A Note from the Director - the orphans of Haiti

"I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you..." John 14:18

It's always hard to watch the news, but the last week has been especially excruciating. It is hard to sit idly by and watch the horrible pictures pass by of the desolation and destruction that has overtaken the already impoverished nation of Haiti.

It's almost impossible to read the stories of week old infants left alone on the streets or to imagine children, much less adults, wandering the streets lost, alone, afraid, forgotten and homeless.

So as believers what is our adequate response? How do we provide help, when it seems so helpless? What can we practically do for orphans?

The first thing we need to do is understand who is speaking in John 14:18. We need to rely upon the power of prayer and the intervention of the Lord in the lives of those children orphaned before the earthquake and those orphaned by the earthquake. The all-surpassing power to intervene in their lives is from God and not from us (2 Corinthians 4:7).

Pray Psalm 82:3-4 to God on behalf of those orphaned in Haiti, "Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked."

Second get involved with the movement of the local church. If you are moved by the Lord through prayer then get involved with what local churches are doing on behalf of the orphans of Haiti. That may mean going on a trip, it may mean providing tangible support, or it may mean giving financially. Whatever the call, the local church is equipped to respond adequately to the needs.

With the current crisis in Haiti, Lifeline has had many requests concerning information on adopting children from Haiti. The Department of State has said adoptions from Haiti will most probably not occur for new family applicants until the Haitian government is able to stabilize the environment enough so that an orphan’s status can be legitimized. Thus meaning an organized system must be established to verify that the each child truly has no family unit who has a claim to that child. Lifeline is monitoring the situation and plans to move to action as soon as things are more organized and the environment is such that legitimate orphans can be identified and become available for adoption.

Until then, besides being moved to prayer and getting involved with a local church, Lifeline suggests the following organizations to get involved with because of their intentionality to help orphans. This is not meant to be an exhaustive list, nor is this list meant to imply that organizations omitted are not helping Haiti or helping orphans. There organizations are merely those that have come to our attention as those who are intentionally focusing on orphans through their aid: Samaritans Purse, World Orphans, Global Aid Network (GAiN), Hopegivers, and Orphan's Promise.

Lastly, while we may not understand why this tragedy has occurred, let us trust that the Lord will protect His children in Haiti and let us praise the Lord that the world's attention has been focused on a nation that needs the Gospel and that needs the radical attention of the Body of Christ. If you have any questions, please feel free to call our main office at 205.967.0811.

On behalf of the orphans,

Herbie Newell
Executive Director
Lifeline Children's Services
giving children a hope and a future