Hurricane Sandy hit Haiti Hard…

Many hurricanes we watch for a long time as they slowly move across the Atlantic.  We often have the ability to prepare for more than a week.  As an organization here to help provide relief in emergency situations, we want to be ready to respond. Hurricane Sandy didn’t give us much notice!  It formed in the Caribbean just to our South, just a couple of days before its affect was felt.  In fact, Hurricane Sandy went well to our West, over Jamaica and over Cuba, but the winds and rain were significantly greater than any I have experienced in the last 3 years.   In fact, I have spoken with several Haitians who have commented that they had never seen such swollen rivers and related destruction.

You can be assured that we are working hard to contact our Partnership Churches to get reports.  We have gotten some details so far.  They are below.  As we get additional details, we will be sending them through our partnership eGROUPS.  If you aren’t already subscribed, you can do so here. 

You can see some pictures here that we are finding seem to be representative of most of our Partnership Churches and Communities.  These were taken 10/30/12, in a town called Cherette.

Please pray for your brothers and sisters in Haiti.  We are hearing of almost total loss of gardens.  Many have lost their animals.  Many have lost their school books and supplies.  Much flooding remains.  Roads remain cut off.   Bridges are out.  They have no insurance…

Please pray and consider helping your sister church at this time.

These reports are what we have received so far.  Many are hard to contact due to lack of power to charge cell phones and the busyness of cleaning up and serving others.

Calvary Baptist/Dame-Marie – No Report from Pastor.  We have tried on many occasions to contact Pastor, but it has been impossible.  We do know that Dame Marie experienced significant flooding and wind damage.

Christ Community/Fond Deron – Many homes of the church members were flooded; they lost all their animals and their gardens are gone as well.

Church on the Cape/Boyer – Pastor says, “I may praise the Lord.  We are safe after the Storm tropical Sandy.”  The church members have lost all their gardens.  There is a total of 60 animals dead.  These animals are cows, goats, pigs and donkeys. There are 15 homes that are damaged.  Saint Marten, the church where Church on the Cape just visited, tells us the parsonage is damaged.

Creekside/Baradères – The town was totally flooded; 14 ft of water was the high of the water in the town. The Parsonage was one of the main centers that received people from all over the community. The Christians in the church lost everything in their homes. They lost their gardens and their animals.

Crossroad UMC/Tiburon – The town was flooded.  There was a lot of water in the church yard.  The town is  currently cut off from receiving and supplies.  We don’t have specific damage reports at this time.

Crossroads Bible/Chambellan – We have 20 homes destroyed for the whole district.  All the church members have lost their gardens; the church members have lost substantial numbers of cows, goats, pigs and their chickens. We also have one person died in of our District churches and his name was Jean Joel.

Dry Creek/La Colline – The road washed out and all the Christians lost their gardens and their animals. Now it is hard to get to Lacolline with vehicles.

East Bayou/Petit-trou – There is no loss in human life.  That’s the good news and we thank God for that. But the Christians lost almost all their gardens. Some of their animals died from the storms too. Many homes washed away and the kids lost all the school supplies, now it is difficult for them to go back to school.

Estero/Cherette – We say thank you to God because it could have been worse, because his eyes were on us this is how it went: we have one person died, 180 houses damages, 80 houses broke down, 700 animal lost,  2000 acres land of garden is lost.  We can tell you that school has not been in function this week and don't know when it will because the parents lost everything, books, uniform, notebooks etc.  The teachers have lost their material so it is hard for school to function this month so please pray for us.  This evaluation has been made by the pastor, deacons the teachers of Cherette Baptist church, and other evangelical leaders in the locality.

First ARP/Source Baptiste – No Report

Florida Bible/Maniche – The church yard was flooded, the Christians lost all their gardens and the road washed out.

Grace/Aux Coteau – No Report

Great Valley/Cance – The Storm tropical Sandy finished and leaves lots of our Christians in a very difficult time. From Cance district, the Christians homes were totally flooded. The farmers lost their plantains, Vegetables down and also they lost in general for the District: 1 cow, 6 goats, 2 mules.

Harper/Les Irois – There are 15 homes of the Christians that are damaged, One of the district churches was damaged, “Jorgue Church”. The Christians lost all their gardens.

Hollywood/Corail – The town was flooded; the Christians lost everything since they had water in their houses. Their gardens are gone, I want you to know that the church was the center to receive the people from the community.

Hope EFC/Beaumont – The homes of some of the church members broke, they lost their gardens, and their animals. One of the churches in the district was severely damaged and the parsonage too. The church’s name is Debarye.

Linwood/Anse-à-Veau – The house of the church members were flooded and they also lost their animals and all their gardens.

Mainstreet/Port-Salut – We have not heard yet from the church.  We do know that Port Salute had significant wind damage and flooding, and therefore have most certainly experienced great loss.

NewChurch/Abricot – Many church members homes were flooded and damaged, Church members lost their gardens and their animals.

North Hills/Anse d’Hainault – Anse D’hainault Baptist Church has 3 broken homes and 11 homes damaged. The gardens of the church members washed out.   Fidele Church: 1 broken home, 4 home damaged and gardens washed away.  Francklin Church: 2 broken homes and 3 homes damaged. The gardens of the Christians washed away.  Fondain Church: The church in Fondain damaged severely and 3 other homes damaged.  Sicard church: The church is totally gone 5 homes damaged.  Galette Bouton Church: The church is totally down and there are 5 more homes damaged from the storm.  Gabriel church: the church in Gabriel is damaged and broken homes. The church members also lost their Gardens in the area.  Poban Church: the church in Poban is damaged and there are 3 more homes damaged.

Our Saviors/Les Anglais – There is 70 homes broken in the community of Les Anglais, Some of the homes are Christians members, they lost their gardens and they also lost lot of animals.

Petersburg Bible/Lièvre – Most church members lost their gardens.  We received a report and emailed it for all the district churches.  We are told that the whole town of Lievre was flooded.  We are told that the road to Lievre is totally washed out and Pastor said that it will probably take a couple weeks before trucks get access to Lievre.  They are cut off.

Schuylkill/Camp-Perrin – No Report

Second Cape/Port-à-Piment – 15 damaged homes of church members were damaged.  Every lost their gardens.  75 animals died, those animals are cows, goats, sheep, chickens donkeys and mules.

Sunrise/Morancy – The wall of the church broke down; the Christians lost all the Gardens and their animals.

The Orchard/Astruc – The road washed out after the storm and now trucks can not drive through it. The Christians lost their animals and gardens. Some homes of church members have been damaged too.

The Summit/Côte-de-Fer – The church yard was flooded.  There was no water in the church, but lots of mud in the yard.  The whole community was flooded. The people in the church have lost their gardens and animals.

The Village Church/Ducis – 15 homes damaged from the storm.  The Christians have lost their gardens.

Trinity Bible/Picot – No Report

Vast/Pestel – Many homes of the church members have been damaged. Many have lost their gardens and their animals.