Here Is a Letter we received from Alice & Cathy. It is long, but full of information.
Dear praying friends:
We have so many reasons for thanking the Lord that we don’t know where to begin. We returned to Haiti on Jan. 12th as the rain was pouring down and the clouds were low. The airport tower said we couldn’t land because the airport was closed but the MFI pilot said he could see so he was landing anyway. Praise the Lord for a safe landing and a safe trip back to the EBAC compound! The roads are atrocious with craters at least 3 car lengths in diameter and the water in them is deep enough to cover the tires. It took us a long time to get home. We got home around 2:30p.m. Around 4:30p.m. we felt the house tremble and went outside where everyone else was talking excitedly at the same time. There was a school bus parked in the yard that was dancing back and forth and the mango trees were swaying. We thought it was just a tremor never imagining that an earthquake of 7.5 on the Richter scale had just hit Port-au-Prince plunging hundreds of thousands of people into eternity in just 7 seconds of time. Houses, schools, hospitals, prisons, government buildings (including the National Palace), embassies were either severely damaged or flattened crushing all of the precious people under great weights of concrete and iron. The whole city of Port-au-Prince was destroyed!
When we started to hear reports of the devastation, we knew that with so many of the orphans living there – some were bound to be badly hurt or killed. How we praise the Lord that, as far as we know, everyone is fine!!!
- Wislyn should have been at the medical facility in class but left early since he thought his teacher wasn’t coming. He and a friend, Bernadin, were on the third story of their building when they felt the quake and saw buildings collapsing all around them. They hurried and climbed down the stairs that were left and slid down the side of the building to reach the ground.
- Remy and Ginette, his fiance, were looking at a piece of land and were unharmed since no buildings were close to them.
- Vilbrun left the school building to go to the bathroom and when he turned around to go back inside, the building collapsed in front of him. He ran for his life only receiving some cuts on his leg.
- Michelus was sitting in his classroom and all the rest of the school collapsed – only his room remained standing.
- Nesly, Fred and Jovenel were still in Cap-Haitian preparing to return to Port-au-Prince. Sometimes when the Lord doesn’t give you the money to do something it’s a blessing in disguise.
- We were concerned about Choute, Sito and Silvio but have heard that they are fine.
- Rosemane was in a house with 7 people – 4 downstairs and 3 upstairs. The 3 upstairs were able to escape but the 4 downstairs were killed. Rosemane walked from 5:00p.m. all night – stopping to sleep on the road – till she got to the bus station and begged the driver to bring her to Cap-Haitian for free. She was in her bare feet so he believed that she had no money and allowed her to sit on the steps beside the driver to come home.
- Pastor Manicus and daughter weren’t at home when the quake hit but they weren’t hurt. Mrs. Manicus and son, Mano were in the house and the house collapsed trapping them in one part. They were rescued. Their legs were hurt but not seriously. “Dear Lord, we know that you protected these children of yours and we thank You so much. You truly do take care of us and we are so grateful!”
- Pastor Cebien went to Port that morning before we got back to Haiti. He got on the American Airline plane at 4:00p.m. It didn’t leave until after the quake but we learned yesterday afternoon that he got to Canada safely!
- Pastor Neance was in Petit Goave where the quake registered 5.5 and was hit twice. Yesterday we learned that his house is still standing but the wall around it fell down. Irmana went to Petit Goave to visit her relatives and she, too, is fine. Thank you, dear Father!
When we hear stories pouring in of so many families losing their children that they sent to Port for their education, we can only raise our hearts to God in prayer and thanksgiving for protecting the EBAC family. People are now leaving Port-au-Prince as fast as they can. Everyone is living outside because they are afraid to trust any building. There are dead people lying everywhere and the smell is starting to be unbearable. Many government officials have been killed and the president has left the country. When the USA came to help, there was no one here to give them any direction. The airport tower is damaged and the port can no longer receive boats because it is damaged. So much help is needed. Please pray that the Lord will show us how to best use what He has given us to help others.
Some of you have so generously sent to Helping Hungry Haitians. One of our supporting churches sent $5,000 to us this month. Today we bought food to begin distributing to people in need because of the great rains that have been falling here in the North and also to people who are beginning to arrive from Port-au-Prince. We will all try to do our part to help these truly homeless people. Please pray that the Lord will give us wisdom as we help and that He will receive all the glory.
You are all such a blessing to us. Thank you for praying for us during this – another crisis in Haitian history. The Lord is working. He is our God and we don’t understand everything that He does but we want to be ready as vessels to be used in any way He wants to use us. We covet your prayers.
Because of Calvary’s love,
Kathy and Alice
