Dear friends,
Yesterday we discovered many camps for the disaster’s victims at about 15 blocks away from our home. One of them was hosting 15,000 to 20,000 people on a golf course between Delmas 40B and Delmas 48. They sleep outside. The American soldiers are there. They’re offering food, water as well as treating the wounded.
On Wednesday, we will be receiving a medical team made of 20 doctors, surgeons, and nurses as well as ERDO staff. They will be coming in through the Dominican Republic, since all international flights have been cancelled in Haiti. They will bring food for them, for us, and for the Haitians so we can help them. Stores are closed for fear of looting by the starved population. We found water to drink and to shower.
We sleep inside the house, on the first floor close to the outside door. It was so hard for me to fall asleep for fear of another earthquake. However, we think the worst is behind us as far as earthquakes go. The journalists from Paris that sleep at our place sleep outside. It is their choice. People sleep on the streets and in yards far from every building or concrete walls. Armed and unarmed thieves are roaming through the streets in search for food and valuables they could sale. We hear a lot of gun shots throughout the night and because one of our yard’s walls has fallen, we are not safe. The wall that felt, is not the one that connects to the street but to our neighbours’ yard. His yard is also surrounded by a wall. Last night the dogs were constantly barking. Our night guard thought we were getting attacked so he prepared to shoot. We don’t know what was going on. Sleeping outside makes us an easy target for thieves and gun shots, while sleeping inside makes us a target for wall collapses if there’s an earthquake during the night. Our nights are short and very agitated. The thieves that have stolen are being shot. It’s the law of the jungle.
ERDO is sending a substantial amount of funds to assist the refugees. If you wish to bring a contribution, please send you donations to ERDO at PAOC and inform us when you do so. Thanks for your financial gifts.
We very well know that God is protecting us. We pray for all the families mourning their loved one and for those who have lost everything that God may heal their hearts.
The children and youth are either in camps or have left town with their family. For those that are still in the area, their parents are afraid and are not letting their children walk around the neighborhood or come to church. Last sunday, we had an attendance of about 25 children. Those that came live very close to the church. The youth meeting had about half of the usual attendance. We know that people will soon start coming back. It’s just a matter of time.