Update – April 9, 2010
Our deepest and most sincere gratitude goes out to all of you for supporting and encouraging our “Haitian Relief Effort.” As many of you know, my father in law, Arvy Dupuy, and I went to Haiti for a weeklong and were able to see the destruction and devastation first hand. During our stay we had the opportunity to visit with my family, other church families, work with the local churches and made an assessment of the work that needs to be done there.
The Airport Road Church of Christ (where dad is the preacher) is now in a new location and we worshipped with them for the first time on Sunday May 21st. With an attendance of 103, they were very encouraged that Sunday morning. The elders there are very optimistic that having a permanent location will bring stability back to the congregation and provide opportunities for outreach. The building has been secured for 6 years with the lease paid for the entire time and funds in place for needed renovations.
We also had the opportunity to visit the L’artibonite (about 4 hours north east of PAP) Church of Christ, which began 2 years ago from the radio ministry of Airport Road Church. Several members from the Apostolic Faith Church, a charismatic Pentecostal Church, and others who listen to the show called my father, Evands Pierre, with many questions on what he was teaching on the radio. Dad and an elder from the Church went and studied with them several time, and were able to baptize 60 people from that group. Now they have grown well over 100 members and have been allowed to build a meeting house out of scrap tin on borrowed land; they are in desperate need of a building. In our visit with them we were able to distribute some food to the members and encourage them as well.
We also had the time to visit with the Hattejumel Church of Christ, which is a small congregation deep in the interior with approximately 35 members. We distributed food there as well and met with the minister and his family, an unemployed school teacher. They are currently meeting in a lean-to shack attached to the side of the preacher’s home. It would be much better if they were able to have their own land and building. Unfortunately we were not able to visit the Church in Jacmel (about 4 hours south of PaP), because the roads were out due to earthquake damage. However, Jacmel does receive some food distribution through the Airport Road Church. Their building which they were in the process of building fell in and was a total loss due to the quake. They have the land paid for and a good foundation in place to rebuild.
Finally, we were able to move my family front a tent into a rented home which the lease has been paid for one year. There are still four other families from the Airport Road Church who are homeless living in tents. We are currently in the process of finding them some temporary housing, in order to have better shelter from the rainy season. It is our hope to have a bi-monthly food distribution for at least 6 months, and as funding allows we will try to help the three congregations at least begin the process of buying land and starting permanent places of worship. Airport Road Church would like to have a weekly program, to feed at least 100 hungry children in the community. Such program would provide for them one hot meal a week, and could make all the difference in the world.
On behalf of the Haitian brethren, thank you for your generosity in helping them during those desperate times. They send their thanks and love to all of you. It is my hope that you keep my people in your prayers, and please continue to support us if you can. If you would like to have more information on our effort, or would like to know any additional ways to help please do not hesitate to contact me. May God continue to bless all your endeavors in His Kingdom.
– Psalm 46