January 14, 2010

Dear Brethren,

I have received many calls about trying to help in Haiti. Information is not complete. We are working with brethren in the Bahamas and Jamaica to get supplies to our brethren. One congregation has just sent a check to Bahama Mission Church of Christ. This money will be turned over to the Elders of the Highbury Park Church in Nassau. Both the Bahamas and Jamaica have access to Haiti by ship.

Below is some information:

REPORTS OF DEVASTATION

The 7.0-magnitude quake struck just before 5 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 12, about 10 miles southwest of Port-au-Prince, a city of about 2 million people in southern Haiti. The crescent-shaped nation, southeast of Cuba, shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic and is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.

Though communication is difficult, church members have received some reports from Haiti:

• At least nine members of the Delmas 43 Church of Christ in Port-au-Prince died in the quake, minister Jean Robert St. Hillare said in a Wednesday morning e-mail message.
  "We're still looking for dead bodies," St. Hillare said. "We have almost 50 members who need medical care, almost 290 homeless. That's sad. There is not even bread to eat right now."
  The quake forced St. Hillare and his family from their home and brought down power lines, so the minister sent e-mail using a laptop computer powered by his car's battery.
• The top two floors of the Delmas Christian Secondary School, which also serves as the meeting place of the Delmas church, crumbled and fell into the road, said Jeantyrard Elmera, the school's director. A nursing class was in session in the building when the quake hit. Reports of injuries were unavailable.
• Nicky, a 15-year-old boy at a church-supported children's home near Port-au-Prince, died when a wall collapsed. The boy lived with other children at Son Light Children's Home and Nutrition Center, overseen by Haitian Christian Roberta Edwards. The Estes Church of Christ in Henderson, Tenn., supports the work.
  Thomas Edwards, the oldest of the children living at the home, sent a brief e-mail message to U.S. supporters Wednesday morning.
  "We slept outside last night," Thomas Edwards wrote, "and the earth was shaking almost all night every 40 minutes."

This is from Brother Miller an Elder in Nassau:

Dear David:
We will be helping, Lord's will, from the Bahamas. I spoke with Andrew and made an announcement last night at Church. We to make sure that the help gets in the hands of those that need it perferably our brethren in Christ. I am in contact with Emmanuel Charles. a Haitian Preacher who preaches on one of the Islands in the Caribbean. He plans to travel to Haiti, and I am hoping that Michael Searly one of our Deacons can go with him. Michael is a Defense force Officer and would be best suited for such a mission.
Bro. Miller

This is from Gladwyn Kiddoe - Director of the School of Preaching- in Jamaica:

Hi David,

FRANCIS OR MYSELF will get back to you after our Haiti relief meeting this pm I share your concerns. Boat contact is possible.

Gladwyn

If you would like to send money now, Please mark it for Haiti Relief and make you checks to: Bahama Mission Church of Christ, and send:

David Caskey-Missions
c/o Gulf Coast Church of Christ
9550 Ben C. Pratt?\/Six Mile Cypress Pkwy.
Ft. Myers, Florida 33966

I will see that the money gets into the hands of one of these brethren to be used directly to help our brethren and given to those who are in greatest need. I am sure that are many other avenues where you can help as well. A number of large efforts are being mounted by congregations who are involved in the work in Haiti. Information should be getting out soon.

Keep these people in your prayers.

david