Haiti Update
This weekend, our district leadership team, met with our Haitian pastors in the Southeast Florida region. There is a deep burden among our Haitian people who are receiving mixed reports from their homeland.  What we are seeing on the news each day, their families and their church’s families are experiencing. On Sunday, we visited, as many Haitian churches as possible letting them know their Alliance family is standing with them through prayer and support.
From Chuck Hughes- Update on Haiti Response
One of our Haitian pastors attempted to go to Haiti on Saturday, but was unable to get his flight to Port Au Prince. He was to go and do preparation for an advance team that would go in this week. We know of four US pastors already there, and we hear of others who are planning to go this week, as well. As we gather reports, we will know better how we (the Southeastern District) should respond.
Phil Skellie and Robin Dirks, of CAMA Services, are coming to Orlando today to meet with us and to seek to get into Haiti to discern the need and establish a base from which we can operate.
The response we are encouraging is…
- For immediate emergency relief, give to CAMA Services. Details of how those funds are used with other organizations already on the ground there is on their website: http://www.camaservices.org/
- The Haiti Relief Fund has also been established by the Southeastern District. This will be used for assistance to the Alliance family in the US and Haiti affected by this crisis. We foresee costs of travel for teams to get in, temporary facilities for churches, shelter and provisions for homeless, travel for our US pastors to minister to family and congregations in Haiti, and other needs not addressed by the larger relief efforts already underway. In a few months, we see the need for help with counseling, orphan care and adoption, and the rebuilding of homes and churches,
There are over 150 churches, schools, and orphanages in Haiti that use the name of the Alliance, but there has been no organization or training of them. Many of them have been planted and supported by pastors who also pastor US churches. We are seeking to identify each one, as well as “mother” churches (not necessarily C&MA) where our workers have come from, and extended family from there. We don’t know what this will look like, but we are hearing there is a great need for those in the Port au Prince region.
This past Saturday, the Superintendent and I met with the many of the pastors of the Haitian South Association of the C&MA. We heard from those who have spoken to family and friends in Haiti. The reports are grim, and there is a level of frustration at the inability for help to get to those who are injured or hungry. Plans were made on how to proceed.
On Sunday, we visited eleven churches in South Florida, sharing how the churches of the C&MA are supporting them in prayer and relief efforts. It was greatly appreciated.
A memorial service for the Haitian community is being planned in Fort Lauderdale by several of our pastors.
If you have helpful input on the District’s response, the best way to communicate is by email to harris@sedcma.org. Thank you for your prayers
