VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 1/27/10)—A recent communication was received by International Ministries (IM) from Rev. Pierre Espady, president of the Iglesia Bautista Misionera Haitiana, Inc. (Haitian Missionary Baptist Church) in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, an IM partner.  The church ministers to Haitians living in the Dominican Republic and most of the church members have family in Haiti.

Rev. Espady’s updates give American Baptists specific targets for prayer:

-    A sister-in-law, Mrs. Michel Dugue, who lost her sister.
-    A cousin, Constantin, who lost his one year old son.
-    Vedette’s home was completely demolished.
-    Antonio’s house was damaged.
-    Sandra’s house was demolished.
-    Yonette lost two sisters.
-    Demi’s house was demolished.

A group has already left the church to return to Haiti in order to find out about other family members as well as to help in the recovery.  The Dominican Republic shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti.

Across the Windward Passage, in nearby Cuba, Rev. Osbel Gutiérrez, pastor of the la Cuarta Iglesia Bautista (Fourth Baptist Church) in Santiago de Cuba has been ministering to the Haitian students in his church; the number of Haitian students in the city is in the hundreds.  He and his church console and encourage these students, many of whom have lost family members and some, their entire families.  Rev. Gutiérrez has already pledged himself to help in an American Baptist relief effort.

These Baptist brothers and sisters, Cuban and Dominican, are doing their best to aid their neighbor in this hour of need.  You can do the same by seeing how you can help at: http://www.internationalministries.org/topics/haiti_earthquake.

American Baptist Churches is one of the most diverse Christian denominations today, with 5,500 local congregations comprised of 1.3 million members, across the United States and Puerto Rico, all engaged in God’s mission around the world.