ARTICLE - MAF - HAITI OPEN TO GOSPEL

HAITI OPEN TO GOSPEL IN LIGHT OF DISASTERS, ACCORDING TO MAF; AVIATION MINISTRY'S WORK PEAKS AMID CHOLERA EPIDEMIC
(Christian News Wire) -

PORT-AU-PRINCE -- As the effort to rebuild homes and lives continues in Haiti after a disaster-filled 2010, open hearts still abound in a nation searching for answers one year after a devastating earthquake.

David Carwell, MAF's program manager for Haiti, said that while the number of Haitians responding to the Gospel has declined since the days immediately following the earthquake, the country remains open to the Gospel message as people are still searching for answers.

"The widespread openness to the Gospel really peaked about a month after the earthquake," Carwell said. "People were turning to the Lord everywhere. Even Mardi Gras parties were curtailed in 2010. But after that initial surge of relief aid tapered off, things slowly went back to the way they were. I believe we're going to see another surge of people turning to the Lord again this January."

This month, evangelistic efforts are being amped up in Haiti as the nation struggles to rebuild one year after the devastating earthquake. In January, The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, in conjunction with 500 Haitian churches, hosted a rally with Franklin Graham in Haiti's national soccer stadium, the country's largest outdoor seating facility. Haiti for Christ is holding a rally on the anniversary of the earthquake in front of the national palace that was demolished by the natural disaster.

"It has been encouraging to see so many churches working together to prepare for these events," Carwell said. "I think there's genuine fruit that has already come from the efforts some of these organizations have made here – and much more will be made in the future."

However, there are challenging spiritual and physical obstacles to overcome in a nation entrenched in voodoo. Many Haitians who ascribe to voodoo believe that cholera is an attack against them.

"People who hold to voodoo are generally very fearful," Carwell said. "With the stronghold of fear and evil in people's lives, there has been a lot of confusion about what cholera is. For those who aren't believers or aren't very educated, cholera seems so mysterious to them. We've seen some of those things come to light in the medical crisis."

MAF, which has helped stem the spread of cholera through transportation of critical supplies and medical personnel, continues to play a strategic role in the rebuilding efforts in Haiti as the demand for air service has increased dramatically over the past year.

"MAF's part in all of this continues to rise," Carwell said. "We're booked up. We are saying 'no' to more flights than I ever remember. But we have more capacity than before. The needs for aviation are greater today than I've ever seen them. I don't see our role diminishing any time soon."

Founded in 1945, MAF (www.maf.org) is a Christian ministry organization which transports missionaries, medical personnel and supplies, performs disaster relief work, and conducts emergency medical evacuations in remote areas. In 2010, MAF flew 94,961 passengers and 9.2 million pounds of cargo on 33,365 flights, enabling the work of more than 1,000 mission and relief organizations. MAF also provides distance learning services, as well as telecommunication services such as satellite Internet access, high-frequency radios, electronic mail and other wireless systems.