and how he writes for kids. Here's a quote explaining why he intentionally does not shy away from difficult or dark themes:

I want to paint a picture of this world that is accurate (if impressionistic), and I don’t want a single young reader to grow up and look back on me as the peddler of sweet youthful falsehoods. I want them to get a world vision that can grow and mature and age with them until, like all exoskeletons, it must be cast aside—not as false, but as a shallow introduction to things even deeper and stranger and more wonderful (and involving more dragonflies).

It is because I try to write this way that I use so much darkness. Evil is more than a prop. True sacrifice is not a sleight of hand. Laughter in the face of adversity is the first step to profound joy in triumph.

Watch the trailer for his newest book:

A little more than two weeks ago, Bethlehem put 6 of its pastors in the hot seat for an anything-goes question and answer session. The panel included John Piper, Sam Crabtree, Jon Grano, Dan Holst, David Livingston, and David Michael. The audio is now available.

Four days later Paul Tripp gave a 1-hour seminar to the church about finding satisfaction in life, titled "If I Only Had..." You can now listen to or download that as well.

Ray Ortlund writes a short, insightful post about the question that lies at the center of a man's heart, and how a wise wife, by answering it, can "breathe life into her man."

Then he explains how it works the other way around.

Today after Pastor John’s biographical sketch of C.S. Lewis, Tim Tomlinson, President of Bethlehem College and Seminary, updated a number of the attendees about the latest news from BCS.

For those unaware, Bethlehem College and Seminary is the latest expression of Bethlehem Baptist Church’s vision for Christian higher education. Formerly The Bethlehem Institute (TBI), BCS is now offering programs and courses at the graduate, undergraduate, and lay level.

The seminary offers a four-year Master of Divinity degree for men called to vocational ministry. In addition to courses in biblical languages, theology, and exegesis, seminary apprentices are mentored by Bethlehem pastors and participate in the ministries of Bethlehem Baptist Church.

At the undergraduate level, we offer four degree programs. Our foundational program is a two-year cross-disciplinary degree in Christian Worldview that integrates philosophy, history, culture, and the Christian faith in a global context.

Building on this foundation, students will have the opportunity to choose from two majors: one in Biblical and Theological Studies and one in the History of Ideas. In addition, we also offer a Degree Completion Program in Theological Studies designed to help working adults complete their college education.

Our publishing division, BCS Press, offers God-centered curriculum for adults within the local church.

More information about our vision, values, and programs may be found at our website. We are seeking people who will join with us in praying for the long-term faithfulness and vision of Bethlehem College and Seminary. We invite you to sign-up to receive our weekly prayer updates.

The 2010 Desiring God Conference for Pastors begins this evening, which means some spectacular book deals for those of you who will be here in Minneapolis (and this list of recommendations for those of you ordering from home).

For those shopping in person, the DG Bookstore is

• located in Room 101 at the Minneapolis Convention Center (behind FedEx/Kinkos, just outside the auditorium where the main sessions are)
• stocked with 1,275 different titles and nearly 20,000 individual items
• open 3:00pm-10pm today
           7:30am-10pm Tuesday
           7:30am-1pm Wednesday

Snow Storms

This week in Minnesota, the main Storms to keep an eye on (along with snowstorms) is our keynote speaker. For those wanting to get to know Sam’s life and theology, a greatly loved book of his is Convergence: Spiritual Journeys of a Charismatic Calvinist.

And you may want to check out Sam’s new 2-volume devotional on 2 Corinthians called A Sincere and Pure Devotion to Christ which provides 100 daily meditations (50 in each volume). We also have several other good devotional books by Sam.

All Storms titles are at least 25% off during the conference.

Clive Staples Who?

Our conference bookstore is the place to be for C.S. Lewis fans. We have plenty Lewis titles and biographies on hand, including classics like Mere Christianity, The Weight of Glory, and Surprised by Joy. We have a feeling those in attendance will hear a lot of C.S. Lewis quotations this week.

It’s a Tripp

We’re privileged to have Paul David Tripp providing this year’s pre-conference seminar, and the DG Bookstore has several Tripp titles ready. Among those are Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands, War of Words, and his most recent Broken-Down House.

Paul will be available at a “Meet the Author” session from 8:45-10:00 p.m. on Tuesday night in the Bookstore.

