(Photo: Remains of a church member’s home in the village of Camperin, Haiti)
Earthquake recovery – update #4 from Jeantyrard Elmera, Haitian Minister:
“We want to express our appreciation and gratitude to all of you for your prayers and support to the people of Haiti in times like this. With your contributions, we have addressed the urgent needs of over 2000 earthquake victims in several Christian communities. In the course of 5 trips, we have distributed approx. 2500 boxes of food, along with hygiene kits, water, and essential medicines. The teams have been comprised of elders, ministers, medical doctors, and nurses. We know that millions of dollars received by the government will never get to the victims, and we are thankful that we can help our fellow Christian brothers and sisters.
“It’s very emotional to witness the living conditions of our brothers and sisters in the southern peninsula. Being homeless, sunburn, and sleeping out in the rain at night is not a good feeling. Tarps help a little, but not a lot. Our goal is to help rebuild 6 church buildings which housed Christian schools, and then to help as many members with their home as we possibly can.
“The process of recovery will take time. Haiti needs real friends. Haiti needs patience. Haiti needs real leadership – a leadership who will not tolerate bandits and kidnappers. We need the right leadership in Washington who will send the right signal to Haiti leaders. (I miss President Reagan!)
“We need to pray for a real understanding of the Haitian dilemma. Violence, banditry, and kidnapping are making the country a living hell. Our economy gets worse day after day because of this vicious cycle. Today, Haitians need hope. If nothing is done to eradicate this cycle of violence and kidnapping I fear the worst is yet to come.”
