I’m sitting here in Haiti this Sunday evening, with a sad heart for the people of Haiti. A major city you must go through to come here to Fond Parisien where we live is called “Croix des Bouquet.” Yesterday, the police and the gangs were shooting at each other for most of the day. The Papaya Gang are saying they control the city, it belongs to them. The chief of the Papaya Gang is saying now on Facebook and  YouTube, that no one is allowed to travel through Croix des Boquet tomorrow, or they will be shot! They are saying, “We control the city!” They are a very notorious gang. This is only one of the many gangs here in Haiti that control different areas. I had to call Pastor Mark Ostrander and tell him to cancel his flight here tomorrow.

Actually, the gangs are trying to take over the government of Haiti. They tried several days ago. Haiti has no leadership now. The government is in total shambles… kidnapping, shooting, robbing people, and the gangs are fighting each other. The normal Haitian people are not like this… very humble and hard-working, trying to make a living in the midst of all of this. Families and children are suffering unbelievably.

I see on the news, 15,000 Haitians are in Del Rio under the bridge, many having to sleep outside, just laying on the grass because of the masses of people. There is a journey of walking hundreds of miles, facing many dangers. Many lose their life on the way, trying to get into America. I’m so thankful Sherry and I are here at this time in history during Haiti’s struggles. We are letting the light of Jesus shine in the midst of darkness.

This week we have many food distributions in many areas. We pray for God’s protection on our workers. All our projects are going forward. Not slowing down! Soon we will be going into many areas giving our hundreds of tents to the earthquake victims. Getting there may be a problem, but with God’s help we will get there and the mission will be accomplished! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your prayers and financial support. Love is something you do.

Bobby and Sherry Burnette

God can and will use anyone who has a willing heart. The village of “Old Letant” has been a tough village to spread the Gospel but we are finally seeing the rewards of our labor!

We have been feeding these people each month on a regular basis for years. The food sponsored by our friends, has given us an open door. Our friend, David George, and his partners sponsored a church there and Love A Child sponsors the school. Their previous pastor, Pastor Sorell died some months ago, leaving the Church without a shepherd.

Our cameraman, Watson, and his wife, really felt a burden to help with the church on Sundays. It is unbelievable how the crowd has grown! There is a wonderful spirit in the church and even Voodoo people are coming!! It all started with a box of food and love!

Special thanks to all our partners for their prayers and for sponsoring food to come to us each month from Feed My Starving Children! This is an incredible miracle for this village where many practice Voodoo!

Sherry

How would you make it in life, if you were this mother, with all these children? Now, just imagine that your husband left you and went to the Dominican Republic? How would you survive? It’s almost unimaginable. This poor woman tries to find sticks to make charcoal, which takes several days. Sometimes, she may get a small job, washing clothes for a poor family but that pays nothing. I was in a village one day, talking to a mother, just her. She had “just sold” one of her children at the Border to a man for $50 U.S. That child will never go to school… he will become a slave, working in the sugarcane fields.

Much of Haiti’s problems are due to their culture. It is hard for a Haitian woman to take “Birth Control” because her husband wants to have more children! He never thinks about feeding them, only about bragging about how many children he has! We have seen this problem over, and over again. The man usually finds a younger girl and runs off with her.

All the girls in our orphanage say that they don’t want to marry a Haitian man because he will leave. I told them, “that is not true. If you find someone who puts the Lord first, he will take care of his family, according to the Bible.” Some of the stories we have heard and seen are far too sad to share, but they are a fact of the problems here in Haiti. Someone once said, “Well, I can’t feed everyone.” But, you don’t have to. Just do what you can and God will bless it!

Sherry

We wish to thank all of you for your prayers for Dieuferly, who is in Haiti now recovering from his ordeal of having those pins removed from his feet. And we wish to thank you for your prayers for Jasson (we call him Jackson), who is having severe kidney problems. Jackson’s problems were more complicated, seeing he is a child… Special thanks to Philemond, our driver, Joker, our mechanic (we take him on long trips in case we break down), and to Jesse Ostrander, son of Mark Ostrander, for filling in for Bobby and me. (I had that dental emergency and had to fly to the U.S.)

Text messages received from Jesse, Wednesday and Thursday:

• 11:12 a.m. Wed. “Finished poking and prodding. Jackson is a trouper. Had a blood test, urine test, and an ultrasound. I have an appointment with the radiologist at 9:00 a.m. to go over the ultrasound results. She is also reaching out to another Nephrologist in Haiti about a different kind of dialysis.”
• Thurs: 12:55 p.m. (regarding Jackson): “I finished with that doctor. I’m going to the pharmacy to pick up a special medicine she thinks will not be available in Haiti. And then I am going to try to talk to the people who are in charge of a program for peritoneal dialysis here (D.R). It is a special type of dialysis. But it is also good for children. Much better than the other kind (Haiti’s). He needs help. He is not in a good way right now…”
• 4:45 p.m. “Back at the hotel now. I bought some special medicine for him that I will either bring myself on Monday or get it to my dad to bring when he is coming. It needs to be injected daily. But I will fill you in later. I will try to put out all in an email.”
• 4:46 p.m. “Bottom line is he needs a transplant. But even while we are searching for one or doing research about getting one, he needs this special kind of dialysis. Will fill you in later.”
• “The bottom line is that Jackson will need a transplant and he will be on the list. They will contact us when they find this information.”
  Jesse Ostrander, Love A Child Missionary

We will be in touch with Jackson’s doctor from the D.R. and keep you updated on his condition…

On another note: Dieuferly, who had surgery on his bad clubfoot, is doing very well and back in Haiti!

With 85 children from our Love A Child Orphanage (Children’s Home), we have 8 that have some severe health problems. It is always a challenge to find a good doctor and the right follow-up. Sometimes, their doctor could be in a very dangerous area, and this makes it impossible to keep up with. We do our best and let God do the rest.

God bless you and thank you so much,
Sherry