September was a difficult month

Gonaives Haiti Flood 2008

September was a hard month in Gonaives Haiti for Luc Joseph and his family as well as 25 Orphan children living in Christ Compassion Orphanage. The hardships continues but here is a little of what happened in their lives, what was happening in your life during that time?

September 1st 7:00am God tells Luc Joseph to go to the rented property for Christ Compassion Orphanage and bring all 25 Children to his house. No known or specific reason, only go to get children not a routine happening.

September 1st it started to rain about 2:00pm but by 10:00pm the city was under siege by flood waters.

September 1st by 10pm they had to evacuate the house and flee with all the children to the top of the 3 story building behind them that was under construction.

September 2nd by morning they could not see the top of the house they lived in next to the building they fled to, it was completely under water.

Sept 3rd still on the roof no food no water.

September 4th finally able to leave the top of the building where they had been stranded, and walked in water for 2 or 3 kilometers to mission house under construction.

Everything of value lost, in the families rental house was full of mud, the rental house for the Orphanage full of mud almost everything gone including a building.

God knew that lives were in the balance, he told Luc go get the children, Luc obeyed, not knowing why, only that he need to do what God instructed him to do.

For more than 2 weeks the only thing they had to eat was what they could salvage from the flood waters, most notably was banana from the trees that had been washed away from the hills above the city. The only clean water to drink was rain water.

By the 10th a Catholic priest gave Luc some bread that they could eat.

By the 24th Western Union Gonaives was open, and we were able to send money for buying food.

By the 29th we were able to deliver a substantial amount of money and he Luc was able to buy food in Saint Marc.

For the first time they had enough food to meet their daily needs.

Over the very difficult month of September, God had told Luc what he needed to do, and he was faithful to do it.

Although it was very difficult, and they are all alive but still living in a bad situation as of the 17th of October, in an unfinished mission house with 25 children, plus his family, plus other people who help with the children, they are all alive.

We are trying to get the mission house finished; I have delivered funds to Luc for drilling a well as well as some funds to continue work in order to complete the mission house.

But even when they have a well, and the mission house is finished, the problems will not be solved.

25 Orphan Children living in a house designed for 1 family and a few guest.

We need to purchase the land next to this house and build an Orphanage, school and church.

This is not a small project, but God loves these children, he saved them from certain death, and now we need to take the opportunity that God has given us to provide for these children, God does not want the present situation, with over 30 plus people living in a situation designed for, 10 people.

This project will cost an estimated $80,000 when completed, but to start with we need to purchase the land, at an estimated cost of $10,000 US.
Next we need to secure the property with walls, and then we need to build a building that will house a minimum of 30 children.

Can you turn your back on this situation? Scripture tells us to take care of the widows and orphans. These children need your help!

Luc was obedient and the children have survived, you and I need to be obedient also.

Max R Wright – WRI – Haiti Rep