“All we have comes from God, and we give it out of His hand” (1 Chronicles 29:14b, Dutch paraphrase). This verse is a hallmark of the ministry of Samaritan’s Purse.

We want everyone who receives our help to know that it comes from the hand of the Lord. When we offer a cool drink of water to a thirsty child, we do it in the Name of Jesus. As our medical volunteers work to save lives, they are ambassadors for Christ. When Samaritan’s Purse provides housing for disaster victims, we want them to give God all the glory.

That’s what is happening in Haiti today in the aftermath of a massive earthquake that left a million people homeless. Thousands of Haitians are no longer sleeping on the ground and living at the mercy of the weather. Now they are safe and dry in sturdy shelters built by Samaritan’s Purse, thanks to the generous support of caring people like you.

These shelters are temporary—they’re designed to last long enough for families to rebuild their houses—but the impact is eternal for many of the residents. Men, women, and children are giving their hearts to Jesus Christ as they hear the Gospel presented by our staff and ministry partners.

Among them is Bertide Blanc, a mother of eight whose family was spared when their house collapsed. Like so many families, their only shelter was a makeshift tent made of thin bed sheets tied together with string. Now they have a real place to call home—built with weatherproof plastic, pressure-treated lumber, a galvanized steel roof, bunk beds for her children, and a cistern to collect rainwater.

The compassion of the Christian workers who helped Bertide prompted her to examine her own relationship with God. As they led her in the sinner’s prayer, she asked to receive His gift of forgiveness and salvation through Christ.

“I saw that I was in a bad place and needed Jesus in my heart,” she said. “Now I have been born anew.”

When I visited Haiti a few weeks ago, I was impressed by the church leaders I met and their passion for evangelism. They know Haiti needs the Gospel to overcome the great spiritual darkness in their country.

Pastor Kelly Balde told us that, the moment the earthquake hit, he was training dozens of church workers to share their faith.

“I was preaching that the Church is not the building, it’s not the pews and the walls, it’s you and me,” he said. “That’s when the walls and floor began to shake, and everyone ran outside.”

They got the message. A few weeks later, the church sent evangelistic teams into the devastated towns and cities to present the Gospel to survivors. In just one day, they saw 118 people come to saving faith in Jesus Christ.
As this is written, Samaritan’s Purse is working as fast as we can to build shelters for those families still living outdoors as the summer storm season approaches. Our teams are also distributing food to hundreds of thousands of people, and we are still providing much-needed medical care at a clinic in the Cite Soleil slum.

Please continue to pray for the people of Haiti and for our teams as we lift up Christ as Savior and Lord.

Mongolia: Helping Victims of a Winter Dzud

On the other side of the world from Haiti, another disaster is unfolding in Mongolia. An unusually harsh, snowy winter—called a dzud—has killed millions of sheep, goats, and other livestock and is threatening poor herdsmen who rely on their animals for their livelihood.

Working with a Christian partner, our team in Mongolia has been able to distribute food, blankets, and other relief to hundreds of families and schoolchildren. As we reach out to those in need, God has given us opportunities to share the Gospel in places far from any church. I’d like to tell you about just a few of the many lives that have been touched through this ministry.

Damba is an elderly herdsman who lost all but seven of his 69 yaks to the dzud. Our team brought him food and warm blankets as well as Gospel literature. Damba said he had heard about Jesus but never understood who He is until our team brought help in his hour of need and led him to Christ.

“Jesus is real and deserves all of the credit for the compassion we have received,” he declared.

Because he is nearly blind, Damba has his granddaughter read God’s Word to him each night.

A Christian named Adiya helped us deliver relief items in one hard-hit region. When he was allowed to share the Gospel with students at a local school, he was overjoyed that three children from the same family prayed to receive Christ. The three then shared
their newfound faith with their parents, who invited Adiya to their house to tell them more about Jesus.

This relief effort is only a part of our work in Mongolia. Through our Children’s Heart Project, over 200 Mongolian boys and girls have received lifegiving surgery. We also support educational, livestock, and medical programs to assist impoverished rural families.

Mongolia is a nation that’s about 50 percent Buddhist and 40 percent atheist following decades of communist rule. We thank God that He is using Samaritan’s Purse to build up the local church and introduce people to the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Mississippi and Tennessee: Responding to Deadly Storms

“This reminds me of Hurricane Katrina.” That’s what people in Mississippi were saying in late April after tornadoes ripped all the way across the state, destroying hundreds of homes. In places, the winds reached 170 mph—even stronger than Katrina.

One week later, another storm drenched central Tennessee with up to 20 inches of rain, and floods forced thousands to flee their homes. Between the two storms, over 30 people lost their lives.

Samaritan’s Purse immediately dispatched disaster relief units to work in some of the hardest-hit communities. In Yazoo City, Mississippi, our volunteers have covered damaged roofs with waterproof plastic, cut fallen trees, cleared debris, and prayed with traumatized families. In the Nashville area, our crews are cleaning out flooded houses so they can be rebuilt.

Almost every week, we have opportunities for disaster relief volunteers. Samaritan’s Purse still has teams in New Orleans rebuilding houses for Katrina victims. In recent weeks, crews have cleaned flooded houses in Rhode Island and rebuilt storm-damaged houses near Atlanta. Now we are preparing for the hurricane season.

Over the past 10 years, our disaster relief teams have responded to hurricanes, tornadoes, ice storms, floods, and wildfires in 25 states, helping over 18,000 families in the Name of Jesus Christ.

In more than 100 nations worldwide, Samaritan’s Purse is reaching out to the poor and suffering as a tangible witness to God’s love and grace. Everywhere we go, we see hearts and lives transformed by the Gospel of Christ—“because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16, NIV).

We are so thankful for your prayers and your partnership in this life-changing ministry. May God bless you.

Sincerely,

Franklin Graham
President
Samaritan's Purse

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Children’s Heart Project

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