In the midst of despair people around the world have been touched by the faith and resilience of the Haitian people in the months following the devastating earthquake that leveled Port-au-Prince on Jan. 12, killing thousands and leaving more than 1 million people homeless.

Cross staff members working in the field in the days and months after the earthquake saw this display of faith first hand. Our Haiti projects officer, Mike Henry, described this scene just a week after the earthquake:

“While walking amid the ruins of Port-au-Prince, I came across a spontaneous outdoor gathering of Haitian believers who had just watched their whole world crumble, now joined together in prayer and worship. The earthquake could take their homes and churches, but it could not take their faith! I was amazed by the joy, gratefulness, and prayerful resolve these Haitians were showing in the face of such devastation.”

And this wasn’t an isolated incident. NPR did a piece last week in honor of the six-month anniversary of the earthquake that touched on that very subject. A group of doctors shared an inspiring moment they experienced in the midst of tragedy and pain, at a makeshift tent hospital in Port-au-Prince. This happened to be there very same tent hospital that Cross supported with tents, medicines, and other aid after the quake.

In the piece, the doctors explain what happened: “…a man begins to play a guitar in the corner of the tent, and patients begin to sing.  Soon every Haitian in the tent is singing or clapping or dancing.  The song: “Jesus, thank you for loving us.” (Click here to listen to the full audio segment.)

These doctors were overwhelmed by the experience. As one put it: “It’s extremely humbling to be around a people that, in the worst time of their life, have it in their hearts to give gratitude for what they have left…”

This is reminiscent of the story of Paul and Silas praising and singing hymns to God despite being chained and in prison (Acts 16:25-31). And if you recall, through their worship the jailer came to Christ. Like this story, the Haitian people’s hopeful attitude despite the devastation caused by the quake is an amazing testament to the awesome power of God to overcome any circumstance.

Click here to learn more about what Cross has been doing in the last six months to help earthquake victims in Haiti.

On Thursday, many Christians spent some extra time talking to God while our country observed the National Day of Prayer. The tradition was formally established by Congress in 1952 but has precedents going all the way back to 1775, when the Continental Congress declared “a day of public humiliation, fasting, and prayer.”

Today, many Christians will spend some extra time talking to God while our country observes the National Day of Prayer.

Of course, believers can have a conversation with God on any day of the year. Prayer has always played a central role in the life and faith of Christians. Jesus himself prayed to the Father on a regular basis and taught his disciples to do the same, and you could fill a library with the books that have been written during just the last few decades on how to pray, what to pray, where to pray it and why.

Here at Cross, we begin each workday with a time of prayer and devotions. From a worldly perspective, this might seem like a colossal waste of time and a loss of productivity. But from a heavenly perspective, a conversation with God is the most important “business meeting” we can have. It keeps us focused on the right priorities, reminds us of our dependence on God’s goodness, and opens doors to blessings. We pray for our ministry partners, our friends and relatives, the poor, and lift up prayer requests from donors.

Prayer is also a big part of the ministries we support. Any secular charity can give food to the hungry or medicine to the sick; but our partners do their work in a context of Christian fellowship and heartfelt prayer that imparts real, lasting hope to the poor and suffering.

Check out our “God is at the Office” statement to learn more about Cross’ spiritual focus.

If you’ve ever wondered where the most religious place on earth is, a new study from the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life has an answer: sub-Saharan Africa. More specifically, the countries south of the Sahara Desert and north of South Africa.

In many cases, indigenous African beliefs, such as sacrifices to ancestors, have been incorporated into their newfound Christianity.

Researchers found that a large majority of Africans consider religion “very important.” But the more interesting find has to do with which religions they are practicing. Just a century ago, traditional indigenous beliefs dominated the region. But Christian missionaries have turned the tables to the point that one in five of the world’s Christians now lives in sub-Saharan Africa!

This reversal is great testimony to the effectiveness of evangelism, but it’s not the whole story. In many cases, indigenous African beliefs, such as sacrifices to ancestors, have been incorporated into their newfound Christianity. A man might attend church on Sunday and then on Monday earn a living as a witch doctor. And as the infamous Rwanda genocide has shown, the tribal violence that plagued pre-evangelized Africa continues to be a problem.

How should we as Christians respond to this? Deep, sincere faith cannot be forced, but God has given us the tools to be an effective witness, and one of those tools is the simple act of loving our neighbors. That’s what is happening at the Kondanani Orphanage in Malawi, where severely malnourished children are taken into the care of loving Christians, raised in an environment of biblical teaching and Christ-centered worship, and instilled with powerful faith. We know that the Spirit of God is moving at Kondanani, because the children have taken the gospel to heart and are telling other people in the community about Jesus!

