Life is a vapor. Don't spend yours on the sidelines.

15 January 2010

“Open your mouth on behalf of those unable to speak… plead the cause of the poor and the needy.” – Proverbs 31:8-9

As you may know we began meeting with potential Haitian partner organizations in early 2009 concerning our plan to establish a center for humanitarian aid and sustainable life change in Haiti. The past month we began tentative forecasting, projecting a potential break ground date as early as July/August 2010, and were set for our survey and land assessment trip Jan 26th.

We, along with you, were shocked by the news of the earthquake causing so much devastation in an already devastated region. Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, historically has been plagued with intense yet complex humanitarian and spiritual issues. It has a diverse and difficult history with many of its beautiful people having been caught in the vicious cycles of generational poverty and social injustice. Due to the inability to fly into Haiti we have rerouted a portion of our team into Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic where we are surveying another potential center site.

If the team can access Haiti and assist in relief efforts we will move them into Haiti Jan 27th. I will be traveling into Haiti on Monday the 18th and temporarily join relief efforts assisting some of our National partners. Though the primary nature of our immediate presence has changed we still believe we will be able to assess and survey while serving our Haitian friends.

While we recognize the complex rescue assistance and critical triage that is immediately needed is beyond our organizational capacity we do believe God could strategically use a Vapor Sports Ministries center as part of the long-term solution. We do not know the timeline or all it will entail but the crisis on hand has not deterred us from leveraging the Haitian sport of choice to shape and train a new generation of Christ centered leaders. If anything the crisis and hurt of the people has only caused a greatersense of urgency. 

Please pray for the people of Haiti, for entities currently engaged in the efforts, and please pray that God gives us wisdom, protection, and direction in the coming days.

Micah McElveen, President
Vapor Sports Ministries

“Life is a vapor. Don’t spend yours on the sidelines.”