Britton Road Church of Christ

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.

The Delmas church in Haiti has provided us with several photos of the work underway there.

Photo Slideshow

Since the destruction of the Delmas 28 building, approximately 800 Christians associated with the Delmas church have been meeting out of doors in several locations around Port of Prince. One group of about 200 Christians have been living on the grounds of a Catholic compound across the street from the demolished Delmas 28 building. This group of Christians have been asked to move out of that location by Feb. 25 so that the Catholic grounds can be ready for a school to begin there on March 1. Bro. Elmera has informed us that there is really no place for Christians to go–no rental property available, etc.. He asked Britton Road if we could help the church there finance the removal of debris from the Delmas 28 site. Some money has been sent down to begin that process and the pictures you see here show equipment beginning to remove the rubble. Once the property has been cleared, the church will start living on these grounds and possibly in the future start a Christian school.

Haiti COC response

John Elmera, the preacher for the Delmas 28, sent these pictures of Christians distributing food and shelter items to several places in Port of Prince where Christians were meeting this past Sunday (February 14). These supplies were purchased from funds that the Britton Road church sent to him recently.

CHURCH OF CHRIST RESPONSE TO DISASTER IN PAP FEBRUARY, 2010

Below is the most recent report from Brother Elmera. The elders at Britton Road on Feb. 8, wired the church at Delmas 28, $15,000 to help provide for the immediate needs of food, water and shelter for these 300 Christians now meeting at the two “camps” in Port-au-Prince. We are in contact with the Delmas church on a weekly basis and trying to meet their needs with the limited funds that we have. We are also having a conference call every two weeks with other church organizations to coordinate our Haitian efforts. If other groups would like to join us on these conference calls please let me know. Please continue to keep these Christians in your daily prayers. In Christian love, Ron Bever

Port-au-Prince Earthquake Crisis Relief Fund Report
Jeantyrard Elmera, Evangelist of Delmas 28 Church of Christ
Sunday, February 7, 2010

We thank God for all of the help of our brethren throughout the world which provides us with strength and hope in the midst of this chaotic situation. We want to thank from the bottom of our hearts our fellow Christians and sisters congregations for their prayers and love in action.
The foreign nations who have come to help (USA, Canada, France, etc. ) are heavily involved in the relief efforts and they have told us that there are more needs than resources. Providing food and shelter is not an easy task to over 1.5 million starving people in the streets. With the spirit of the kingdom of God in mind we see that God’s kingdom business must take precedence. After all, this is what matters for eternity — the kingdom of Christ. We are continuing to preach and teach about Jesus and the temporary nature of this earth. We have had gospel meetings the past two Sundays, with 45 souls added to Christ’s church since the earthquake. Last Sunday (Jan. 31) we had 13 confess Christ and were baptized. Today (Sunday, Feb. 7) 14 souls were baptized into Christ. Even though the church of Christ at Delmas 28 is without a physical building, we are blessed by our long term involvement and commitment to our local community. Thanks to the funds provided by my sponsoring congregation, the Britton Road Church of Christ ($8,200), along with support from Healing Hands International ($5,000), and Hope for Haiti’s Children ($12,000 for their sponsored children families) [$25,200 total], we have focused on using these funds wisely in the following areas:

I – SET-UP 2 CAMPS OF REFUGE

Several Church of Christ congregations in Port-au-Prince are working together (Carrefour, Delmas, Cite Soleil, Cazeau, Croix-des-Mission) and we have organized 2 camps of refuge for homeless Christians and their extended families. These camps have been in full operation for the past 2 weeks (14 days). The first “camp of refuge” has 200 people and is located at a Catholic nuns facility – Sisters of the Immaculate Conception – which is across the street from our crumbled building at Delmas 28. We want to thank the sisters of this compound, who have had a real spirit of cooperation, partnership, and flexibility. Due to the lack of proper building inspections and the real possibility of a large aftershock, everyone still sleeps outside at night. We have located some tarps to cover the open area. The second camp houses 100 people and is located near the Mission Cross Church of Christ in the northern suburb of Port-au-Prince. Thanks to the funds provided by the Britton Road Church of Christ, Healing Hands International, and Hope for Haiti’s Children, we are providing water and feeding all 300 people with 2 hot meals a day and have been able to provide life-saving medicines and first aid treatment to those with wounds. We are trying to locate more tents and bedding to assist these 300 in these 2 camps of refuge. We are spending approximately $1,200/day to run these 2 camps. FUNDS SPENT TO DATE: $1,200/day * 14 days = $16,800 ADDITIONAL FUNDS NEEDED: $1,200/day

II – EVACUATION

We have provided transportation funds to 75 church members who have extended family in village areas, to evacuate them over the past 2 weeks. FUNDS SPENT TO DATE: $3,000 NO ADDITIONAL FUNDS NEEDED

