The Pastor’s Blog – DOING GOOD
On August 14th, 2021, a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck the Caribbean nation of Haiti, approximately 150 kilometres west of the capital, Port-au-Prince.
Recovering from the damage caused by the earthquake will take many years. The quake has directly impacted an estimated 800,000 people, including 5,000 Nazarenes who are currently homeless and in need of food, medicine, shelter, and other aid. In two Nazarene districts, 15 churches were destroyed.
When we get news like this, we feel overwhelmed. What can I do? Haiti seems so far away and the needs are so great. One person cannot do enough to help those in such need (okay, maybe there are a few people on the planet with those kind of resources, but that is not me!).
That is when we rejoice that we are never just one person when we are a part of the family of God. Our family of faith is huge and it circles the globe. Almost immediately a shipment of supplies was sent to Haiti from our USA brothers and sisters. Now we have received word that a container will also be sent from our Compassionate Resource Warehouse in Victoria.
Once again, the question is asked, “What can one person do?” Certainly no one in our church has all the resources needed to fill that container. So we work together. One member even challenged the community she lives in to help. Soon she had collected garden implements, tarps and other needed supplies from her neighbours. From that simple “ask” a generator was donated (the one in our photo) from a couple who are not part of the Nazarene family, but part of the larger family of God!
The Apostle Paul wrote: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” (Galatians 6:9-10)
– Pastor Gary