About the Earthquake In Haiti

Tuesday May 25th, 2010

Message from Keith Maddy
Representing Iglesias Bautistas Sirviendo a Haiti (Baptist Churches Churches Serving Haiti)
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Pastor Miguel Angel Castillo just called, so excited and overwhelmed with gratitude...

Praise the LORD Praise the LORD

for his mercy and power towards Haiti

....from the border and the customs location he tells us all that all of the containers we have been praying for have just entered Haiti. Man has not prevailed, but God has in his perfect timing! The containers with food, medicine, beds, mattresses, pre-engineered houses are on their way to the predetermined, Christian-based and managed destinations. A thousand thanks for your effectual, fervent prayers which have accomplished much! We hope to be in this work for at least 10 more years as the Lord allows and prospers both the IBG Haitian Fund and IBSH each with their own essential emphasis.

Special thanks also, to brother Johnny Farese for spreading the news far and wide.

Pastor Keith Maddy
Heritage Baptist Church
Owensboro, KY

Wednesday May 19, 2010

Message from Lou Sloger
Representing IBG Haiti Fund

Brethren-

Please mark your calendars, begin to pray, and spread the word to all medical personnel you know!

IBG Haiti Fund will be undertaking a large-scale evangelism project from Monday, June 28th through and including Sunday, July 4th in Haiti. Pastors Oscar and Luis Arocha, Newton Pena, and Miguel Castillo are continuing the relief efforts on the ground! This project/conference will take place in St. Mark, Haiti. The Word will be preached each and every night, in a public forum. Mobile Medical Clinics will be held during the day! We need your prayers that the Lord would continue to work powerfully to the saving of souls!

We need a large number of medical volunteers to staff this project! It is anticipated that well over 15,000 will hear the truth about our precious Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ through this effort! It is anticipated that not all of them will seek medical attention from the clinics, but we do anticipate that a large number of them will!

We must begin now, as June 28th will be here before we know it! All medical doctors, nurses, technicians, nursing assistants, and pharmaceutical representatives (supplies), who are interested in serving Christ through this opportunity should contact us as soon as possible! Please contact Kari Viles - Email: kari@gbcpapillion.org who will be coordinating all volunteers for this project!

We are grateful to have had the opportunity to facilitate Haiti Relief and Recovery efforts through ARBCA member churches since the earthquake in January. We want to express our sincere appreciation for all of the donations and efforts of our sister churches.

The relief efforts in Haiti are ongoing, but we are now transitioning to the permanent oversight of a number of groups of orphans and villages, and would ask for your continued prayers towards that end. In light of this transition, however, and our desire to not be burdensome with information and updates, we are requesting that any who would like further involvement or continued updates to please let us know, directly. We also will continue to keep our website http://gbcpapillion.org/haiti updated with developments in Haiti.

Again, we thank you for your involvement to date and your prayers.

In Christ,

Lou Sloger
Grace Baptist Church of Papillion

Saturday May 15, 2010

Message from Keith Maddy
Representing Iglesias Bautistas Sirviendo a Haiti (Baptist Churches Churches Serving Haiti)
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Dear brothers & sisters, friends of Haiti In response to the last update our dear partner in this work, Johnny Farese, knowing that the shipping containers with many supplies (including food, medicine, and pre-engineered housing) never were allowed to enter Haiti. He suggested that we contact our congressman to see what could be done about it. I asked Pastor Miguel Castillo what the hold up was. Here is the answer we received. Please pray and do all the Lord leads you to do concerning Johnny's suggestion. Thank you. Love, Keith Maddy

My much beloved Keith, Greetings in Christ to you and yours.

Forgive me for not responding quickly which corresponds as to our good friendship in Christ, but it is that I've been really busy. Concerning the question of our brother and friend Johnny Farese, it is very difficult to respond. The Haitian government has prevented any kind of humanitarian help and they if they allow entrance with aid, one must pay 30 percent of the value of it. This means that we would have to pay about 15,000.00 dollars for the two containers we have in the customs office at the Haitian border. We do not understand this stance the Haitian government has and even less now that facing a great lack of food, and medicine in Haiti. I think this is part of the corruption. Today we have two brothers in Haiti trying to manage a better price to get this food in. We hoping than all of you keep praying for those measures that are being made (for food to enter). Another thing we want you to pray for is because the orphanage Lilavois, which we are helping, the food runs out next week and if we do not pass will have to buy food in Puerto Principe at a very high price. Keith, for us these things let us join hands, but we know that our good God is more powerful than the enemies of Christ's work and He will work in our favor.

With love, Angelito

Tuesday May 11, 2010

Message from Miguel Angel Castillo
Pastor, Bible Foundation Church
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Dear pastors and brethren,

May the grace of God be with you always!

This is a general report of our last trip to Haiti from May 3-8, 2010.

The situation in that country is getting more complicated every day because the Haitian authorities are creating all sorts of difficulties relative to allowing the entrance of the much needed provisions. Our team, headed by Pastor Newton Peña of Grace Baptist Church of Santiago, your servant (Pastor Miguel Angel Castillo of Bible Foundation Church of Santo Domingo) and a group of brothers and sisters of both churches, could not complete all the plans we projected for this trip because the containers in which we had shipped 10 prefab houses, a great amount of food, 100 beds with their mattresses, sheets, and other items were not allowed to enter Haiti.

However, this situation did not stop God from being glorified as the teams were able to prepare the platforms where these houses are to be erected and perform four major medical operatives at the orphanages in Lilavois, in the city of Jadmel and in the region of Fondua. These operatives were carried out by doctors and nurses from Bethlehem Baptist Church of Minneapolis, Minnesota and another group from Texas.

In all the places where the medical operatives were performed, the Word of God was preached. One of the things that most amazed us in this trip was how a soccer ball could change the faces of sad children into joyful faces. These balls were donated by Safe Harbor International through their international director, Andrew Guastaferro.

Our prayer requests are the following:

Thank our gracious God:

1. Because the adverse situations we faced in this trip didn't take away our joy to serve Him, and the devil was not able to gain a foothold in this situation.
2. Because He helped us in each medical operative, in the exposition of His Word and in all the work He prepared beforehand for us to do.
3. For Jonathan, the baby who was left almost for dead a couple of months ago at the door of the orphanage, who we helped in Lilavois and who today enjoys perfect health.
4. Because all the platforms where the houses for the orphanages will be erected are prepared and ready.
5. For the children at the orphanage in Lilavois who were evaluated by a group of foreign doctors and determined that they were physically and emotionally the most stable group of all the ones they had examined. Glory to God!
6. For each one of you, brothers and sister churches who have been involved in prayer and aide so that all these labors in favor of those who are suffering the most by the tragedy in Haiti can be carried out successfully. May our gracious God recompense you according to His mercies in glory (Isaiah 58:10-12).
7. That all the containers would be allowed to enter Haiti and that this aide can arrive to its destination as soon as possible.
8. That the Lord would grant us wisdom in our future work as we continue helping.

In the love of Christ,

Your servant,

Miguel Angel Castillo

Note: For information about our ministry in Haiti, please contact Pastor Keith Maddy of Heritage Baptist Church, Owensboro, Kentucky, and Pastor Lou Sloger or Kari Viles at Grace Baptist Church, Papillon, Nebraska.

