If you are like many people, you've seen this symbol used in many places, but have never learned what it really means. It is as an acrostic for the Latin words "Iesous Christos Theou Uios Soter," or "Jesus Christ the Son of God, Savior." Before the meaning of this symbol became well known, the early Christians, many of whom were persecuted, used it as a safe way to indicate their faith to one another. Although some have tried to detract from this symbol, and the Christian symbol of the cross as well, by pointing out that they had pagan origins, the important thing to early Christians was the significance that these symbols held for them, not what they held for others in the past.

Like their forefathers nearly two thousand years ago, modern Christians still use the fish symbol to signal their faith to one another, although the meaning of the symbol is by no means secret now. Although of course there are some unscrupulous people who use this symbol to pretend that they are honest individuals when they are really not, this symbol, when posted by a business run by a true Christian, should be a trustworthy indication that the owner adheres to honest business practices.

Reach Haiti

The average wage in Haiti is 2.00 a day. The country is being robbed of its natural resources due to deforestation. The population manufactures charcoal from trees to cook meals, as electricity in Haiti is rare. Men will work all day digging out the roots to use as the raw material to create the charcoal. As a result, the topsoil that was held in place by the roots of trees washes into the sea during rainstorms.

The Aids crisis is the worst in the western hemisphere and as a result children are living on streets eating mud cakes seasoned with herbs. Children are being sold into slavery because of the extreme poverty. Many people judge the parent of a child they are selling into slavery as unloving. However, it is because they love them that they sell them to avoid starvation, often with the false hope of their children being fed and schooled.

Please click on the following links for multimedia news articles on the Aids plight there.
http://www.sun-sentinel2.com/graphics/AIDSOrphans
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/caribbean/sfl-aidsintheislands,0,3025494.story

James  1:27 - Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

I feel compelled by the Lord to help in some way. Here are a few organizations I personally trust and have checked out.

I have been asked why Haiti? There are people here in America with such great need. Why not focus on our problems? Why don’t we support the people in Galveston, Texas or New Orleans whose lives have been devastated by hurricanes? Why not help with the homeless? What about the kids who are battered and abused in America? To that I ask you to consider that God may be speaking to you personally to help those less fortunate than you in those areas. I believe God has pressed upon each of us to step out in faith to do His will.

Jesus said in Matthew 25:40 - "And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me."

If in trying to help the people in Haiti ,makes you ask these things and God presses on your heart to do something to help those less fortunate in whatever area you feel compelled to, then I can rest in the fact that this has accomplished more than I initially set out to do.

I would personally ask you to pray for wisdom for each of us as we go forward attempting by God’s lead to help.

Glenn Morris