News from HCM

e-Mission Lines December 2010

Touching Haiti with the love of Christ

Hard Year Full of Blessings - Betty Prophete

The year 2010 has been one of the most challenging ones in the history of Haiti. There have been rumors that some people were expecting it, but for the most part the Haitian people did not see this one coming. On January 12, an earthquake with an 8.2 magnitude devastated the poor island country, claimed the lives of more than 300,000 people, and left millions homeless living in tents. To add insult to injury, in late September, a tornado-like storm passed through Port-au-Prince killing seven people, injuring others, and ripping tents to shreds. Then in October hurricane Tomas killed eleven people and caused flooding in several areas that destroyed livestock and crops. In late October, Haiti saw its first outbreak of cholera in over fifty years. Since the epidemic began nearly 2,200 people have died and the number of people infected with the disease is quickly nearing 100,000. Then just this week violent protests and demonstrations have erupted in Port-au-Prince and other major cities because of disputed presidential election results. While a very small group of people take to the streets to cause trouble, everyone is affected as violent men enter their neighborhoods and all schools, shops and businesses are shut down.

In times like these people may question Our Creator and ask, "Has God forgotten Haiti?" The answer is no. God is in control of every situation. In the midst of difficulty, His compassion fails not. Great is his faithfulness. No matter what may be the test, He will take care of us. As He has said, He will never forget us.

The disaster of January 12^th has been a blessing in disguise. Haitian people have witnessed a slew of goodhearted people from all walks of life pouring their help into the impoverished nation. This help has come in many different forms: medical groups, construction groups, evangelistic groups, psychological support teams, journalists that spread the word about Haiti's situation, and a great deal of financial assistance. For these wonders we praise His name.

Acino family Also, for the first time in their life several people have been able to become homeowners. One such family, the Acino family, stated that they would never have owned a home if it was not for HCM and IDES. HCM and IDES together built them a home. Glory to God!

Many people have had surgical procedures performed that they would have otherwise not been able to afford. Eglide had a mastectomy. She said they told her that procedure would have cost $13,000. She would have never been able to afford that amount. Thanks to a visiting medical team, she had the surgery for free. Glory to God!

Magdala and her new brother David

God blessed eight orphan children with a home where they have someone they can call mother and someone they can call father. Magdala, who is four years old, said to her new mom, "I never used to eat in the afternoon. I only ate one meal a day at noon." Her mom Lucia cried. Another girl in the home, Farah, had stomachaches and she said, "They used to punch me on my chest when I wet the bed at night." Rikenlo and Mikenley kissed their new mom Lucia and said "I will never leave you to go back to my aunty. God has given me you as my mother. I love you." Ounika usedto have belly aches because of her umbilical hernia. People always call her "Big Stomach".

Thanks to a recent surgery by Dr. Higgins and his wonderful staff she now has a flat belly and no more pain. Each of the children has his or her own story, and each day they come with something different to show their gratitude. We thank each one of you for your support of the children.

Ounika recovering from surgery

At the deaf orphanage in Mirebalais that we've been supporting for the last couple years, two children were sick with cholera. Praise God, both of them are now doing well and are happy. We thank everyone who has been helping with the cholera outbreak. Special thanks go to IDES who helped the deaf orphanage obtain clean drinking water.

I want to thank Friends of Children, an organization that has been helping five schools with the lunch program, and also Well Spring Trust for their help with the earthquake relief.

We want to thank every one of you for the faithful support you give Haitian Christian Mission as we. May God bless you bountifully and render 2011 a very prosperous year.

In Fond Parisien, we only have one cholera treatment center. It's located, not at our mission, but at l'Eau de Vie clinic at the Menonite mission down the road. Three organizations have come together to supply it with personnel. Our staff serves there several days a week. The HCM nurses and doctors are incredible. Everyday they treat an average of fifty patients a day in our clinic, many of whom come from remote areas.

Some Things Never Change - Wendy Zehner

This has been a year of changes. You never know what God has in store for you, but if you listen you can hear Him nudging you along. In October of 2009 I had a casual conversation with Dr. Guesly Dessieux on our flight home from Haiti. There was another voice that day on the plane. The Holy Spirit was convicting me of some things.

As 2010 began to unfold and the horrors of the earthquake evolved, I found myself right back in Haiti. This time the conversation was with a young man named Edwens Prophete. We were behind a building, shielding ourselves from seeing the human damage we had been so saturated with that day. That afternoon Edwens was crying out, asking God to speak to us in the midst of it all. "Where was God?" Once again that third voice rose up above of the noise of helicopters overhear. This time the voice was reminding us both that we were supposed to be exposing God in that place. And so, with great fear and uncertainty we took a giant leap.

