hello- from haiti

I left our chilly Quito apartment at 3:45 AM on Thursday morning. After the normal day of travel, first to Miami, then landing in Port au Prince Haiti, we met our smiling host amidst a crumbling pile of what used to be an airport. Right now it is a maze of temporary air conditioned glass and steel corridors, and corrugated steel sheets that hide the broken glass and drooping concrete, ending in an ancient warehouse that you could call a baggage claim area, with wooden immigration kiosks that honestly must have come from an old court show like Perry Mason or something.

These desks are shoved around with no pattern of traffic flow, and beyond this there is a receiving line of smiling Haitians wanting to drive you, help you, or carry your bags for you. (how do you say no-thank you in French Creole?) The warm dusty air burned my nose and made me cough as we rode, or really as we shook and bounced our way toward the QCS (Quisqueya Christian School). I have been in some poor places before, but even two years after the earthquake that rocked this island it is still humbling to feel and see conditions here. People, who are formed in the image of God and designed for the glory of God, are living in tents or in boxes made of tarp and tin as they scrounge up what they can to share or cook or sell.

I will give more details soon, but suffice to say that it has been an eye opener in several ways, especially to see the current situation that so many are facing. Some progress, yes, but a long way to go!

We were able to walk thru the campus of QCS here with the director, and to hear of not only how it served as an amazing base for humanitarian relief after the quake, but how there are neighbors in the streets here who saw Christ displayed through the Christians that work at the school and have since believed the gospel because of it. Imagine eternal impact in people because of an humble, dusty, Christian school campus here in the city. Just to be honest, it felt a little like an Indiana Jones movie as we waited in front of the school gate while dozens of Haitians walked by our car, staring at us, and offering to sell us anything they had in hand until the school gate finally opened and we drove in.

More info later about this, but let it suffice to say we thank God right now for the people that are serving the world in this difficult context. Since I have been here, I have seen hope and despair in the same 100 yard stretch, with untouched houses next to 5 story buildings that are still a sandwich of rubble today, and I have seen the road that leads to the mass grave where maybe as many as 200,000 people are buried on the outskirts of town, all of whom were killed in the quake, but I also have seen some incredible work by gospel-believing Christians that is at least helping people have water, and food, and covering. However, the adversary would be completely satisfied with well-fed, clean, educated Haitian people that have no gospel. So there is much work to be done. More later about this time here. Please pray for the lord to sustain Vickie and the kids while I am gone from Quito, pray for healing for my Dad back in the US, pray for my friend from Ecuador named Patrick who represents parents from our school, and for our school director Dr. Wells while we seek to encourage these co-laborers here and to have insight for coming alongside brothers and sisters here for the gospel’s sake. 

Blessings!

Chris