Homes that IBG is building for Hatian orphans.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Friday, April 30, 2010

Message from Pastor Luis Arocha
Iglesia Bautista de Gracia (Grace Baptist Church)
Santiago, Dominican Republic

Homes for Orphans in Haití

Next week we are planning to build 10 homes like this one to house 80 orphans in Haiti. These Orphans are being moved from a dangerous part of PAP to a rural village.

Also a well for water supply is being prepared.

Praise God for all that is being done in the name of Jesus! Let's pray on!

Pastor Luis Arocha
Iglesia Bautista de Gracia (Grace Baptist Church)
Santiago, Dominican Republic

Friday, April 30, 2010

Message from Miguel Angel Castillo
Pastor, Bible Foundation Church
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Dear Brethren,

May the grace and love of God be with you all!

We are writing to request your prayers for our trip to Haiti on Monday May 3rd.

We will also fully equip 10 new homes for a group of orphan children, and conduct several medical operatives and fumigation in different communities. The rains have brought a plague of mosquitoes to Haiti.

Also, we will bring refrigerators, fans, medicine, milk, cereal, shoes and many other useful items to help in the many needs the orphanages are facing with the children.

Please pray for:

1. The construction team that is already in Haiti.
2. The customs officers, that God may touch their hearts and allow us to pass all the things we are bringing.
3. The volunteers who are coming from the United States; that they may have a safe trip and arrive well.
4. The security of the Dominican brothers and sisters who will be traveling on Monday.
5. The cooperation of the Haitian authorities.
6. That our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified with this work, and that many would come to know Him as their Lord and Savior.

In the love of Christ,

Your servant,

Miguel Angel Castillo
Pastor, Bible Foundation Church
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Thursday, April 22nd, 2010

Message from Keith Maddy
Representing Iglesias Bautistas Sirviendo a Haiti (Baptist Churches Churches Serving Haiti)
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Praises! We have requested prayer for clarity in assessing which villages need immediate help and for discernment on action to be taken to be most effective. The Lord certainly answers prayers in a mighty way! We were informed today that the 100+ orphans left without caretakers in a dangerous part of Haiti (caretakers all died in the quake/aftermath) are ready to be moved to the village willing to adopt them in LaPlane! As you are aware, orphan status is quite protected in Haiti at this time, and in order to relocate the responsibility over them, each orphan must be identified and the status of each orphan must be confirmed and then approved.

Once this process has taken place, the number to be relocated will likely drop to 60-70 orphans to be relocated. However, we have ordered 10 houses to be built during the week of May 3rd to begin the first step of that long-range plan for this village!! These are "two bedroom homes" at a cost of $2,500USD per home!! We already have a team prepared to go in during that week, including medical volunteers to set up a mobile medical clinic! We will have more information on this endeavor as the next few days unfold.

We are also still pursuing obtaining food supplies! There is tremendous "red tape" involved in this, but there is an equal or greater Spirit of perseverance by Newton Pena! It is difficult to keep this process moving when our coordinators are not in Port au Prince, so this is being worked on, as well!!

Please pray that the food process would begin to evolve into one of consistent disbursement!

Please pray that there are no hindrances to the shipping and delivery of the ordered homes for the orphans.

Please pray as well for safety in relocating all the orphans and staff. Thanks!

We will keep you updated accordingly!!

Pastor Keith Maddy

PS Please see Shane Ison's blog for an update on his trip to Haiti to build shelters: http://shaneison.wordpress.com/

Sunday, April 11th, 2010

From Vivian Mateo & Aylín Michelén
Baptist Churches Serving Haiti

Dear brothers and sisters,

Vivian and I originally wrote this report for our church, and we wrote it after sharing with them our itinerary and purpose of our trip. So just so you may understand our trip, let me start by stating that the purpose of our three- day trip was to personally connect with two orphanages in Port-Au-Prince and establish bonds so we could be involved with them long term. We went to interact with the children, love them, share a Bible lesson, and play with them. We wanted to know the needs at both places to figure out ways for our church to be closely involved in meeting those needs.

Before going we really hoped for opportunities to live like the people in Haiti really live. We were originally planning to stay and sleep at one of the orphanages. But in God's providence that did not work out and so we stayed at the headquarters of Hope International in Petionville, Port-Au-Prince.

One of the orphanages, Haiti Children's Rescue Mission, is up on a mountain, and is run by Haitian nationals. There are about 106 children there. Before the earthquake they only had about 50 children. The other orphanage is really close to where we stayed and is run by an American couple. The story of how God brought them to Haiti is absolutely fascinating and inspiring. Here's their website, in case you are interested! :-) www.childhope.org

I hope we can post pictures soon so you can see some of the things we saw!

What we saw and learned:

We know the Lord was with us and blessed our time there, granting us insight into the reality in Haiti. We were able to speak with those in charge at both orphanages and thus have a better feel of their needs. God helped us understand that in many ways Haiti is very similar to parts of our own city in Santo Domingo and many other towns in our country. The difference is that in Port-Au-Prince that poor, crowded, and filthy reality is practically ALL of the reality you encounter. Most of all the high schools and universities of Haiti were in Port-Au-Prince before the earthquake, so many families had relocated to the city for their children's education. Because of that P-a-P is overpopulated and the need and poverty is overwhelming.

Most people are still living in tents, even if their homes were not destroyed. There are thousands in Haiti living through the symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder provoked by the earthquake and its replicas. They are terrorized to go into their homes, after living and seeing the devastating consequences in the city.

We saw a people trying to keep on with their lives, there's a lot of commerce in the streets. Yet, two months after the earthquake there are no efforts for it to be rebuilt. The city is in destroyed in many ways, though the rubble is not quite blocking the streets as it was at the beginning.

Due to many prejudices and misconceptions that Dominicans have of Haiti, we are ashamed to say we didn't expect to find any beauty in Haiti. But we were wrong! The people we met were super warm and kind. The mountains that surround P-a-P and on which it is built are majestic and beautiful. There are many trees in the city. We even had the opportunity to go to one of their beaches and the intensity of the colors of the sea, the trees, seashells, sand captivated us (even though we have such beautiful beaches in our own country!).

The people who welcomed us at Hope International are warm and charming. We rejoiced so much in the fellowship with our Haitian brothers and sisters. They bore with our poor efforts to speak in creole and were extremely patient teaching us the words we wanted to learn. They rejoiced in serving us, in pouring hot coffee we love, or delicious fruit juice; we saw their love as a gift from the Lord Himself.

What we're thinking through and internalizing:

There are four passages deeply impressed on our minds:

Isaiah 58: 6-10-- Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

"If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, 
then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday."

John 1: 14--The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Luke 17: 10--So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, "We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty."

James 1: 27 --Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

In many ways our trip was incredibly comfortable. We slept on beds, under an actual roof, ate delicious meals, went to the orphanages and left the kids in the same situation that we met them. When we left we wondered, "Have we really been like the Lord Jesus? Are we really tasting what He tasted?" No, there was hardly any incarnation in our ministry.

What we want to pass on to our church is that we will mostly see the glory of Jesus when we dwell with the needy and are incarnationally involved with them. It was in HIS incarnation that He showed His glory. His glory was to make himself nothing and become a man, a servant and humble himself to death.

Brothers and sisters, incarnational ministry is to put ourselves in the flesh of the one who is suffering; it is to make their cause OUR cause. It means not to ignore the misery of our own flesh and blood. It implies sacrifice, death to self, the risk of being weary, of getting sick.... If we want to taste greater measures of the glory of God, we will live Isaiah 58 with our lives. Not ONCE a year, and not only giving from our money and possessions. It is to give ourselves completely, sacrificing in prayer, pleading for the glory of God to be poured on behalf of the homeless, the naked, the hungry.

