Updates

L’Eglise des Freres d’Haiti (the Church of the Brethren in Haiti) has sent a response to a pastoral letter from David Steele, general secretary of the Church of the Brethren. The pastoral statement for Haiti was sent to the church in Haiti on March 7. In related news, brief updates on the situation of the church in Haiti have been received from leaders in l’Eglise des Freres d’Haiti. Vildor Archange, who works with the Haiti Medical Project, reported.

The staff of Brethren Disaster Ministries and Iglesia de los Hermanos (the Church of the Brethren) in the Dominican Republic (DR) are working together on an effort to aid displaced Haitians. A grant of $5,000 is being requested from the Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF) to provide emergency food to Haitian citizens fleeing across the border to the Dominican Republic and away from the violence in Haiti. Haiti and the DR share the same Caribbean island.

On March 20, Childrens Disaster Services (CDS)--a ministry within Brethren Disaster Ministries--deployed volunteers to two Multi Agency Recovery Centers (MARCs) in Ohio, in collaboration with longtime partner Child Life Disaster Relief.

Judi Frost is a member of the Week of Compassion Board of Stewards and a trained and experienced CDS volunteer. She deployed to Maui after the wildfires with an early CDS team to set up a center for children to be cared for while parents who have finally found some temporary shelter begin to ponder what’s next.

Dawson Springs, Ky., will be the location of the FaithX adult (age 18-plus) service trip in partnership with Brethren Disaster Ministries on July 28-Aug. 3, 2024. There is still time to sign up for this trip if you are interested! FaithX registration can be found at www.brethren.org/faithx and will close on April 1.

Registration is now open for the Spring 2024 Children's Disaster Services (CDS) Volunteer Training Workshops. If you have a heart for serving children and families in need following a disaster, find the schedule, cost, and a registration link at www.brethren.org/cds/training/dates.

Church of the Brethren general secretary David Steele has shared the following pastoral statement for Haiti during a state of emergency and widespread violence in the Caribbean island nation. The full text of the pastoral statement follows in three languages: English, Haitian Kreyol, and French:

Brethren Disaster Ministries staff have announced that the rebuilding project currently serving Dawson Springs, Ky., has been extended until Aug. 17, 2024. This project is rebuilding homes as part of the 2021 tornado recovery in Hopkins County. Brethren Disaster Ministries opened the project site in January 2023.

Congregations and communities of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) were among those suffering attacks during the Christmas season in northern Nigeria, reported EYN staff.

Brethren Disaster Ministries staff and volunteers celebrated house blessings for homes that the disaster rebuilding program completed last year in Kentucky. House blessings were held last summer and fall for homes completed for tornado survivors in Dawson Springs, Ky.