Ekip Kreol - Helping the plight of the Haitian people in Haiti and the Dominician Republic

Haiti and the Dominican Republic share the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean. The second largest island of the Greater Antilles, Hispaniola lies west of Puerto Rico and east of Cuba and Jamaica. Its western third is the nation of Haiti, and Eastern two thirds is the nation of the Dominican Republic, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are occupied by two countries.

Haiti is a country caught in a time lapse, being the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. It is the only nation to win its own independence from slavery. Haiti has a violent history with frustrations that surface in the form of violence even today. The education level is between second and third grade. Estimates are that Haitians make from $200 to $400 per family per year, with supplies and food costing as much and more than in the United States. Jobs are very rare, with hundreds of people for each available job. Infant mortality is extremely high, so Haitians have many children, hoping that some will make it to be adults in order to have someone to take care of them in their old age. Tuberculosis, AIDS, Malaria, and Typhoid take the lives of people of all ages. Malnutrition is prevalent with most people

There is an estimate of more than 2,000,000 Haitians of either transient workers or individuals who have settled in the Dominican Republic, looking for work and a better way of life. Generally, they take the basest jobs, doing whatever they are able at a minimum salary, and are employed for the majority of unskilled jobs. Haitians are often mistrusted and live with prejudice. Some live in worse housing conditions that they did in Haiti, trying to make enough money to live and if there is any left over, to send back to family in Haiti. Language barriers due to not speaking Spanish well or due to accent can also contribute to misunderstandings and prejudices. Haitians generally live in communities of Haitians and often live in groups, depending where they came from in Haiti. The Dominican Republic was under Haitian rule at one time, which is a major contributor to prejudices against Haitians in the Dominican Republic.

To help with Haiti Earthquake Relief, please email haitiresponse@imb.org or visit http://www.baptistglobalresponse.com

News Update

Friday, February 3, 2012

Since January 12, 2010, our lives have been given over to God's work in Haiti for "Rebuild Haiti" after the 7.0-magnitude quake. Southern Baptists have given over $11 million and volunteered countless hours to help Haitians recover. At first, aid workers focused on pressing needs that would witness to the love of Christ, but they also sought long-term solutions to help Haitians break the cycle of extreme poverty. A housing project constructed about 2,800 houses in 30 communities. Thank God for the many who have discovered new lives through the love of Christ.

We arrived back in Santiago, Dominican Republic Christmas Eve. We are here again, working with Haitians until we go on our final stateside assignment (used to be furlough) in November of this year. We are working in a Spanish speaking country with the 2 million Haitians who are here. It has been good to touch base with friends from both cultures and try to re-adjust to the multiple languages -- again. We want to be encouragers above all. Pray for us to see the places God would have us work and help us plug in with His vision for the time that we are here.

One of the many, many stories: An old woman with Diabetes was injured to the point of infection and most likely would lose her leg or her life. Southern Baptists on multiple teams - many not medical people, prayed for her, took care of her wounds, and showed love to her over a period of many months. She is alive and well - and lively. The wounds healed - miraculously - absolutely - and completely. She has a new little house to keep her dry when the rain and wind comes. She is thankful and she praises God for God's pe ople's touch in her life.

Tinana is continuing homeschooling for this year, since we already had the materials. She is in 7th grade and will begin next year at Santiago Christian School before our move to Pensacola in the fall.

We have just come through the toughest and best two years of our lives and we want to thank all of you who have lifted us and our work in prayer. We couldn't have done it without you. You prayed and God listened. We have been blessed to have many of you work alongside us and there are other prayer warriors that we may never see your faces until we sit at Jesus' feet together, but each of you are so appreciated.

Pray for us as we make plans for the coming months' work.
Pray for us as we go through more transitions.
Pray for us as we begin to make plans for our talks in churches and in conferences in the states.

Blessings to each of you,
Sam and Delores
IMB missionaries serving once again in the D.R.

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

The time has come to say goodbyes to Haiti once again and head back to Santiago, Dominican Republic, to finish work started there. It has been almost two years since we left there and many things have changed.
We plan to cross the border Friday, so please be praying for the Holy Spirit to prepare the way and soften the hearts at the border.

Pray for us as we transition again and start again.

