March 24, 2010

Dear Friends of Haiti

Thank you for your outpouring of support for the survivors of the earthquake disaster in Haiti. Haiti Hope Fund has been able to respond in rapid and effective ways to get help to Haiti, in those areas where it has been needed most.

The North Haiti Christian University campus survived intact, with minimal damage to buildings and facilities, and no injuries to any persons on campus. The rural schools and clinics that we support were also spared, for which we thank God. However, many of the UCNH students and faculty have been affected by losing relatives and homes, as well as sources of income, when the earthquake destroyed Port-au-Prince.

The UNCH campus is overflowing with students who have fled the devastation in Port-au-Prince. They came searching for an opportunity to continue their education despite the tragedy that has befallen them. UNCH has taken in over 100 of these students, temporarily providing them with free room and board, and giving partial or full scholarships to those who are most in need. The University is doing this by faith that God will provide the funds to sustain this effort.

The Casseus family of UCNH, Laurie and Jules, were directly affected with the deaths of two family members: Pascale, 8 year old grand niece of Jules, was killed by a falling wall while she was at school; and Gina, 23 year old niece, who was in Port-au-Prince in school and has never been found and is presumed dead. Please join us in praying for the grieving families.

Steve and Nancy James are medical missionaries in Haut Limbe who have been working with Haiti Hope Fund to provide medical relief in the affected areas of the earthquake. They have shared with us many amazing stories about the suffering and sadness surrounding the earthquake. But amidst the tragedy there is Hope! We wanted to share with you a story that is particularly moving about how God’s love and compassion survives even in the most trying times. This is the story of baby Moses:  “Treating the wounded under the trees, in between the frequent after shocks of the earthquake, we cared for little 3 year-old, Rivaldy. His leg had been crushed by his destroyed home and now the leg, not only broken, was covered in the blisters and swelling of infection. He cried as we cleaned, bandaged, splinted his broken leg, and gave him pain medicines and a shot of antibiotics. We consoled him and his father, Simeon, and told him he needed to bring Rivaldy every day to us under the trees so we could assess his leg, change the dressings, and give him more antibiotics.”

The next day and every day Simeon brought Rivaldy. We could see that the blisters and swelling were resolving. Saved from the clinic rubble, the Christianville x-ray machine was now working. Rivaldy had a minimally displaced fracture of the mid-tibia and fibula. We were able to successfully align and splint Rivaldy’s broken leg, thanks to our Bruderhof volunteer, Roy Durgin’s skills in splint making with wood, cardboard, and Duct-Tape.

On the third day of Rivaldy’s care, Simeon, tall, handsome father with cap and dreadlocks, looked at me strangely. “Dr. Steve, mwé vlé palé avèk ou”, speaking in Creole, “I have something to share with you,” he said. “I have heard of Jesus. I don’t know who he is or really anything about him.” Simeon looked at me with a burning intense stare. “Though I don’t know Jesus or anything about him, I know, without a doubt, it was Jesus who saved our 18 day-old baby boy, and only Jesus. When the earthquake struck, our cement home collapsed. My wife was just stepping out of our home for a moment but our baby was inside the house. My wife was only injured slightly, but our whole home collapsed upon our newborn baby and buried him in the rubble. We were sure the baby would be found dead or severely injured at best. Instead, we found, miraculously, our little baby boy without even a scratch upon him!”

Simeon went on, “I don’t know who Jesus is and I am afraid to give my whole self to him, as I have heard it is dangerous to believe only in Jesus. But I know it was Jesus who saved our baby. Can you help me to find Jesus?” “He loves you very much,” I said. “Would you like me to pray to Him with you?” I asked. “Yes, please do.” Through our tears, we prayed together, asking the Lord to strengthen our faith in Him, “We believe in you, Lord, help our faith to grow. Come to Simeon, now, into his heart, help us, Oh, Lord, our Lord. We want you to live in us and we want to live in you. Protect and help Simeon to live for you only. Help Simeon, Lord.” Simeon began his walk with Jesus that day. I shared Simeon’s new walk with the Lord with the faith community at Christianville. They promised to pray for Simeon and to help disciple him in his new life in Christ.

The next day, Simeon and his wife came with Rivaldy and asked a favor. Would I name their baby boy, who they had not yet named? I reflected, and said, “Your little one reminds me of a baby boy in the Bible saved from death, named “Moses”. He became a great leader for God. What about Moses?” I asked. “We will name him, “Moses”, they said, smiling with joy-filled faces.

It has been two months since the earthquake shook Haiti on Jan 12. No one ever gets used to the devastation of one’s home or the loss of family, friends, and livelihood, but we have observed on our visits to Port-au-Prince that the people are trying to carry on in spite of great hardships.

Many are buying and selling goods around the rubble of former homes and businesses. Schools that were not damaged are opening. Tent cities have sprung up everywhere, but some people are living in very unstable lean-tos.  In the city it takes hours to get from one place to another. All the while the government, NGO’s and Haitian co-workers try to make order out of chaos.

Most days are dry, hot, and dusty. With the coming rainy season the dust will soon be replaced by mud, standing water, and the resulting increase in mosquitoes and diseases like malaria and typhoid.

We thank God for each of you who have loved, prayed for, and supported the people of Haiti during this time of suffering. The trials have just begun for this small country. Many people may forget about this tragedy and go back to their daily lives, but the people of Haiti will not forget. They need our continued support to recover, rebuild, and revive. Haiti Hope Fund is committed to standing in the gap and continuing to offer aid as Haiti struggles to survive. Will you make this stand with us? We ask that you prayerfully consider making a pledge of monthly support to the ongoing earthquake relief effort through Haiti Hope Fund.  Please, don’t forget about Haiti.

Carly Heneise

Administrator, Haiti Hope Fund