After Arif and Kathy Khan died, pastor Alan Dunn said we must live as people who have truly died. Friends, have we died? Have we internalized our physical death? Because making the cause of the homeless and the naked our own, implies dying. Our lives are a vapor, that appears at a moment and then disappears. How are we going to show our children, our young people, our generation that our faith is not dead? Do we have the same spirit of our Lord Jesus who did not count being equal to God as something to be grasped? Are we grasping onto our children, husbands, families, and our own lives? Who does not despise these for the cause of Christ is not worthy of Him. We must live as if we had really been crucified. It is not about us. It is about the Kingdom of God and this Kingdom transcends our lives.

Right now Haiti is full of people without a home, without a meal, without spouses, without parents. To love them is to do what we have been commanded. Brothers and sisters, we are UNWORTHY servants! To pray, give our money and go to Haiti is not an extra bonus that looks well on our spiritual resume. It is simply to fulfill our duty to love our neighbor as ourselves. A failure to pray and to make Haiti's cause our cause is disobedience.

How glorious to imitate our Lord Jesus, who being the glory of Heaven, came out of love for you and me! What grace is ours!

Thank you a thousand times for praying for us! May God bless you!

Vivian Mateo & Aylín Michelén

PS Enclosed a list of needs so you can know how to pray for them:

Needs of the orphanage up in the mountains:

1. They eat each week from what God sends; they have no reliable income for food.
2. Most of the children there don't sleep on beds. They sleep on the floor, on tables, under the tables or tents out in the garden.
3. Their nutrition is not balanced.
4. They are not receiving love and emotional nurturing. Many of their caretakers are living through the effects caused by the earthquake. Think about the implications of this lack in the life of a child.
5. Schools in Haiti closed after the earthquake, so they are not receiving proper education.
6. These children are not living in the context of a daily routine.
7. There's no enough personnel to take care of the children living there.
8. We are not sure how equipped are the people caring after the children; equipped especially to care for their emotional and spiritual needs.

The orphanage in the city, in Petionville, Child Hope, is much more organized. On their website there's an updated list of needs to know how to pray and help. www.childhope.org

March 31, 2010

Message from Pastor Lou Sloger
Grace Baptist Church of Papillion
Papillion, NE

Haiti Earthquake Relief Project

We are thankful for the opportunity to be used as a channel of your generosity in the Haitian Relief Efforts. With the rainy season and hurricane season coming, tents will be grossly insufficient shelter, so please pray that God would be merciful and kind, sparing the Haitian people residing in these makeshift shelters, from further calamity. Innumerable food rations, water, and medical supplies have been purchased and distributed, along with tarps and tents, and children’s catechisms. We believe, under God, that lives were saved as a result of these immediate efforts. There is so much that needs to be done. It appears that there is a real possibility, and in some measure we have already seen, to supplying the needs of approximately 150 orphans in two (2) different locations. Both sets of orphans have no permanent housing, so that is a high priority, along with their needs for all the necessities of life.

We are sending in a team on April 5th to assess further needs and recommend more definitively where and what needs to be done. Please pray that we really find the right, trustworthy Pastors to work with and that we can narrow down exactly what to do. We cannot do everything to meet every need, but certainly we must do something. Our group, Iglesia Fundamento Biblico (Pastor Miguel Castillo- Santo Domingo, DR) and Iglesia Bautista de la Gracia (Pastors Oscar and Luis Arocha, Newton Pena – Santiago, DR) is on the ground a lot, having made contacts with the U.S. Military, the United Nations, and many others, to assist us with all that is going on, in narrowing the playing field. In the very foreseeable future, we have identified the need for latrines to be dug, wells to be drilled, and buildings to be erected for shelter and for worship.

The most immediate need remains clean, potable water. We are identifying means of capturing fresh rainwater, filtration systems, and disbursement of the clean water. Most deaths in Haiti are as a result of the lack of clean water, with the same merely spreading further disease. In light of this, medical teams are still being coordinated to serve the people of Haiti, with an established protocol and flights into Port au Prince during the first of each month. Non-medical volunteers, although not immediately needed, will be coordinated this Summer, as well. All interested volunteers should contact Kari Viles at kari@gbcpapillion.org as she coordinates these teams to serve in Haiti. We remain here to answer any inquiry with regard to these efforts.

Pastor Lou Sloger
Grace Baptist Church of Papillion
Papillion, NE

March 22, 2010

Video from: IBG Church
(Grace Baptist Church)
Santiago, Dominican Republic

Click on the pictures to see a larger image.

March 18, 2010

Message from: Pastor Francisco Guzman
Baptist Churches Serving Haiti
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Very dear brethren:

Thank you so much for your prayers to our Heavenly Father on behalf of our recent trip to Port au Prince on our 1st conference dictated by IBSH (Iglesias Bautistas Sirviendo a Haiti / Baptist Churches Serving Haiti). Over 100 churches of the area of Port-au-Prince were represented by their pastors and leaders. The first day, the attendance was 166 pastors and leaders and the next day the number had doubled. The theme of the opening preaching by Pastor Sugel Michelen was "A Biblical view of earthquakes," followed by Pastor Eduardo Saladin, teaching about the "Importance of biblical counseling in the midst of the crisis," and closed by Pastor Francisco Guzman who preached about "Nehemiah, a model the rebuilding of Jerusalem." On Sunday we had the privilege to preach through translator in 5 different churches.

• Please pray so that the Lord might lift the fallen arms and move the paralyzed knees affected by the earthquake, using these sermons preached in their midst to produce a revival.
• Pray also for wisdom to the team that conform IBSH together with the assistance of ESPERANZA FOUNDATION in our planning and developing various projects toward the devastated city of Puerto Principe.

It is difficult to describe or express the situation that some Haitians are living, having their houses destroyed by the earthquake or simply because of fear to be under a concrete roof or beside brick walls. We have 1.2 million of people living under shelters made of canvas or tents in an area not exceeding 7 square feet, while during the day the temperature produced by the hot Caribbean sun rise from 96 to 99 degrees Fahrenheit. In these small spaces they must cook, eat, bath, and resolve their physiological needs. The garbage, the bad odor, grime and filth all around these public squares or soccer field converted into shelter camps, where these unfortunate victims from the earthquake are living, reveal the destine that awaits them, if God's hand does not move the international community to aid these people. If before the earthquake, many had to make use of dirt cookies to satisfy their hunger; now, when the few production facilities available were destroyed in the city and a severe drought during several preceding months razed their agriculture in the fields, they will have to prove their survival capacity at their most.

Pray that the Lord may continue to multiply our loaves and fishes, so that our generous hands may continue reaching out toward them with a morsel of bread, some provision of a roof, alongside with what the international community might cooperate.

Sincerely,

Pastor Francisco Guzman

March 14, 2010

Message from Keith Maddy
Representing Iglesias Bautistas Sirviendo a Haiti (Baptist Churches Churches Serving Haiti)
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Report of the final day of the P-a-P Pastors Conference.