Cross International is an enthusiastic partner and supporter of Kondanani Orphanage. Click here to find out how you can help Kondanani bring God’s love to Africa.

Our Haiti Projects Officer Mike Henry was in our office in Port-au-Prince during the massive earthquake that shook Haiti Tuesday. Below is his first-hand account of the quake and the destruction it left behind:

Mike Henry, Haiti projects officer

It started off as kind of soft shaking then really intensified. There was no way I could have gotten out of the building. It was shaking too hard. I stood in a doorway to try and protect myself. Everything that was standing fell over. Computers fell off desks and pipes burst everywhere.

Once the earthquake stopped, I ran to the window that looks down over the city. It’s usually a nice view. This time it wasn’t so nice. A huge cloud of dust and smoke hung over the city. I have never seen anything like it in my life. There was screaming, crying, yelling and sheer panic coming from the city. Many of our neighbors’ houses collapsed.  About every other house had gone down the hill. They literally just fell off the mountain. It was quickly getting dark outside — it was really scary. Yelling and crying was coming from every direction.

The street just outside Cross International's office in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

A few hours after the earthquake, I left our office compound and ventured into the streets to assess the damage. That’s when I realized the extent of the destruction. The streets were a maze of rubble and broken houses. They stretched in every direction. All the roads were littered with debris. Hundreds of people were stumbling around in the dark, stunned and begging for help. Most of the houses around our office had totally collapsed.

A bit later, I went with two guys from the U.S. Embassy to check on the road to see if we could get some of the critically-injured people to a medical outpost. We had only gone about 200 to 300 yards down the street when a woman came running toward us, screaming, “Please, come help me. My daughter is stuck — my baby is trapped. Please, you have to help me!”

We followed the woman, and about every 10 steps another person came up to us, asking for help to get trapped people out of the rubble. We freed one woman on the way, but there wasn’t much we could do for anyone because we didn’t have the tools to get them out. I felt so helpless. I hated having to leave them behind, knowing it would be a while until help would come. Those people are still stuck in that rubble, probably in dire need of water and air.

As I sat in the compound later, feeling helpless and overwhelmed, I heard people in the streets singing and praising God. It really touched me. The people’s faith is all they have. It is more real to them than anything around them. Their homes are gone, their children are gone; all that they have is their faith.

Mike is working with our partners in the country to channel our aid to those who need it most. The need is still very desperate. Click here to see how you can help, and please continue to pray for the people of Haiti.

To listen to an audio recording of Mike sharing his story, visit our disaster relief website. Also, see photos he took just hours after the earthquake here.

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?

Thanksgiving is perhaps one of the best reminders we have to sit back and take stock of all we have to be thankful for. And we at Cross have found so much to thank God for this year!

In the spirit of Psalm 9:1 — “I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds” — we’d like to take this opportunity to share with you some of the things we are thankful for:

The missionaries we support in the field. Again and again we are amazed by the selfless work of the dedicated men and women who run the programs we support to help the poor overseas. Many have given up comfortable lives to come alongside the poor and share Christ’s love with them through their work. (Read some of their stories here.)

The impact we’ve seen in the lives of the poor. Every story about a child whose been fed, family whose received a house, AIDS orphan whose gone to school, and sick person whose recovered though the work of Cross and our benefactors brings joy to our hearts. (Click here to read some success stories.)

God’s direction in our ministry. With God’s help, all things are possible. And this year we have really seen his hand guiding us as we strive to serve the poor in his name. We are thankful that we are able to take time as a staff at the beginning of each day to submit our work to God. (Read more here about our staff devotional time.)

Our dedicated supporters. Without the support of our many benefactors, none of our work to serve the poor would be possible. We are humbled by their generosity and inspired by their faith. Even in these difficult economic times, compassionate Christians have continued to provide so that we can help the poorest of the poor.

On behalf of everyone at Cross International and the poor we serve, we wish all of you a very blessed Thanksgiving!

As you spend time with family and friends this weekend, take a moment to thank God for everything he has given you:

“For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food,
For love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.”

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Two Cross staff members recently returned from a trip to Ethiopia, where they had a chance to tour a brand new Christian pediatric hospital whose construction was partially funded by our donors.

Spiritual Director Mesfin Taye prays over every patient at the Ethiopian hospital and shares the Gospel with their families.

The hospital, which specializes in orthopedic surgery, brands itself as more than just a place for physical healing. The doctors describe their work as evangelism in the truest sense of the term. But the full impact of their outreach can only be experienced firsthand.

During their visit, they met a little boy who was literally missing half his face. A poor diet had led to a flesh-eating infection that ate away his nose, left eye, and cheek. His gruesome condition was hard to look at; but as he followed the Cross staff members through the hospital and held their hands, not wanting to let go, they could not help but notice his genuine smile and the joy that shined from his one surviving eye.

