If You See a Brother in Need

I want to give a thorough update about what your generosity toward the people of Haiti through MOHI has been accomplishing. I also want you to know that activities continued normally on all MOHI campuses this week. We are blessed to see so many of our Haitian friends step up to support the earthquake victims, too.

Pastor Lex and a team from the mission have been in the south of Haiti for a full week now. We have been to les Cayes, les Anglais, Port Salut, and Camp Perrin.

We found the greatest need to be in the villages around Camp Perrin where 99% of the homes were destroyed and no aid had been seen yet.

We were shocked to find areas where there was no water available at all, never mind potable water. We set up the water filtration system in the main river on our first day. We switched to smaller streams and other sources after witnessing decaying bodies in the river.

In a country where food insecurity abounds, providing food is always a priority. Our food distributions from yard to yard went very smoothly and the people were very grateful.

A tropical storm hit our first night in Camp Perrin. Most people in the area had a long, wet, and cold night. We realized that shelter needed to be a higher priority. We immediately purchased 500 sheets of metal roofing and distributed them to people to use for shelters.

Our missionary friend, Angie Sutton joined us for the weekend and shared this bout her first day:

"We did a water filtration at a church, and then helped a family who was starting to rebuild their shelter finish it. My heart was full to see their faces light up when we offered to help. And then to see their grateful hearts to have a place to sleep when we were done was something I will never forget. They are a believing family- husband & wife with 7 kids (ages 38 down to 10.) The mom (Mdm Emmanuel) was so thankful that the earthquake happened in the morning when her family was all out of the house. The house completely crashed down and would have killed her son, had he been sleeping in his bed. It was amazing to see grateful hearts even in the midst of so much pain and suffering."

Our team helped others who were trying to clean up their homes in order to start over.

Our first medical group (Chel, Robin, & Tony) arrived Thursday evening. There was enough daylight left for them to have a tour of the area and even found a couple of patients that they were able to help.

Friday full-day clinics began...

The team increased as we went along (Cindy & Aubree joined the medical portion) and we were so pleased to join forces with Jonathan Lamare.

Jonathan shared with me this morning: "I am not much of a churchgoer these days, but was grateful to attend a simple outdoor mass on the grounds of the Sisters of Charity where I am staying for now with Pastor Lex and the amazing people from MOHI. Monsignor who said mass talked about how those of us working together were doing work as one people - not as Catholics, not as Evangelicals, not as foreigners or nationals, but as one. Like the organization I work for, we are reaching across borders of faith and race and citizenship...and even amongst all the challenges here, it is truly a gift to be here with the first friends I ever made in Haiti to help those who are in need today."

It was so sad to see the Catholic church in Les Anglais destroyed and learn that 16 people took their last breath there.

Thank you so much for your support this week. We are so blessed to be able to reach out to people in need with the things they need so desperately. We are thankful also to local missions in the Grand-Goave and Leogane areas who entrusted us with supplies and food to share with these people.

Would you please continue to pray for this land? Like its people, it is so scarred right now, Pray for healing, hope, and peace. Thank you.