Saturday's session opened with a significantly larger number pastors eager and observably focused on the preaching. The greater number is possibly attributable to the Saturday time frame and that those from Friday who shared with others and invited them. This is no overstatement...God richly poured out his Spirit upon both the preachers and the hearers. Both Pastor Sugel Michelen, Pastor Francisco Guzman and their translator seem to have unusual unction and help for the messages. They were both received with audible affirmations and intense interest. The Q&A session was lively and extended. Pastor Sugel commented that the bothers surpassed expectations. He spoke on the Transfiguration of Christ and gave us all sighting of the Savior who had his own glory derived from himself. He did all things for the glory of God and the for the benefit of his disciples. "First the cross then the the Glory" was the repeated application. Pastor Francisco Guzman spoke with great power on Nehemiah 2:1-8. Nehemiah had a faith that was bold and brave, which accepted great challenges, and was willing to make big requests decisions. He knew more about some of things going on Haiti with some unfaithful, self-serving, advantage taking pastors. His applications were powerful.The great things that can be done with limited resources was one of his striking observations.

We are all preaching in in churches on the Lord's Day. Please remember the IBSH pastors Guzman, Michelen, and Saladin as well as Keith Maddy and Jack Perry and their translators. We cannot thank you enough for all the prayers. We really want a revival breakout of true biblical religion in Haiti.

May God be thanked, praised and glorified.

Love,

Pastor Keith Maddy

March 13, 2010

Message from Keith Maddy

Dear Brothers and Sisters, Friends and Lovers of Haiti,

Many, many thanks for your prayers for the P-a-P Pastors conference. They were answered in a very special and obvious way today. The Holy Spirit poured his help out upon both the preachers and the attending multitude of Haitian pastors and church leaders. Pastor Sugel Michelen preached a truly marvelous message on understanding some of God's key purposes in earthly calamities with abundant practical application. The pastors will treasure this message and will gradually share its points with their congregations. The enjoyed all the preaching so much they requested copies of the manuscripts if they could be translated into Creole. Pastor Eduardo Saladin preached his complete series on counselling in deeply troubling times. He lifted up the Scriptures and the the Son of God in an unusually blessed way with passion and clarity. Spontaneous worshipful, thankful to God applause broke out after the 2nd two messages. All Praise to His great name. And wow, can these pastors sing praises without musical accompaniment with full volume and harmony. The time of Q & A was lively and helpful as well.

Please pray for pastors Francisco Guzman & Sugel Michelen as they will be bring the word 4 times on Saturday. Again thanks tons for your prayers.

Love in Christ,

Keith Maddy

March 12, 2010

Message from Keith Maddy

We give thanks to our great God for his allowing us to arrive safely here in Port-au-Prince Haiti.

I rode in a fine AWD Toyota SUV with Pastors Francisco Guzman, Sugel Michelen and Eduardo Saladín.At a point during the 8 hour trip from Santo Domingo, they discussed and decided upon more exactly the headings under the themes which they had selected. You might remember these as the three subjects to be brought:

• A Christian Perspective of Natural Disasters (Pastor Sugel Michelén). 3 messages
• Biblical Counseling in Times of Crisis (Pastor Eduardo Saladin). 3 messages
• The Doctrine of Hope (Pastor Francisco Guzmán). 2 messages

These are three of the representatives from the Santo Domingo churches organized under the banner of IBSH i.e. Iglesias Bautistas Sirveindo a Haiti or in English, Baptist Churches Serving Haiti. The two other churches within IBSH, IBG & IBNP, would be represented by the Pastors Miguel Angel Castillo and Hector Santana. PLEASE PRAY for pastors and their translators, Joel-Jean Louis & Jean-Pierre Kawas. These brothers have the challenging task of translating the 8 messages and then at least 2 more on Sunday in the Haitian churches.

Guarionex Guzman from IBSJ was the driver and owner of the second AWD Toyota SUV which bought Jean-Pierre, Shane Ison, Tim Porter, and Jack Perry. Shane and Tim are photographically documenting the entire trip. They plan to produce a DVD which will be made available to any who request it. PLEASE PRAY for the 280 registered pastors and the team serving them. There may be even more when the doors open. The group will be served two meals on Friday & Saturday when the conference takes place. Again, many thanks to those who have supported this work for the advance of the kingdom in Haiti. More than anything we covet & treasure your prayers. We all feel so priviledged to be here and in need of God's blessing and help for everything. I remain your servant for Haiti.

In the love of Christ, Keith Maddy

March 5, 2010

Message from Grace Baptist Church
Papillon, Nebraska

Working with Pastor Miguel Angel Castill
Bible Foundation Church, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Please pray for our team serving in Haiti. Pastor Castillo took 7 truckloads of food and medicine to be delivered into villages quite a distance away. He continues to persevere through back pain, allowing the Lord to give him strength. A number of the medical volunteers have fallen ill, but are "not out of the game" so to speak.

We have received an update today, from Heidi. Today's blessing of blessings was the delivery of a baby by Christy! Heidi writes that it is so strange that life continues to move on in so much devastation. This mother was living on the street and will now need to go back onto the street (with a newborn); we are praying that God will provide, which is actually the theme for most people here.

Our group split up today. One to Mission Rescue (where Christi helped with the delivery) and one to a more rural tent city. The mission rescue had some more time today to do some praying. Being in one place for a few days really helped relationally and we were so blessed to have sisters and brothers caring for others and for us. Omai is the leader there and does a beautiful job caring for the Haitians as well as for us.

The other group hit the village tent city, it took us about 1 hour to go 8 miles. We had a good day as well as we too took more time with the people and learned of more of their needs, which are housing, food, just the basics like EVERYONE else needs.

The stories of need and devastation are so plentiful, that Heidi further states, "I am afraid we could all write a volume." Pray that the Lord provides peace and discernment to the volunteers, and a strength and resolve to share gospel, the greatest Hope that can be shared, with all of those devastated by the earthquake. Pray the Lord continue to work upon all of the hearts in Haiti- those serving and those being served.

Grace Baptist Church of Papillon

Angela

A busy day at CDTI.

Hannah is checking the wounds of one of her patients. Each nurse is assigned to a tent. Hannah poured her heart to her patients.

Melissie's legs where crushed by her house. It took her six days to find a doctor to treat her. She lost a leg.

A humanitarian organizations provided this community with a water tank. Now they have water to bathe and wash.

A wonderful tent camp provided by FEED THE CHILDREN in Carrefour.

What will happen to these tent camps now that the rain has started?

One of the many tent camps along the road to Petit Goave.

First Primitive Baptist Church of Haiti temporary camp.

Click on the pictures to see a larger image.

March 2, 2010

Pictures from Pastor Luis Arocha's trip to Haiti
IBG Church, Santiago, Dominican Republic

And a message from Angela, a nurse from Grace Baptist Church of Papillion, Nebraska who was on the trip.

