Thousands of Haitian lives were upended on August 12, 2021 when a 7.2 magnitude earthquake shook the southern half of Haiti.
Haiti is no stranger to earthquakes, as it sits near the fault line of the North American and Caribbean tectonic plates. As the plates move and bump against each other, Haiti feels the effects in the form of life-shattering earthquakes. The last earthquake occurred in 2018, but wasn’t nearly as devastating as the one last August.
Earthquakes occur when a tectonic plate underneath the earth’s surface sifts, sending up seismic waves causing the ground to shake. In extreme cases, earthquakes can even cause a tsunami.
Within minutes, thousands of Haitians were injured and killed; many were suddenly homeless, everything they had destroyed; and many others lost hope. Clean water, food, blankets, and lights became important necessities, but there weren’t enough to go around.
That’s when non-profit organizations like Compassion and Samaritan’s Purse stepped in. Just three days after the earthquake, Samaritan’s Purse’s DC-8 aircraft delivered shelter materials, water filtration systems, food, and medical and disaster specialist personnel. Samaritan’s Purse began to build homes and set up medical centers, aiding the people of Haiti as much as they could.
Compassion prioritized the children in their program as they sent food and shelter supplies to aid the 15,654 sponsored children impacted by the earthquake. Sixteen of those children lost their lives with others losing family members and their feeling of safety. Compassion immediately began to offer food and hygiene kits, as well as support to local churches as they continue to serve the Haitian community.
But even as the media moves on from this catastrophic event, the people affected by the earthquake can’t move on. They can’t turn the page to the next piece of news, or switch tabs to check on their email or Facebook. Compassion and Samaritan’s Purse haven’t moved on. And neither should the church.
Houses can’t be rebuilt with a snap of the fingers. It takes time, energy, and materials. While there are opportunities to donate and start fundraisers for rebuilding Haitian homes, as a community TPS can help by praying for the Haitians.
Pray for comfort for the families who are struggling to come to terms with the death and horrors they experienced. Pray for the wounded that they will be healed. Pray for Compassion and Samaritan’s Purse that God would provide funds. And most importantly, pray that Jesus would move in the lives of the Haitians and use this 7.2 magnitude earthquake to bring them closer to him.
Sources:
Compassion: https://www.compassion.com/donate/haiti-earthquake-2021.htm
Samaritan’s Purse: https://www.samaritanspurse.org/media/haiti-2021-press-kit/