On the Ground in Haiti

This is an email from Pastor Leon who showed Lisa around when she visited last year.

"...We're doing fine but very concerned for our brothers and sisters who
lived around us. The situation is very critical as most people are
living with lots of fear thinking that the last days are in. Some
people heard on the news that this ordeal would last 'till Friday.
That doesn't help their behavior at all for too many of them are so
emotional and not being able to think for themselves on how to best
live the moment. I'm truly moved with lots of compassion for them.

No one wants to get close to their homes for fear of death, except
crazy guys like me, thinking that their house would fall on them. We
have over three millions people living in Port-au-Prince most of them
have been sleeping on the streets since the warning. I'm sure some of
them would continue to do that even beyond Friday, the supposed last
day of the quake, for fear of death.

Our churches , schools and clinic buildings have all suffered much
damage. Two out of the four churches, Cite Soleil church and
Repatriate churches, are nonfunctional.Those buildings are still
standing up but look very unstable, unsecured for worship. I haven't
been able to visit Ibo Beach yet . I plan to do that today. I will
send more information to you after I visited Ibo Beach.

Cells phone are practically dead except for one company (Haitel) which
I don't do business with for years since the other providers come on
the scene. Gaz is very scared and very expensive. One gallon of gaz
costed as much as $12.50 (U.S. dollars) in some places yesterday.
Some people are taking advantage of the situation to practice black
market. Markets aren't open; food is scared , expensive and rare, gaz
stations aren't open either. Water trucks are not delivering water.
Schools and businesses are closed. It was a very unusual day in Haiti
yesterday. It sounds like what John talked about in Revelation is
begging to be a reality at least for a short time in Haiti.

Yesterday, I was able to visit several families in their homes. Their
situation demands much attention. Many houses are destroyed; some need
major repairs, lots of them need to be totally rebuilt. So far we've
registered five deaths in the three churches that I visited and many
injured people. In the case of the Repatriate church, the quake
started while their were having 278 people showed up for Bible study
and prayer. Many people were injured while trying to ran to save their
lives. It was a sad thing to see. One young boy, about 8 years old,
died from a fallen wall while getting ready to go to church. Several
got injured.

Our church compounds (Cite Soleil and Blanchard) are being used as
places of refuge, away from the danger of any houses and trees that
could fall on the people. Thank God for the soccer field in C/S as
well as the one in Blanchard. Both being used as camping grounds for
the people in the community.

Some of you might remember Boselor, known to some of you as Bosie , he
was found died yesterday inside a class room with several other
students where he used to go to school. Another college student from
Blanchard church was also found dead in a class room in
Port-au-Prince. I heard of couple more from Cite Soleil church but
I've been able to confirm that information yet. Expect to hear more
about from me later on today.

The total people that have been injured and died from the quake
couldn't possibly be known by any one person or agent. I heard
reports anywhere from 50,000 - 100,000. I don't know how many but
I've seen too many dead bodies on the streets of Port - au - Prince
yesterday. It was a very sad and provocative day of my life. I
seriously question our government's ability, specially their
possibility and capability to help with the situation even half way
decent.

We called for an all leaders' meeting for this coming Saturday to find
out together how we're going to be and do church in the months to
come. We have so many needs to meet both physical and spiritual, we
don't know for sure where and how to begging. We don't know for sure
where we're going to meet for worship, specially with the C/S and
Repatriate folks. We recommend that several large and big tents be
sent right away to help momentarily with the situation. In C/S we
normally have between 2,200 -2300 in worship every Sunday. The tents
need to be big enough to hold at least 1,500 people We need two for
C/S church. We need two others that could hold at least 600 and 200
each to use in Repatriate.

We thank God for giving Allen & the Obrians , the inspiration to
build the soccer field in C/S that is now being use as a camp ground,
a refuge place, a place away from any danger of being exposed to
fallen houses and walls. For all practical reason, the soccer field
could be used and a place of worship but we need tents large and big
enough to accommodate the people that we have. Most likely , based on
historical facts, we would have more people coming to know the Lord as
their Savior or coming back to the church as result of this ordeal.
We need to be ready and be prepared to receive and welcome them. The
sooner the better.

