Hurricane Stories

Highway flooded in many places.

Tent city outside Cabaret.

Thinking twice before going through huge pot hole.

Remains of washed away house.

Flooded farm land.

Giving away food supplies.

At 4AM on Saturday morning (yesterday) we got up to leave the house at 5 so we could get to Montrouis, walk across the bridge and meet Mike and Marion with whom we were riding to Port au Prince. We picked Barb up so she could drive our truck back to St Marc rather than let it sit in Montrouis all day in the melee of trucks and people. Al and Bev were moving to their new apartment so they needed the truck as well. We got back to our house at 6:30PM just as it was starting to rain.

Our trip to Port was not bad except for a near head on collision. Mike was sure the truck coming at us would move over but he didn't. Thank God Mike finally did...it caused us all a bit of a scare! The same thing happened on the way home but the truck driver got distracted by a guy on a bicycle and didn't see us! YIKES! It makes one thankful for the protection of the Lord on Haiti's highway.

Listening to the missionary stories at Agape made me realize the drama after a storm. I know it's happening in the States as well, but here, there is very little relief efforts except the little missionaries can do and with the relief are the stories of the people.

A man and child came to us from Gonaives, through Pierre our employee. This man is his brother. The child was hit with something while wading through the flood and was days with a broken leg and hip. He's now in St Marc with Pierre. The wife ran when the water started coming up, they don't know if she is living or dead. We will help this family relocate and pay all medical expenses.

Yvesner (an employee) took us to a family of five whose home was washed away. They constructed this little lean too along a wall in an empty lot used for dumping garbage. When it rains they find a place with a roof where no one is living then return to their "house". As we spoke with her and saw how desperate they were, we will rent them a room and give them clothing and food supply. That day all they'd eaten was a banana. The father was out searching for more to eat. We bought them food from a street side vendor, gave them beans and rice, and will continue to work on relocating them.

Yvesner also took us to the house with the tree across it. The baby was sitting right where the tree fell but because the top of the tree was caught by the roof next door the baby's life was spared. We need to find a chain saw to help them cut this tree out of the way and then we will help them repair their home.

Other pictures are not real clear but were taken from the vehicle we were in and give you an idea of the amount of water still around. We've decided that rather than feed a bunch of people one or two days we will find those who need help getting their lives back to some sort of "normal" such as these three families.

Monday should prove to be a better day at school now that we'll have our books. Believe it or not, we got all sixteen boxes and our groceries into five wheel barrows and crossed the bridge to where Barb was parked in our truck. If you think that was easy, think hundreds of people, yelling and pushing, a sagging bridge, and a parade of five wheel barrow guys, Gary, Al, and me trying to keep up, carrying my bag of bread that I didn't want to get squashed! All of a sudden I felt someone slip their hand into the handles of my bread bags. When I turned to look it was Pastor Alphonse! He gave me a big smile and got me across the bridge. He drives a Coke truck which was parked on one side and getting unloaded to fill the truck on the other side but took the time to walk way out of his way to accompany us to our truck....that kind of kindness is not found often is it?

The Lord bless you all and may you have a wonderful time worshipping today! Remember to pray for Hait and all people who are struggling at this time. We pray those who don't know the Lord, and there are many, will bow their knee to Him. We will continue to keep you posted on hurricane relief efforts as the Lord shows us who we should help.

Carolyn