Pray for all those we leave behind - many have received help and are so grateful, but many others are still suffering.

Pray for Pamela Foster, who is planning on returning to Bon Repos Orphanage to live with them and marry the pastor there. She will have a transition into a different culture and language and needs lots of prayer support for wisdom on how to keep 70 kids fed, healthy, and educated.

Pray for Tawanna, who is also praying about the Lord's call to work with Alex's House on a permanent basis.

Pray for the little church start in Bon Repos that is about ready to meet in a new location where they will have five years free rent.

Pray for Damien and Bigarad, as they proclaim what God has done for them.

God has been busy blessing and we need your prayers to ask Him to lead us into the next year of work with Haitians before we head back for our final stateside assignment in November next year.

We wish you all a very Spirit filled Christmas and a Happy New Year. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your prayer support and encouragements. Thanks for holding the ropes - you prayed and God responded.

Sam and Delores York
samdelores@aol.com

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

“The Lord’s right hand is lifted high; the Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!” (Psalm 118:16, NIV)

Dear Faithful Intercessors,

God has heard and powerfully answered your prayers for the recovery work in Haiti. Since the January 2010 earthquake many, including a Voodoo priest and priestess, have come to faith in Jesus. Churches have been encouraged and strengthened. New Bible study groups and churches have formed. Medical volunteers have ministered to the physically hurting and emotionally suffering.

Orphans received much-needed clothing from women’s sewing groups in more than 25 churches representing 13 states. Volunteers and missionaries organized a mini-farm that included 100 chickens and planted trees to supply food to help one orphanage become self-supporting. Funds were provided to repair major damages to school buildings and to purchase desks, benches, and blackboards for children’s classrooms.

Almost 1,750 homes have been constructed by volunteer workers and their Haitian partners. The wonderful news is that 1,750 houses built translates into 1,750 families now living in permanent and secure houses rather than in tents or temporary shelters. If only you could see the smiles and hear the words of gratitude from the Haitian people. They will forever remember what Southern Baptists have done to help them following unimaginable grief and loss.

God has used your prayers to encourage missionaries and volunteers in their work. International Mission Board (IMB) missionaries Sam and Delores York have been strengthened by your prayers. Retired missionaries and IMB personnel transferring from other countries in the region to serve with the Yorks experienced the power of your prayers. God answered your prayers enabling thousands of U.S. volunteers, including Caribbean nationals, to give sacrificially of their finances and to tirelessly complete their construction work while enduring rugged conditions and intense heat.

Even with all that has been accomplished, physical and spiritual needs remain in Haiti. According to Baptist Global Response (BGR), work in Haiti is close to their initial target goals and with the exhaustion of funds designated for work in Haiti, BGR will soon focus its efforts in other critical areas of the world. While a large part of many hearts remain in Haiti, BGR will soon move to other locations where they can maximize their resources for the lost living in the least evangelized areas of the world.

At the time of the earthquake, Sam and Delores York were serving among Haitians living in the Dominican Republic (DR). They immediately relocated in Haiti and began the recovery work under direction of the IMB and BGR. The Yorks will relocate back in the DR in January 2012 to resume their evangelism work with Haitians living in the DR. Their pre-retirement stateside assignment (formerly furlough) with the IMB will begin August 2012.

· Give praise to God for all He has accomplished in Haiti through your prayers and labor of His people.
· Intercede for Haitian pastors and churches to receive the Lord’s strength as they serve and proclaim His name.
· Pray that Haitians who benefitted will live a life of gratitude to God for His outpouring of love and provisions.
· Pray that new believers will grow spiritually and that churches will multiply and be bold witnesses throughout that land.

Charlotte Davis

Friday, September 23, 2011

“May the peoples praise You, O God; may all the peoples praise You.” Psalm 67:3

Dear Faithful Intercessors,

What a day of rejoicing there will be in Haiti Saturday, September 24th when Baptist churches in Haiti will gather in one location for a day of worship and testimonies to give praise to God for His mercy to them in the many months since the January 2010 earthquake. These churches will remember pastors or leaders that died in the disaster. They will recall the destruction of church buildings and homes. They will stand and declare the marvelous grace of their Lord and His comfort and provisions given generously in their time of indescribable grief and loss.

