Jessica Sheets

Even something small can make a huge impact!

Have you given to the relief efforts in Haiti, yet? Are you overwhelmed with the thought of giving when you know you have such a tiny amount? I want to encourage you that even giving the $1 you were saving for that Cherry Limeade at Sonic during Happy Hour today can make a big difference. How do I know? Check out thisishaiti.com and see what God is doing with our small gifts.

A few days ago, we were all distraught over the earthquake in Haiti, not really knowing what to expect in the days to come. It shook my husband, Stevan, to the core as he watched footage on the internet of the country and people who have a special place in his heart. Having visited in 2007, Stevan explained again to me how poor this nation is and how detrimental this disaster is and will be for the Haitian people.

After being frustrated all morning on Wednesday with the urge to hop on a plane and go help these people Stevan started a .com specifically for Haiti. Feeling inadequate with any ability to help, he decided that he could at least share more of Haiti to help others see how important helping this nation really is. He started it Wednesday afternoon. What started out as a blog sharing about Haiti and it’s people, sharing photos of the destruction and encouraging people to help, has turned into an awesome fund-raising campaign.

On Wednesday night, Stevan challenged his teens (he’s a youth pastor in Western PA) to raise money for Haiti. Without warning beforehand, he passed a woven basket that he had gotten in Haiti and asked that they give what they were willing to for Haiti. A youth group of 12 in attendance that night gave $46 and change. He encouraged the teens to continue to raise money for the next month however they were willing to do it. I can’t wait to see what they come up with.

Recognizing that he needed to find a way to raise money himself, my husband went home and put the challenge out on http://thisishaiti.com. The first challenge: raise $1,000 for Haiti. By donating on this site, all proceeds would go to World Hope International who directly could help the Haitians. We donated the first $20 that night and then sat back and were blown away at the donations coming in. By 2 PM the NEXT day, the $1,000 goal was met and exceeded!

There is now a second goal up at thisishaiti.com to raise another $1,000 for Haiti. We donated in honor of our kids for the first $20 of this goal. This is a way to give a little and not feel overwhelmed that it’s only a drop in the bucket! God takes a little and makes it go so much further than we could in our own power.

There is a new challenge out that the first $20 of the third goal of $1,000 will be donated as soon as we meet this second goal. Can we spread the word to help?

If you’d like more info on this fund-raising effort or specifics on how to donate and info on World Hope International, please go to http://thisishaiti.com!