Update from Haiti

Recent Emails from Crash and Shaina...

Dee has left her children with family in Iowa and is in Palmyra, MO awaiting her flight out to Haiti. The painful task of leaving her children is over, and soon she will be back on Haitian soil, fighting the good fight. Please pray for Dee and Wilckly and Crash and Shaina. Pray for Dee's mom and sister as they adjust to the additional responsibility and blessing of caring for Ashley, Kelsey and Josiah Dorce'.

In the midst of desperate need and devastation, there are so many glimmers of hope ... people who are reunited, stories of God's protection and provision, more and more families heading to Dorce' Ministries for assistance ... a captive audience for meeting basic essentials and for giving the basic message of the gospel. Morning and evening prayer/praise services continue daily.

Pray that the containers sent from the US arrive quickly and are easily moved through customs and transported to Carries. Crash and Shaina have been working tirelessly on getting food donations from other sources on the island. Pray that these connections and the hard work pay off soon.

I am struck by the relevance of Blessing Hearts and Dorce' Ministries motto to reach people for Christ, one soul at a time. The task ahead may seem insurmountable, but the power of God is undeniable. Making a difference one life at a time has become reason to celebrate and motivation to keep moving.

US media may have moved on, but the people of Haiti have grown only more desperate.


(FYI: We are working diligently on getting disaster relief receipts mailed out. Thanks for your patience and continued support)


I am forwarding Crash and Shaina's latest e-mails to you. It's a long e-mail but rewarding to read. If you get their updates, this will be review for you. Keep praying and keep believing for the work in Haiti.
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from Shaina:

My Friends,

"For who is God but the Lord? And who is a rock except our God?”

Let me just begin this letter with these words: God is good. He is so good. I have been back in Haiti for almost two weeks now, and in that time He has repeatedly shown me this truth about Himself. Let me give you some examples:

For the last week we have spent as much time at the airport and on the phone as possible, waiting for supplies to be delivered directly to us. Often the waiting seemed endless, unfruitful. But yesterday our prayers were answered. We finally made contact, and food and water will be arriving any day.

“The God who girds me with strength and makes my way blameless?
He makes my feet like hinds’ feet, and sets me upon my high places.”

Every day requires energy and wisdom beyond my capabilities, but God continues to provide. Sometimes when the task seems just too difficult or the oppression too much to bear, God sends encouragement, like when Elves, our driver, told Crash and I, “Everyone else is leaving Haiti – you came back, even when Haiti is broken.” We were further encouraged when Bioude assured us that she respects us, and others do as well, just because we came back. God is encouraging them through our willingness to follow His leading, and in turn, He encourages us. His ways are perfect.

“He trains my arms for battle, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze,
You have also given me the shield of Your salvation, and Your right hand upholds me...”

The devil and his followers are powerful in this country, but our God is mightier still. Satan is doing all He can to drop obstacles in our path, to discourage us, to stop us from doing whatever we’re doing to further God’s kingdom. But he shall not prevail, for God has given us the weapons we need to fight, and every time it seems a door has closed, the Lord miraculously opens another.

“…and Your gentleness makes me great. You enlarge my steps underneath me, and my feet have not slipped.”
Psalm 18:31-36

His might gives us strength, and His gentleness makes us great. What an empowering promise. This evening I was able to witness a beautiful event that took place on the ocean’s shore. Two people from our congregation were baptized. I have never witnessed a baptism in the ocean before, and the peachy-orange sunset on the horizon coupled with the beauty of the act that was being done was almost too much for my heart to bear. I thought it would explode with joy. Walter, one of the boys, was baptized, and also a woman from our Carries congregation. God is definitely working in the hearts of His people.

I suppose I should give you a little update on my work here: last week Dee and Wilckly made the difficult but necessary decision to send their children back to the States until things here settle down a bit. Even though I knew school would be put on hold for a while, this makes that situation indefinitely changed. I am totally okay with that, as I know and trust has me here for a reason (He certainly made it as easy as possible for me to get back here! There was no doubt that I was meant to come back.), but that means my job description has changed quite a bit. Right now I am doing my best to help out wherever needed, whether that comes in the form of paperwork, climbing on top of ten-foot containers, hanging and re-hanging tarps, watching children, loading and unloading supplies, cleaning and organizing storage rooms, or simply encouraging those I serve with.

Praise God for His goodness, praise Him for His hope and joy in the midst of devastation. Thank you for your continued prayers and support. I send my love to all, and pray this finds you well and dwelling in His love. God bless.

In His Wonderful Name,
Shaina


Prayer Requests:


- Language comprehension…though I am learning much quicker now that I am in the middle of everything, the knowledge is still coming along slower than I would like.


- Safe, smooth, and swift delivery of supplies…they will be coming from many sources, and may all be arriving around the same time, which is great, but will require lots of work on our parts. Please pray that we will have the energy needed for this, as well.



- Safety and accuracy in acquiring information…we need to know exactly how many people from our churches in Port-au-Prince are in need of supplies. In order for us to obtain this information, one of our pastors must enter some of the more devastated parts of the city…please pray for his safety and that the information would be easily and quickly received.



- Praise: as I write this, spontaneous singing has once again broken out in our little tent camp. Though fear is still evident in their faces at times, the Haitian people know how to praise their Lord and be joyful in every circumstance. Pray that this mind-set would continue.



from Crash, titled "Progress":

I love when I can put that word in the subject line.

Yes, we are seeing progress in getting food and water gathered to distribute! It is so frustrating to have to wait so long. And the people are getting more and more desperate. But the container will arrive and one of the contacts we've been nursing for the past 10 days has confirmed that they will give us food soon, but haven't said exactly when. I believe that "soon" means in the next few days.

Keep praying for Haiti. You have been wonderful and necessary team members thus far and we can't afford to lose any momentum. I have been told that Haiti is no longer on the news very much and many folks have moved their attention to other things, but I thank you for continuing to read and pray and help.

The people have not become any less afraid. In fact, they just moved all of my internet equipment outside under the tree because they don't want me working inside for too long. So I am sitting here outside the house typing an update in the middle of my yard. The insects are a bit worse out here.

It is still quite chilly outside at night and we are handing out (and using ourselves) more and more blankets. Tents are becoming a greater need every day.

PRAISE GOD that we are expecting the first and second containers to come in the next few days! The timing could not be more perfect. I am so thankful for team members who take action at the very best time. I can't wait to send you pictures.

We are preparing as best we can by gathering family lists and making special cards for distribution. The growing problem in any distribution is that people are so desperate now that they don't want to wait; or, if they are not one of the families on our list, they are angry if they don't get something. This is a very difficult place. Pray for smooth distribution.

I will give you more news as it comes. We are still working and waiting. The big stuff comes next.



make donation checks out and send to:
Blessing Hearts International
5923 CR 324
Palmyra, MO 63461
memo: Dorce' ("disaster relief" if applicable)


All funds donated go directly to Dorce' Ministries.