Paske, Bondye sitelman renmen lezom li bay sel Pitit li a pou you. Tout moun ki va mete konfyans yo nan li p'ap pedi lavi yo. Okontre y'a gen lavi ki p'ap janm fini an. Jan 3:16

As I knelt by the bedside of one dear patient, his brother taught me how to say this verse in Creole. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16

I thank the Lord for His Word and this truth. It provided hope in the last few weeks as we heard, observed and shared life with many dear Haitian brothers and sisters. On February 13th we arrived in Santiago, Dominican Republic. The following day we spent in fellowship with the people of Iglesia Baptista de Gracia (IBG- Grace Baptist Church) and hearing testimonies of some individuals who had spent the previous weeks in Haiti. One of my favorite things was singing to the Lord in Spanish!! (Annette, Claudia and Josh-- hold me accountable to getting better at mi espanol :) )

On Monday, Feb 15th we headed out at 0330 for Port au Prince, Haiti. After nearly 13hrs of travel over rough terrain, bypassing several strikes near the border, and observing traffic and driving like I've never experienced before, we arrived. The first week our base was a home in Croix des Bouquets, an area near Port au Prince. This home was rented by the IBG pastors as a place to serve from for the next year. One of the joys of the first week was supporting these pastors and other members of our team as they connected with Haitian churches, distributed food and water, set up tents in rural communities that have been overlooked in many ways, and sought the Lord for further long-term direction in how to serve the people of Haiti. While they served in a different capacity, the nursing crew of us headed out to serve in a few of the over 66 hospital and clinic venues across Port au Prince and its' surrounding area that were being filled with medical volunteers.

For me the first week was spent in a clinic that was connected to a local church. I was touched by the heart of Yunick, pastor's wife and triage nurse, and the many Haitian youth whom were spending everyday serving here. The day after the earthquake these youth spent over 15hrs cleaning out this house. The next day they returned to prepare it by stocking medical supplies and opened it just three days after the earthquake. One of the first things we were told by Yunick was that we as nurses are doctors here. None of us were too eager to step out of our scope of practice but we did desire to serve as needed. So, we trusted the Lord to equip as we treated scabies, worms, cuts, wounds, post traumatic stress disorder, impetigo, acid reflux, infection of all sorts...... Many times we knew that even in our provision of physical care the deep hurt of their hearts would not be taken away. We were often able to talk with our patients about this, to share the hope of the gospel and to pray to the One who we know can heal and sustain.

Our drives to and from the places we provided medical care opened our eyes more to the marks of the earthquake-- piles of rubble, 4 story buildings in a heap, collapsed buildings next to untouched ones. Many days I would be praying through that drive, "Lord I don't understand and it doesn't even feel real, please allow me to feel a part of what the Haitians feel in this catastrophe, and to respond with a love and compassion that is of you".

The second week, the majority of our time was spent at a hospital known as CDTI. The hospital itself was not structurally sound so only the OR and on some days the radiology area were of use. The patients were housed in tents outside, vulnerable to weather and increased risks of infections. Our hospital was primarily orthopedics and primary care. We ran a triage/ER area and each day countless dressing changes, plastic surgeries, and debridement of wounds were done alongside teams from France and Mexico. Definitely stretched as far as our creativity with resources and encountering things we have not ran across before-- attempting to follow charting in multiple languages, keeping documentation clear with the lack of continuity as medical volunteers come and go, teaching of medications through language barriers, using what medications we did have to fight infection.

Through all this I was touched by the resilient spirit, contentment and joy I observed in so many of my patients. Each individual with a story- all having lost someone and still fighting from the scars left. We wrestled as one dear man with great faith trusted that the Lord would heal and was not yet ready to give up his leg which had been encouraged in order that the infection would not spread into his bloodstream and cost him his life. Yes, we do believe the Lord is able to heal but we're beginning to understand that even if we ask in great faith the Lord's answer may not always be yes. It drove us to keep praying, to have greater dependency on the Lord.

From our first day as a group there to the very end we were often reminded that there is greater needs than we or even 1000 more people can reach. Our drive out of Port au Prince and news of the 8.8 earthquake in Chile served as additional reminders that the needs are great. So day by day I asked and continue to ask- Heavenly Father, may our hearts respond to the needs of those all over the world and as we seek to meet very evident physical needs may we also know both our own and others' need for you alone.

I'm grateful for your prayers, words of encouragement and love that enabled me to spend the last few weeks in Haiti....thanks for allowing me to share with you. I've attached a few pics (the first being some structural damage from the quake and the other two me with dear patients of mine). The Lord broke my heart for the dear Haitian people and I've left part of it there....

Angela

February 27, 2010

Message from Miguel Angel Castillo, and Huáscar de Salas
Pastors, Bible Foundation Church
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Dear Pastors and Brethren,

May the grace and mercy of God our Lord be with you and your family.

We have not been able to send you a report on our work in Haiti for a couple of reasons:

1. During the past two weeks we have only been returning from Haiti to Santo Domingo on the weekends to be with the family and the church, and
2. As you well know, these trips can wear you out physically and emotionally.

But, what have we done in the past two weeks?

1. Delivered a great amount of food rations to very needy people.
2. Performed several medical operatives in which more than 1,200 persons were attended, and delivered all the medicines to cover their needs.
3. Brought enough food for a month to the two orphanages, where 58 children have been living in very precarious conditions. We also provided them with mattresses, sheets and mosquito nets.
4. Delivered medicine, sheets and food to several hospitals.
5. In other places, we delivered water and sun resistant canvasses to substitute the old rags under which many people were living, as well as a great quantity of bottled water with evangelistic Bible verses; and many other things the Lord has allowed us to do to help these people in need.

What are our immediate plans? Lord willing…

1. Next week we will return with members of other Dominican and American churches to perform medical operatives and help all we can in this situation.
2. We will bring food, medicine, bottled water in great supply, and 50 canvasses where 14 persons can be comfortably sheltered in each; in other words, about 700 persons will be able to protect themselves from the sun and rain. Unfortunately the rainy season started and this has aggravated the problems for those who live under old rags.
3. We plan to bring about 30,000 children’s catechisms in Creole. These have been insistently requested by the churches where we have visited.

Please pray for the groups that will be traveling next week to Port-Au-Prince and other places that have great needs and have suffered so much because of this tragedy. Pray that in this trip we may not only bring material help, but that we may glorify the Name of the Lord by preaching His Word and doing the work He has called us to, in the love of Christ. The most important thing is that the Name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ be glorified in the midst of all this tragedy and that many may come to a saving knowledge of the truth.

Your servants,

Miguel Angel Castillo, and Huáscar de Salas
Pastors, Bible Foundation Church
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

February 19, 2010

From Angelito in the D.R. to a brother in the states.

Good morning my beloved Keith,

I will be in P-a-P be till today because tomorrow I have the pastoral training (monthly training with 150+ pastors at his church location with IBSJ pastors as instructors) and I must leave for Santo Domingo. But I want to inform you that yesterday was a day of intense work too... the tents arrived sent by Lou (Pastor Sloger, Papillion,NE) and immediately together with the team from IBG (Arocha / Peña, Santiago DR) we started handing them out. Pastor Newton (Peña) is doing a great job. Also, the American team of nurses who are with us this week has worked intensely. Yesterday, we took a large amount of food and water to the cities of Kafu and Leogane, to over 50 churches. Today, before leaving we will be visiting one of the places where orphaned children are that are we helping to bring food,and medicine to, also children's catachisms and we will share the word of God. Keith, there are many more things I'd like to tell you but they won't fit on my BlackBerry. But may all be done here for the glory of our great God and His Son Jesus Christ.

Your friend and brother, and servant of God.

Angelito

February 17, 2010

Brethren-

A few weeks prior to what they are accustomed to, the rainy season has come upon an already devastated Haiti nation! Traditionally, Haiti will “begin” their rainy season in March. The rains began to fall heavily today.

As Pastor Castillo and many team members were making their way through Port au Prince, and preparing for trips into the mountains, the Lord saw fit to open clouds. Please pray for all of those who remain without shelter in Haiti.