This year HCM has hosted twenty-five teams from all over the United States as well as from Australia and Mexico! Yes, HCM had a team of Spanish-speaking college students from YWAM come and share the gospel with the Haitian people. I can't wait to see some of our young Haitian students return the favor and go visit them. As HCM stopped to take a breath, East 91st Street Christian Church realized the need to help the staff heal from what they had experienced. A team of counselors led by Gary Rowe took the HCM staff members who had lost homes and family in the earthquake on a retreat. They spent two days sharing on the beach, eating, swimming (some for the first time) and praying together. Talk about changes!

Over 200 surgeries have been preformed this year at the HCM clinic in Fond Parisien. Along with the leadership of Project Haiti Heart and Dr. Serge Geffrard we look forward to seeing the expansion of our medical facilities in 2011. Alison Gaddis took a vision she had before the earthquake and made it a reality by forming a new soccer league in Fond Parisien for students. Play It Forward sponsors sixty students, including twenty girls, who now compete and participate in soccer games and camps.

I myself have been able to travel to Haiti seven times this year. Each time I learn something new. I meet another amazing soldier for the Lord and see determined and creative Haitians making things happen. The campus itself has undergone a total face lift. Churches damaged or destroyed have been repaired. Schools have been reopened and new children are lining up to be sponsored.

One young man who was being sponsored by a church in Illinois wrote a heartfelt letter to them letting them know he was alive and living in a tent with his family. This church felt the hurt and desperation he was expressing and found a way to raise $15,000 that is now building his family a home. I get to see Christians at their best when they make changes in their own lives to create changes for others.

All of these changes have helped to create revival in Haiti. Churches are growing, Christian schools expanding, and souls being won to Christ. So why the title Some Things Never Change? Because in the midst of all of this the Haitian people keep moving forward. They celebrate birth including the first C-Sections ever performed in Fond Parisien. They celebrate marriages as we witnessed with Dorlus and Bruny. They love their kids as they cheer them on at the soccer games. They hold each other up as they grieve. They dig down deep and keep working as Dr. Patrick, Dr. Emmanuel and all the nurses so graciously demonstrate. And they keep preaching week after week in all fifty-seven churches supported by HCM. Most importantly God continues to be faithful, evident, and open-armed toward this tiny island of beautiful men and women called Haitians that He created to come to Him.

If you are still sitting on the sidelines, I encourage you to listen this year to the voice of the Holy Spirit nudging you into action. The year 2011 should be one of change for you personally as you move into action for the changeless God we serve!

The Joy of Success - Etienne Prophete

After a ball game, two groups of people can be seen: those who are joyful and those who are sad. The joyful ones are the winners; the sad ones are the losers. Unfortunately, on January 12th we all felt like the losers, but with the Lord there are no losers. Even the dead in Christ were winners because in Christ there is no death. They transpire into a better world.

We have noticed an extreme makeover in Haiti through Christians. Haitian Christian Mission is thankful for the supporters. Their visits, donations and prayers have meant a lot to us. Their concern gives us strength to go forward in spite of all. In just thirty-five seconds, three cities (Port-au-Prince, Leogane and Jacmel) were 90% destroyed. Following that, the Lord spared Haiti from the wrath of the ferocious hurricane Tomas. Now this destructive cholera is sending many people to the grave. Bad water is the culprit and no one knows how many people have died from it because many of them have died in the countryside and been buried without being accounted for.

Through it all we have taken heart and are not letting up. The mission keeps growing. At this point, God has permitted us to complete seven houses and four more are in process. Although we have a long way to go, we hope to reach the goal of building 200 houses. Our houses are strong, hurricane and earthquake-proof. Even in distress, the people remain in fear of anything that is shaky and flaky. Our board has approved funds to buy a backhoe (already purchased) and a dump truck to better facilitate our many construction projects. Once we have those, we will be able to work much faster and many hearts will be filled with happiness when families get to move out of tents and into real houses.

New houses How grateful we are to our donors, and especially to IDES, FAME, Bethel Church, and our supporters in Australia who have all funded multiple houses. We thank all the individuals and churches that have all sacrificed to support this wonderful undertaking. The country was doomed to fail, but with Christ it is bound to win. We are winning because our Master has never failed. In Christ there is always a smile even after the shedding of tears. God has used you to wipe away many tears from thousands of eyes. This could have only happened through the ministry of Christ who came in our likeness to earth to share of our misery. He is the reason for the season. On account of HIM we wish you a MERRY CHRISTMAS 2010 AND a VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR 2011!