Relief Trip Report – April 1st, 2010
April 1, 2010
From Ron:
Ken Bever, an elder from the Northeast church of Christ in Cincinnati, Jerry Durham and I, elders from Britton Road, made a trip to Port of Prince, March 18-22. God blessed our efforts in a wonderful way.
We installed water filtering units donated by Global Samaritan Resources, valued at $3500. Jerry and I were trained on these units the previous week in Abilene, Texas. We trained 12 Christian men the first day we were in Port of Prince and left these units at three locations: Cazeau church of Christ, Mission Cross church of Christ property, and Delmas 28 church of Christ which will set up its water filtering unit later after the church has built a secure site on the devastated church property.
We took in tarps to help Delmas 28 Christians have protection from the sun when it met for the first time on Sunday, March 21, for a memorial for the 36 nurses and one physician who had perished when the building was destroyed in the earthquake. Jerry Durham and I conducted the memorial service and Ken Bever preached for the morning worship service attended by about 300 people. When the invitation was offered, 12 people came forward to be baptized into Christ. Delmas Christians had been busy several days before Sunday constructing a new baptistery in the back of the devastated church property as well as carrying off remaining rubble in the area. The tarps that stretched over the entire area will be put up again at each worship service for the church until a more permanent roof can be built.
We had individual prayers for about 50 Christians at different locations who were suffering from physical, emotional and mental scars from the earthquake.
We visited the Cite Soleil church of Christ (show slide 338) and the Cazeau Orphanage both of which had very minor damage, but the La Plaine Orphanage had suffered complete destruction to its building (show slides 354, 355, 356). A group of Christians from Charlotte, N.C. had been there the week we were there and helped remove much of the rubble from the building site.
We helped bring about 40 tents from the property of the orphanage managed by Roberta Estes to Delmas Christians who desperately needed them. (show slides 238,239)
We traveled around Port of Prince and saw the total destruction of some buildings and the “10,000 tent cities” housing some 1 1/2 million people. (show slides 287, 333, 332, 307)
Thanks for all of your prayers and financial help as we strive to provide assistance to churches that in spite of their plight are still striving to preach the gospel to a needy nation.