III – FOOD DISTRIBUTION

The Delmas 28 congregation has assisting in the planting of 60+ congregations over the past 20 years. We are now in touch with approximately 2,000 Christians from many of these congregations who may not have lost their home, but are urgent need of food. As funds permit, we have been trying to send minimal funds to feed at least 200 of these Christians per day [$1/person/day] ($200/day). We have begun the effort this past week with providing them with beans, rice, and cooking oil for 5 days ($1,000 total). We ask for additional funds to provide dry food (beans, rice, cooking oil) for these Christians. It is sad for us to be approached for help by many starved Christians and not have something to give them. FUNDS SPENT TO DATE: 200/day * 5 days = $1,000 ADDITIONAL FUNDS NEEDED: $200/day

IV – REMOVAL OF DEBRIS / RECOVERY OF THE DEAD / RECORD RECOVERY

We are now removing the debris at the Delmas 28 church building. We have spent $3,000 to date. The estimate for complete removal of all the debris is $18,000. We continue to recover the dead bodies of the 36 nursing students who perished in the earthquake. We also will be looking to recover official Delmas Christian School records and church documents. FUNDS SPENT TO DATE: $3,000 ADDITIONAL FUNDS NEEDED: $15,000

TOTAL FUNDS RECEIVED = $25,200
TOTAL FUNDS SPENT = $23,800
BALANCE ON HAND = $ 1,400

We look forward to continuing to partner with our brethren to continue this ministry of love here in Port-au-Prince.
With Love,
Jean T. Elmera
Minister

We talked to John Elmera, the preacher for the Delmas 28 Church of Christ, a few days ago. He said that the Catholic compound immediately across the street from the collapsed Delmas 28 building had opened their doors to the Christians who had been sleeping on the streets. They had even served them their first hot meal since the earthquake. They had plans to have church services this past Sunday for about 200 Christians who are now staying inside the walls of this compound.

As of Feb. 1, the Britton Road elders have received $12,582.11. Last week $10,000 was wired to the Delmas 28 Church of Christ in Port-of-Prince to aid Christians with food, water, medicine, portable tents, etc. We are in contact with the church there on a weekly basis and will be sending more money after we visit this week with John Elmera. We understand that another group of Christians from the Delmas 28 church met last Sunday at the church in Croix des Mission where Jean Claude Lemours preaches. They normally have a congregation of about 120 meeting there.

We have not heard from the Cite Soleil church where Jean Baptiste preaches and is also principal of the school that meets there. The church normally has about 160 members and the school has about 350 students. They meet in a rather large building that Mike Mazzalonga and the church in Choctaw, Oklahoma, help raise funds to build. From what we hear the earthquake only did minor damage to this facility which is out near the sea and in the poorest part of the city. We understand however that many homes were destroyed in this area.

We also understand that the church at Petite Place Cazeau in Port of Prince where Voltaire Edouard preaches has not suffered much damage. However, we have heard that a number of their members did have their homes destroyed. We have not heard the exact figures of the number of members who died or were injured from this church of some 150 members. This church is on the property where the present Cazeau Christian Orphan Home resides. This Home now has 48 orphan children. Several years ago, Britton Road church helped buy this property. We understand the buildings at the Cazeau orphanage were not damaged by the earthquake.

I just had an interview this evening with Jean Elmera, preacher for the Delmas 28 Church of Christ in Port-au-Prince. This 650-member congregation has been very mission-minded and has helped start 62 new congregations in central and southern Haiti over the past 20 years. In 30 seconds during the earthquake, their 3-story meeting place and Christian School was completely destroyed (see before/after photos below).

Jean told me that 36 people perished when the building collapsed. These were neighborhood nursing students taking a nursing class at the building. In addition, 15 Christians died in their homes in the earthquake. As of now, there are 311 homeless Christians meeting in 3 groups in central Port-au-Prince. One group is camping without tents in Jean Elmera’s yard, one group camps at Jean Elmera’s brother’s yard (Pierre Andre Elmera), and the other group camps in front of where the Delmas 28 Church of Christ building formerly stood.

About 300 Christians have been injured and there are 500 church members total who need food, clothing, and shelter. A temporary medical relief station has been set-up in Pierre Andre Elmera’s “camp” staffed with U.S. medical volunteers from churches of Christ congregations and Hope for Haiti’s Children.

Last Sunday, each of these 3 “camps” had worship services and 17 people were baptized into Christ! Jean reports that many want to turn their life to God since He is their only hope for this life and eternity.

A group of Christians today were carrying away the rubble from the church building — hoping that they can begin a gospel meeting Sunday on the Delmas 28 Church of Christ property — even without a building.

A fund has been established at the Britton Road Church of Christ to purchase medical supplies, food, water, and shelter to our fellow Christians in Port-au-Prince.

Checks should be made payable to: Britton Road Church of Christ
Earmarked for: Haitian Christian Earthquake Relief Fund

Please mail to:
Britton Road Church of Christ
Attn: Ron Bever, Elder
2520 West Britton Rd.
Oklahoma City, OK 73120