We hope to meet together this week end as a group of leaders to find
out what we should do to minister both spiritually and physically to
the people that the Lord has entrusted to us. Needless to say that
your prayers as well as your financial assistance and that of your
friends are needed for your brothers and sisters who are living in
Haiti.

Palms's water project is nonoperational at this time due to the wall
that felt on the building and destroyed some of the installation.
Moreover, the building that the project was in is half destroyed by
the wall that collapsed right on it. It was very sad to see that
yesterday.

We have a situation in C/S and Blanchard where water is coming up from
the ground because of too many splits (cracks) in the ground. The
wells in Repatriate are over flowed with water. Water is coming up
through the pipes into the streets like a spring. It looks very
dangerous.

The only decent building that we now have in C/S is the cafeteria and
the second school building built by Ferdie's group six or seven years
ago. All other buildings in that compound are questionable for future
usage. The wall in C/S and in Repatriate are totally destroyed. Their
is no security whatsoever in those two compounds. The sewing machines
in C/S are all destroyed.

Blanchard's buildings look very good except for a large crack that we
saw between the library building and the hall way that connects the
second floor of that building to the library. I plan to invite couple
engineers, after the situation is over, to see if there is any way we
could restore and secure all of our buildings for good usage in the
future. The situation is called for immediate action both for the
physical and spiritual needs of the people.

Please stay in touch . I would probably have more to share with you
as the situation is developing.

In the service of the King together with you on behalf of our brothers
and sisters in Haiti.

Leon & Jacky Dorleans

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St. Therese on Giving to Him Who Begs (Part I)

I don't think we've posted this before, surprising as that may be. Even if we had, a little repetition never hurt a soul. From her autobiography:

Jesus teaches me: "Give to everyone that asketh thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods, ask them not again." It is not so pleasant to give to everyone who asks as it is to offer something freely and spontaneously; and it is easy to give when you are asked nicely, but if we are asked tactlessly, we at once want to refuse unless perfect charity strengthens us. We find a thousand reasons for sayig no, and it is not until we have made the sister aware of her bad manners that we give her what she wants as a favor, or do her a slight service which takes a quarter of the time needed to tell her of the obstacles preventing our doing it or of our fancied rights.

If it is hard to give to anyone who asks, it is very much harder to let what belongs to us be taken without asking for it back. I say that it is hard, but I should really say that is seems hard, for "the yoke of the Lord is sweet and His burden is light." The moment we accept it, we feel how light it is.

I have said that Jesus does not want me to ask for the return of what belongs to me. That seems very right, as nothing really does belong to me. So I should rejoice when I have the chance of experiencing that poverty to which I am solemnly vowed. I used to believe I had no possessiveness about anything; but since I have really grasped what Jesus means, I see how far I am from being perfect. If, for example, I settle down to start painting and find the brushes in a mess, or a ruler or a penknife gone, I very nearly lose my patience and have to hold on to it with both hands to prevent my asking bad-temperedly for them. Of course I can ask for these essential tools and I do not disobey Jesus if I ask humbly. I behave like poor people who hold out their hands for the necessities of life. As no one owes them anything, they are never surprised at being rebuffed. What peace pours over the soul once it soars above natural feelings! There is no joy like that known by the truly poor in spirit. Our Lord's counsel is: "If any man take away thy coat, let go thy cloak also unto him," and these poor in spirit are following this counsel when they ask, with detachment, for some necessary thing and it is refused them and an effort is made to snatch away even what they have. To give up one's coat means to renounce one's last rights and to regard oneself as the servant and the slave of others. Without one's cloak, it is much easier to walk and run, and so Jesus adds: "And whosoever willforce thee one mile, go with him another two." It is not enough for me to give to all who ask me: I must go beyond what they want. I must show how grateful and honoured I am to serve them and if anything I use is taken away, I must appear glad to be rid of it.

(to be continued...)

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