Haiti: Disaster and Opportunity 

News coming out of Haiti continues to be disheartening. The words in the above title are only two that describe the conditions in this quake-ravaged nation. Perhaps we are only beginning to understand the magnitude of the destruction that occurred in this island nation just a few hundred miles to the south of the US border. 

We have received good news from some of our associates there. Just this morning, word came from Pastor Maxime Pierre-Pierre, a key member of the Creole Old Testament translation project and Bibles International’s keynote speaker at the 2009 Harvest Dinner. I quote from his email: 

            Thanks for your prayers and messages. We thank God for keeping our whole family safe as well as our house. Telephone contact is difficult now. So I don’t know [about the condition] of many people. 

            I was teaching at STEP [the Seminary] when the earthquake hit. The classroom where I was was the most affected. Several students were pulled out of the rubble. Two were presumed to be still trapped when I left the following morning. The building was seriously affected. Caribbean Market has been destroyed. My sister-in-law, Dominique Jeanty, had been in there minutes before. I heard several stories of people who have been miraculously protected. I have also heard some heart-rending stories. Keep praying for us.

             Our church building was not affected nor the house next door that we are in the process of buying. We have been sleeping outside since Tuesday. We have little access to food, water or fuel and no electricity.

 We also have word that the only Baptist Mid-Missions missionaries currently working in the country, Roy and Ruth Shelpman, are safe. Our director, Dr. Hantz Bernard, has still had no word from his two sisters-in-law and their families who live near the epicenter.

 Opportunities for Service

• Bibles International is receiving funds for the printing and distribution of 100,000 comfort and witness brochures. Dr. Bernard will travel to Haiti next week, Lord willing, with those brochures and seek to give aide wherever possible. If you wish to give toward these efforts, you may send your gifts to Bibles International, Creole Project, 609 36^th St SE, Grand Rapids MI 49548. Gifts may also be given through PayPal. Go to the BI website at www.biblesint.org and designate the gift for the Creole Project. Please call us at 616-942-7712 with any questions.
• Baptist Mid-Missions will be distributing funds through their World Relief Fund. Gifts should be designated World Relief Fund-Haiti. They may be sent by check or made through the website at www.bmm.org. One hundred percent of the funds received in the office for this project will be forwarded to Haiti for distribution through our missionaries there. The address for Baptist Mid-Missions is PO Box 308011, Cleveland OH 44130-8011. Questions or telephone calls may be addressed to Mr. Larry Beckman’s attention at 440-826-3930.
• Good News Baptist Church in Grand Rapids has set up a Haiti Relief Fund. The monies will be dispersed under the direction of Good News Baptist Church in conjunction with the leadership of Bibles International. Gifts may be sent to Good News Baptist Church, 6830 Eastern Ave SE, Grand Rapids MI 49508. Questions concerning this opportunity may be directed to the senior pastor, Karl Pike at 616-455-0420.

 Thank you for your interest in the people of Haiti during this, one of the most trying times in their history. Pray with us that this disaster will open many opportunities of ministry. “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is they faithfulness” (Lam. 3:22,23).