The Global Orphan Project meets with Congressman Tiahart, Senators Brownback and DeMint

Trace Thurlby, President of The Global Orphan Project, collaborated with government officials in a mutual effort to respond proactively to the Haiti crisis. The first meeting was held with Congressman Tiahart on February 3^rd in Washington, DC, followed by a meeting with Senators Brownback and DeMint on Feb. 4^th. The purpose of the meetings were for The Global Orphan Project to provide a first-hand report of conditions in Haiti related to a number of topics:

• Security
• Aid distribution
• The need to work with local leaders

The GO Project provided specific recommendations related to recovery efforts. Jimmy Dodd who organized and led the meeting is Director of Pastor Serve.

"Senator Brownback, Senator DeMint and Congressman Tiahart were generous with their time. Their concern and interest came from their heart to help hurting people. We look forward to working with them and many other leaders to be a source of healing and hope for newly orphaned and abandoned children in Haiti," says Thurlby.

Lance Taylor, Trace Thurlby - President Go Project, Pierre Makensay - 10, and David Landrith

Conditions in Haiti

Adrien Lewis, GO Community Director, spent eleven days with a GO relief team in Haiti. Lewis was stunned by the condition of the nation in contrast to his trips prior to the 7.3 earthquake on 12 January 2010.

“Haiti is one of the poorest nations in the world. Conditions in Port-au-Prince have always been sub-standard to even the worst parts of the United States. Now the conditions are unfathomable,” explains Lewis.

The Haitians fortunate enough to live in a real home will not sleep indoors now. There is a prevailing fear that more structures may collapse due to aftershocks. The earthquake victims are sleeping in the streets for safety.

Lewis reports observing trucks delivering purified water, but a severe shortage of food. Much of the food supplies deployed to Haiti by large organizations were immobilized and stationary at an airport during his trip. However, The GO Project was able to establish a distribution center channeled from Santa Dominica to Port-au-Prince, thereby enabling them to distribute provisions to over 2,000 orphans in their villages.

The Kansas City based GO Project's primary mission is to care for the children in their villages, and secondarily to care for as many newly orphaned children as possible. Many families have been divided in the mass of confusion and aftermath of the earthquake. Pierre Makensay, 10, is one child who has been taken in by the GO Project. It is still undetermined if his parents are alive.

Joe Knittig, Newly Orphaned Child in Haiti 1/20/10 from The Global Orphan Project on Vimeo.

Condition of GO villages

Miraculously, all nineteen of the GO Villages are intact and in good condition. An even greater blessing was the protection of all of their orphans, none of which sustained serious injury. Over three hundred new orphans have entered GO Villages, with numbers expanding daily. A GO village consists of ten culturally relevant homes which house ten orphans each and a widowed or single younger woman who assumes the role of house mother. Additionally, each village has a church, business, school, clinic, kitchen, and latrine. The business will help the village to become self sustaining.

What can you do?

“Jesus is counter cultural. As the world's interest in helping Haiti through this crisis fades, we as believes must continue to press on. The problems Haiti will face in the coming months and years will be staggering. The Body of Christ must remain engaged in doing God's work,” says Lewis.

You can make a difference by reaching out to Haitian earthquake victims through the Global Orphan Project. 100% of funds donated go directly to the relief effort to help care for newly orphaned and abandoned children in Haiti:

Donations can be made via cellphone messaging - text "ORPHAN" to 85944. Your phone bill will be charged $10.00.

To donate to The Global Orphan Project Haiti relief fund by credit card click here

To visit The Global Orphan Project web site click here

Matthew 25:34-40

• Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
• for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in;
• I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’
• “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?
• When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?
• Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’
• And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

 Comments about this article are welcome.

More articles on The Global Orphan Project:

• The Global Orphan Project saves lives in poorest nations
• The Global Orphan Project responds to the Haiti crisis

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