Disaster Relief Training

From the Georgia Baptist Convention

The goal of GBC’s Disaster Relief Ministry is to provide some measure of normalcy for the victims of a disaster event. The ministry focuses on five areas: chaplaincy, child care, clean-up & recovery, communications and feeding. Everyone who wants to be involved in this ministry must be "Phase 1" trained.

• Phase 1 Training is required for all volunteers. At this training you will receive an introduction to the Disaster Relief Ministry of Georgia Baptists as well as hands-on training in one of the five ministry areas. (Training Fees if paid by registration deadline: Phase 1=$35, Recertification = $15, Cross-training in another Ministry Area = $35.)

ONE DAY PHASE 1 TRAINING!

April 10, 2010:

Ingleside Baptist Church

834 Wimbish Road

Macon, GA   31210

Registration Deadline: April 2

Register Now!

As news reports continue to come in about the devastation in Haiti, how can we help?

• Caring for Haitians in Need - Baptist Global Response
• Hope for Haiti - Cooperative Baptist Fellowship

** Mission Partner Update – 2/16

Jim Jennings left on Sunday, February 14 for the Dominican Republic and then on to Port au Prince, Haiti on Monday, February 15 with his third medical team. Charlie Drake is also with him on this team. They expect to be there at least a week. Please pray for this team.

** Mission Partner Update – 1/21

Jim Jennings and his team of doctors have returned to the US, having dispensed all the medical supplies and performed numerous surgeries. Jim will rest a few days as he assembles another team of doctors and medical supplies. He expects to return to Haiti as soon as possible. Please continue to pray for this project.

Pastor Saintil from Mitspa Baptist Church reports that civilians will not be allowed into Haiti for the next couple of weeks, so his church has cancelled plans to send a mission team to Haiti. A special prayer service is scheduled at the church (5225 Jimmy Carter Boulevard) for Sunday, February 7, from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. DBC members are invited to attend.

World Relief continues to minister to people in Haiti, Florida and Atlanta affected by this earthquake. World Relief’s greatest contribution will most likely come when the response reaches the resettlement stage. Pray for continued strength and vision as WR personnel continue to be engaged in this effort.

Greg Smith informs us that InStep will partner with a number of other mission agencies and church leaders to rebuild churches in Haiti. Pray for Greg as he begins to formulate the plans for this endeavor.

Donations for DBC’s Disaster Relief Fund this week total $5,691.86. Additional contributions are expected shortly. DBC’s Mission Team (staff and Mission Council) will soon be making decisions about how to distribute these funds to Haiti. A listing of some of the mission partners that will assist us in getting funds and supplies to Haiti are found below in the "How Can We Keep Informed?" section. Pray for these mission partners as they develop recovery plans.

HOW CAN WE PRAY?

1. Pray for the people of Haiti who have experienced this natural disaster. Many have become homeless. Hundreds if not thousands of people have died in the earthquake.
2. Pray for the relief efforts already in place. The first 36 hours is a critical time. Those caught in the rubble have the best chance of survival during these first few hours. Due to the destruction of many of the roads and the airport, international aid will not be able to reach Haiti quickly. The initial rescue efforts will be done by missionaries, government authorities and NGOs (non-governmental organizations) that were already in Haiti when the earthquake hit.
3. Pray for relief organizations as they mobilize to respond to this disaster. The most likely avenues of relief are helicopter airlifts and ships in the area. Pray for efficient coordination of the many relief organizations that will respond.
4. Water is one of the most precious commodities needed by those who have survived. Pray that fresh, clean water will be supplied as soon as possible. Food and shelter are the next most essential concerns for those who have been affected by the earthquake.
5. Pray for the many relatives of Haitians who live in the US and other Caribbean nations. Information about the condition of individual family members is still incomplete.
6. Pray for our DBC Missions Team as we seek to respond appropriately with disaster relief through our partners and as we plan ministry opportunities presented by the anticipated long term aftermath of this disaster.
   

HOW IS DBC AFFECTED BY THIS DISASTER?

1. We have a number of mission partners that will be responding to this crisis. CBF (Cooperative Baptist Fellowship) and IMB (International Mission Board) personnel assigned to Haiti, nearby Dominican Republic and other Caribbean islands will be the first to respond.
2. For decades we have partnered with Poor Children’s Assistance Project. Many of the children under the care of this organization are located in Port-au-Prince, the epicenter of the earthquake. DBC member Charlie Drake will be monitoring the developments related to this partner as he hears from our contacts through this organization.
3. Conscience International, led by Jim Jennings, will be mobilizing medical supplies, food and water to be sent to Haiti as soon as possible.
4. World Relief, directed in Atlanta by DBC member Brian Burt, will be involved in immediate response as well as the long recovery process.

DBC has partnered for many years with the Haitian community here in Atlanta through MitspaBaptistChurch. Pastor Seneque Saintil and his congregation have many family members still living in Haiti. Most of Mitspa’s family members are in the Cap-Haitien region of Haiti, slightly north of the earthquake’s epicenter. Pastor Saintil plans to travel to Haiti next week and later his church will be sending a crate filled with food, clothing, water, etc. For more information you can call Pastor Saintil at 770.912.4894 or 404.784.7111.

Donations may be sent to:

Mitspa Haitian Disaster Relief
5225 Jimmy Carter Blvd.
Norcross, GA30093

HOW CAN WE KEEP INFORMED?

For updates of the relief efforts, check out DBC’s Mission Team website OutreachNow Global and the websites of our mission partners.

Donations are encouraged to be made through each of these ministry partners. Checks can also be written to DunwoodyBaptistChurch. Please write: “Disaster Relief” on the Memo Line.