A UMNS Report
By Kelly C. Martini*
Jan. 20, 2010
Haiti, long an outpost for United Methodist mission and relief workers, looks toward the denomination for guideposts toward rebirth.
And it won’t be easy. Now, in addition to continuing the long-standing mission of helping relieve the suffering spurred by historical poverty and official neglect, the denomination must help the country rise again once the bottom has been reached on this epochal human crisis.
“We’re talking about a country who will be starting from ground zero,’’ says Harvey Dupiton, a member of the United Nations Association of Haiti.
Dupiton, a Haitian, points out that for many years non-governmental organizations have worked with The United Methodist Church in efforts to assist the poorest land in the Western Hemisphere.
But the Jan. 12 earthquake increases the needs dramatically. Not only is aid needed in dealing with immediate human suffering, but also in helping rebuild the infrastructure and the spirit of the country and its residents. continue reading
