Dear friends;
On Friday, we had a day of prayer with the pastors and ladies that are in UCI's association. The focus was on the people that are suffering in Haiti and how to counsel them in their grief. The theme of the day was Romans 8:28. "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." We also took a lot of encouragement from verses 35-39, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?..." God does not do anything that is bad. The pastors and women had been feeling overwhelmed with all the needs in their community but left encouraged. It is such a comfort to know that we aren't alone in all this turmoil. We hope to meet often to share the burdens and help each other to deal with the demands. The Holy Spirit is our Comforter!
UCI was able to give money to help these pastors. The money will be used to buy food to help families that have welcomed refugees into their homes. Because of the many people that have donated so generously, we are able to expand our sphere of influence. On behalf of the many, many people that are able to eat, find housing, and have clothes and other necessary items, we want to say thank you! Thank you for your prayers. Many people are able to see God's grace through all of this.
Please pray for UCI's future relief efforts. We will be building 2 houses for families that want to stay together as a family but who have no space. The houses are in 2 different communities very close to us. These are families that took in people from Port even though they didn't have any place for them. They are sleeping on the dirt and are just overloaded. They are willing to work hard and contribute labor, rocks, water, and what they can to build a better house. We praise God that we are able to help them.
We are also going to employ some of the teachers that left Port. They will be holding classes for the preschool and lower elementary classes. There are many children that have no where to go to school. The UCI board identified this as a major concern for parents. We are providing books and materials for kids in the upper grades to study. The worship center has 2 big rooms in the front that will be used for this purpose. These kids will also be added to the feeding center.
We also continue to send food and charcoal to people living under sheets in Port. We have listened to people that lived in Port for a while after the quake. They said that many times they were able to receive food but had no way to cook it. There is no electricity or gas in many parts of the city. Wood and charcoal are the only ways to cook, but there are few trees in the city. We are sending down another truck load of charcoal to the churches.
Continue to pray for the emotional/spiritual health of the refugees. A kind of sad/funny story happened Thursday. We have a lot of airplanes flying overhead since the quake. On Thursday, 2 Ospreys flew overhead at a very low altitude. I hope I'm naming this plane correctly. It is the plane that can take off and land like a helicopter but can cruise like a DC-3. It is big military plane that has a distinctive, loud sound. We had never heard it before. When it went over our house, all the Port-au-Prince people came running out of the house in a panic. One poor girl even peed in her pants! Everyone was scared that it was another earthquake. From what people tell me, the noise of the quakes and aftershocks, or at least the noise of the houses cracking, crumbling, disassembling, was almost as bad as the shaking. When the people heard the Ospreys, they thought another quake was coming. When I say all of the people, I mean every single one of them, at least at our house, ran out of the house and they looked down at the earth and didn't even think to look above. Everyone laughed afterwards, even the girl with the wet undies, but it is still sobering to know how affected they were.
But, God is good--all the time--and He knows and loves His people. Our 4 weekly services continue to have high attendance of people looking for their answers and comfort from God. People are experiencing His peace that is beyond our understanding.
Love you all!
Kristie, JeanJean, Tana and Kerri Mompremier
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