Amidst the tragedy of the January 12 earthquake in Haiti, God worked through his people to offer a helping hand to children in need. One such person who interceded for God was Gladys Thomas, director of a multi-faceted ministry in Port-au-Prince that includes an elementary school, School of the Good Sower, and an orphanage, Haiti Home for Children. Gladys took in as many orphans as she could after the earthquake.

Evans, 13, found a new home at Haiti Home for Children after the earthquake.

One of those lucky children was Evans, 13. He had been living at an orphanage in Port-au-Prince before January 12. After the earthquake, that orphanage abandoned its children to the streets and closed. Evans was befriended by an 18-year-old street boy who took him under his wing like a brother. The pair cobbled together a shelter in a tent city and begged for money and food together in the streets.

Evans survived on the streets and in a tent city from January until April. Then a mobile medical clinic found him and learned his story. They contacted Gladys, who immediately made a home for him at Haiti Home for Children orphanage. At first Evans didn’t want to leave his new “brother.” But the older boy was 18, a veteran of the streets, and knew he couldn’t join Evans at the orphanage. In the end, the boy told Evans to go with Gladys—he knew his “little brother” would receive the care and love he needed.

Now Evans has a safe place to live, goes to school, and eats a hot lunch every day. Best of all, he learns about the comforting, saving message of Jesus—now that’s nourishment! Gladys is just one example of God working through his followers in the aftermath of the earthquake. With help from generous American Christians, Cross International supports Gladys’ ministries in Haiti, and we hope you, too, will join us in helping her reach out to more children in Port-au-Prince.

Click here to read about School of the Good Sower, Haiti Home for Children, and other ministries that Cross International supports in Haiti.

On Wednesday, many Christians began observing Lent, a time of prayer and fasting during the weeks leading up to Easter. Although some denominations don’t recognize Lent, the practice has a long history among both Protestants and Catholics.

There’s a tradition that during Lent, Christians will give up a particular luxury they enjoy, such as unhealthy foods or even television. But this year, some pastors are calling on their flocks to take a slightly different approach: don’t just give something up – give it away.

The Rev. Bill Hewitt from the Church of Scotland encouraged his congregation this week to reach out with their time and talents to others in need: “I prefer the idea of Lent being a time of giving of ourselves in service to others. This runs contrary to a culture that suggests that the only thing that motivates people is money.”

Lent is a great opportunity for Christians to bless others while denying themselves. We can turn our thoughts not only to the needs of the neighbor across the street, but also to the poor and downtrodden around the world. Of course, not everyone can personally travel to a faraway land to feed the hungry and clothe the naked, but those of us who stay home have an important role to play in supporting those who go.

Our Cross International mission partners simply could not do what they do without the generous giving of our Christian donors. Whether you choose to feed orphans at the Kondanani Children’s Village in Malawi or build houses for poor families in the Philippines, your gifts make a real difference. Check out our online project catalog to see how you can be a blessing in someone’s life today!

In Haiti, one thing has always been certain. Through all the poverty, tragedy, and violence that has plagued the small Caribbean nation, Haitians have always celebrated Carnival.

Many churches were destroyed in the earthquake. But Haitian’s faith in God remains strong.

But not this year.

The lively annual festivities, which would have begun Sunday and ended today, have been set aside, so the Haitian people can observe three days of mourning and fasting. Haitian musicians cancelled their Carnival performances and instead are raising money for earthquake relief.

It’s amazing how God can use the worst of tragedies to remind us that he is in control. We are confronted with our own helplessness, with our absolute dependence in God’s mercy and compassion. Shortly after the earthquake struck, our own staff reported seeing groups of people openly praying and worshiping God amid the ruins of Port-au-Prince. Though the church buildings were destroyed, the faith of the people remained intact.

As Cross International begins to look forward to Haiti’s long-term recovery, we consider our spiritual focus an integral, rather than peripheral, part of our mission to the poor. The people of Haiti need hope, and our mission partners are there to lead them to the only hope that lasts. Whether we are feeding orphans at the School of the Good Sower, caring for the handicapped at World Harvest Children’s Home, or helping “restavek” children get some time away from the rigors of virtual slavery, we always make sure that the gospel is preached, because that is what changes lives. A meal will sustain a child for a day, and the sturdiest rebuilt house will eventually weather away, but the free gift of salvation in Christ Jesus is what sustains us forever.

There’s a unique difference between the prayers and goals of people in developed nations and those born into abject poverty:

Sign posted on the wall of an orphanage in Haiti, where children are rescued from the ravages of poverty and raised to know God’s love through Christ Jesus.

“I resolve to lose weight” vs. “I am going to trust God for a meal today.”

“I resolve to live a healthier lifestyle” vs. “I pray that I might live long enough to raise my children.”

“I resolve to better handle my finances” vs. “I pray God will bless those with money so they can continue to help others.”

As you contemplate your physical, spiritual, and financial goals for 2010, won’t you resolve to join us in being instruments of God’s love for the poor?

Did you know that Christians invented charity? Well, not exactly; but Christians were the first to popularize the idea that we should love the poor and powerless, regardless of whether they deserve it and regardless of whether it benefits us to do so. That’s according to David Bentley Hart in his new book, Atheist Delusions: The Christian Revolution and Its Fashionable Enemies.

Atheists say religion is the cause of all the evils in the world. But Bentley shows how the Gospel turned the pagan world upside down with the wild idea that life has meaning and that, because it has meaning, we should love one another.

Cross International President Jim Cavnar prays with the children at Togetherness in Christ Orphanage

In a review of Bentley’s book, Paul J. Griffiths describes the church as a community “in which every human being is welcome and in which all together, without separation or distinction, worship the Lord who became one of them. From this, in turn, comes the aspiration to care for the material needs of all human beings—Christians certainly, but also pagans….The once faceless—the poor, the newborn, the widow, the sick, the imprisoned, the slave—must now be taken care of, treated as gifts of infinite value….”

Here at Cross, we serve “the poor, the newborn, the widow…” because our faith compels us to do so. Every meal given to a hungry child is an expression of sacrificial love from our donors. We work through Christian ministries – such as the Togetherness in Christ Orphanage in Haiti – because they share our vision, not just of feeding and sheltering the destitute, but also of spreading the Gospel. More than anything, the poor need Christ, because he alone has the power to transform hearts and minds and bring real hope for a better future.

Click here to learn more about our commitment to the Gospel, and how we’re integrating our faith into our service to the poor.

There must be something special about fishing. Jesus’ first disciples were fishermen, the oldest Christian symbol is a fish, and now some enthusiastic supporters of Cross International are using their favorite hobby (you guessed it – fishing!) to raise awareness of our work for the poor.

Buy a Sick Fishing t-shirt and Cross will get half of the proceeds

11-year-old Blaise Coghlan and his brother Ryan are two young entrepreneurs who love to fish and also love to give to the needy. The boys have a fun website called Sick Fishing where they write about their many fishing adventures and sell t-shirts and lures. Now they’re using the site for a good cause, by promoting Cross and donating half of the proceeds from t-shirt sales to our projects.

Here’s a snippet from their blog:

Cross International helps the poorest of the poor from all over the world and they do it in some really neat ways.  They don’t just take your money… they get it to the exact right places to create long term good things.  I gave $25 of my own money to help, and I’m hoping I can give more through this tee shirt idea and also my Amazon Sickfishing Store too.

Thanks, Blaise and Ryan! We can’t wait to hear how many t-shirts you sell. Your interest in serving the poor is an encouragement to all of us here at Cross.