Hurricane Matthew

Hurricane Matthew

South Haiti

The day before the hurricane I was driving through our village and my heart was breaking like never before. Seeing so many kids and their families in harm’s way, but not being able to convince them to prepare and leave their fragile homes.  The thought of returning after the storm, knowing many of them might die, knowing how scared the kids and helpless parents would feel in their last moments of life, it literally terrified me.

We were passed over, we dodged it. The joy I had seeing all of our friends and families come out unscathed was overwhelming, until, until the reports started flowing in from the south shore. It was devastated. The death toll keeps rising every day, reports coming in, livestock, cows, goats etc decimated by exposure. All the crops destroyed. Vast majority of homes completely destroyed. The terror began to flood my head again.

But what can we do? We have a commitment to over 1,000 kids and 40 staff.  Most of our kids depend on the meals we provide, our staff depends on their pay to take care of their families. We're a relationship ministry, not a humanitarian mission. We're just not equipped with the trucks or finances to deliver relief.  

After the hurricane had past and we reopened soccer, all of the kids from Sport Disciple starting pouring in smiling and laughing. When we finished practice and as I was praying for them, I couldn't help but think what if it was us that got devastated, would people come to help or would they say they're not equipped?

One of our security guards, Jean Louis, came distraught, his family in Port Salut lost everything, no homes, no gardens, nothing left but the clothes they were wearing...they all survived, which is most important, but now they were running out of the food their friends shared. Running out. No aid convoys or plane drops had arrived and no one knew when they would arrive. He immediately left with some money and a back pack filled with FMSC.  Once he got there he called us, worse than we thought.  No food, no water, no aid coming in, no shelter.

We felt helpless.  But Carrie reminded me about the Starfish story.

"There was an old man walking along the beach in the early morning after a big storm had passed their area in the night.  As he walked, he noticed thousands of starfish washed ashore from the storm, all slowing dying in the sun without the ability to get back out to sea.  As he walked he saw a little boy ahead in the distance.  The boy was reaching down and picking starfish up one by one and throwing them as far as he could back out into the water.  The old man approached him and said "don't waste your time, there are thousands of starfish out here, what you're doing doesn't even matter."  The little boy looked at him, bent over and picked up another starfish. Wound up and chucked it as far as he could and said "it matters to that one."

So we are going to do what we can with what we have. We have one vehicle, a Nissan Patrol, its 4 wheel drive and we're sending it to a hard to reach area. We packed it with 800lbs of rice, cooking oil, pasta, high calorie protein drinks, 50 jars of peanut butter, cases of crackers, water, dozens of bags of bread, charcoal for cooking, medical supplies, tarps, chlorine, soap etc...it's not going to help thousands, but it will help some and those "some" will stretch it and share with as many as they can. Two of our Haitian friends are making the trek, they know the area and can get there "somewhat incognito" so the delivery makes it. Please pray for their safety as they make this trip today and that God does some crazy good multiplication of supplies!

I don't know if this is the only trip we'll make, if it's something we'll do over and over. We personally know several people whose families have lost everything.  If we can acquire/borrow or rent a bigger truck we'll see about that too. We used funds we really don't have for the first trip of supplies but we know from experience God never runs out.  We hope mass amounts of aid convoys start moving. We know that people need to see what is happening. There's a desperate need, we don't want anyone to be forgotten. This is real and it's hard to wrap your mind around.

We are continuing to do the things that God has called us here to do and we are willing to be his vessel, using the resources he has given us responsibility over to help those in need. We are being prayerful in partnering with or directing donations to other organizations, making sure they're legit, effective and efficient.

Please keep praying for everyone who is suffering from this hurricane and those who are trying to reach them.

God Bless,

Barrett & Carrie

Rice & Water weigh a lot!  

Half way through packing, didn't stop to take a final pic, long drive & was rushing it..

Heading out, praying for safe travel & the supplies go exactly where needed, its not much, but it matters to someone.