Praying for Anderson Cooper

January 12, 2010, a giant earthquake devastated Haiti. Because our daughter, Libby, had just returned from spending 2 weeks in Haiti on a medical mession trip, we were sensitive to news from Haiti. When I heard a quick news alert concerning the earthquake, I began to search for TV news coverage. The only channel that seemed to be aware of the event was CNN, which began coverage immediately. CNN quickly sent a news crew to Haiti. We watched the coverage for days, and were very touched by the care, the sympathy, even the actions of the CNN crew.

Anderson Cooper was the anchor for the crew. He showed tremendous concern for the people there, a genuine compassion, even helped with the rescue efforts.

Soledad Obrien went to several orphanages, held the children, spoke to the care givers who were stranded with no food or supplies to care for the children, and she worked to make connections to get provisions to them.

Gary Tuchman covered much of the search and rescue efforts. Since he speaks French, he was able to serve as a translator for foreign rescue teams who could not communicate with the Haitian people they were trying to aid, taking time from his news coverage to stay with groups during the rescue efforts.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta was in Haiti as the medical correspondent, but, due to the severe shortage of doctors, he began to do surgery in the primitive, temporary medical tents that were set up.

Eventually, other networks sent crews in and began continual coverage, but no other crew seemed to show the same compassion that the CNN crew had shown.  I knew nothing about their personal beliefs, but there was no indication that any of them were Christians.  I was touched by the genuine humanity of that group of people and began to pray for them, for their salvation, that God would have mercy upon them and draw them to Himself. I especially felt drawn to pray for Soledad Obrien and Anderson Cooper.

In August of 2011, I attended the Willowcreek International Leadership Conference (actually we attended the satellite viewing in Waco). The final speaker of the conference was Erwin McManus. He recounted a story of attending a conference for Hispanic leaders in Washington DC, where he met Solidad Obrien. When she found out that he was there as a leader in the area of Christian ministry, she began to ask him questions. That evening, she told McManus that she wanted to know how to come become a Christian, and she was ready to give her life to Jesus right then.  (I don't remember the exact words, but that is the essence of what he shared.)  I was excited, thrilled, exultant! I had prayed for her, believing that God would work, not really expecting to ever hear the outcome. How sweet that God allowed me to hear the story.

I continued to pray for Gary, Sonjay, and Anderson, but, as time had gone by, I have lost the zeal.
Then, a few weeks ago, in the context of a Sunday School lesson about Jonah, and God's unexpected mercy, I spoke a little about people who come to Christ who seem to be the last one you ever expect, and one example I used was Brian Welch from the very anti-everything-about-God hard rock band, who came to Christ in 2005.

Doesn't look like a good prospect for the gospel, does he?

My friend Karen said that in the 1990's, when she worked with youth, she saw a picture of Brian Welch, and she and the youth began to pray for his salvation.  

That story renewed by desire to pray. When I am disturbed by the actions or words of a celebrity, I will pray. When I am touched by the caring and compassion of someone I see on TV, someone whose belief system is humanism, I will pray for them. 

And, I am praying for Anderson Cooper with new faith and new zeal.