It’s amazing how often music and song are intertwined with the Christian journey generally and with the work of Cross International Catholic Outreach specifically.   The precedent for this is found in the Bible, of course.  Music and song are described as part of worship in several cases, including most prominently in Revelation:

“Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song:  ‘You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.’”

Mothers at a health fair in Haiti sing about the proper way to hold and feed a baby.

Most of the psalms of David were also believed to be songs used to praise the Lord.  And do you remember this from the Exodus story:

Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD: “I will sing to the LORD, for he is highly exalted. The horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea.  The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.”

In Cross Catholic’s case, music and songs also play an important role.  They have become part of both our overseas mission and our educational efforts in the U.S.

Overseas, songs are sometimes used to help the poor by providing them with a method of learning important nutritional information or about topics related to health care.  Unable to read or write, they can learn easy-to-remember songs.  One of these teaches the warning signs of dehydration.  Another gives the ingredients of a nutritional blend of foods that can help battle malnutrition.

Spiritual songs are also one of the ways our field staff share and celebrate with those who receive our support.  Our meetings with these partners often begin with songs of thanks and praise.

In the U.S., music has an important role too.  It is a wonderful source of inspiration for the faithful.  With this in mind, Cross looks for ways to support those song writers and musicians who use their talents to express Christ’s compassion and his call to serve the poor.  For example, we recently honored “Leeland,” a band that highlighted those themes in their song “Follow You.”  Check out the video below:

As a ministry serving the poor, we were delighted that Follow You included the lyrics:

You lived among the least of these, the weary and the weak.  And it would be a tragedy for me to turn away.  All my needs you have supplied – when I was dead you gave me life. How could I not give it away so freely?  And I’ll follow you into the homes that are broken. Follow you into the world.  Meet the needs for the poor and the needy, God.  Follow you into the World.  Use my hands, use my feet to make your kingdom come through the corners of the earth, until your work is done.

It’s thrilling to hear this challenging message proclaimed so passionately and emotionally!  Frankly, we couldn’t have said it better ourselves.

Did you know that an estimated 1.1 billion people around the world rely on unsanitary water sources for drinking?

Clean water is a basic necessity that no one should have to do without.

That number got a lot of attention this week as the U.N. and other international groups observed World Water Day, a time for raising awareness about the plight of those who lack access to clean water. In some parts of the world, water is so scarce that parents must send their children long distances to fetch bucketfuls of water from rivers infested with bacteria, parasites, and even human waste. Clean water is a basic necessity that no one should have to do without. It is needed for drinking, bathing, farming, and for maintaining even a tolerable standard of living.

While some water-related problems are man-made, others are the result of weather patterns and natural disasters beyond human control. Cross Catholic Projects Officer Jim Kline recently visited Ethiopia, where a series of failed rains has been causing massive crop failures and food shortages. This is particularly bad news for animal herders and subsistence-level farmers who were already struggling to provide for their families before the latest drought struck. The loss of so many crops has resulted in spikes in food prices, hurting the poor even more.

Cross Catholic is currently sponsoring a number of great projects in Ethiopia, such as a center for street children in the city of Adigrat, and a health clinic for poor families in the rural, mountainside community of Minne. Please remember to keep our Ethiopian mission partners in your prayers as they cope with the effects of an extended drought. You can learn more about what Cross Catholic is doing to bring clean water to poor communities around the world by clicking here.

Cross International Catholic Outreach President Jim Cavnar and several staff members recently returned from a trip to Haiti. During their time in the earthquake-devastated country, they visited several of the ministries we are helping during this time of recovery.

In their first few hours on the ground the staff was struck by the empty streets of Port-au-Prince, which before the earthquake were teaming hundreds of vendors, children, cars, and animals.

Jim Cavnar, president of Cross International Catholic Outreach, surveys the damage in Leogane where nearly all of the houses were destroyed by the quake. Cross Catholic is supporting an IDP camp of about 200 people who lost their homes there.

“It was like being in a ghost town on the set of a Hollywood movie — it was unreal,” Jim said.

Michele Sagarino, vice president of development, added, “The lack of life in the streets and knowing what that means was very hard to process.”

The group from Cross Catholic met with Gladys Thomas, who runs an orphanage and Christian school we support just outside the capital, to survey the damage her ministry sustained. She told them that they’ll have to completely replace one of their buildings and rebuild the tall cement wall that protects their property from trespassers. She also said that her ministry has taken in 20 new children since the earthquake.

Jim and the staff from Cross Catholic also visited an internally displaced persons (IDP) camp we are supporting in Leogane, which was at the epicenter of the deadly earthquake. Despite the extensive destruction, there was hope among the people in camp. They had just received another shipment of rice when the group from Cross Catholic arrived.

With tents and supplies from Cross International Catholic Outreach, Project Medishare was able to set up a makeshift hospital that is helping hundreds of earthquake victims in Port-au-Prince.

