Somewhere in McLoud, Oklahoma is a small church of about 70 people with a very big heart! We just heard that the McLoud First Assembly of God church there, along with Rev. Danny & Rev. Michelle Webb, has been raising money to sponsor a container of food for the children of Haiti. So far, this small church has raised $9,000 and they are now “at the finish line” to raise $10,000 to sponsor a 40-foot container of food- 272,000 meals! That takes “faith!”
They had seen the program, “Mud Cookies,” a heart-wrenching Love A Child program, that shows the conditions of the children in Haiti, making and “eating” mud cookies. Haitian children are involved in this process also, and so most of them who work “making cookies” cannot go to school. They must stay home and help their parents.
Due to the rising hunger in Haiti, the devaluation of the Haitian dollar, and the gangs in the streets (which have guns and block the roads), Haiti has been spiraling into a “starvation disaster” for some time. The Haitians make these “mud cookies” from underground caves where there is special “mud” on the walls of the cave. This is a very dangerous job because the caves often “fall in.” The special dirt or mud is loaded into large sacks and donkeys take it to villages to the people who make mud cookies. They make “mountains of mud cookies,” and sell them for pennies (gourdes). Trucks and motorcycles come and pick up the large sacks and then, “they go all over Haiti.”
We have learned that when a child is hungry if he eats a “mud cookie” and drinks a little water, the “mud” will swell in his stomach and create a feeling of “fullness.” Mothers give these to their children when there is no food, and pregnant women eat them too. However, they cause enormous health problems because they are not easily digested. There is no food value to them.
When we heard that this small church, with a “Big Heart”, has been raising money to sponsor a container of food, we just had tears in our eyes. What wonderful, sweet people that we have met!
God bless you, all of you, at McLoud First Assembly of God, for your step of faith! We will be waiting to hear the good report, that you have raised the full amount for all of those meals!! We have never met you, but you all must be some of the sweetest people!!
God bless you, and God bless all our partners, from the little widow’s mite to the large gifts. Thank you all with all our hearts!!!
On behalf of the children of Haiti, Bobby and Sherry Burnette