New Hope Community Church is currently organizing relief efforts for our brothers and sisters in Haiti. We will keep you posted as best we can, as communication is still difficult. Below is the most recent update of the situation.

Here's how you can donate:

Make your checks out to New Hope Community Church and put "Haiti Relief Fund" in the memo area. Either mail them to the church (6400 N.W. 31st. Ave, Fort Lauderdale, FL. 33309 954-971-3050) or drop them by the church office, or drop them in the offering plate on Sunday morning.

Latest News from Haiti-- 1/29/10

Brothers & Sisters:

I have just heard from Mitou Lucien, who is pastor Jephthe's wife. Once again, I have decided to pass the email on to you without editing, so you can hear of the situation directly from her. This is "big doings" for Mitou. She is very shy about her English and requires quite a bit of coaxing before she will talk or write in anything but Creole or French. I will tell her how well she has done.

And just one other editor's note. She tells us that pastor Jephthe has been taking aid into Delma 33 and Cite Soleil. Delma 33 was among the hardest hit neighborhoods, and Cite Soleil is a terrible slum where the poorest of the poor live and where aid from the large organizations has been slow because of the danger involved and the need for armed escorts.

Praise God that our relief efforts are making it into the hands of those who need it most.

Thanks you again for your faithfulness.

-pastor kirby

  Pastor Jepthe, Mitou, Dominique(left) and Abdiel Lucien in happier times.

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begin Mitou's email

Pastor Kirby,

Thank you for your prayers and supports, May God continue to bless you!

Update from Mitou Lucien sent on January 26, 2010:

Since the earthquake, Jephthe have made 9 trips to Port-au-Prince (not including trips that the drivers have made without Jephthe).  Although he has been trying very hard not to go to P-a-p himself to focus on other ministry responsibilities this is a very hard task.  Last night, he looked so tired, so I had to ask him not to go on Tuesday has planned.  Even Dodo (Dominique is Jephthe’s oldest son) saw that his dad was tired and asked him not to leave today.    Since Jephthe did not go to P-a-P this morning, as a family we spent sometime in prayer.  This morning the pastor association of Pignon organized a service of prayer from 7AM –noon at the Jerusalem Baptist church (our church) and all the churches in the area participated.  Jephthe asked Ephraim (Ephraim is Jephthe’s brother who is visiting from fort Lauderdale)to go to P-a-P with Mike and John who are from BH and they distributed 50 bags of rice and water in Delma 33 and Cite Soleil.  Other organizations have not started distributing food in those areas as of now.  When they are returning to Pignon, they brought more people from the area who wants to return to their countryside since all of their belongings have been destroy in P-a-P.  Tomorrow, Jephthe plan on going to Port to bring more food and water to the people in other area where other organizations are not operating.

We have a 6 year old boy in the hospital that is from Lavictor.  Both of his legs are broken and his mother is lying in the bed next to him with broken arms.  The father seats in the middle of the mom and the boy feeling helpless and don’t know what do to.  Please keep this family in your prayers.

I am not sure if you heard, but, on Saturday they found a 22 year old boy in a building near the palace and he was alive.  The man said he did not have any water near him and the only reason he survived is because he continued to drink his own urine.  Everyone think this is a miraculous story to find someone alive 12 days after the earthquake.

Another thing I want to share with you is that I have a classmate whom I went from 6 grade to 13 grade with.  Her husband went to a meeting at Hotel Montana the day of the earthquake.  Yesterday they pulled him under the rubbles and this morning they had his funeral service for him. This man left his wife with 2 young children (a 5 year old boy and a 3 year old girl).  I know you are praying for the country and the ministry, but please add my friend and her children in your prayer list.  She truly feel discourage and desolate and do not know what do.

Update from Mitou Lucien sent on January 28, 2010:

Jephthe goes to Port-Au-Prince (PAP) every two days and always bring food, water and money with him.  In addition to distributing water and food to random people of needs who are in areas where other organizations are not operating in PAP, he always brings food, water and money to pastors in the areas that he knows.  These pastors are using the supplies that Jephthe provides to help people from their congregations.   Jephthe talks/interview the pastors to assess what their needs are and how he can help them and their congregations.  Jephthe support these pastors both physically and psychologically however he can.  When Jephthe is returning to Pignon, he always has additional cars with him to help load people from PAP back to Pignon or surrounding towns.  The least amount of people Jephthe would have in his combine cars would be 20.  People in PAP are sleeping on the street which is a very deplorable condition because majority of the houses have crumbled as a result of the earthquake.  Many of the house that did not crumbled down are cracked therefore people are afraid to sleep in the houses.  The houses that are cracked people are afraid that they will tumble down as a result of aftershocks.  I cannot begin to tell you how sad the situation is here. 

For example I have Christiane (she is Jephthe’s cousin who lived in PAP) who always says with Jephthe and me whenever she visits Pignon.  This is the first time she has not stay with us because she has developed a phobia of level houses.   Christiane is seven months pregnant and got hurt in the earthquake.  She lost her house and all of her belonging in the earthquake and had to return to Pignon.

As a result of what is going on, we had to open a counseling center where we have qualified pastors and psychologist proving counseling to those who need it.  Some people who come truly are in need for medical treatment therefore we refer them to the hospital.  Many are truly traumatize therefore we treat them to the best of our abilities and set reoccurring appointment with them so they have the opportunity to speak to someone about what has happened to them.  Those who are hungry, we feed them.  Those who lost everything, we give them clothes and we provide them a place to stay if they do not have anywhere to go. 

Actually I can tell you the population in Pignon has doubled if not tripled since the earthquake.    Every family has at least 2 additional people staying with them.  Many of these families who are hosting extended family could barely take care of their own immediate family therefore it is a strain for them to feed the additional mouths. We provide food to those who need it as much as we can.  I am telling you the situation is truly terrible for the country.  Those people in PAP who do not have family in the countryside end up staying in the city and many are sleeping on the streets of PAP without food and water to survive. 

Please continue to pray for the country and the people of Haiti there are so many people who are thirsty and hungry and are inconsolable.   Many people survived the quake and are dying due to lack of first aid or medical attention.  For example, there is a 16 year old that they brought to the hospital with a broken leg.  Since in PAP they gave him first aid however before temporarily sowing and wrapping his leg the person who took care of him did not clean the wound.  By the time he was transported to the hospital in Pignon and saw a doctor the foot had already became infected and they had to amputate the boy foot from the hip bone down. 

This young kid is inconsolable and continues to cry every time he sees his leg.   He is very unstable physically and the doctors are not sure if he will make it.  Please pray for him. 

We just have 20 additional people that arrived today at my house and we will need to find space to put them.  There was an old woman who had a stroke and paralyze on one side prior to the earthquake.  She was in her wheelchair during the quake and a block of cement hit her on her good side and she is truly hurt.   We have a nurse that come and clean her wound daily, but she is in a lot of pain.  Please pray for her also.

I want to thank all of our friends who think of us and support us which in turn allow us to help others.  I pray that God will continue pour His blessing on each of you for your generosity.

Thanks,

Mitou Lucien