“For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.”
— Isaiah 25:4
NEW HOMES FOR THE POOR
Housing for the poor in Haiti is often not much more than a mud hut, or layers of plastic, old clothing and whatever other scraps they can pull into a tent-like structure. Whatever they find to build a home, it is all they have. So when the earth rumbles or the hurricane winds rip across their land, they often lose everything.
Haiti is no stranger to wild natural disasters, from earthquakes and hurricanes to flooding and landslides. In 2017, we were able to build homes for many of the people who were victims of one of these disasters.
Rosemitha’s New Home
This is Rosemitha, a little girl from a poor village who had no hope. When we found her, she had taken a book from the garbage and was trying to read it. She lived in a ramshackle stone-hut with her mother and five siblings.
In the middle of the night, a terrible storm destroyed the little stone shack in which her family lived… And they lived in the rubble for over a year.
One of our friends began to sponsor Rosemitha, and she was able to go to school. Love A Child, along with David George and his partners were able to build a new house for Rosemita and her family. Wow, what a difference!
Haiti is an island nation in the Caribbean that has experienced many disasters in the last decade. Love A Child provides Disaster Relief to help improve the lives of Haitians who have lost everything because of natural disasters.
New Homes for People Living in the Cave – Fond Rouge
In October 2016, a Category 4 hurricane hit southern Haiti. It left deadly destruction and a massive loss of crops and animals. Hundreds of thousands of Haitians lost their home and all their possessions.
In early 2017, we learned from our dear friend Joel Trimble of the many families who lost everything and were living in caves up in the mountains. These families were near Jérémie, in southern Haiti, which was about a two-hour drive from Love A Child. They all lost their homes during the hurricane and then moved into these caves for shelter.
One hundred and sixty people were living in terrible conditions. You had to crawl on your hands and knees or stoop low and “squat walk” in through the entrance, as it was so low. Bobby couldn’t bear looking at these poor families. We are so thankful for our friend, Joel Trimble, who shared with us the needs of these families, many with children, who were living in the caves in Fond Rouge. It has changed Bobby’s life forever!
We partnered with Joel and Yvonne Trimble by sending food, clothing, and water to those living in caves, but it was not enough. Women were having babies in the dark, damp cave. God expected more of us!
Life in the “cave” was horrible. Water leaked from the rocks, and there were snakes, bats, and scorpions. Of ALL THE places we have been, this broke Bobby’s heart more than any other place. Thank you for all your prayers, God used you to help us help these precious people. God bless you.
We wanted to build “each family” a small block home. We are so thankful to all of our partners and sponsors who donated the funds to build these poor people’s houses, which included materials, transportation, and labor.
We believed the Lord for at least 50 new houses… And look at what we have all done by working together! Throughout the summer, houses were being built in the Fond Rouge area, where most of these people originally lived before the hurricane.
God laid it upon our hearts to help feed these people and to build each family a house. Joel Trimble’s people worked very hard on this project, laying the block foundations, building and painting the houses.
Throughout the summer, the construction slowly moved ahead. We had a setback because of heavy rains in May. We continued sending food to these families, as they slowly struggled to get back their lives. They have broken our heart into pieces, especially the children.
We were able to send all the funds to Joel and Yvonne Trimble of “Haiti for Christ,” who managed this project. We love Joel and Yvonne, they have been our mentors here in Haiti for some time. We thank all the Haitians, Jonas, Kenel, and all the builders who worked seven days a week to finish this project.
More happy families moved into their new homes during the summer! They were all out of the cave! Thank you, to all our sponsors and partners for making this possible. You have saved many lives by your sacrifice. Love Is Something You Do!
As the families started to move into their new homes, we found they needed beds, tables, chairs, and other items to setup their new house. We have been working on getting each family the basic household items.
We want to thank all of you for your help in bringing hope to the poorest of the poor. Through your contributions, we were able to build these houses! The people of Fond Rouge are now living in their new homes. Because of you, these wonderful Haitians now have faith that God will show them better days.
