Coastal Haiti Mission Newsletter

 

August 2021

 

 

Haiti is Devastated Again

The people of Haiti have endured yet another huge trauma. On Saturday August 14, 2021 at 8:29 A.M., a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck the southwestern portion of the country.

It is difficult to comprehend the loss of life, the number of missing people, the number of injured people and the incredible destruction that occurred in several minutes. Then, aftershocks have continued at unpredictable times.

Then 2 days later as the search and rescue teams were trying to locate the surviving victims trapped in the rubble of collapsed and damaged buildings, a tropical storm struck the earthquake area, forcing the search and rescue effort to stop for many hours and triggering hundreds of landslides as well as causing severe flooding.

It is difficult to make the size of these numbers really register in our minds, however if we really think about them carefully, they will help us to realize how horrific this crisis really is.

These numbers have been gleaned from many news reports given over the Internet.

At least two thousand two hundred and seven people killed.

At least three hundred and forty four people are missing.

Twelve thousand two hundred and sixty eight people injured.

More than two thousand life saving limb amputations have been done.

Fifty three thousand houses and buildings damaged or destroyed.

Many hospitals, schools, churches and businesses are damaged or destroyed.

Five hundred thousand children directly affected.

The reports of individuals telling their individual stories, can not in any measure, give adequate representation to the incredible misery and loss that these people have suffered and continue to suffer.

Many of the people who survived the earthquake, were afraid to venture into what was left of their buildings, because of the after shocks which continued to make the buildings to continue to crumble and break.

Most of the people decided to sleep outside on the ground, only to have tropical storm Grace dump inches of rain upon them.

This tropical storm caused the search and rescue teams to have to stop their life saving work until the storm had moved on. The storm left in its wake a soggy and dangerous landscape for the rescuers to work in, as well as a terribly miserable environment for the people living outside on the muddy ground.

The hospitals in the earthquake zone were damaged, so that there was an acute shortage of hospital beds. Once a person was treated, they were discharged immediately, even though they had no place to go. Many of these patients would not leave the hospital yard and stayed there, because their home no longer existed.

Ken Johansson

 

Pastor Coty, his brother Dr Ally Joseph and 3 additional people visited the earthquake area to bring medical, financial, and spiritual aid to Southwestern Haiti.

Earthquake ministry team: Nurse Quetelie, Frantz, Judelin, Pastor Coty, Dr Ally

 

Pastor Coty Shares His Heart

Maybe you heard or saw in the news, that an earthquake has hit the southern part of Haiti recently. For those of you who saw the damages on the news, I am sorry to tell you that the situation in the South, is worse than what you can hear or see on the news.

I went to the South to be a witness of the situation and to help anyway way I could.

First of all, to go to the South from where I am in the North, you need to go through some dangerous zones (roads controlled by gangs), but I did not have a choice, because I know what it is like to be in danger, and not have anyone who will listen to my cries for help. 

I went there with my brother, a medical doctor and three other team members. We brought some medical supplies, so we could be a help to many people; and yes, we did help many people.

In some places in Haiti, you will find people asking for help, because Haiti is a poor country. But when you get to Southwestern Haiti these days, you don’t need anyone to ask you for help, because you see the needs everywhere.

To tell the truth, in the South of Haiti now, anything can make a difference.

Now people don’t just ask you for help there, they will hold you by the hand and say, please come take a look at what happened to my house, and where I am sleeping now.

Other people are still weeping, crying for their loved ones that they lost during this earthquake. This may make you cry for them.

During this visit, I also helped the people with some first necessity needs, like rice, oil and a small amount of money.

I was glad to be in a remote place because all of the help from the big organizations and the government was going, to the cities. No one was going to the villages. 

We went to a village named Cavalier. Here, I would say that 90 percent of the houses have disappeared. This is a village near the   city of Les Cayes.

There is another village where I could not go this time, named Anau, near Ansavo. 95 percent of the houses have disappeared, however, no help has gotten to this place along with many other locations.

People are sleeping under the trees for two reasons. First their houses are destroyed and second, they don’t even have a tarp to make a tent.

The situation is really bad there, and nobody knows for how long conditions will stay like this.

I really want to go back, or at least, send some help to these people.

So, I send this SOS to those of you who always listen to your heart to help others.

Again, I want to say that any donation will make a difference in Southwestern Haiti now.

Thank you and God bless you.

Pastor Coty.

 Buildings ruined, extremely dangerous, must be torn down.

 

 Damaged buildings which are not safe to enter.

 

 Treating the wounds of the injured.

 

 Treating more injuries.

 

If you desire to help Pastor Coty bring physical and financial assistance to earthquake victims in Southwestern Haiti, please send your donation to the address at the end of this newsletter, or for online donations, please use our PayPal service also at the end of this newsletter. Please mark your donation earthquake relief.   

 

OPPORTUNITY

 

Clearly, the man had an agenda.  He was on the road to Jericho.  He was on his way to do business.  He saw the man lying by the side of the road before he ever got to him. He had a choice to make.  He could cross to the other side of the road like the two men ahead of him did.  He could. . . but a sudden burst of compassion, and he knew what he must do.  As he approached the injured man he could see that he’d been badly beaten.  Robbers, most likely.  Took everything he had, including his clothes. After tending to the man’s wounds as best he could, he placed him on his own beast and brought him to an inn.  Stayed with the guy all night to care for him.  The next day he paid the bill and left the injured man in the care of the innkeeper, assuring him that he would pay for any added expenses on his way back from Jericho.