Also accessible during the author-meet is Adrian Warnock. Just off the press is his first book Raised with Christ: How the Resurrection Changes Everything (I’m very eager to read it, but it’s so new I haven’t had the chance yet). Adrian is a dear British brother who runs one of the top evangelical blogs in the UK.

New Titles

The Trellis & the Vine: The Ministry Mind-shift That Changes Everything by Col Marshall and Tony Payne is perhaps the most important book I’ve read in a long time. We highly recommend this recent publication from Matthias Media. (Put it together with Chester’s and Timmis’ Total Church and Dever’s and Alexander’s The Deliberate Church for an outstanding trilogy on Christian ministry.)

For the history buff (and Bible-lovers!) look for Ancient Word, Changing Worlds: The Doctrine of Scripture in a Modern Age by Stephen. J. Nichols and Eric T. Brandt.

Thank God for Vern Poythress. His most recent In the Beginning Was the Word: Language—A God-Centered Approach is outstanding, and similar in its remarkableness is Redeeming Science: A God-Centered Approach.

Read whatever Frame and Poythress you can get your hands on. (Speaking the Truth in Love: The Theology of John M. Frame is worth its weight in gold, and at 1,100-plus pages, that’s saying a lot!)

New Piper Titles

Last but not least are the new Piper titles. Out just this month are A Sweet & Bitter Providence: Sex, Race, and the Sovereignty of God and its companion poetry volume Ruth: Under the Wings of God. Still fresh are the fifth Swans book Filling Up the Afflictions of Christ and The Power of Words and the Wonder of God (co-edited with Justin Taylor).

Worship

One older title to recommend (not really old at all) that I picked up recently and continue to get help from: Worship by the Book, edited by D.A. Carson. Carson’s introductory chapter is terrific, as is Tim Keller’s (extended) final chapter. On that note, Keller’s most recent Counterfeit Gods might be his best yet (and his two previous books are very good).

*     *     *     *     *

Previous DG Conference Recommended Lists

• National Conference 2007
• Pastors Conference 2008
• National Conference 2008
• Pastors Conference 2009
• Pastors Conference 2010 Recommended Resources

I went with the Churches Helping Churches media team to Haiti last week to identify the needs of the churches and help raise money to meet their needs. The things I saw, the things I filmed, and the people I met are still with me. I am haunted by the horror I saw, and yet the palpable hope of homeless and hungry Christians amazed me.

If you live in or near Minnesota, I want to personally invite you to a concert Desiring God is sponsoring called Hip Hop for Haiti on Friday, February 5, 2010. Order your tickets online. 100% of all the money will go directly to churches in Haiti through Churches Helping Churches.

Don't Waste Your Life is partnering with Reach Records, Lamp Mode Records, and Club 3 Degrees to host a benefit concert to help the churches in Haiti rebuild and reach out again. Christian hip hop artists Lecrae, DJ Official, Flame, Json, and DJ Essence will be performing.

This concert will take place at Club 3 Degrees (Downtown Minneapolis, MN) on February 5 at 8pm. Ticket price is $10, and we recommend buying them in advance since it will likely be a sell-out show.

In addition to the ticket price, there will be several opportunities to give throughout the night.

One hundred percent of the money—from the tickets, merchandise, and all other gifts—will go directly to Churches Helping Churches, a ministry "created to address the immediate and long-term needs of churches when disaster befalls a country, region, city, or people."

Mark Driscoll and James MacDonald, the two pastors spearheading this new ministry, have already been on the ground in Haiti and have made several videos to help us see the condition and needs of our brothers and sisters there.

So come, have a great time, enjoy hip hop music to the glory of God, and give sacrificially for the furtherance of Kingdom work in Haiti.

I recommend Doug Wilson’s Five Cities that Ruled the World (Thomas Nelson, 2009). The cities he highlights are Jerusalem, Athens, Rome, London, and New York, each leaving the world a legacy.

Jerusalem has bequeathed to us a legacy of the spirit; Athens, reason and the mind; Rome, law; London, literature; and New York, industry and commerce. (xx)

In developing the literary legacy of London, Wilson unearths this nugget from C. S. Lewis about William Tyndale and the Reformation:

Tyndale was willing to endure great trials because of what he believed about the gospel. C. S. Lewis explained that the “whole purpose of the ‘gospel,’ for Tyndale, is to deliver us from morality. Thus, paradoxically, the ‘puritan’ of modern imagination—the cold, gloomy heart, doing as duty what happier and richer souls do without thinking of it—is precisely the enemy which historical Protestantism arose and smote.” (128-129, quoting Lewis from his English Literature in the Sixteenth Century [Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1954], 187)

Nearly two weeks ago we had the privilege of hosting Dr. Russell Moore here at Desiring God for a few hours. During that time we were able to ask him a few questions about abortion, adoption, and the sanctity of human life.

