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First up . . . Haiti. Oh, Haiti. I have no adequate words to describe my feelings and thoughts regarding the situation in Haiti, so I won't even try. However, I do want to pass along some info about a great project my alma mater began to provide shelter to the homeless in Haiti. It's called Tent and Tarps. Not long after the earthquake, Harding sent a couple of guys over to Haiti to evaluate the situation and find out what HU could do to help. Here's a short video about their trip and Harding's plan to help.
If you didn't feel like watching the video, here's the press release from January 26 (I know, I'm super late in posting this, but I figure these people are going to need shelter for a long time to come.) . . .
Harding students implement relief project to provide immediate shelter to Haitians
In an effort to provide hope and comfort to the people of Haiti, the Harding University student body is implementing a project called “Tents and Tarps.”
As a result of the January 12, 2010 earthquake, many people in Port-au-Prince are left either without a home or with a fear that inevitable aftershocks will take their homes away. Because of this damage and fear, a large portion of Port-au-Prince’s population now lives in “tent cities” that are beginning to grow in public parks, soccer fields and anywhere there is room.
However, according to a survey trip done by professor Dr. Mark Elrod and freelance photojournalist Phil Holsinger, these “tent cities” are often made up of nothing more than sticks, ropes and cloth sheets.
After being made aware of the need for shelter, particularly with the coming rains, Harding Student Association President Bryan Clifton and others drafted the idea for “Tents and Tarps.”
“Our objective at Harding is to have a tent and tarp sent to Haiti for each member of the Harding undergraduate student body,” Clifton said.
The Arkansas University, which is working with other universities to raise the funds to purchase the tents, has a goal of providing at least 4,500 tents to the people of Port-au-Prince.
“One tent will provide shelter for one Haitian family,” Clifton said. “Many times, that includes up to 20 people.”
The students are collecting all money, as well as accepting donated tents, to send shelter to Port-au-Prince by February 1, 2010. Harding is working with numerous organizations and companies in order to get the best prices for tents and shipping.
For more information, contact Bryan Clifton. To donate money to “Tents and Tarps,” visit www.tentsandtarps.org.
I am in no way surprised by Harding's immediate and effective response to this tragedy, and I could not be prouder to have attended this university. More trips have been taken since that one, and it's been awesome to see facebook photos of Haitians living in tents sent by Harding! Go here to see more pictures from that first trip and to donate to Tent and Tarps.
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Second . . . Jenny Biz. If you're my facebook friend, you probably saw my requests for prayers for Jenny Bizaillion during the month of February. Jenny was the sister of my friend and preaching minister, Josh Ross. She got sick with pneumonia in early February. The pneumonia progressed to sepsis, which her body was ultimately unable to defeat. She went home to Jesus on February 22, 2010. Jenny was 31 years old, the wife of David and the mother of 9-year-old Malaya. I didn't know Jenny, but I've spoken her name in prayer so many times that I feel like I did.
Of course I want to ask you to continue to pray for Jenny's family and friends, but I really wrote this post to invite you to watch her funeral. Strange request, I know. Ever heard Matt Redman's song, Blessed Be Your Name? "Every blessing You pour out I'll turn back to praise. When the darkness closes in, Lord, still I will say, Blessed be the name of the Lord." If you want to see what those lyrics look like in real life, watch Jenny's funeral service. Her brothers Josh (a preacher) and Jonathan (a worship leader) did the majority of the service. It was a beautiful tribute to Jenny and her life on earth and a powerful experience of praise and worship to the God who made her. I don't know that I've ever seen a better example of praising God in the storm as I did that day. And I don't know that satan has ever felt as defeated as he must've felt that day! I'm borrowing the following quotes, spoken about Jenny's memorial service, from her CarePages site:
“It was the best church service I’ve ever been a part of” . . . “I would have paid $100 to experience that…make that $1,000” . . . “I wanted to punch satan in the throat!” . . . “It made me want to go to heaven…right then…like I wished I could of!” . . . “I’m a college student at UT and drove in from Austin. I don’t know Jenny…in fact I don’t know anyone in the family. I feel like I do now. I’m so glad I came.” . . . “I’ll be a better wife and mom because of this...because of Jenny.” . . . “That felt like heaven will feel. I know it.”
I wasn't able to attend to the service, but I did tune in (along with about 2,000 others!) to watch it as it was streamed live online. I encourage everyone to take some time to watch this service - go here to do so. And continue to pray for the Ross and Bizaillion families.
Second . . . Jenny Biz. If you're my facebook friend, you probably saw my requests for prayers for Jenny Bizaillion during the month of February. Jenny was the sister of my friend and preaching minister, Josh Ross. She got sick with pneumonia in early February. The pneumonia progressed to sepsis, which her body was ultimately unable to defeat. She went home to Jesus on February 22, 2010. Jenny was 31 years old, the wife of David and the mother of 9-year-old Malaya. I didn't know Jenny, but I've spoken her name in prayer so many times that I feel like I did.Of course I want to ask you to continue to pray for Jenny's family and friends, but I really wrote this post to invite you to watch her funeral. Strange request, I know. Ever heard Matt Redman's song, Blessed Be Your Name? "Every blessing You pour out I'll turn back to praise. When the darkness closes in, Lord, still I will say, Blessed be the name of the Lord." If you want to see what those lyrics look like in real life, watch Jenny's funeral service. Her brothers Josh (a preacher) and Jonathan (a worship leader) did the majority of the service. It was a beautiful tribute to Jenny and her life on earth and a powerful experience of praise and worship to the God who made her. I don't know that I've ever seen a better example of praising God in the storm as I did that day. And I don't know that satan has ever felt as defeated as he must've felt that day! I'm borrowing the following quotes, spoken about Jenny's memorial service, from her CarePages site:
“It was the best church service I’ve ever been a part of” . . . “I would have paid $100 to experience that…make that $1,000” . . . “I wanted to punch satan in the throat!” . . . “It made me want to go to heaven…right then…like I wished I could of!” . . . “I’m a college student at UT and drove in from Austin. I don’t know Jenny…in fact I don’t know anyone in the family. I feel like I do now. I’m so glad I came.” . . . “I’ll be a better wife and mom because of this...because of Jenny.” . . . “That felt like heaven will feel. I know it.”
I wasn't able to attend to the service, but I did tune in (along with about 2,000 others!) to watch it as it was streamed live online. I encourage everyone to take some time to watch this service - go here to do so. And continue to pray for the Ross and Bizaillion families.
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I promise this post will be followed by a happier one.
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