Surveying the Damage in Haiti..... by David Bryan

Ben Feliz, Kirk Rising, Dr. Michael Plumley, and myself went to Haiti on February 13th to see firsthand the devastation and connect with Bishop Dorlean, National Overseer, and the people of Haiti. We were able to visit with Brother Dorlean and share with him the love and concern of the global church for Haiti in this time of crisis. The needs truly are overwhelming. The children and staff from our orphanage were to be moved to the temporary building constructed by the team from the Dominican Republic on February 15th. There are number of short term needs we are working on:

1. Erecting a fence/wall around this property
2. Beds/cots/mattresses for 42 females
3. Larger and sturdier tent for the older boys
4. Electricity source (either a generator or solar)

We met with a group of about 30 pastors and district leaders who gave detailed reports about the extent of damage and loss of life. District overseer of the Miragoane and Goave area, Pastor Jean Robert Joseph, noted that five (5) church buildings were destroyed, along with 52 homes of members. Pastor Diejuste Sainvems of the Cote de Fer district, reported that 12 members had perished in the quake, which also collapsed eight (8) churches, and 800 members' homes. Pierre Richard Mirand, overseer of the Leogane district, shared that the earthquake claimed the lives of another 12 members, and brought down five(5) church buildings, and thousands of homes. Pastor Cineus Orimane died, leaving a widow and four children. The Plaine Cul de Sac district also suffered the destruction of nine (9) churches and 58 members' homes. The Port-au-Prince district was hard hit with 176 casualties among our members,including 100 from the headquarters church, eight churches flattened and more than 1,000 homes destroyed. The final report from district overseer Lionel Chery of Jacmel, noted that members lost 30 homes and five church buildings were severely damaged. Obviously, the impact of this earthquake on our people has been overwhelming. All of Haiti has been profoundly impacted. Recovery and rebuilding will be costly in time, energy, skill, and money. We need your help to restore Haitit.