After visiting a few other ministries we support, assessing damage, and planning an approach to help, the team from Cross Catholic stopped by Project Medishare’s tent hospital. Jim and the staff were very impressed by the work being done there — work that has been going on since the first day after the quake. Cross Catholic provided tents and supplies to the ministry, which were of great use when the ministry set up makeshift surgical and exam rooms, an infirmary, a lab, and a pharmacy.

Overall the group was impressed by the work we’ve accomplished together with our ministry partners to help those suffering in Haiti. “Our partners are showing tremendous courage and faith in the wake of this disaster,” Jim said. “Though it was difficult to see the suffering, we were glad to also find hope among the people as we met with our partners. We feel blessed to be a part of the recovery efforts that are bringing relief to those hurting in Haiti.”

Click here to learn more about our relief efforts in Haiti.

While traveling through Haiti, Cross Catholic Projects Officers Mike Wilson and Claudio Merisio visited the camps where our mission partners are continuing to provide medical care for earthquake victims. They got to see firsthand the incredible work that so many doctors, nurses, and volunteers are providing on a daily basis in tent facilities or even outside.

Cross Catholic Projects Officer Claudio Merisio visits a Project Medishare health clinic in Haiti.

Now that more than three weeks have passed since the quake, our partners are beginning to transition from trauma to general health care for the many displaced men, women, and children who are trying to rebuild their lives in the aftermath; and Cross Catholic is working alongside them to ensure success.

For instance, our Cross Catholic partner Arc en Ciel is providing care for about 4,000 people, including 1,600 children, in five refugee camps. They plan to send health workers to fifty additional camps to train their peers on general health issues such as hydration, nutrition, vaccination, and psycho-social support.

Another Cross Catholic partner, Project Medishare, is increasing the number of women and children receiving care, and plans to double the number of mobile clinics from one to two per week.

Gladys Thomas, who runs Hopital Espoir and Village Espoir, is shifting her focus to rehabilitative care for people needing physical and occupational therapy and post-traumatic support.

To help our mission partners provided the best possible health care under the strained conditions of disaster-stricken Haiti, Cross Catholic has given food, medicine, medical supplies, and in one case even a container to be converted into a clinic. To learn more about what Cross Catholic is doing in Haiti, check out our latest updates at www.crosscatholic.org/relief.

We’re grateful to all our supporters who have responded to our Disaster Relief campaign for the flood-ravaged Philippines. The crisis may no longer be a front-page headline, now that weeks have passed since typhoons Ketsana and Parma swept through the country, but much work remains to be done.

A new danger now threatens the area of Manila, where a lot of land is still underwater. Health officials are reporting a deadly outbreak of a bacterial disease called leptospirosis.

The initial impact of the storms – the deaths of more than 850 people and displacement of hundreds of thousands – can’t be minimized. But a new danger now threatens the area of Manila, where a lot of land is still underwater.

Health officials are reporting a deadly outbreak of a bacterial disease called leptospirosis, which is caused by exposure to animal urine. The outbreak has already killed more than 130 people, and the latest report was that nearly 2,000 sick patients remained in government hospitals. The situation is so bad that one health official is calling this outbreak of leptospirosis one of the worst in the world.

Large areas of floodwater are not expected to recede until December, and it was feared that a third typhoon, Lupit, would cause even more problems. Thankfully, Lupit changed direction late last week and was downgraded to a tropical storm.

Thank you for keeping our Filipino friends and ministry partners in your prayers. It’s not too late to send a gift to our Cross Catholic Disaster Relief Fund to help us deliver food, medicine, and other emergency items to displaced families.

Last year charitable giving in the U.S. declined $6.42 billion — the largest drop recorded since Giving USA starting keeping track of America’s donations in 1987.

Since the focus of our ministry is to meet the most urgent needs of the poor, we often add extra expenses to our budget mid-year — such as the extra disaster aid we provided to Haiti after last year’s violent hurricane season. We feared that the economic downturn and subsequent nationwide drop in giving would affect our ability to meet these urgent needs this year. But God had other plans.

Not only have we been able to continue supporting all of our projects in the field, last week we were also able to meet the very urgent need of one of our mission partners in southwest Haiti.

The new Land Cruiser HHF will soon buy with the funds we provided will look similar to this. The vehicle will be used to transport staff members, medicine, and expectant mothers needing care over the rough terrain of Jeremie and the surrounding mountain communities HHF serves.

A few weeks ago we received heartbreaking news from the Haitian Health Foundation (HHF) that two of their staff and a young child were killed when a truck carrying 14 staff members returning from a rural village health clinic careened off the road and fell 50-feet into a river. To help HHF as they recovered from the loss, we agreed to buy them a new stretch-body Land Cruiser to replace the vehicle that was destroyed in the horrific accident.

Michael Wilson, our international projects director, shared with our staff an e-mail he received from HHF Executive Director Marilyn Lowney expressing her gratitude over the new truck. Below is what he shared with us:

Marilyn Lowney, executive director of HHF

Dear Cross Catholic Family,

As most of you may recall, our friends at the Haitian Health Foundation (HHF) suffered the tragedy of losing employees/friends last week in an automobile accident. While we can’t bring back the ones they love and lost, we can help them through this ordeal.  Jim [Cavnar, president of Cross Catholic] has authorized the purchase of a vehicle to replace the one destroyed in the accident.  When I called this morning to tell them, Marilyn cried and said, “All of you folks at Cross Catholic are such good friends to HHF.  Please know how much we appreciate it.” I thought it was worth sharing this with you as proof positive that what we do matters.  Thanks.