Many of the children have that same shine – a surge of hope beneath the pain – that at first seems so out of place. But as our visiting staff members met with the caring staff and watched them interact with the patients, and as they walked past Bible-themed murals and observed patients watching the Jesus film in the recreation area, they began to understand.

In the city outside the hospital walls, the boy without a face would have reached out his hand in vain. There is no one to give these children a hug or even a smile, because their deformities are considered a curse. Ancient superstitions force their families to hide them from their neighbors, who mock and condemn and shun them as if they did something to deserve their condition.

At the Christian-run hospital, the children learn for the first time that they are loved. The spiritual director prays over each and every patient and shares the Gospel with them and their families, whose hearts are open because they have never before experienced such compassion. That is the power of the Gospel – good news that is truly good. Real hope in a world of real suffering.

You can help Cross International provide surgeries for poor children in developing nations. CLICK HERE to learn more.

We reached out to several of our ministry partners in the Philippines and Vietnam over the last few days to see if they were OK after the devastating floods caused by Tropical Storm Ketsana. So far, we’ve only heard back from one of them — please continue to pray.

At least 400,000 people from Manila and the surrounding provinces have been displaced by Tropical Storm Ketsana’s flood waters

On Saturday (Sept. 26), Tropical Storm Ketsana barreled into the northern Philippines, dropping more than a month’s worth of rain — 16.7 inches — in just 12 hours. Massive floods quickly engulfed Manila and the surrounding areas, causing the capital’s worst flooding in more than 42 years. (Click here to see photos.) The government quickly declared a “state of calamity” in metropolitan Manila and 25 storm-hit provinces, appealing for international help.

Local officials say the death toll from flooding in the Philippines continues to rise as the strengthened storm, now Typhoon Ketsana, moved on to slam into central Vietnam today (Tuesday), killing at least 23 Vietnamese. They say at least 284 in the Philippines have died in the floods brought on by the storm, but that number is likely to rise.

One of our ministry partners in the Philippines emailed us news of the devastation this morning (Tuesday):

This typhoon is really a tragedy. All schools are closed for the week. People still have water in their house waist deep. Many of our parents have nothing left. What they have salvaged they are trying to dry in the sun, but another typhoon is expected in the next few days. But you know the people here they are very resilient and say, “At least our kids are alive.”

The BBC reported today that nearly 400,000 people are living in temporary relief shelters in Manila and the surrounding provinces. Flood waters in some areas subsided Monday, but thousands of homes are still without power.

Continue to pray for the people of the Philippines and Vietnam, and say special prayers for our ministry partners working so diligently to help the storm-devastated people. Click here to learn more about what we are doing to help the poor in the Philippines and Vietnam.

Here at Cross, we begin our workdays with an hour of prayer and devotions. The secular world might consider that hour a waste of time and productivity, but we know it is only by God’s grace that we are able to produce anything at all. We would rather be carried on God’s shoulders to the ends of the earth, than spend a lifetime trying to walk there on our own.

Anyone who doubts the power of prayer should meet baby Moises. The healthy little boy would not be alive today if not for a miraculous “coincidence” and the quick action of the medical staff at the Esperanza de Vida rescue center in Guatemala.

Buried alive, Moises was saved from certain death by the Esperanza de Vida rescue center in Guatemala.

Before his rescue, Moises suffered from high fevers caused by an intestinal infection. His young mother was too poor to buy medicine or take him to a doctor, and all she could do was stand by helplessly while her baby cried in constant agony. The days and nights watching his unmitigated suffering were too much for the mother to bear, and eventually she had a mental breakdown, grabbed the baby and ran, and buried his tiny body in the ground, wrapped in nothing but a blanket.

Amazingly, a little girl witnessed the whole thing. As soon as the mother left to tell her family and friends that her baby was dead, the girl dug Moises out of the hole and discovered that he was in fact still alive! She had gotten to him just in time. Moises was later admitted to the rescue center, where the medical staff stayed by his side around the clock, desperately praying that the fever medication and anti-biotic treatment would save his fragile life. To everyone’s relief, God heard their prayers and restored the baby’s health.

Our prayers also go to the poor mother, who was clearly mentally ill and not evil. May God have mercy on her and her family as they heal from the trauma of their ordeal, which began as a tragedy but became an opportunity for a miracle.

Success stories like Moises are the reason we continue to ship medical and nutritional supplies to the Esperanza de Vida rescue center. The shipments from Cross are helping this Christian ministry save Guatemalan children from the rampant malnutrition and lack of medicine that threatens so many young lives in the impoverished Central American country.

Click HERE to find out more about how we are sending life-saving medicines, medical supplies, and nutritional supplements to clinics and hospitals around the world.