Dear Christian Friends,

Special greetings,

Thank you to all who have sent emails to inquire about us and GVCM in general. I was profoundly touched by your love and concern for us and for the ministry. In response, I would say, "We will not die, we will live and we will declare the works of the Lord."

Cabaret House Washed Away

After the unforgettable experience of Jeanne in 2004, we thought that we have seen it all. Well, not quite true, once again, calamities struck. This time four major hurricanes - Gustav, Hanna, Faye and Ike - swept over the Island of Haiti, leaving behind desolation, devastation and death. The toll is quite heavy: about 570 dead have been found; 80,000 people are in temporary shelter; dozen of bridges have collapsed under the pressure of raging waters; several villages, namely Gonaives and Cabaret, are now buried under tons of mud and debris; the crops have been devastated; and the livestock carried away into the ocean. It is a very sad portrait indeed of the beloved country at the dawn of the third millennium.

There is a pressing need, at least for now, for drinking water and food to reach out to those victims. There is also a pressing need for household items, toilet items, kitchen items, and so on. We have not seen much progress so far because of the condition of the roads, and it is so difficult to get from one district to another. From Port-au-prince you can probably travel north about 30 kilometers to Cabaret. Then, several bridges have collapsed making it harder to connect with even Saint Marc.

Affected Areas in Haiti

The government has sent a work team to create a detour in order to connect people with Gonaives and henceforth Cap Haitian. But this road is still non-existent as of now. From Port-au-prince, traveling south seems to be a nightmare as well. The lake of Miragoane has left its normal path to invade the highway. The waters are reported to be as 8 to 10 feet high. The highway leading to the south of Haiti is now part of the lake making it impossible to travel southward.

Meanwhile more dead are reported to have been found under the debris. The Government has declared a state of urgency. They have chosen three days of mourning, September 22 through 24 September, in memory of all who have been found dead or just missing in this national disaster.

On the one hand, life goes on in Haiti, and the waters begin to recede. The Republic shall not die, she will live and she will declare the works of the Lord. Here in Avenue des Dattes, in Gonaives, a surviving mother is trying to dry under the sun the few clothes she has left as her only precious possessions on earth. Over there, a skinny but courageous old man rolls up his sleeves to shovel away the debris outside of his so-called home. While this is going on, a little boy who has been abandoned in an empty church without food and water grabbed the hand of the well-known actress Mia Farrow, and said "Please stay with me."

Holding Tight in Gonaives

On the other hand, reporters have also witnessed first-hand scenes of courage, patriotism and greatness as young men tried to help protect the weak as the waging waters rose. We have seen our countrymen coming together as one, opening their homes to others or giving for the victims who have been left with nothing. They gave abundantly out of their poverty. We have seen "faith in action".

Finally, we thank you all for this outpouring of support and solidarity on behalf of Haiti. We are so thankful and appreciative to all our faithful supporters who have empowered us to minister to our countrymen in this time of crisis. We will laugh again.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

In His service,