Haiti (MNN) — Hurricane season is underway in North America. The latest report calls for an “above normal” season, with 10 to 17 “named” hurricanes expected between now and November. More about that here.
It’s uncomfortable news for Haiti. This disaster-prone Caribbean nation is already struggling to recover from a year-long drought and food shortages. According to the EU, “Haiti continues to be among the top three countries [in the Latin America and Caribbean region] most affected by extreme events in the last two decades.”
AMG International’s Bill Passons says hurricane season will bring much-needed rain, but “it doesn’t help in the short term… with the crops being down (due to drought), many people who may have been dependent on their own crops for their own food need some help.”
Plus, “everything costs more,” he adds. “So, people [who] already struggle with meeting their basic needs now have to pay more for the staples of life.”
Hope for Haiti
As described here, AMG and its local partners recently fixed and installed new wells in Grand Bassin, Haiti, to provide the community with clean water. They also delivered food aid and the Bread of Life to more than 500 families.
(Photo courtesy of AMG International)
“When you meet people in desperate situations, one of the things that’s easy to do is to lose hope,” explains Passons.
“As believers, we have an ultimate hope because of what Christ has done in the cross. If we put our faith in Him, then we can never be hopeless.”
Motivated by compassion, AMG and its partners share this Gospel hope as they deliver food kits or fix wells. “As we give, we share that this is coming from people who love Christ,” notes Passon. The message doesn’t stop there.
“It’s not just a one-time event,” he clarifies. Because AMG’s partners live in the communities where they work, “we’re constantly checking on [our neighbors].”
“We’re constantly showing them we care, and we’re constantly using every opportunity we can to share the love and the hope that’s in Christ.”
Next steps
Now that you know, how will you respond? First, please pray for the people of Haiti. Ask the Lord to meet every need of suffering individuals and families. Pray AMG partners will have wisdom as they distribute supplies.
Pray also for Gospel opportunities, Passons asks. “In the midst of their desperate situation, [pray] they would see, ultimately, their need for Christ.”
“[Pray] that their eyes would be opened and their hearts would respond, and they would surrender to Christ as their personal Savior — that’s ultimately the greatest outcome.”
You can also send tangible help by donating to AMG’s Disaster Relief fund. Click here to give.
Passons says, “We would definitely leverage those funds to meet physical needs, but also to share about who Christ is.”
Header image depicts 2018’s Hurricane Florence. Photo courtesy of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center via Flickr.
