BMAA generosity brings
homes and hope to those who have lost husbands, fathers, and what little they had in Haiti
Wid and ws rphans
French-speaking BMAA Missionary Mike Poirier and Canadian churches in St. Marie and Thetford Mines, Quebec, are leading BMAA relief efforts in Haiti, where French is also spoken. The following is an update on our most recent projects in that country following the earthquake in January 2010.
O
n arriving in Port-au-Prince I had the opportunity to see some people who had
received Christ on a previous visit. Even with so many needs I was glad to find them with a big smile on their face and their hearts overflowing with joy. Seeing them was one of the first things on my list. Another was a visit to Bethel
Baptist Church. The church building was severely damaged by the earth- quake. We were able to deliver some financial assistance to rebuild the walls. The pastorwas so excited to get started on the repairs. That task accomplished, the next job
was to find some land on which to build houses for some people we had come to know who were, like many thousands in Haiti, in desperate need of a place to live. Families displaced by the
4 O theGLEANER n November/December 2010 BY MIKE POIRIER, BMAA Missionary
earthquake have to move outside of the city where there are new development projects and usable land. It is very difficult for the people of Port-au-Prince to decide to move, but it must be done. Some plots of land were for sale at $500 each. We acquired three.We saw many of the places worst hit by the earthquake, with many bodies still trapped under the fallen buildings and mountains of rubble. One lady told of the loss of her husband, and I saw she was living with only a sheet of plastic for a roof and no walls. Knowing that so many like her have great needs, I had to stop and pray, asking God to give me wisdom to use our resources wisely. One company has stepped up to help
with the housing crisis by building pre-manufactured homes. We took a look at a model, then went inside the office to talk about the possibility of purchasing some. One-bedroom home: $2,160 plus shipping and assembly. Two-bedroom: $2,995. I purchased three houses, and I gave the one-bedroom house to the widow lady. Her pastor was so glad that he was shedding tears of joy as he received the news. At 8:00 a.m. the next day, we were on
our way to an orphanage. Getting there was extremely difficult due to the road conditions. Finally upon arriving, I met with a family that has taken in 55 children orphaned in the earthquake.
They sang some French Gospel songs for me. It was so beautiful! I asked the couple that takes care of them if they had any chairs for them, games, or toys of any kind and they said “no”. I asked them how they fed them, and they said, “Through the generosity of people we meet on the street, but they have not eaten today and probably will have nothing until tomorrow.” I was moved by the gravity of this cause and went home that night knowing that the next day I would be on a plane returning to a land of plenty. The next day at the airport in
Port-au-Prince one of the guards I spoke to was not saved and was telling me that his family was Christian but not him. I spoke with him for 10 minutes trying to persuade him to repent of his sin and to trust Christ, but with no success. I gave him the address of my pastor friend and discovered that the church was only a few blocks from where he lived. The Lord took care of the situation, and I went home that day praying that the Lord would protect them and somehow give them the courage to go on in life and trust Him for all their needs. Iwant to thank all of youwho
gave towards this trip. I dispersed themoney according to the needs of each family. The hardest thing to dowas to choosewhich ones to give to. n
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