“Commit your works to the Lord,

And your plans will be established.”  Prov. 16:3

My trip to Haiti in January was full of plans.  After arriving in Port au Prince on the 10th, I began preparations for the team scheduled to arrive on Monday.  I was looking forward to my children and some of my grandchildren joining me on the weekend for a trip to LaGonave to visit the schools and distribute food.  Everything was falling into place nicely until shortly after 5:00 pm on Tuesday, January 10th when the earthquake struck.  In the twinkling of an eye, all our plans changed and immediate needs took priority; injured to be treated, rubble to be cleared, dead to be buried.  The entire trip was cut short by military evacuation on January 15th.   

After returning home and attempting to process all that had happened, I knew I must return and give whatever help I could.  Two weeks later my son Ben and I were headed for the Dominican Republic to drive overland to Haiti.  We were headed to be of help to Charles Amicy in Mesaillier and then to LaGonave to check on our children there.   Shortly after the quake we had instructed Dumerle St. Jean, our right hand man on LaGonave, to go ahead and distribute the food since our family would not be able to come at this time.  That task already accomplished, Ben and I would basically be checking on the welfare of the children and their families. 

We found that the force of the quake was not nearly as fierce on LaGonave as on the Mainland.  Many families whose houses are constructed of palm and mud had lost their homes, but there had not been loss of life on the island.  We were most grateful for that.  The biggest problem  for the people of LaGonave was getting food.  Most food is supplied to the island from the mainland and with the chaos along with spotty and inefficient food distribution there, little was trickling to the island.   How wonderful that in God’s providence the food had already been purchased by Dumerle before the quake and was ready to be delivered to them.

Reports from the island are that food is still the main issue for them.  Thanks to the generosity of Trinity Grace Church in NW Arkansas, Ben along with his Pastor, Chris Miller and fellow church member, Greg Billingsley will return to Haiti on March 5 where they will again distribute food to the church/school families.

Truly our plans are often interrupted, but the works of our Lord are always accomplished.   Praise be to His holy name.