Letter from Bishop Shannon Johnston on what we can do for Haiti

January 14, 2010 Dear Diocesan Family, As the shocking scenes of destruction and loss of life in Haiti have unfolded on the Web and TV, we share a deep desire to help our brothers and sisters there. While the initial reports are just beginning to come in, we know that houses, hospitals, schools, churches and government buildings - the basic institutions of society - have been left shattered by Tuesday's devastating earthquake. What can we do? We can do what the Church does best - we can pray and we can give generously of ourselves. Please keep the people of Haiti in your prayers in the days, months and years ahead. Episcopal Relief and Development has established an emergency relief fund, which is an effective way to empower the Church to do what needs to be done. Donations to the fund can be made here. With regards to our ongoing mission efforts to Haiti, I can report that the Rev. Lauren Stanley, missionary to Haiti, was in Virginia at the time of the earthquake. The Episcopal Church Center had three other missionaries present there at the time of the quake, and all have been safely accounted for. The Rt. Rev. Jean Zache Duracin, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti, and his family are also safe, and Bishop Duracin is in the process of determining the status of the priests and churches of the diocese. We will be working to determine the best strategy for the young adult mission trip scheduled to the cities of Gonaives and Bayonnais, located northwest of Port-au-Prince, in late February. Currently, the trip is still scheduled as planned, but we will continue to monitor the situation and keep trip participants updated. Please direct any questions or concerns you may have to bishopsoffice@thediocese.net. As more updates become available, we will post them on our Web site at www.thediocese.net. Again, pray for our Haitian brothers and sisters. Faithfully, The Rt. Rev. Shannon S. Johnston Bishop of Virginia