Update on Haiti Earthquake and Living Hope Ministries Haiti

by Betty Bell

Mission staff are all okay. Praise the Lord!  The mission sustained minor structural damage.  The quake came after school dismissal.  Families of students and some teachers/students may be hurt or worse.  With communications down, they can't notify each other.  The epicenter was close to the mission and the mission was undergoing a second story construction project when the quake hit.  I saw part of the presidential palace in ruins on the TV.  We passed it on the way to and from the mission.  I will insert a few paragraphs below from a member of the mission board. I received them via e-mail  earlier this evening.  A work team is scheduled to go in on February 2nd.  We'll get photos when they return after the 16th (if the team can even go on the trip as planned).

"As you know by now, Haiti was hit by a magnitude 7.0 earthquake about 5pm EST this evening, 1-12-10. Many of you have contacted us with your concerns and prayer support. At this early stage, we do not have any information about Andris, Mary Jane and Living Hope. We anticipate that it may be a while before we get any news.  Phone circuits are jammed and electronic communications are difficult and may be that way for days. We do know from the news reports that the epicenter was a few miles from LHM. If you are watching the news reports, you will see Carrefour on the map west of Port-au-Prince.  LHM is a couple miles further west of Carrefour.

Please keep Mary Jane, Andris, the Zion church Haiti congregation, LHM students and all the people of Haiti in your prayers. We will send out updates when more information is available. We know that God, the Creator of the universe, is in control of every situation.

Mark Breading"  (8:30 pm, 1-12-10)

I was just able to talk to Mary Jane and they are all okay. God miraculously protected LHM in the midst of this devastating earthquake. I count it as God's intervention that I was even able to get through via phone, even though it was for only a minute. Their concerns now are for the many aftershocks that are occurring, the people in the surrounding area and the nation of Haiti. They may have sustained some minor structural damage but will make a more complete assessment tomorrow. As more news and needs become known we will communicate them to you.

Mark Breading ( 11:31 PM, 1-12-10)

Many of you have asked how to help in this terrible humanitarian disaster. The attached sheet describes how Living Hope Ministries plans to use contributions for the benefit of Haiti and provides instructions on how to make contributions of goods or money.  Please feel free to forward this to others and/or contact me.

Mark Breading
614-436-8077
visit http://www.livinghopehaiti.org  to learn about Living Hope Ministries in Haiti

Living Hope Ministries in Haiti Helping Haiti Recover

Living Hope Ministries (LMH) in Haiti is a Christian mission organization near Carrefour, Haiti that operates a primary school, trade school, entrepreneurship program and church. Living Hope (LHM) is about 2 miles from the epicenter of the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that hit Haiti on January 12. God has providentially protected LHM in the midst of the devastation so the mission will have a large role in the coming months in sharing God’s love in word and in action.

There are 3 primary ways you can directly help the people of Haiti – prayer, financial contributions and donation of material goods. One hundred percent of all contributions of money or goods will go to Haiti. In addition, the money contributed will help provide jobs and income to the local Haitian staff (40 people) and Haitian construction workers who will be hired for repair and construction of buildings on the LHM campus.

Financial Contributions

Financial contributions will be used for purchasing food and supplies in Haiti for both the mission and for helping the local community. They will also be used for building repairs.  Contributions may be made via check, credit card, or electronic methods.

Checks may be sent to:
Living Hope Ministries in Haiti, PO Box 28366, Columbus, Ohio 43228

Credit card or ACH deposits may be made at www.livinghopehaiti.org via the e-giving selection (both one-time and recurring donations accepted)

Computer Supplies (school and trade school)

·        Laptops, wireless cards, external hard drives

·        Ink cartridges – HP15, 17, 78. Epson 26, 600, 601, 602, 603, 604

·         Xerox photocopier XC825 & XC2675 (toners and drums)

·        Writable CDs, USB flash drives

·        Flashlights and batteries

Primary School / Trade School

·        Tablets, pencils, blue pens, crayons, markers

·        Play dough, finger paints

·        Spoons

·        Chalk and erasers

·        Art supplies – paints (oil, water, acrylics), canvas

·        Cooking supplies – sm/med sauce pans, large cans of baking powder/soda, yeast, and cocoa, raisins, nuts

For further questions, please contact Mark Breading at
mabread@gmail.com or 614-562-8310

 

Check www.livinghopehaiti.org for periodic updates on LHM and Haiti

Medical & Sanitary Supplies

·        Hand sanitizer

·        Gauze, tape and Band-Aids

·        Alcohol wipes

·        Boxes of disposable vinyl gloves

·        Neosporin, Tylenol, Motrin (generics ok)

·        Shampoo, soap, other toiletries

Food Staples & Clothing

·        Peanut butter

·        Non-fat dry milk (powdered)

·        Canned salmon and tuna

·        Pasta and pasta sides in foil bags

·        Jello and pudding mixes

·        Shoes· & socks

·        Underwear, diapers

Contributions of Goods

Items that will be difficult to obtain in Haiti will be shipped to LHM. Donations to help cover shipping costs will also be needed.  There are several methods of shipping and we will be determining the best ways to get various items to Haiti over the next few months. In the meantime, please consider drives or projects to collect these items.