Dr. Moore has authored a beautiful, biblical exposition of physical and spiritual adoption and how they relate to each other. Adopted for Life has become a manifesto for Christians to adopt. This book also trains believers who have adopted to help other families see the need for adoption.

In his sermon a couple weeks ago on "Holding Fast the Word of Life in 2010," Pastor John modeled scripture memory by reciting the entire book of Philippians to his congregation.

Later in the sermon, however, Piper issued the warning that memorization alone doesn't guarantee spiritual life or growth to any of us. Satan himself could quote the Bible, just like he did when he tempted Jesus. What is needed is both God's word and his Holy Spirit, who works through that word to bring us spiritual power.

Here are two more examples of scripture memory by men we know here at DG, men who have labored diligently to store up God's word for their own and others' true spiritual good:

• Jon Bloom, Desiring God's Executive Director, recited the book of Hebrews as a sermon for his church.
• Sam Crabtree, Executive Pastor at Bethlehem and Desiring God board member, recited the Sermon on the Mount at Bethlehem's 2010 Fighter Verse Kickoff event.

For resources related to memorizing scripture, check out Bethlehem's Fighter Verse Program page or Fighterverses.com.

Bethlehem's new website now has the audio from December 26-27, 2009, the weekend John Piper preached at The Village Church in Dallas. Our guest preacher was Bob Glenn of Redeemer Bible Church, a dear sister church in the Twin Cities.

Bob's message is titled "The Outrageous Love of God" from Jonah 4, and his refrain is that we won't see how outrageous God's love is until we've been outraged by it. It's well worth the listen.

Thanks, Bob, for serving our people so well.

Just as we seek to remember "the reason for the season" behind our Christian national holidays, it is likewise fitting for us to revisit the histories and heroes that have inspired our other national holidays.

Today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and there are events taking place throughout the country commemorating the life and message of this man. You may wish to find one of these and attend (if it's not already too late).

Another option is to locate old speeches, videos, and documents and go through them on your own. My roommates and I are going this route, and we've invited some friends to join us in listening to his message "The Church on the Frontier of Racial Tensions."

Here are some other online resources that might help:

• Wikipedia article on Martin Luther King, Jr.
• The King Center website
• The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute
• Video of King's famous speech, "I Have a Dream"

Any other resources you would recommend? Feel free to share by leaving a comment.

With you, we at DG International Outreach are watching the news coming out of Haiti and praying for the victims and those who will be working to bring relief in the coming days. One of those groups bringing aid is Food for the Hungry, which has become a great partner of this ministry. We would like to encourage you to support their work.

Their vision is to answer the call to respond to physical and spiritual hungers worldwide through action and advocacy for those who Jesus spoke about when he quoted the prophet Isaiah in Luke 4:18,

He has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed.

Here is how they are describing the situation:

FH staff on the ground have indicated that food and water are not available for purchase within Port-au-Prince, and that looting is already beginning as desperate people try to obtain what they can.  Major medical facilities have collapsed, hindering first aid help for those injured in the quake.  Communications are almost impossible, and a fuel shortage is cutting off transportation.  FH has only been able to contact five of our 20 Haitian staff members.  Meanwhile, survivors and rescue workers are digging through rubble to reach people trapped in collapsed buildings.

 Here’s the latest on how FH is responding:

FH’s Relief Director is en route to Port-au-Prince to join the efforts of Haitian staff and to assess our next phase of response. Staff in the Dominican Republic are also standing by to join relief efforts as soon as it is possible to cross the border. 

FH’s wholistic development initiatives reach tens of thousands of Haitians with HIV/AIDS and child survival programs in several of the poorest slums near Port au Prince, including Petionville, Jalousie and Bois Moquette. These areas were hit severely —the homes and other buildings in these slums are built on steep, unstable hillsides and not built to code.  During this crisis, program staff will utilize existing relationship networks to bring emergency help to these communities.