New Orphanage – Madamn Adeline
When we first found Madamn Adeline, she was living in a shack and trying to care for 25 children in a run-down orphanage. This tented area was their church. Look at these precious children with our sweet team members and Madamn Adeline.
We found them in the village of Fond Michelle, Haiti. This building has been their orphanage for many years. Madamn Adeline was struggling to take care of the children with little food, a makeshift sleeping quarters for the children, a tarp-covered area that had the cook shack and place where they worshiped.
When she showed us the sleeping room for the orphans, it broke our hearts. Twenty-five children were sleeping in one big room with plywood beds and little else.
Madamn Adeline was raising and caring for 25 poor children under a church tarp. We prayed the Lord would speak to someone’s heart to sponsor a new church for this “Woman of God,” Madamn Adeline and her children!
Most of her children were living in a wooden hut, while others were sleeping under a ripped and tattered “stick church,” because she had run out of space. But first, with the help of some of God’s wonderful children, we were building a first-class, blessed home, and a beautiful orphanage! Thank you, Pastor Mark, for taking the first steps by preparing the foundation for a brand new home for the children! God bless all of our extraordinary friends and partners who have given towards Madamn Adeline’s prayers. She and her 25 orphans have been living in horrible conditions, but thanks to the prayers of her little children, God moved on the hearts of some Love A Child partners to raise the money. God is a good God!
As the construction of Madamn Adeline’s orphanage continued, the children were getting more excited about their new home in the mountains of Haiti. No more sleeping on a mud floor. Thank you, Dr. Pat, Debbie, and all your friends for the funds to build this beautiful home for the children. Thank you, Pastor Mark, Arthur, and the hard-working Haitian crew!! They were moving and shaking!
These little orphans under the care of Madamn Adeline were looking forward to living in a new orphanage. Their new home is much larger than the one-room shack where these children lived. Their new home will not have a dirt floor, and it will not leak during the “rainy season.” These children will finally have a clean and dry home. We thank Dr. Pat, the Click Family Foundation and other partners for sponsoring this project and we thank Pastor Mark Ostrander for overseeing the construction of this orphanage. Thank you, partners, for changing lives in the “regions beyond” in Haiti.
We want to thank one of our friends Annmarie Sargent for the wonderful box of goodies she sent to the children. They all loved the dresses and gifts! We give God all the Glory for this new orphanage!
Mark Ostrander, and Jean Eddy, along with Arthur Spalding, and more worked for weeks to build this new orphanage in Fond Michelle, which is hours away from our Love A Child Village. Our Haitian painters, and Elizier and his crew also worked many days, even through a Haitian holiday to get this orphanage finished!
Madamn Adeline had church, outside, on the porch, and her children couldn’t wait to move into their new home.
This lovely new orphanage was dedicated and prayed over about a week ago. The children and Madamn Adeline are so thankful for their new home.
More good news! We thank David George and his friends from California for supplying the money for a new church to be built next to Madamn Adeline’s new orphanage! One little orphan living there would start praying at 4 AM each morning that the Lord would give them a new church. They had church services under an old sheet and piece of plastic. God answers prayers! Look at these beautiful and happy children!
What a “miracle” in the middle of “nowhere!” All because a praying woman “went up on the mountain to pray” every Monday, that God would give them a home! Thank you, Lord! The Lord provided her a brand new orphanage through some of our partners, and soon they will also have a new church! God is good!! Thank you, Dr. Pat, Debbie, and all your friends for the dollars to build a beautiful home for the children. Thank you, Pastor Mark, Arthur, and the hard-working Haitian crew!! Thank you to our wonderful friends and partners! You have changed the lives of hundreds of people in 2017 year.
God will bless you for “considering the poor!” (Psalm 41:1-3) If you would like to speak directly to one of our staff members, please call 239-210-6107 or email us at info@lachaiti.org.
We look forward to 2018 and seeing all that God has intended for Love A Child. Thank you to our partners and sponsors who made all this happen in Haiti in 2017. God did so many great things that we want to share with all of you. You can view 2017 Year in Review – Part One, 2017 Year in Review – Part Two and 2017 Year in Review – Part Three of my journals.
God Bless You,
Sherry