'Turn Back to Jesus': Missionary Says Prayer is Most Important for the People of Haiti

As humanitarian efforts scramble to find life beneath the rubble, missionaries are asking the rest of the world to pray for Haiti.

At least 1,400 people are reported dead, with hundreds still missing. 

Saturday's 7.2 earthquake flattened hundreds of buildings including homes, hospitals, and schools. Rescue missions are up against the clock with the possibility of aftershocks and floods from oncoming Tropical Depression Grace which is scheduled to make landfall late Monday.

Search and rescue teams from Fairfax County, Virginia sent 59 rescuers and four dogs to help the Coast Guard and other U.S. agencies. 

Prime Minister, Ariel Henry says there is still an urgent need for medical supplies and assistance.

Haiti is still picking up the pieces from the earthquake in 2010 that left hundreds of thousands dead and displaced millions. 

And the area experienced additional heartbreak with the July assassination of President Jovenel Moise. 

Gloria Rapaka, founder of Love and Hope Ministries, says the onslaught of repeated devastation has numbed the Haitian people.

"Sometimes we look up and say, 'Lord, how long?'" Rapaka said. 

Rapaka moved to the U.S. when she was 19, telling CBN News how increasing violence and gangs forced her to leave. 

Today, she leads the non-profit organization that educates and shares the gospel with the people of Haiti and India. Rapaka says the devastation in Haiti goes deeper than a need for medicine, food, and water.

"Help us however the Lord has put in your heart," Rapaka said. "Don't forget to pray for the heart of the people to turn back to Jesus, because that's the best we can give them right now." 

She says the country's repeated bombardment of violence and disaster is a testament to the island's need for Christ. 

Meanwhile, Haiti's prime minister has declared a month-long state of emergency and the United Nations will begin an international investigation into the assassination of President Moise. 

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