Food/etc. containers: Unbelievably we still have 28 containers stuck at Port Lafito, Haiti. The port is still closed! The port is completely full of everyone’s containers. The gangs on the road make it too dangerous to even try to pick up the 40-foot containers, plus the customs officials can’t even come to work. Late fees are $70 per day, per container, now for at least 3 months. Plus, all kinds of other government fees on top of that. I have not heard anything from the HHN Humanitarian Assistance Program. Don’t know if we ever will. Hoping and praying we will. I have been really disheartened, depressed, and very sad. This has taken something out of Sherry and me. The hunger of the children and the hardships of the little Haitian families is “beyond thinkable”. The gangs are destroying the little street vendor’s businesses from selling. Hundreds of all types of businesses have closed all over Haiti. With kidnapping higher than it’s ever been, robbing, shooting, killing, and raping of women… how can the Haitian people function? Thousands of people have been displaced from their homes. Without intervention from some countries, Haiti cannot continue like this. Please pray…
Positive note: We have two buildings under construction to be used for future teams coming to volunteer and work for a week or more at a time. Thank you, Pastor Mark Ostrander and our great Haitian construction dream team. We believe this storm will pass over and the Lord will give total victory to the Haitian people. Be ready to pack your bags and come to Haiti after the gangs have been cleaned up!
Solar: With all the fuel problems in Haiti now and in the past, we still do not have diesel fuel in Fond Parisien to operate Love A Child. We are having to purchase black-market diesel by the Dominican border to keep our huge two generators running, supplying power to the Birthing Center, Jesus Healing Center, Malnutrition Center, Children’s Home, plus many more buildings. We have plans for 4 stages of solar power to be installed. The first stage will cost $566,720. Good news! This money was pledged on Friday from a family and will be sent in! We have $130,000 of solar money in the bank that we have been saving, from different friends. We have 3 stages left to be installed costing between $250,000 and $350,000 each. By faith, the money will come. We won’t be in the dark… Jesus is the light!
After our board meeting this week, the next day we will fly into Santo Domingo, then drive several hours into Haiti. It’s very discouraging that we just can’t fly into Port-au-Prince Airport. The last time we tried this, the gangs shot 4 feet away from our vehicle, with two different people blasting us with shotguns. (PTL we have a bulletproof vehicle!) The gang kidnapped our driver but released him by a miracle when they found out who we were. We are still shaken up from this.
I spoke from my heart today. Thank you for your prayers and support. Due to inflation in America, our funds have dropped around 30%. When we bless the poor and remember others, the Lord will remember us… Psalms 41: 1-3
We love you and thank you for everything. Jesus has never failed you and us yet!!
Bobby Burnette