Pray for the volunteers who may be clad in only tennis shoes, instead of boots! This was “unanticipated” in some respects! A specific prayer request includes praying for Pastor Castillo and the medical team (complete with medical and food supplies) who are still preparing their truck for their trip into the mountains tomorrow. The mountain roads are known to “flood over” with heavy rains. Please pray for their safe arrival to their destinations and ability to render the necessary medical aid and food rations!

The praises for the day, however, include a tremendous PRAISE for his sovereignty in that a logistical error allowed nearly 500 tents to be delivered to Santiago today, instead of being delivered into Miami where they would still be awaiting transport to Santiago at a port! Also, Pastor Castillo has begun distributing the Catechisms in Creole to children. 20,000 are being distributed instead of awaiting distribution in two weeks! All supplies that were procured and packed for transport with our current medical missionary teams have arrived! This, for anyone who has traveled to the DR or other countries, is a miracle of miracles in and of itself! Only ONE supply bin was delayed but has now been received!

So, please join us in continual prayer for these servants of our Lord and in praise!

Click on the pictures to see a larger image.

February 8th, 2010
Posted February 16, 2010

Message from Iglesias Bautistas Sirviendo a Haití
(Baptist Churches Serving Haiti)
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN

After the earthquake that affected the Republic of Haiti, a group of Dominican Baptist churches have joined efforts together with Esperanza International to support the relief efforts for the wounded and the reconstruction of the nation and especially to minister spiritually to all that were affected. These churches are:

• Iglesia Bautista del Nuevo Pacto
• Iglesia Bíblica de la Trinidad
• Iglesia Bíblica del Señor Jesucristo
• Iglesia Fundamento Bíblico

To facilitate the work we are doing, we decided to operate under the name of Iglesias Bautistas Sirviendo a Haití (Baptist Churches Serving Haiti), and we’ll also create a logo that identifies us.

Through the trips conducted by a number of our pastors and members after the earthquake, we have witnessed the reality that the people of Haiti are living, especially in Port-au-Prince and its surroundings. Some of the key issues are:

• Thousands of houses of our fellow Christians and the community in general are destroyed, and others are cracked and uninhabitable. Multitudes are sleeping in the streets and squares.
• Many corpses could be seen on the street, while an unknown number are still under the rubble of the buildings collapsed.
• The electrical service is interrupted and transportation is difficult.
• A high number of survivors had to get amputations due to injuries.
• Many are living in a state of shock and depression in the face of the enormity of the tragedy suffered.
• Hundreds of thousands of people have abandoned the capital city to go to other towns and communities in the country.

As part of several trips to Haiti, we have already undertaken the following initiatives:

• Establish a base of operations in Port-au-Prince, with staff and resources required to organize the work.
• Coordinate efforts with several pastors of Port-au-Prince, who are helping us identify the needs of churches and communities.
• Send and distribute a first shipment of almost 6,000 boxes of food; as well as water, tarps and mattresses.
• Provide medical services to wounded and sick.

Our next steps planned are:

• Continue to send food, water, medicine and other necessities for the victims.
• Continue to support medical operations and initiatives related to health, including water purifiers.
• Provision of tarps for those without shelter, before the start of the rainy season.
• Help to organize teams of Haitian brothers who can work in the demolition of ruins and debris removal. We’re buying sledgehammers, picks, wheelbarrows and chisels to equip such teams. The United Nations Organization has provided front end loaders to collect the debris from the edges of the streets, so it is necessary to get them out there.
• Organize a conference for pastors in the month of March, to help those ministers of God to comfort and encourage the sheep that are under their care. The topics would be: a Christian perspective of tragedy; biblical counseling in times of crisis; and the doctrine of hope.

Those churches, organizations and individuals wishing to become involved, supporting the work we are doing, could do the following:

• Donations in cash. These will be used primarily for: food parcels, cots, tarps, debris cleaning kits, and transportation.
• Volunteer workers, especially physicians, who can join relief operations to the injured, both in Haiti and in the Dominican Republic. For example, Iglesia Bíblica de la Trinidad has installed 15 beds in their building to accommodate Haitian patients dismissed from different hospitals in Santo Domingo, who still need medical care.
• Prayers to the Lord that He gives us wisdom in all this work and to multiply resources, with so many needs.
• Iglesia Fundamento Bíblico

It is crucial that we highlight that given the magnitude of this catastrophe, we are viewing this work as a long term initiative. After overcoming the initial emergency, we are convinced that it will require years to support restoration efforts and development of Haiti, which we hope to do in the context of Christian worldview, and with an eye towards the propagation of the Gospel and advancement of the Kingdom of God.

In the love of Christ,

IGLESIAS BAUTISTAS SIRVIENDO A HAITÍ
(Baptist Churches Serving Haiti)

Click on the pictures to see a larger image.

February 8, 2010

Message from Pastor Miguel Angel Castillo,
Bible Foundation Church
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

THIRD AID TRIP TO PORT-AU-PRINCE

Dear brethren,

May the grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you!

This is a brief report of our third mission trip to Port-Au-Prince Haiti, from Monday, February 1st, to Friday, February 5th. First we would like to thank God for protecting and guiding our team. Our work was focused on bringing more aid in the form of food, medicine, canvas to cover the groups of people living outdoors and congregations that celebrate their worship services outdoors, and medical assistance to people affected by various wounds and illnesses due to the earthquake.

All our plans were greatly blessed by the Lord, and we were also able to serve in other ways which increased our effectiveness. For example, we used our truck to serve other groups to transport goods and medical personnel to different places. We also searched for other places where we could serve, and found two orphanages where there were 35 children of parents who had died in the earthquake. We saw kids who were literally starving to death. The persons who attend these children didn’t have the strength to go to the distribution centers and bring the supplied they needed. We gave them the little food we had left and immediately went and brought more supplies from other missions operating in Port-Au-Prince. As you can see by the pictures attached to this report, these children are receiving this food with great joy.

Our immediate plan is to return next Wednesday with the necessary aid to help these children. Lord willing, we will bring mats so they won’t have to sleep on the cold floor, mosquito nets, sheets, milk, cereal, beans, canned food, a gas stove for each orphanage so they can cook their meals, water, disinfectant, and anything else we’re able to load up in our ministry truck and another vehicle we’ll rent for that trip.

There is a small school which was destroyed in the outskirts of Port-Au-Prince, in a place called Yamele, and the children don’t want to loose their school year. We will be bringing them the furniture and equipment they need since the Santiago group is going to rebuild the school.

We will also bring a couple of doctors from Nebraska together with Dr. Frank Escoto –who did a great job during our last trip– to perform new medical operative in the communities we visited.

Please join us in thanking God for the work He has allowed us to do for His glory, and continue praying for us.

Your servant, in Christ,

Pastor Miguel Angel Castillo,
Bible Foundation Church
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

February 6, 2010

Message from Pastor Francisco Guzmán, Bible Church of the Trinity
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Pastors and Churches of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Beloved brothers and sisters in Christ.

To show the compassion of our good God and Savior Jesus Christ we are using the third floor of our building and we opened our arms to receive and accommodate ten patients discharged from hospital named Dario Contrario, with multiple injuries and leg amputations caused by knocked down buildings from the earthquake of Puerto Principe.

I am presenting to you a brief story of some of them that you may pray, please (pray) before the throne of grace, with knowledge, for both their physical and emotional recovery.

