Arrived in Haiti - update from H2H compound

My family arrived in Haiti yesterday and safely made it home without incident!  Thanks to all who have asked!!

Before I give you an update about H2H I want to say that what's happening in southern Haiti is weighing heavily on my heart.  They're reporting that the death toll from the hurricane is over 1000... that is bad enough in itself but they're also reporting that people are starving to death and cholera is spreading.  Please continue to pray for those areas in the south that are in desperate need; Jeremie, Dame Marie and many others.

Our family was supposed to arrive in Haiti the day of the Hurricane and part of me had been disappointed that we weren't here to help people understand the magnitude of it and better prepare.  While that disappointment is still there, I am also very relieved that Hasannah and Jelani didn't have to experience the fear that so many of the kids did.  There are no windows in our houses so wind & rain were whipping through the homes and the people were terrified that buildings would fall like they did in the earthquake.  

Pastor Luc and the kids have done a great job at cleaning up the compound!  School has resumed, fallen trees have been chopped up (to be used for firewood), the roof of the school & church have had minor repairs, razor wire has been put up to temporarily secure the wall that fell down, and they have already distributed Mannapaks (rice/soy food packages) to the community.

Here are some pictures around the compound this morning..

This is what is left of the garden... it's a good thing banana trees always have a young tree growing beside the mature tree because those young ones are the only ones left!

This is the wall that has fallen down - the house you see is outside the compound.

This is how big trunks become small wooden planks in Haiti!

I saved these two pictures for last because I wanted to end on a positive note because despite all the misery good things are happening at H2H, thanks to our generous donors!  

Our H2H school reopened on Monday and both Pastor Luc & the kids are happy to see blue skies and to be getting back into a routine.

Our solar panels/inverter power system made it through the hurricane and now that the sun is out again they are providing H2H with power!  Power means lights but it also means water can be pumped from our well & can be filtered for drinking.  This is a huge blessing as there hasn't been power in Grande Goave since the Hurricane.  Power lines are damaged all over town and it doesn't look like it's going to be back on anytime soon.

While the majority of the clean up on the compound is done, Pastor Luc's job of providing food to the community has just started.  People are hungry and food is scarce and expensive.  I was surprised today to find some of my favourite food at the market in Grande Goave but was told that the fresh beans and passion fruit were harvested before the storm and today was likely the last time I will see them for awhile.  The meat that I bought was 3x more expensive and there was no wild spinach or leafy greens. We are incredibly grateful for the container of Mannapaks that we have as they are a complete meal in themselves.  H2H's main focus now will be raising funds to purchase more Mannapaks so we can continue to share with our community and the communities around Pastor Luc's churches (Foche, Lavanj, Tetebef, Mount Joumou, Grande Savande, Bouva & more).   Thank you to all who have given so generously and please continue to share the need with others.

As you continue to pray for Haiti please pray specifically against the spread of cholera, the rebuilding of gardens, the upcoming elections and those so desperately affected in southern Haiti.