Here we met Bebeto, a boy of 16 who described himself as “familyless and homeless.” His mother had sent him out for a gallon of water when the quake hit. Their home collapsed with her inside, leaving him without family. He told us he “praises God” that he was able to remove her body from the home. He placed her body on the sidewalk and she was later removed by government workers. Bebeto was grateful that this meant she had a proper burial, unlike many others who remain inside toppled structures.
Around Bebeto’s village, everything lies in destruction. His high school and church are gone. At one point we asked him why there was one parcel that was completely cleared of rubble, while the surrounding buildings lay in piles of ruins. Bebeto explained that this had been the site of an elementary school, where at least 100 children, aged 3 to 12, had died when it collapsed. The villagers had cleared the area to locate the bodies of the children. A makeshift memorial of flowers and ribbons is the only visible reminder of what once was there. The lot is now being prepared by locals so that the homeless can take advantage of the clearing and create tents.
Earlier in the day, we were able to meet with Pastor Jeanty, who serves as the treasurer of the Union of Evangelical Baptist in Haiti, as well as working to promote leadership across many other organizations. Pastor Jeanty estimates that, extrapolating from the government death statistics, approximately 200,000 children were orphaned by the quake. And, he added “the local church knows about children that are not on any official list.” Our model of building church-to-church partnerships resonated with Pastor Jeanty, and he is arranging for us to meet with 20 new potential church partners next week. These partners are in and around the quake center, and have a heart for the orphaned child.
Finally, we were blessed to provide two kinds of unique assistance today as God arranged. Our first meeting of the day was held in a church that had previously been occupied by a medical team. A woman named Jacqueline hobbled up on a primitive crutch, with dirty bandages on both legs, thinking we were a clinic. She had been injured in the quake by falling cinder blocks, and was badly in need of a dressing change. Our team Operations Chief, Byron Schick, DVM, was able to treat both wounds using our first aid kit and a little ingenuity. Nearby, the congregation sang familiar songs in French as they worshiped God in the hot sun, praising Him for life.
In addition, we provided a water purification system to a young pastor from a rural church that had traveled many miles to meet us. His church has been overwhelmed by more than 50 newly-orphaned children needing water, food and shelter. The system will purify 12 gallons per day for these children for the next year.
Bebeto stand before the pile that was his home
Bebeto explains that the villagers have cleared this site to recover the bodies of the children
Memorial flowers at the site of the national elementary school where over 100 children died
Pastor Jeunty explains to our team that estimates indicate 200,000 new orphans as a result of the quake
Dr. Schick redresses a wound with help from Commander Roberts
Pastor Emmanuel receives a much needed water filter for the 50 new orphans in his village
The 82 Airborne tells us about the location of a nearby orphanage
A young woman worships despite her circumstances
Go team! I was in a prayer meeting yesterday where we were praying for your emotional well-being and renewed strength. Kellee
ReplyDeleteHeartbreaking...that's all I can say. Praying for continued opportunities and solid connections with churches there. Thank you for the detailed updates.
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