Fabiola Pierre
She is a young lawyer, 22 years old, married and the mother of a girl who miraculously survived the earthquake. At the time of the quake she found herself visiting a friend on the sixth floor of a building that collapsed. Of the 200 inhabitants of the building only three people were pulled out alive from the rubble. Several days later, she could be transferred to Santo Domingo with a broken hip and femur.

Heavy drops of tears from her cheeks as she recounted her experience. Today feels helpless and depressed. She fights with the memories of that building that was"jumping up and down" under her feet. Even a concrete roof was falling on her and the family she was visiting. She remembers the horrifying screams from those whose bones were being crushed by the pieces of reinforced concrete that were breaking loose due to the impact of the quake.

Mirielle Pierre
She is a 26 year old telling us that when the earthquake began at her home, she was on the second floor of the exclusive area of Petion Ville. That building collapsed and her body was trapped between pieces of concrete from the ceiling and floor, she suffered severe trauma to the head, her thorax and right hand were destroyed. Doctors are making great efforts to save her hand and avoid amputation.

She tells us that there are always present in her mind the roar of the earthquake and the cries of those who were near her. At night she awakens overwhelmed with terror amid the nightmares that assail her. She is a Christian. When she returns to Port au Prince she is thinking of going into a business and take a cosmetology course. Several family members died.

Natacha Germain
She is 24 years old, single mother of two children. At the time of the earthquake, her home collapsed and wall a trapped her on the floor breaking her femur and hip, she also suffered severe trauma to her face and skull, she is clinging to the Lord who her soul loves.

Living with fear and afraid because he thinks the earth will shake again. Several family members were killed or were severely cut. She dreams of returning to P-a-P to rebuild their lives and raise her children.

Solanie Castin
25 years old, she was inside his house when the roof and the walls began to break apart and everything fell. Of the 7 people who were in the house, only she and two others were found were alive. Her body received several severe cuts and multiple bruises. She is an orphan and having lost her father and mother, she was living with a cousin and his family who died in the earthquake. She does not know where to go when the Lord raises her from her bed. She remains homeless and without a family. She sees her future bleak and uncertain, saying that she would not want to return to Port au Prince.

Suzette Fanfan
She is 33 years old, worked as a teacher in an orphanage, when the earthquake came she was working and the entire building fell on her. Several children died. Her hip was torn into four pieces, her forearm was broken in two, she will will be immobile for several months. She feels very depressed and while she sleeps she is assaulted by nightmares of the earthquake.

Madline Etienne
She is 40 years old, mother of 7 children, when the earthquake occurred it was working like a vendutera (?) in the street. When the earthquake unleashed, a wall fell on her and her left leg was shattered, several days later she was taken off the street and moved to the Hospital Dario Contreras where they had to amputate her leg to save her life.

From the hospital she a came to our lodging place with a bacteria that nearly took her life, she stayed 6 days in a clinic where she was cured from the bacteria. She is Christian. Her house collapsed and thanks be to God, none of her children was seriously affected.

Louis Delva
She is a young 16 year old and was at school when the earthquake came. Of the 10 people who were in the classroom only three were taken out alive. Dozens of students died being crushed by debris. Her femur was broken in two and also her pelvis. Her mother who cares for her and she and her are very traumatized and they suffer from insomnia.

Pray that God's grace will be manifested in the lives of these people so that their lives can be restored. That the Lord will give us wisdom to minister to them in such a way as to be able to remove the emotional trauma that they are suffering.

Pray also for wisdom for the doctors and nurses who are attending them that they might achieve speedy and complete recovery.

Pray that the Lord will restore the material possessions needed to live that they lost.

As you have already seen, they lost everything. Pray that their bodies will return to being productive after spending so many months in medical treatment and physical therapies.

The generous hand of people of God has extended in order to help us to serve them in everything they lacked.

Remember that in Puerto Principe there are two million people who lost their homes and lost everything. For these individuals it will not be easy coming home and finding nothing. Pray that the Lord will help them in the midst of their desolation to fill themselves with God and with his blessed hope.

Pastor, Francisco Guzmán

January 29, 2010

Message from Carl Key, Founder Partners In Christ
Ashland, Ohio

Dear concerned Christians,

I have just returned from the Dominican Republic. While there, I was able to talk with some of those, who are making trips to bring relief to the needy in Haiti. These men have had an ongoing involvement with about 650 pastors in Haiti and their churches of various sizes for the past several years. The brothers from the D. R. have been holding teaching conferences as well as delivering aid. 70 of the 650 pastors with which they have been working were killed in the earthquake.

Needless to say, there is discouragement among the Christian brothers and sisters in Haiti. The teams of brothers from the Dominican have been trying to encourage them by ministering the Word of God. They also are taking aid to help meet the great physical need. As you have been seeing on TV there is wide spread destruction and lack of necessities.

The relief workers from the D.R. have been helping to transport people to medical facilities as well as distributing relief supplies. They are distributing kits, which will help meet basic needs for a family for one week. These kits include things like soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, plates, spoons, bleach and a variety of different kinds of packaged and canned foods. Also they are distributing small foam mattresses, sheets, and mosquito nets.

I was in a meeting with the church members of IBSJ, in which their pastor told them that they would need to be involved in helping Haitians for many years. They were meeting together to put bulk foods donated by a local food supermarket into smaller containers. The relief teams have plans to organize the Haitians into helping themselves. They are giving them basic tools like shovels and picks to be able to start removing the debris.

They will be paid with water, food, and other supplies for their work. Some of the injured and displaced have come into the D.R seeking medical help in the hospitals there. One of the churches close to a hospital has begun to use the church facility to care for the overflow of patients. Some church members have seen up to 20 relatives come to live with them seeking shelter. The church is helping these members to have food to provide for their relatives.

As you can see there is a huge spiritual and humanitarian need to be met. Partners In Christ is one of several groups both American and Dominicans who the Lord is using to provide funds. Thank you for your generosity in making a gift. I was able to take $6000 with me. There is still money being received, our total has reached $7500. We will be sending more money in about 10 days. Everyone involved appreciates the support you have given. Keep praying for those who need help and those who are providing the help.

Serving together for the glory of God’s kingdom.

Carl Key

Click on the pictures to see a larger image.

January 28, 2010

Message from Pastor Miguel Angel Castillo,
Bible Foundation Church
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Dear Brothers in Christ,

May the grace and mercy of God be with you!

On Monday, January 18, we returned to Port-Au-Prince with our initial group comprised of Pastors Samuel Nina, Héctor Santana, a team of doctors from The International Baptist Church and Grace Baptist Church of Santiago, and Pastor Newton, and we went to the outskirts of the city to a hospital belonging to a group of Haitian pastors head by Pastor Herodes Guimettres. Everyone agreed that I should stay and help that hospital with my truck serving as a makeshift ambulance, delivering food and consoling those affected by the earthquake. At that medical center they were taking care of patients with minor traumas, and those who needed major surgery or amputation were taken to other hospitals in Port-Au-Prince.

The big problem now is adequate treatment of the physical and emotional traumas as well as the hunger and thirst of many people who have sought refuge in the outskirts of town; people with infected wounds, many of whom have contracted tetanus and are dying. On Tuesday, February 2, Lord willing, I will return to Port-Au-Prince to serve with a group of doctors from Nebraska and Santiago, Dominican Republic. They have been working with these people along with the group from our churches and Hope International, bringing canvases to make tents, medical equipment, medicine and food.

