As you can tell, we have a special place in our heart for Haiti. Here is an update from Dorothy Pearce who runs Faith, Hope, Love Infant Rescue In Port au Prince. We visited there when we went to Haiti, and have been praying for this work for the last few years. Here is Dorothy’s account of what happened. Find out more about here work here: Faith-Hope-Love Infant Rescue

We survived the earthquake, all of us. PRAISE GOD!!!!!!

Amanda, Natasha and I were just arriving at Sacred Heart Hospital (CDTI) near what we think was the strongest area of the quake. Jesula, our nanny who had been with Poutchino at the hospital, was collapsing on the ground outside, in shock. Natasha ran inside for Poutchino. We parked the car. A man carried Jesula to the car. She was frozen with fear.

Hospital patients were brought outside, injured people came in thru the gate. All hospital personnel worked thru the night and next day with barely a break. Amanda and I took turns holding a flashlight for a surgeon stitching wounds and gradually learned how to do more. Natasha had to stay in the car holding Poutchino.

Some people were beyond help: the doctors gave them medicines for pain and treated those they could help. I counted about 40 people who died during the 24 hours we were there, all ages. Security manned the gate, only letting in the injured people that the doctor felt they could help. Continue reading ‘first hand account from Haiti’ »

Dear family and friends, (For some of you some of this information may be ‘old’ but I am unable to send each one a new update separately.)

Praise the Lord, I was able to talk with Tony last evening for a few minutes before the phone line went dead. Tony called me about an hour ago (at 0710 ) and we were able to talk for about 20 minutes. He is in good spirits but is exhausted. Last night was the first time he slept in his own bed. The apartment building is not damaged either, all the things like the blender, coffee machine, water filter container all stayed in their place on the counter! The gas line to the stove has a leak, so Tony can not cook in the house. He still has enough food for several weeks in the house. Haitian friends are now coming to him for money and food. If he continues to give it away, like I know he will, it will soon run out. Now you can buy some rice and food on the streets if you have money. He has about $450  in the house.  I will be able to wire money to him via Western Union when it is up and running. They will waive the usual fees for now. Continue reading ‘update from Haiti (Jan 15)’ »

The following is an email from Mary DeKoter. They are not presently together, Mary was in the US when the earthquake struck. Mary shares some news from Tony and the school!

I finally had an email from someone at the school that had a message from Tony. Phones are not always working at the moment. He is busy setting up a command centre at the school for all the activity that is going on there. The entire school campus is intact! Praise the Lord!

Most buildings all around the school are either down or badly damaged. The following list include some of the activity that will go on at the school for the next few weeks.

• There will be temporary surgery rooms in the chapel
• The basketball court will be used as a trauma centre
• The snack shop will be able to cook for those who are on campus
• The soccer fields house many national workers from the school staff, most have lost or had their homes damaged
• The kingergarten playground has all the children camped there from Three Angels orphanage

Thank you for your continued prayers, God has blessed us so richly, We pray that you are blessed too, Mary

As you know, Tony and Mary DeKoter live and work in Haiti with Quisqueya Christian School (QCS) in Port au Prince. We have word that Tony is ok, Mary is in the States right now. The following comments were made by Els Vervloet who works at QCS. Please keep all of Haiti in your prayers.

Here is a drawing of Solomon’s temple. I find it helpful to see an artist rendering as I read the description of it’s construction [1 Kings 6].

click to enlarge

I am feeling sick. Its all in my head, really. A persistent headache since I woke up this morning. I’ve slept most of the day. So much for my new year’s resolution to enjoy each day to the fullest. How does one enjoy a headache? How does a Jesus-follower experience a headache differently?

• Is it a cross to bear, humbly, quietly, without grumbling or complaining?
• Is it a test from the devil, to try to get me to look away from the Lord?
• Is it an opportunity for me to stretch my faith muscles, to pray in faith and receive miraculous healing?
• Is it an opportunity for me to call the elders, have them pray over me with anointing oil, and so be healed?
• Is it the wages of sin – no, not a hangover – for not sleeping well over the last few nights, and staying up too late last night?
• Is it an opportunity to identify with those who suffer, those who also deal with headaches or tumors or sleeplessness?
• Is it an opportunity to do some deep theological reflection on how a Jesus-follower experiences a headache differently?
• Or is it just a stupid headache…

Whatever it is, its now become an opportunity for people to think that there really is something wrong in my head.
I’m going back to bed…

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.
–Reinhold Niebuhr

A great quote by G.K.Chesterton:

It’s one thing to celebrate God’s hand in our lives, but its another thing, an essential thing, to join our hands with His, as His partners. The reason that God is not just snapping His fingers to fix the world is because from the beginning His plan was to rule this world in partnership with us, for better or worse, as hard as that is. Jesus has come as Adam restored, and we are restored with Him; we now have the opportunity to rule in the creation as we were created to, as we ought to. And the kind of ruling that this involves is humility, servanthood, kindness, compassion, honesty, etc.