I’m back in Seattle after last week’s whirlwind: four days in Haiti, then a busy day in Miami talking with donors, media, and congressional staff. To those of you who prayed for me, thank you—I felt those prayers.

Images of what I saw in Haiti keep replaying in my mind, as the plea I heard over and over echoes: “Don’t forget us.” That’s my fear, too—when the media spotlight turns off, what happens to Haiti’s suffering people? Their nightmare is ongoing—I got to wake up and leave.

In Miami, I met a Haitian cabdriver who was understandably heartbroken over his country’s devastation. He’s convinced that the international community must take over the rebuilding process for it to succeed. I think he’s right. This earthquake struck Haiti at its heart, affecting at least a third of the population, so it’s unlikely that the country will be able to recover by itself.

Last week, I was so moved to be among World Vision’s hardworking team on the ground in Haiti, people from many nations working together around the clock. For nearly two weeks, they have been carrying out distributions of food, water, medical supplies, and shelter supplies, and now they are setting up “Child-Friendly Spaces,” safe zones for children to play. Soon they will draw up plans, in coordination with other nongovernmental organizations, for how World Vision will participate in long-term recovery.

Soon, the Super Bowl, the Olympics, and the latest political news will dominate our attention. But please don’t let yourself move on to “business as usual.” Find a photo of a Haitian child and post it where you can see it often. Pray daily. Continue to give to your favorite charity.

As Kim Hjelm commented on my Facebook page “This is not just a reaction to an event … this is a new way of living. I will be part of the marathon relay team that will continue to help for years to come.” So will World Vision. Please join us!

This morning I woke up in a bed and had a shower, albeit a cold one. Ordinarily these developments wouldn’t rate a mention, but here in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, I’m one of the lucky ones. Up to 2 million people are homeless, sleeping out in the street, with limited clean water.

We can’t do anything more for the dead, but it’s imperative we help survivors who have lost everything—and time’s running out. Crowds of people packed into makeshift tent communities set the scene for the spread of diseases like cholera. People need food, water, hygiene.

But today, help arrived. World Vision distributed food from the U.S. government to 500 families in Port-au-Prince. The rations included lentils, bulgur, corn-soy blend, and oil—not gourmet, but life-giving. There were some tense moments as desperate people crowded the truck. But we managed to keep control, and people got food.

The first man to receive his rations looked at me and saw “World Vision” on my shirt. He smiled and said, “Thank you.” I want to pass those words along to many of you who have given generously to Haiti emergency relief. Millions of dollars have poured in at World Vision. We will use those gifts wisely over the weeks, months, and years it will take Haiti to recover from this disaster.

People will rebound, and I’ve seen small signs of this already: children laughed and danced; street vendors began to sell their wares again. Haitians are resilient, having gone through so much in the past. Their spirit amazes and inspires me.

My first day in Haiti was an overwhelming mix of surreal images, turbulent emotions, and uplifting moments. I’m still trying to make sense of it.

Driving through Port-au-Prince from the airport, the city’s devastation was unbelievable, almost apocalyptic. Imagine if our White House, plus the Capitol building, the National Cathedral, the Supreme Court, and the police headquarters in Washington, D.C., collapsed. Hard to get your head around that, isn’t it? That’s Haiti’s reality. In mere seconds, the earthquake changed the capital city forever.

I visited one of Port-au-Prince’s struggling, overburdened hospitals to help distribute medical supplies. It looked like a war zone. There were wounded people crowding the courtyards and hallways, with doctors and nurses working feverishly to treat them. As shocking as it was, I was told that this was a vast improvement from last week, when the parking lot was littered with corpses.

The hospital staff were happy to receive the medical supplies, as they’d run out of even the most basic items. A human chain formed to unload supplies from the truck to the hospital storeroom — volunteers passing boxes of antibiotics, tetanus shots, and gauze.

Then, at 4:45 p.m., the time when the earthquake struck exactly a week earlier, everybody fell to their knees and prayed and praised God. People sang “Amazing Grace” and “How Great Thou Art” in French and English.

What an unforgettable moment. That people can praise God in the midst of such suffering is a tremendous testimony to the power of God in Haiti.

May this encourage you, as you pray. God’s hand is on this broken country and its grieving, wounded people. God is moving among those who are here to help. God is here.

As you read this, I will just be getting my bearings in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, a place brought low by poverty—then crushed by last week’s earthquake.

On the way over, I was pretty apprehensive. The closest I’ve been to a major disaster was the Asia tsunami. I visited affected countries a few months after the crisis, and although the grief there was still fresh, stability and order reigned. In Haiti, I don’t know what to expect. The situation on the ground is highly fluid.

I hope to convey a simple message to suffering families—that World Vision, faithful donors, and the international community are all ready to help them as they climb from the rubble and rebuild their lives. World Vision has worked in Haiti for 30 years, and we’re not going anywhere. We will help communities recover over the coming months and years.

Please continue to pray for Haitian families who are grieving, for children separated from their parents, for exhausted relief workers toiling around the clock. I’ll write when I can to share what I see and experience.

I’m sure you are seeing the news about the devastating earthquake in Haiti—and like me, praying for the thousands of people left injured and homeless.

With more than 300 World Vision staff on the ground in Haiti, I’m also concerned for colleagues. There were some tense moments Tuesday night when we heard that the national director in our office in Port-au-Prince, an American named Frank Williams, could not locate his wife and two daughters. By Wednesday morning, we learned they were safe—praise God!

I fear the news will not be so good for Haitian families who were already struggling in this poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. These are the people “caught in the web” of poverty’s harshest problems—the last thing they needed was to lose loved ones, homes, jobs, hope.

And yet, Haiti is loved by Christians. There’s a significant presence of Christian organizations and mission agencies in the country, and many U.S. churches send volunteers and short-term mission teams there. Previously, nothing dampened these believers’ dedication to Haiti—not political unrest, high HIV infection rates, floods and hurricanes, or even spiritual darkness. Certainly they will now work even harder to help this beleaguered nation.

What’s your connection to Haiti? Are you or your church involved in an outreach there? Share about this in the comments section. And let’s all pray for each other—for churches, for missionaries, for World Vision’s relief efforts and those of other organizations, and for the many other brothers and sisters who just won’t give up on Haiti. Let’s commit to surround them all in prayer.

Have you noticed that the Christmas displays in stores have been replaced by sales on exercise equipment and self-improvement tools?

As we dive determinedly into our resolutions, how have you resolved to build up your faith muscles—not just your stomach muscles—this year?

I’m still surprised by the variety of people who have told me God has used this book to bolster their faith. From prominent executives at a reception hosted by Secretary of State Clinton last month to friends at a wedding just a few weeks before, people tell me God is using this book to challenge them to a renewed commitment to serving Christ in life and deed.

One of the most dramatic stories recently was from Steve Vines in Arizona. A little over a year ago, Steve had a six-figure salary, a Mercedes, and a Rolex. But his job was requiring a sacrifice of integrity that he couldn’t make. He quit to open what he hoped would be a lucrative consulting business with a small non-profit on the side. But when the consulting contracts didn’t materialize, Steve said, “I read the book and, for all intents and purposes, gave up the dream. Instead of working 80 hours a week, I’m going to work 35, and put God where he should’ve been all along.”

Beyond his job that merely “pays the bills,” his non-profit is wildly successful. In Pakistan, Steve worked with local Christians to start a sewing school that offers young women a safe and dignified way to earn a living. He also distributed 15,000 meals to the poor and homeless at Christmas, and he’s now working on opening another school.

How is God calling you to act out your faith this year? It doesn’t have to be as dramatic as Steve’s story. But could this be your time to take action?