Please pray for the groups that are working in the midst of this tragedy: that God would continue to protect them. Pray that each group would exalt and show the glory of God and the greatness of His kingdom in this time of great testing. Also, please pray for Grace Baptist Church of Essex, Ontario, Canada, for Pastor Richard Valade and the missions group of that church; for Grace Baptist Church of Papillón, Nebraska, and Pastor Lou Slogger, who responded the same day we called for help; for Pastor Keith Maddy, who has responded immediately to all our calls; and for two faithful heroines that are doing a titanic job in this tragedy since the start, and who are considered by the Haitians as the “first ladies” of Port-Au-Prince –Karina de la Hoz, of Oasis Christian Church and Omaira (I can’t recall her last name) of Youth for Christ. These two young ladies and their group have greatly exalted the name of God and His kingdom. May God bless and protect them as they continue to serve, and bless all of you who are praying and helping us for Haiti.

I’m sending some photos showing our groups at work. Some are rather crude, so please use them at your discretion,

In the love of Christ, your servant,

Miguel Angel Castillo

January 27, 2010

Message from Pastor Francisco Guzmán, Bible Church of the Trinity
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

After having traveled to Port au Prince this past weekend, we met with the elders of IBSJ and Carlos Pimentel from The Foundation of Hope, to assess the post-earthquake situation, and to plan the way forward in the short and long term:

We decided to open a office with two employees who will organize and coordinate all our work there.

Given the reality that thousands of homes of our brothers and those of the people in general are destroyed and others are severely fractured and uninhabitable, it was decided that the pastors should take an inventory of the various affected sister churches.

We will provide food and water in exchange for their using their hands to remove debris.

The odor caused by human feces and decomposed bodies under the rubble is unbearable.

We're buying sledgehammers, picks, wheelbarrows and chisels for our brothers in the faith in order that they may return as soon as possible to the pieces of land where their houses were. It is our goal to be able to involve the churches and communities in building low cost houses with the funds that are coming in and to pay them (the workers) with food and water.

Pray that the Lord will give us wisdom in all this work and that he will multiply the loaves and fishes before a sea of needs so great.

On the spiritual side, we saw the tremendous need to minister the Word of God to pastors and church leaders in Port-au-Prince, as they found themselves confused, depressed and broken hearted to see their buildings demolished and thousands of their sheep killed or injured .

We are organizing a pastors conference for the first week of March with IBSJ pastors, pray that the Lord will give us grace to encourage them to continue moving forward under these present conditions.

On our third floor classroom area we are furnishing 15 beds to accommodate patients who come from different (filled to capacity) high rise hospitals. Pray for the physical and emotional recovery of the patients. Several are believers. We have amputees, broken bones, diverse contusions. Pray for wisdom for the doctors of our churches that are giving assistance.

Atte.

Pastor Francisco Guzmán

January 19, 2010

Message from Pastor Widmy Mervilus (a Haitian minister living in the DR)
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Thanks, brother for your care for me. I went Haiti with Pastor Casillo and Jean Pierre. We got into Haiti on Thursday and turn back on Friday. When I got there seeing all what had happened I was terrible sick. But I feel prepare now to go and do all what is possible to see were my family are or what is happening with them. I see that communication is going better, and now I believe that I can take a bus to my city.

I will be careful to go alone. I pray God to always find someone to go with me. Also some time I will spend time there to avoid to much traveling, maybe a week or two.

Today I will be working in Elias Pina with a project to take provision to the people of Haiti, and in this afternoon, Pastor Castillo is coming down for us together get into Haiti tomorrow morning (1/19). I will be traveling frequently to Haiti during these next months because I will be supervising an office there in Haiti that will be administrating help for my people there.

Brother, continue with prayers.

Love, Pastor Widmy

January 18, 2010

Message from Pastor Francisco Guzmán, Bible Church of the Trinity
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Pastors and Sister Churches

This is to let you know that on the premises of our church we are putting to use the third floor Sunday school area for receiving traumatized patients from the Dario Contreras Hospital (close to us) that they cannot receive, because no more patients will fit from the earthquake.

As of Wednesday morning we will have about fifteen patients receiving necessary treatment, the Secretary of our nation's public health doctors will be offering to assist the wounded.

Pray that the Lord will allow us to minister to traumatized souls, those who are suffering from what doctors call post tragedy stress, besides the multiple wounds, bruises, trauma and broken bones.

Next Thursday we will be leaving for Puerto Principe, with Pastor Castillo, Jean Pierre Kawas, Carlos Pimentel from Esperanza Foundation (well known to IBSJ) and others to establish an office with a staff administrator Haitian / Dominican to coordinate all the aid we are receiving.

On Sunday we will be preaching in places where refugees are in abundance. Pray that the Lord will give us grace to minister to the intimate spiritual needs and He keep us from the dangers surrounding us all.

Attentively

Francisco Guzmán

January 16, 2010

Message from Pastor Miguel Angel Castillo, Inglesia Fundamento Biblico (Bible Foundation Church)
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

May the grace and mercy of God be with you.

On Thursday morning we were able to enter Port Au Prince, Haiti, and we found a city full of dead people lying in the streets and survivors in shelters without anyone to help. Until today the only assistance they were receiving was from the Dominican government. Aide is going to start coming in tomorrow, but until now there is only death, desolation and fear because the earth hasn’t ceased to tremble.

Nobody has escaped this tragedy. We received news from a group of pastors with whom we have fellowship, that seventy of their number were either dead or disappeared. We were able to confirm this news by visiting some of their churches, totally destroyed and full of dead brothers and sisters still trapped beneath the rubble. Last night there was another aftershock. We were all gripped with panic, and there were cries of desperation throughout the entire city. The news transmitted by most of the international networks has not even conveyed 20 percent of the real situation in Haiti. There is no functioning government, no institutions, no hospitals; but yes, one big chaos. Many of the brothers and sisters who have survived are finding shelter in churches in nearby towns.

We can’t give you all the details of this tragedy, maybe one of the greatest in all of human history; but next week we will return to Haiti to bring everything we can to help alleviate this situation. We will also be working with our brothers and sisters who moved to other towns.

Brethren, please pray for us because we are trying to obtain canned food, bottled water, antibiotics, canvas for temporary shelters, beds, milk for children and adults, gauze and any other thing that could be useful in this tragic situation.

In the love of Christ, your servant,

Miguel Angel Castillo

Pastor, Iglesia Fundamento Bíblico
(Bible Foundation Church)

January 14, 2010

As you know, the Dominican Republic shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti.

I have been in contact with our people in the Dominican Republic. They felt the earthquake that hit Haiti on Tuesday January 12th. Thank God there has been no damage in the Dominican Republic. Neither Logos, nor the work in Juan Tomás and other places we are working in were effected by the earthquake.

However, Lester Flaquer, the administrated at Logos Christian School and director of ACSI Dominicana reported to me that the damage in Haiti is severe. The loss of life is great.

I am sure many of you have been seeing the devastation on television. If you would like to contribute to the relief efforts in Haiti, you can make checks to Partners In Christ and mail them to the address for Partners In Christ below. Please mark them for Haitian relief fund. We will see that 100% of the funds get to those in need in Haiti. We have a working relationship and a direct connection to pastors in Haiti. Thus the funds can go directly through these pastors and churches to help those in need. I will be going to the Dominican Republic on January 20th, Wednesday. I will take the gifts with me. Thank you for your compassion.

Carl Key