I encourage you to read these bits of article and quotes below and pray through what’s happening in Haiti today. We want to stand with them in prayer through this VERY difficult time. 

Haitian President René Préval issued an urgent appeal for his earthquake-shattered nation Wednesday, saying he had been stepping over dead bodies and hearing the cries of those trapped under the rubble of the national Parliament.

Préval, in his first interview since the earthquake, said the country was destroyed and he believed there were thousands of people dead but was reluctant to provide a number.

``We have to do an evaluation,'' Préval said, describing the scene as ``unimaginable.''

``Parliament has collapsed. The tax office has collapsed. Schools have collapsed. Hospitals have collapsed,'' he said. ``There are a lot of schools that have a lot of dead people in them.''

The U.N. said casualties were ``vast'' but impossible to calculate.

The International Red Cross said a third of... ... Haiti's nine million people may need emergency aid and that it would take a day or two for a clear picture of the damage to emerge, the Associated Press reported.

Along the border with the Dominican Republic, Haitians were fleeing the devastation.

``I don't have work, I don't have a future here,'' said Antonio Bacevil, 39, a farmer wearing ragged shorts and muddy boat shoes who was on his way to Santiago. ``What you see is what I have. . . . A lot of people are dead.''

Préval said he had traveled through several neighborhoods and seen the damage. ``All of the hospitals are packed with people. It is a catastrophe,'' he said.

While official details about the scope of the damage were scarce, eyewitness accounts and media reports painted a nightmarish picture of widespread destruction that was feared to have claimed tens of thousands, if not more.

A hospital collapsed and people were heard screaming for help. The U.N. said Haiti's principal prison had crumbled and inmates had escaped. A Florida-based shipper said the cranes at the Port-au-Prince cargo pier had toppled into the water and that much of the pier was destroyed. The second story and dome of the ornate Presidential Palace pancaked onto the first floor. The Parliament lay in ruins, trapping Senate President Kely Bastien, Préval said.

The body of the Catholic archbishop of Port-au-Prince, Joseph Serge Miot, 63, was found in the rubble of his office, the Associated Press reported.

The World Bank offices in Petionville were also destroyed, but most of the staff were safely accounted for, the organization said.

According to media reports, survivors were digging through the rubble and stacking bodies along the streets of Haiti's capital after the powerful 7.0-magnitude earthquake rocked the island nation Tuesday afternoon. The earthquake has left the country virtually isolated, with countless crumbled buildings, including the six-story United Nations headquarters.

The U.N. confirmed five of its workers had been killed and more than 100 were missing. Among those unaccounted for were the mission chief, Hédi Annabi, and his deputy, the U.N. said Wednesday.

Brazil's army said at least 11 of its peacekeepers were killed, while Jordan's official news agency said three of its peacekeepers were killed, the AP reported.

Préval said Wednesday morning the he had not slept since the earthquake. Others slept in the streets fearing their homes would be toppled by aftershocks.

``This is a catastrophe,'' the first lady, Elisabeth Préval, said. ``I'm stepping over dead bodies. A lot of people are buried under buildings. The general hospital has collapsed. We need support. We need help. We need engineers.''

``I still have no sign from my mother or stepdad,'' wrote Gregory Kebreau on Facebook. ``If anyone has seen or spoken to Nicole Zephirin or Edouard Pierre Louis (Elizabeth's Pierre Louis father) please contact me ASAP!''

On Wednesday, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon said the organization had released $10 million in ``emergency funds'' to set up immediate operations. He said Assistant Secretary General Eduard Moulet would be dispatched to the region as soon as conditions permit.

The American Red Cross was poised to move aid from a warehouse in Panama -- blankets, kitchen sets and water containers for about 5,000 families -- as soon as a flight or means of delivery could be found, Eric Porterfield said in Washington. 

``It is at such times that people, governments and leaders across the hemisphere, as neighbors and friends of the people of Haiti, should show solidarity and support in a real, effective and immediate manner, guided by the country's government, which knows best where the most urgent need lies,'' Insulza said.

“The only thing I can do now is pray and hope for the best,” the ambassador, Raymond Alcide Joseph, told CNN.

GOD, PLEASE HELP THE PEOPLE IN HAITI.

After gathering with about twenty ministries as part of a national prayer network (Camp Stillwood, BC. Sept 2009) we all sensed the importance of uniting and working together to fuel and inspire more prayer in our nation. An idea birthed out of our meeting was to mobilize a year of non-stop prayer that travels through churches/communities in cities across Canada.
 

Our hope and dream is to unite Canada in prayer right across the nation, including all generations, denominations, cultures, cities and ministries to pray like never before, 24-7-365! 

Canada has been given some great opportunities for 2010, such as the winter olympics in Vancouver, BC in February and the G8 Summit in Huntsville, ON in June. We hope to help mobilize people to cover these big events in prayer as well as pray locally for all the needs in our cities across Canada. 

We’re in the process of developing a Unite Canada: 24-7-365 website where partnering groups will be able to sign up for their days/weeks of prayer, they will then set up a creative space to pray and pray 24-7 for their registered time slot. There will be an updated... ... blog on the website where group leaders will be able to share stories from the prayer room. If setting up a prayer room in your community is something you’re currently unable to do, you are still welcome to partner with this movement, believing that prayer works and can create great change in our nation. You’ll be updated on what’s going on across the nation and things happening locally in your community. We want to unite as many people as possible to pray and then act out of God’s leading. 

There is a steering committee in place representing five Canadian ministries who are excited about prayer and committed to seeing more prayer, mission and justice in our nation. We believe that great things happen when we’re working together and hope that hundreds of ministries and churches will join us on this journey of prayer for 2010. The steering committee have asked 24-7 Prayer Canada to take the lead in coordinating this 24-7-365 effort for 2010. 

We’re really excited about what God could do as we unite in prayer for His Kingdom in Canada. There will be more on Unite Canada 24-7-365-2010 coming soon so please stay tuned and start thinking about the dates your community would like to pray in 2010.

For more info please contact us at canada24-7prayercom

Here is a picture of our prayer tent:  It has been up 24 hours so far in Vancouver, Victoria, Duncan and Parksville.  We have 3 more cities to visit: Courtenay, Powell River and back home to Gibsons.  Thanks to those who have prayed behind us, and followed our journey.  A special thanks to Daria Tomuik of 24-7 Prayer who believed in our vision and partnered with us.  

We’ll update you again once we have finished the tour as... ... to how it has impacted us personally.

Shalom, Karen and Cathy