Browsing Tag

Haiti

Blog, Faith, prayer

The work done by our God

Photo: 16 year old Darlene Etienne was pulled from rubble 15 days after quake in Haiti. Doctors are amazed she is alive. She’s eating yogurt, talking, and regaining strength. Her mother said she is alive because God hears a mother’s non-stop prayers.  Darlene is being cared for at an offshore French hospital ship. (Fox news)

From Ray yesterday, here is the latest update in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti:

“Did not get to treat many patients today. Spent most of the morning running around Haiti with a security specialist attached to the BBC. Tried to get assistance from a warehouse stocked with medical supplies. “Fill out this form, etc.” The bureaucrats have arrived in Haiti. First time I have been out in daylight hours. Port au Prince is in ruins.”

When the earthquake first hit Haiti, God immediately gave me the book of Nehemiah. Nehemiah petitioned the king Artaxerxes to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, which had been destroyed. The enemies Sanballat, Tobiah, and others mocked and taunted Nehemiah and the people that it could never be rebuilt, because it was in ruins.

But with God’s help and the people’s unity and prayer, and by positioning men with their tools in hand, their swords, their spears, and their bows, they got it done. I believe that although the devastation is great in Haiti right now, and it looks impossible and hopeless, God will help the people of Haiti to rebuild it for His glory.

Ray is still working each day at the medical clinic he set up at pastor Jay’s compound, where the offices and the school are located. Please pray for God to bust through all the government red tape, and to supply the people’s continual urgent needs of water, food, and medical supplies. 

Shawn had to leave Haiti yesterday to fly home.  Ray will be there at least several more days to a week.  He’s not sure exactly when he is coming home.  Today I met with the editor of our local newspaper to do a story on Ray’s mission work there.  Please continue to keep Ray, pastor Jay, and the people of Haiti in prayer for God’s protection, encouragement, and blessings. God hears our voices on behalf of this devastated nation.

“Now the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of Elul, in fifty two days.  And it happened, when all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations around us saw these things, that they were very disheartened in their own eyes, for they preceived that this work was done by our God.”  ~ Nehemiah 6:15-16

To donate to Ray’s medical mission work in Haiti for pastor Jay Threadgill, please click here.

January 29, 2010 by
Blog, Faith, prayer

The waiting is the hardest: 6.1 aftershock in Haiti

Pile of rubble in streets of Haiti

This morning our daughter Heather phoned me to let me know that her husband Kyle had called her as he was driving to work, and told her there was a magnitude -6.1 earthquake aftershock about 6 a.m. today in Haiti.  I encouraged her that God has his hand on Ray, Shawn and pastor Jay, and prayed. 

Since then I have tried numerous times to call and text message Ray on his cell phone, and I just get his voice mail. It’s likely he has no service there. I also emailed him and checked his Facebook status throughout the day. Even in normal circumstances, Haiti’s internet service is unpredictable.

So I wait, and I pray. The waiting is the hardest.  I feel a peace, and believe they are okay.

I will give you an update as soon as I hear something. Meanwhile, please continue to pray for God to supply water, food, and medical supplies to the people devastated by the earthquake and for their protection.

I am so concerned over the lack of supplies and sufficient medical care, the way the dead bodies are being thrown into mass graves with no dignity at all, and over all the amputations being done on people who only have broken bones, for the reason of “infection.”  No, I am not there and am certainly not an M.D., but it alarms me. It seems amputations are being done so quickly and recklessly.

I am praying there will be no more aftershocks or earthquakes, for violence and murder to cease, for speedy healing of the people who are injured, for God’s protection over everyone there, and for supplies to get immediately in there to aid the Haitian people and the workers.

Thank you for your continual prayers. I am going to bed now, resting in Psalm 23:2, “He leads me beside the still waters; He restores my soul.”  Hopefully I will hear from Ray tonight or tomorrow.

January 21, 2010 by
Blog, Faith

Safe in Haiti!

Car in rubble in Haiti

My husband Ray and his friend Shawn are now on the ground safely, in Haiti!  Praise God their plane was not turned away by officials in Haiti and was not re-routed to the Dominican Republic, like so many planes have been the last several days! 

Originally, they were supposed to take a plane to Haiti today at 1 p.m., with a large number of doctors on board to give medical relief. However, plans quickly changed. Ray called me about 10 a.m. this morning, and said he was at the airport, about to get on another plane in one hour -a plane carrying food relief to Haiti.  The plane he was supposed to go on originally was not leaving at 1 p.m. after all, so he was getting on a different plane.  He was rushed so I couldn’t get any other details!

Please keep them in prayer. I appreciate it so much and will keep you posted.  Leah (our daughter) and I just prayed for Ray’s, Shawn’s, and pastor Jay’s protection.  I’m going to fold some laundry now, listen to some audios, then head to bed – expecting to hear some more exciting news from Haiti tomorrow morning! 

Here’s Ray’s Facebook post, updated several hours ago:

“On the ground in Haiti. Gotta love the news networks. “The American Military is in charge of the airport.” FYI: All six Airforce security personnel say hi. Commercial flight was cancelled, but got flown in on private executive jet. Walked right into the country without even a passport check. Compound is presently secure, but have gangs probing our perimeter. The devastation is unreal.”

If you wish to donate to this mission trip to give practical help to the people of Haiti, here is the link to Ray’s medical/security missions organization, SEMSAR.   http://www.semsar.org/rescue/Donate/tabid/76/Default.aspx

January 20, 2010 by