O.K, I know.  It was a story told by Jesus: Our neighbor is anyone in need, not just the family next door.

We don’t like being interrupted.  It’s much easier to cross to the other side of the road.  Much safer to not get “involved.”  I mean, we’ve got things to do!  And our time is often in short supply.

But what are we losing when we cross to the other side?  How many God-planned opportunities to do good do we miss?  And I don’t say “God-planned’ lightly:

“For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned before hand) for us, (taking  paths which He prepared ahead of time) that we should walk in them – living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live.”  (Eph. 2:10 TAB)

Years ago I worked for the Fixed Base Operation (FBO) at a local airport.  We were up front with all the action: radios blaring with messages from pilots of incoming aircraft, orders for fuel and other services we provided, and the time they would arrive.  And, then, there was the sound of jet engines ramping up outside our door.  We had a comfortable pilot’s lounge, a working T.V. with movie videos, and plenty of coffee. Some of our customers, most of whom kept their private aircraft in our hangar, would come to our facility just to hang out.  Just to take in the action or talk to any of our personnel who were willing to lend an ear. 

One time, one such a man came to check out his arrangements for him, with his young son, to fly his aircraft out the next morning.  I knew the man and had often spoken with him.  But this time, I was soooo busy!  I decided to “hide” in my office and not approach him for conversation.  Plenty of time to talk with him on another occasion.  But, life is not predictable.  He and his boy flew out the next morning.  I never saw him again.  The plane went down and both he and his darling boy were killed.

Are we really so busy that we have no time for “interruption?”  No time to respond to the bidding of the Holy Spirit?  Are we so arrogant that we think there will always be another opportunity?   Our Lord likened the Holy Spirit to the wind.  I think I should arrange my schedules to allow time to follow the wind.

Connie

Walking this Way with you,

 

 

Food for the Needy Program

 

Pastor Coty writes:

Who knows the solution for Haiti. At least to reduce the misery.  One problem after another keeps coming and with each problem, misery is added to the people.

After the death of the President, you can read hopelessness on the faces of many of the people in Haiti.

It is true that the president wasn’t the solution to Haiti’s problems, but after he died, we see that the cycle of turmoil begin again.  

The already dire situation in Haiti has been compounded greatly by the earthquake in Southwestern Haiti. This has caused the country which was already on its knees, to completely fall.

All of the effort now is converging to the South in earthquake relief, causing the rest of the country, to suffer more and more, by neglect.  

The Food for the Needy Program is the biggest support that the poorest people in the Village of Cahess have.  

We are by necessity, adding more people to the list each month, because conditions in Haiti are not getting better, but are getting worse.  

It is because of the support of you, the Family and Friends of Coastal Haiti Mission, that the people in this program are able to survive.

 

Pastor Coty Joseph

 

On behalf of the people of the Village Cahess, The Board of Coastal Haiti Mission is very thankful for your financial support. 

Without this food, these people would be very hungry, possibly starving.

 

Dispelling the Darkness, Lighting Haitian Homes

 

Update

 

Pastor Coty received the box of lighting systems on September 1, 2021.

The next step is to select the families who will receive these systems. We will then train them in the care and use of these systems for maximum longevity. 

We also plan to make and install, mounting plates located in the various rooms of the homes. This will take advantage of the magnetic mounting bracket of the light, to facilitate the  moving of the light from room to room, without dropping and damaging it. 

Our plan is to have these systems operational in the next several weeks, so that we can provide you with a report, demonstrating their actual use in the next CHM Newsletter.

 

Ken Johansson

 

PROJECT  HISTORY

 

Because this lighting project is ongoing in time, it is our intention to keep to a minimum, information that is repetitive.  Therefore, we have made a separate document, consisting of the lighting project reports, which are located in the previous CHM Newsletters. This document lists the history of the home lighting project from its beginning.

The link which will connect you to this document is shown below.

Lighting Homes In Cahess

Also, this document can easily be found near the top of the Newsletter Tab on the CHM website www.coastalhaitimission.org

 

 

School Lunch Program

 

The fall term of the 2021 2022 school begins on Tuesday, September 21.

School attendance has increased this year. There will be 270 students and teachers, an increase of 42 students.

This means that at $0.50 per meal, we will need to provide $135.00 for each school day.

For a 20 school day month, we will need to provide $2,700.00

We will need additional school lunch sponsors to provide this quantity of lunches.

If you desire to help with the cost of feeding the school students and teachers, please send your donation to the address at the end of this newsletter, or if you prefer to make an “online donation,” please use our PayPal service, also at the end of this newsletter.

 

Hebrews 13: 16  ESV

Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. 

 

A promise to you from the scripture

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.

Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you.

I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.

Isaiah 41: 10

 

 Thank you Family and Friends of Coastal Haiti Mission, for all that you do to help the people in Cahess, Haiti. You are making a huge difference for these people.

Please remember, that CHM must continue to send our monthly commitment of $800 to carry on the ongoing CHM ministry in Cahess.

If you desire to help, please send your tax deductible check to our address and tell us how you want us to use your donation:

Coastal Haiti Mission

C/O Constance Goddard

3048 Spring Fancy Lane

Indian Trail, NC 28079

Or

For tax deductible “online donations”, please use our PayPal service. Also please designate how you want us to use your donation.

May the Lord our God, who knows your heart and sees your actions, grant you great joy as you serve Him. 

Connie, Esther, Pastor Coty, Carl, and Ken are very grateful for your sacrifice.

Ken Johansson CHM Newsletter Editor

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