As I considered reporting to all of you about what I saw in Haiti I don’t know where to begin. Some of you have been there and others have not. There are changes in the north although nost of the devistation was centered all over the south. Our news focused on Port au Prince but other towns, cities and villages are almost totally destroyer also. Pastor Cebien now has 27 church buildings, some with school attached that he knows have major damages or are down. These he says are not the ones he constructed but buildings he purchased . Some were previously damaged with the 4 hurricanes that hit Haiti within a month and the roof is gone. There is one church in Port that still has three walls standing. It is Pastor Manicus’ church. I met his wife and children They are now living in the room beside Alice and Kathy’s house that perviously was a team room and also used to store and sort things received for distribution. The wife and three teen children were in the kitchen of their house in various places when the cement roof collapsed trapping them. She had her arm trapped when rescuers arrived, They wanted to amputate it to release her but she refused and prayed. They did get her out and she has the use of her arm. Her hand was very painful and contracted when I eveluated her. She has some nerve trauma. I started her on some pain mad from the drugstore and then on stretching. I was able to progress her to some exercises before I left and would like for Paul to see her when we return in a few weeks. They also have take in some teens from their church Pastor speaks at churches in the north while he is there and returns to his flock in Port. They need him and are living in the churchyard where they have tarps up. forming a sort of tent. They live in the shelter of the tent, I think I heard about 80 people. Then, they hold regular services in the same ‘building’.Pastor commutes back and forth to the EBAC compound taking supplies and food in quanities he can carry and not look conspicuous. There is a danger to people who bring food into Port. Bands of robbers steal the food they make money selling it. Or hungry people are desperate and will take it.That is why the already existing system of getting food sacks about the size of a kitchen garbage bag is working. This is the dry food disrtibution carried out by what is now referref to as ther 5 H ’s. It is Helping Hungry Hatiens which Alice and Kathy have set up and Hearts for the Hungry another feeding program. I have photos of the inside of a dark warehouse where there bags are secretly being filled.during the daytime. After dark vehicles will go out in different directions to reliable people. They will then get the foods into the hands of others. It will then be given to needyu families who are helping others.Haitians are very family oriented They also are extremely generous and will sacrificially give what they have praying for GOD to provide the next meal.There have been hundreds of thousands of refugees come to the homes of Christians in the north. Pastors are expected to help meet the needs of their church members yet they themselves have nothing left and are also homeless.It is only through you and other generous people that EBAC will be able to continue to help.Food is available in the country. They can get rice and beans, the main food of Haitians. So, cash is a good way to help now. We also will take particular items we know they can use when we return. I will be buying the bullion cubes I found at Ollies A pot of rice and beans takes about 12 oif those. From the photo you can see the size of one of those. The photo was taken of the ladies preparing food to be taken to the hospital at Milot. This is done twice a week but involves 4 days of work for the women. They shop and prepare the marinade for the food the day before and then get up to begin the cooking over hot charcoal fires by3 in the morning so they can take the food an hour and a half drive by tap tap to the hospital They also go alsong and visit the pts one on one and try to meet their needs spiritually as well as physically. This hospital was a 73 bed private general hospital but had about 440 beds mostly filled with quake victims. There are many orthopedic injuries and amputations of all kinds and age people. The children were the hardest for me to see but most of them were laughing and playing . Some who had lost family were depreddes and I wish I could speak to them in Creole. So when I came back from my first visit there and at the Rehab hospital for spinal cord injuries, I asked some of the EBAC young people who miraculously escaped from the quake if they could visit. Those who could then went each time the meals were taken in. Pray for them as they speak to hurting people. May they see the need for ministry and do it until their own lives get back together and they can return to Universities and other schools they were attending.I plan to write about the EBAC miracles for although each and every one of the people in Port could have been killed or seriously injured, GOD helped each to escape the destrucion all around them. It is a book in the making and shows how GOD protected His own.I know this is long but wanted you all to know what happened to your contributions and prayers. We took in nearly a ton of relief aid, distributing it to people and hospitals. Carolyn and I have another shipment to get in when Paul and I go back to Hait in April. Paul will be teaching a Rehab seminar, and one day will be open to family members caring for victims at home.We purchased supplies for the patients families at the hospitals so they could wash their clothes. No one does that in a Haitian hospital. We also gave money and supplies for the hospital food program which continues on a month to month committment as funds are available.We bought much needed clothing for patients and took the personal care items to them.These were also sent in the suitcases going into Port with peanut butter and oatmeal. The most important thing we distributed was gospels of John in Creole and John and Romans in French as well as tracts. People are looking for comfort and we know where it is to be found.There were over 1550 of these distributed while we were there.I also sent out the rest of the discipleship books in the hands of my disciples to teach Christians.Thank you all for all you did to be a part of this last trip. Continue praying and Alice and Kathy keep answering their door and hand out whatever supplies and money they get to the needy seeking help. Also pray for us as we prepare to return in a matter of weeks.
May GOD richly bless you,
Sue