Life and Death in Haiti by Bishop Huie

Last week was a week of funerals for me. I attended the funeral of Dr. Sam Dixon in Raleigh, North Carolina, and the one for Rev. Clint Rabb held in Austin. Both men died as result of the earthquake in Haiti . In light of their deaths, I’ve been contemplating a statement made more than 50 years ago by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He said, “If a man [or woman] hasn’t discovered something he [she] will die for, he [she] isn’t fit to live.” Dr. King’s statement calls to mind similar words of Jesus, “Those who want to save their life will lose it, but those who lose their life for my sake will find it.”

Over the last two years, I’ve had the privilege of working quite closely with Dr. Sam Dixon, who was the Deputy General Secretary of the United Methodist Committee on Relief. I know personally of his commitment to the humanitarian and relief work at the heart of UMCOR’s mission. Last year, we went together to Cote d’Ivoire to work with several West African Bishops and leaders to help them improve the health delivery system in their Episcopal areas. Sam was determined to make the good work of UMCOR even better. I was honored to work with him.

For more than 30 years, Bob and I have been friends with Rev. Clint Rabb, who led the unit on Mission Volunteers and was formerly a staff member in Evangelization and Church Growth. Bob likes to describe Clint as 50% old-fashioned Methodist circuit rider and 50% Indiana Jones. Clint helped start new congregations in Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Estonia and the Baltic region and Russia. He relished introducing laity to hands-on global mission. Even as rescuers were trying to free him from the rubble, Clint told a reporter, “Tell the people of Haiti we are praying for them.”

We speak often of “risk-taking mission and service.” Both of these men and their families knew that phrase was a literal description of their ministries. While no one expected an earthquake in Haiti, some of situations into which they traveled were quite difficult. Nonetheless, they both felt that Christ had called them to their ministries, and they were passionate about what they did. Their lives invite us to continue their work.

Now two weeks after the earthquake, the extent of the devastation in Haiti is still unknown. It appears that the death toll will exceed 200,000 people, with as many as 1 million people homeless. Food, water and medicine are in short supply. The infrastructure needed to move assistance to the greatest area of need is limited.

As always, the people of The United Methodist Church are responding generously with both financial gifts and by volunteering to work in Haiti. Thank you. If you haven’t made a contribution, I would encourage you to do so. UMCOR is currently estimating a three to five year response to Haiti’s need.

As the Texas Annual Conference, we are offering a special gift to UMCOR and the Haiti Recovery. Our own Rev. Cynthia Harvey, Director of Missional Excellence, has agreed to serve “on loan” to UMCOR for three to six months to organize mission volunteers. She will leave for New York on Monday. We send our prayers and support with Cynthia as she leads a major volunteer organization process.

I also share a current story of risk-taking mission. By Monday, our UMCOR team will have returned to the U.S. They crossed the border safely from the Dominican Republic into Haiti with antibiotics and other supplies for Port-au-Prince. While there, they experienced high level earthquake aftershocks and have been able to communicate primarily by text messages and satellite feeds. They assessed the situation and coordinated with relief partners on appropriate courses of action. UMCOR will begin to call for volunteer teams after security and sanitation improves.

Late yesterday, I spoke with Melissa Crutchfield, our International Disaster Coordinator, as they were driving to the border. I was cautioning her and the others to be careful. She replied, “We will, but the work must continue. This is what Sam would have wanted. This is what UMCOR does.”

Dr. King said, “If a man [or woman] hasn’t discovered something he [she] will die for, he [she] isn’t fit to live.” Jesus said, “Those who want to save their lives will lose them, and those who lose their lives for my sake will find them.” From time to time, it is fitting to measure our own lives by those standards.

Grace and peace,
Janice Riggle Huie