Haiti Earthquake
by Frank Vaughn
MY FIRST TRIP to Haiti after the earthquake was very dramatic and emotional as I was not fully prepared to see all the devastation. Neither did I know if I would find the orphan children dead or alive. Thank the Lord I found all the orphan children alive and safe. They were, however, living in tents out in the street with very little food or water. The house that we were renting in Port-au-Prince was still standing but had been damaged and was not safe to stay in due to the aftershocks of the earthquake.
Prior to the earthquake, plans were being made to move the orphanage to Grand Riviere, but we were not ready to do this because the house there needed significant repair and the finances were not available. Because of the earthquake, I had to make a decision to move the children as soon as possible. With much prayer, we started the process of raising the funds to accomplish this.
John Dykes and I returned to Haiti in February. We were to discover upon landing in Grand Riviere that the orphans had arrived safely just before we did. We still need to purchase mattresses for the orphanage ($500-600 US) since they were all lost during the earthquake. We also have a pressing need for a new diesel 10-15 KW generator.
Many of the Haitian people have lost legs, arms, hands, or feet. The refugee problem will be huge. We are praying that God will show us what He wants us to do to touch the country of Haiti with the love of Jesus in this time of crisis.
Tending to Physical Needs
Mike and Daryl Hobbs visited Haiti in March. Daryl, a nurse practitioner, assessed the health of each orphan. We have established a milk program which will cost $60 per month. This will allow each orphan two glasses of milk per day. We are also in need of funds to provide vitamins to them.
At the Mission House
To date, we have built a storage building for food and have corrected an electricity issue. A water filtering system has been put into place to insure safe drinking water. We are in the process of remodeling the mission house. Just recently, a work team repaired the ceilings and prepared an addition for cement, which was poured the first of April. This will take us to the next step of beginning work on the inside.
#1 Priority
There is still much to be done. Completion of the mission house is our number one priority. This will provide more room for the orphanage and Pastor Dominique and his family. We are thankful that God extended mercy to our orphan children and Pastor Dominique and his family.
