Another Heart for Haiti

February 29, 2012 No Comments

 

“Plans need sustainability. After the international aid is gone, there must be programs the people can continue themselves. Until then, there won’t be any real change.”  Haitian Activist

 

 

Recently I visited White Rock Baptist Church in Durham.  The congregation was celebrating and increasing awareness about its program to help improve the lives of children in Haiti.

The Children of White Rock led the service… singing, praying, and reading scripture.

I was invited to share some of the things I learned about the needs of the children when I visited Haiti last year to document recovery after the earthquake.

At the beginning I told them that  I was less impressed by the devastation, massive though it was, than by the positive response of the ever-hopeful, hard-working Haitians trying to mend their broken lives.  They are deprived but determined.

 

I wanted them to remember three things from my remarks:  That any campaign to assist Haitians must be delivered with dignity; That exclusion is the problem and inclusion is the solution; and there is much promise in the children of that nation.

The pastor of White Rock, Rev. Lloyd L. Watkins Sr., explained that the church is called “missionary” for a purpose and that it members actively live out the true meaning of that word:

Simply put the membership seeks to glorify God and edify humanity through in-reach and outreach ministries… worldwide.

They put their faith into action.

The Church has a strong program to help the children in Haiti.  Their intent is to restore hope and show them God’s loving compassion. That is part of their mission.

Already, about a dozen who serve on the mission team have visited for fact-finding purposes.

The team got to see firsthand what the needs of the people are and the challenges it would face.

They have raised thousands of dollars to fund their vision:  To build a bakery in Haiti, and train Haitians to run it themselves.

The good people of White Rock believe that Haiti is where God wants them to be.

It will take thousands and thousands of dollars to to make the state-of-the-art bakery in Haiti a reality and to stock it with at least a year’s supply of premium inventory.

If you would like to help, I know they’d love to tell you more about the plan.

wrbc@whiterockbaptistchurch.us

 

(919) 688-8136

Tags: Bakery, Earthquake, Haiti, White Rock Baptist ChurchCommunity Issues