- Michael

The fact that we were able to meet this urgent need in the middle of a depressed economy is a true testament to God’s ability to provide in spite of our earthly circumstance. Just as God multiplied the widow of Zarephath’s oil and flour after she gave what she had left to Elijah (1 Kings 17:8-16), the Lord provided us with the means to help one of our mission partners in great need. We serve a great God!

One of our ministry partners, Project Medishare, received a visit from Haitian President Rene Preval last week. During his visit, he lauded the work Medishare is doing to help improve the health of people in Haiti’s Central Plateau region.

Haitian President Rene Preval

One of the interesting topics of discussion was a plan to build Haiti’s first trauma hospital, an endeavor Medishare is involved with in collaboration with Jackson Memorial Hospital, the University of Miami and local partners in Haiti.

Read more about Pres. Preval’s visit on Project Medishare’s blog.

Our organization provides Medishare with $52,800 each year to run a school health program in the Central Plateau. Click here to read more about the project.jrw6qzaxkv

More news from our ministry partner, Haitian Health Foundation, on the deadly accident that killed three — a nurse, the driver, and a 5-year-old — and left several injured yesterday (see our post below).

The Haitian Health Foundation provides health care to impoverished people living in Jeremie and the rural mountain villages of the Grand Anse Region of Southwest Haiti.

We just spoke with Dr. Jeremiah J. Lowney, Jr., founder and president of HHF, who said they were trying to pick up the pieces as the staff and community deal with this great loss.

“We mourn the deaths of these devoted employees and the youngster, and we ask for your prayers for their families,” Dr. Lowney said. “Every effort is being made by Sister Maryann Berard [HHF’s administrator in Haiti] and our staff in Jérémie to bring comfort and help to the survivors.”

He said it was a miracle that there wasn’t a greater loss of life after such a dramatic accident.

The Land Cruiser that was carrying 14 staff members back from a rural health clinic when the driver, Jean Richard, suddenly swerved to the left. The vehicle was new, so they don’t think it was a mechanical problem that caused the accident. Passengers believe Richard, who was a very safe driver and had worked for HHF several years, had a sudden physical attack because he didn’t respond to their warning yells.

A passenger sitting in the front seat tried to grab the wheel but couldn’t steer the truck back on course. The Land Cruiser fell down a 50-feet embankment and into the deepest part of the Grand Anse River just outside of town.

Alexis Michel, an HHF health agent who was in the truck, escaped through a broken window and began pulling the other passengers out. “He was truly heroic, and his actions should be commended,” Dr. Lowney said.

Please join us in prayer for HHF and its staff, the families of those who died, and the community!

We received a heartbreaking e-mail late last night from one of our mission partners in Haiti, who lost three people when a truck with 14 staff members returning from a rural village health clinic careened off the road and fell 50-feet into a river.

Please keep the Haitian Health Foundation (HHF), its staff, and the poor they serve in the rural mountains surrounding Jeremie in your prayers as they deal with this difficult loss.

Below is an e-mail from Bette Gebrian, HHF’ director of public health, explaining the accident:

A truck full of staff were returning from a rural village health clinic late yesterday afternoon — some of our nurses, nursing students, an American volunteer and her translator, a health agent and his sister, who cooked the food for the day, and her children. The truck veered off the road into the deepest part of the Grand Anse River right outside of town.

It is only now that the United Nations and Haitian Police are trying to lift the truck out of the depths. My husband, Edwin, and Dr. Bourdeau, our medical director, and hundreds of villagers are standing vigil.

Passengers in the vehicle believe that the driver, who has worked for HHF for many years, had a physical attack and was non-responsive when warned that the vehicle was approaching the edge. The truck veered off the road and flipped into the river. The driver died. The health agent, Alexis Michel, got out as the windows broke and started to pull the others out — a true hero.  His 5-year-old nephew died in the mucky, strong current and has not yet been found.  One of our long-term nurses also died. The other nurses got out with broken bones. All are still in shock.

The Cuban doctors joined the Haitian doctors at HHF to do x-rays and assess the injuries. It was a fabulous scene of collaboration.

Dr. Bourdeau had the saddest task of bringing the dead to the morgue. At one point, he messaged back to HHF for white sheets.

Jean Richard, the driver, was a devout Christian and was excitedly building a house for his wife and baby. His wife is inconsolable. Micheline, the nurse, had been a village leader that became a health agent and then was trained by HHF as a nurse.  She left behind children and a husband.

We are all in shock.

HHF is closed for now. In 22 years, we have never lost people who have dedicated their lives to the service of the poor. The whole town is in mourning and news has reached Port-au-Prince. So sad, so sad. We need everyone’s prayers right now.

Bette