billhamp 
November 14, 2012The other morning I met with the Executive Director of a couple orphanages in Haiti. I left that meeting to see another friend of mine who told me that he and his wife had just decided to adopt from Haiti. I asked which organzation?
It was a different one than my earlier meeting.
I left the time with my friend, got in my car and returned a call. The guy on the other end of the line wanted to get together when he got back from Haiti. I asked what organization he was going with?
He told me a different one from the previous 2 meetings I’d had that day.
I was at the lake visiting friends a month ago and talking with a lady who’s on the board of an organization doing work in Haiti.
Different than the 3 mentioned above.
I was with a friend this weekend telling me about a girl who’s doing great work with a school and soccer program in Haiti.
Different than the 4 mentioned above.
At church last week we heard from a girl our church supports. She has an orphanage and feeding program in Haiti.
Different than the 5 mentioned above.
The one time I went to Haiti another group from my town (Franklin, TN) was there with another organization.
Different than the 6 mentioned above.
Alright. . .I think you get the point. Look, I’m glad all this work is being done in Haiti. Great people, with huge hearts helping people who desperately need it. I just can’t help but wonder is there not a better way to do this? All these different organizations doing similar things competing for the same giving dollars from people in the same circles?
Are all these organizations THAT DIFFERENT from one another? Understood that some provide excellent medical care, while others are feeding thousands, others are providing beds and so on. So, different in that respect, but at the end of the day, helping families / children in need is the primary goal.
What if everyone I knew that is supporting literally 15 different organizations in Haiti pooled our support and poured it in to one? Really teamed up and made a MAJOR impact on that one organization? Then, when that organization was strong, we kept some ongoing support going but went and attacked another one?
Would that not be better?
I honestly don’t have the answer to this question and I could be WAY off base. Just thinking out loud here as this situation keeps presenting itself to me.
What are your thoughts?
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 “Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.”
Proverbs 27:17 “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”
Mark 6:7 Jesus sent out his disciples “two by two” not alone.
There is a power in unity. Geese fly together for two reasons: The V pattern is aerodynamic, and because the ones in the back can literally be heard “cheering” on the others. They literally could not make the trip alone.
Hope this helps.
Great insight as always Rick. Thanks.
I have thought the same thing, only about churches.
Great idea! maybe the Lord is giving you the idea….?
Funny – We started a mission org (www.p61.org) in Ethiopia and desperately tried NOT to start one. But, there was not another that would meet the needs we encountered.
From my experience, there are some strong reasons to start a new org and even more reasons not to start one.
We learned some hard lessons that would have been softened in joining another group (if they had already been through those bumps,) but it has been wildly blessed.