· Pray this service of praise and thanksgiving will bring healing and hope to churches, their leaders, and families and the people will respond in an unwavering commitment to serve the Lord.

· Pray that the “praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, His power, and the wonders He has done” will be a testimony to the children and to generations to come (Psalm 78:4).

· Pray that their voices of praise and gratefulness will be a witness to communities and their nation and that God will open the hearts of unbelievers to acknowledge the eternal faithfulness and goodness of the Lord.

Charlotte Davis
Stateside Prayer Advocate for Haiti Earthquake Recovery

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

”The law from Your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold.” (Psalm 119:72, NIV)

Dear Faithful Intercessors,

A volunteer team from Kentucky worked recently in Haiti at three house construction sites in over 100-degree heat putting up trusses, gutters, and doors. These willing-to-do whatever-needed workers were eager to serve. At lunch and break times they took time to play with the children and develop relationships with Haitian adults. The team brought with them evangelism soccer balls on which Bible verses were written in Creole. The children eagerly accepted the balls, but much to the worker’s amazement, the children would not play with them. Rather than putting the balls on the ground and kicking them in a game of soccer, the children wanted to put them in a secure place in their house because they had the Word of God written on them! Some adults asked if they could have a soccer ball. When one Haitian lady almost dropped her soccer ball, she scrambled to make sure it did not fall in the dirt.

· Give thanks to God for the generous gifts of volunteers that give a witness of God’s love and capture the attention and hearts of the Haitian people.
· Pray that the Haitian people’s respect for God’s Word will permeate their hearts and help them to understand and surrender to the One True God.
· Pray that the soccer balls securely placed in homes will not be hidden from eyes but rather be openly displayed and serve as a reminder of life-changing Truths.

Charlotte Davis
Stateside Prayer Advocate for Haiti Earthquake Recovery

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

"Ascribe to the Lord, O families of nations, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name." Psalm 96:7, 8

Dear Faithful Intercessors,

Thank you for praying for the Haitian people as Hurricane Irene approached their country. Once again God has shown great mercy to the people of Hispaniola (Dominican Republic & Haiti) as the hurricane traveled along the northern coast sparing many lives from areas of greater population and particularly in the Port-au-Prince where hundreds of thousands earthquake victims still live in multiple tent cities. There were high winds and some flooding in northern Haiti from heavy rainfall; however, even the rainfall seems to be considered less than expected in Haiti. This is another blessing to the people since it seems that they have escaped the major mudslides and deaths associated with tropical storms and hurricanes, so common to Haiti.

-Give praise to God for His mercy to the Haitian people.
-Pray that they will recognize God’s protection.
-Pray that they will desire to receive His love through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Charlotte Davis
Stateside Prayer Advocate for Haiti

Monday, August 22, 2011

"We wait in hope for the Lord; He is our help and our shield." Psalm 33:20
Dear Faithful Intercessors,

Once again, we urge you to pray for the people of Haiti as they await the storm that is projected to reach their land by Monday or Tuesday. National Weather Center forecasters report that Tropical Storm Irene is passing throught the Leeward Islands and expected to move into the northeastern Caribbean Sea bringing tropical storm conditions, including 4 to 7 inches of rain Sunday afternoon to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Hurricane conditions are possible over the Dominican Republic and Haiti by late Monday or early Tuesday morning dumping from 6-10 inches of rainfall across across Hispaniola and as much as 20 inches in some areas. Government red-alert warnings are going out to the people to be prepared for the impending weather.

· Pray asking God to redirect the storm to prevent floods and mulslides and ultimately deaths in a coumtry already burdened with great suffering.

· Pray for God's hand of protection on the people.

Pray also for a volunteer worker who fell early this morning and sustained a fractured ankle. Emergency treatment was received and a temporary cast placed on the ankle to enable the worker to return to the U.S. For more extensive treatment. The worker is scheduled to depart Port-au-Prince Monday mid-afternoon.

· Pray for the worker's inner peace, rest, and comfort in these hours awaiting departure.

· Pray that the storm will not cause the flight to be cancelled or delayed.

Charlotte Davis
Stateside Prayer Advocate for Haiti