Haiti’s children urge sacrificial giving for Nepal

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.
— Matthew 25:35-36, New International Version

When we think of Haiti, we think about people on the receiving end of Christ’s admonition to feed and clothe the poor. 

They are the hungry, the thirsty, the ones in need. But recently a group of children in this Caribbean nation put the whole weight of Jesus’ words into action.

Half a world away, in the Himalayan nation of Nepal, massive earthquakes in April and May left thousands of people homeless, without food or water. Homes were destroyed. Lives were devastated. Many survived because of the kindness of helping hands from all over the globe.

In The Word | Bobbie SolleyThe 24 children and teens at Sonlight Children’s Home in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, know what it’s like. In 2010, a massive earthquake devastated their city. One of their own, a 15-year-old named Nicky, was crushed by a collapsing wall. They buried him under a mango tree.

They know the loss, the pain and the desperation of the Nepali people. So they took action — just like so many others did for them five years ago.

The children developed a plan to challenge their fellow Haitians to help the people of Nepal. With assistance from Jean Claubert Belton, minister for the Church of Christ at Bonnette, they downloaded pictures of the disaster and created a presentation. The children visited five Churches of Christ — Vaneaux, Bonnette, Santo, Dagout and Delmas 18 — and the older boys presented their challenge. The children gave the congregation two weeks to raise as much money as possible for Nepal.

Though they trusted that the Lord would provide, the children prayed many anxious prayers. Would people who have so little themselves step up and meet the challenge?

When the children returned to the churches, they collected a total of 14,300 Haitian Gourdes. That’s about $260 U.S. — not a lot, but huge for struggling Christians in Haiti. The children were thrilled. They gave the funds to S. Keith Kasayion, who delivered the money to Nepal.

These children and their fellow Christians lived out Jesus’ commands through their compassion and generosity. What more does our Savior require of us who have plenty?

BOBBIE SOLLEY is director of international education development for Healing Hands International, a nonprofit supported by Churches of Christ. She has developed professional education workshops and seminars for Haiti. A retired educator, she teaches women’s Bible classes at the North Boulevard Church of Christ in Murfreesboro, Tenn.