A Message from Dee.....

I'm continuing to add to previous e-mails just in case you want to reference something from a past message, so please forgive how lengthy these messages are becoming.

Finally heard from Dee again. There's been no communication since Friday evening. I asked her to share a couple stories with us. Before you read, let me ask you to pray specifically this Thursday and Friday as Chris Stevens and Shaina Ascone, our short-term Dorce' missionaries, return to Haiti. They will be flying into the Dominican Republic and making their way through the Dominican/Haiti checkpoint and back home to Carries with a Dominican driver. Pray for safety and smooth travel. It will be an experience!

Now for those stories from Dee:

Sunday was a very emotional church service as you can imagine. Our building has some structure damage and everyone is scared to death to enter a building, especially with a concrete roof. We held the service in our yard as we have continued to have the 4:30am prayer service each morning. Ashley likes it better that way as she can enjoy the service from under her "warm" covers. Church in bed, now there's a thought!

We set benches out under the trees. The people kept coming. We kept adding benches. A lady named Mdme Faustin was the song leader. She also is the 3rd grade teacher at our school in Carries. She always has a huge smile on her face, and Sunday was no different. She has a strong voice even without a microphone. Her brother usually comes for revival, and when he does it's a whole family affair. Her sisters and their husbands, nieces and nephews, and always her mother. This particular morning, her voice was raspy and yet she led the worship and sang for all she was worth. Then she paused and began to explain that the raspy voice was do to losing her mother in the horrendous earthquake that has shaken every living soul in this blessed country in one way or another. She wasn't able to go to PAP and look for her family who all live in PAP in a three story building because she has three children. She just knew all of her family would be found dead. Her husband went instead. He found the rest of the family had barely escaped, and there was no way to get to her mom quick enough. The rest had all run to the bottom in fright and somehow God spared them underneath the rubble with little or no injury. They were able to remove her body which is more than most could do with the loved ones they had lost. Her brothers were even able to get a coffin or had one ready, just in case, as is a common practice in Haiti. They were able to get her to the edge of the city and give her a proper burial in a cemetery, but it all had to be done so quickly that there was no way her daughter could even go and find that much needed closure. Yet here she stood, solid as a rock and singing for all she was worth and praising the God of the universe, creator of heaven and earth. Until finally she was overcome with emotion and she couldn't continue. Seeing a Haitian women cry is a very disconcerting event especially for myself, having lived in Haiti for 17 years and knowing that women don't show that kind of emotion often, especially not in public. There weren't many dry eyes in the place. Please pray for Madame Faustin that she would have the strength to go on in spite of her loss. Pray for renewal and strength for her and her family. When I finally found the words to express myself, I thanked her in front of everyone for being such a brave soldier when she could have easily turned it into an excuse to not even come to church that morning. She continues to live out her witness for the Lord, and we are very thankful to have her on staff at Berea Christian School at Carries. Pray that God would send more like her to help with the task at hand.

There isn't a person here who hasn't been touched by this tragedy. The head boss of our construction team is Boss John. When we arrived from Verette, we found him distraught at hearing the news. His home is up in Petionville. His house hangs off the edge of the mountain over a great ravine. His home is three stories high. Being a construction man, he built it himself, over the years. I remember the first time I was invited to their home while dating Wilckly. It was for Easter dinner. It was the first time I ever met Mammi, as she is affectionately called by all who know her. I loved her the moment I met her. She's short and jolly and she kept us laughing all afternoon, and her food was amazing. She cooked for many different occasions, weddings, graduations, first communions and the like. She loves cooking. Boss John just knew already that she was dead even though it had only happened an hour or so before and all communications were cut. It was a grueling night as everyone anticipated the morning and their plan of action to find their loved ones. Somehow, Boss John made his way to PAP. We haven't had contact with him again, but we found out today that Mammi's arm was crushed and must be amputated at the shoulder and she has lots of internal injuries. She has been taken all the way to the North part of Haiti to O'Cap to a hospital there, and she is not in good condition. We pray that she survives the trip. Boss John's daughter, Christine, who is fourteen, was killed under the rubble and can't be retrieved. His other children have minor injuries. He still has on the only pair of clothes that he wore to town. We are trying to get contact with him to tell them to come to Carries. Please pray for strength for this man in his agony. He is not a Christian and his family are not Christians either. They are like family to us though. He is like a brother to Wilckly, and we pray this will be an opportunity for the whole family to come to know Christ as their personal Savior.

This is our prayer for all of Haiti, our dear, dear Haiti. Seize the opportunity. Pray for great revival in this land like never before and that finally Haiti will come to her knees as a whole and dedicate this country to the Lord instead of to Satan. It is only then that there will be true revival and change in this dear land. We are counting on you to pray for that.

Exhausted in every way, still serving Him,
Wilckly, Dee, Ashley, Kelsey and Josiah Dorce

Blessing Hearts International
5923 CR 324
Palmyra, MO 63461

Chris Brennemann
573-822-0611