Hi,

I am sorry for lack of communication from me. I know you all care so much and many of you wait for the updates. I have been so busy, I just could not email. Please forgive me.

This weekend was a lot of running, a visit from two different groups, doctors and builders and church. Today for lunch, I had my 35, and another 18 Americans with us for a total of 53 people.

We are continuing to help people get food and water. We were able to help two different orphanages in the past two days. Then tonight we visited a little Haitian run orphanage near our home and put all the kids...............in sleeping bags, what a thrill that was. I forgot my flashlight so we did this in pitch dark, using my cell phone for light.

Church today was another SRO, (standing room only) with nearly 800 people. We had Mark Murphy, a visiting pastor from Fort Wayne, preach and just an incredible service.

Some of you may question why we have been giving money as opposed to distributing food. Today, in our village, some military helicopters made a food drop and, when people rushed the 'copter, a little boy was trampled to death. It is a dangerous situation.

Tomorrow we are delivering 74 food boxes to the homes of our school families, taking them rice, oil, beans and such. This is an ongoing, daily process of helping these folks.

Today at church an out-of-work carpenter came to me and said he had no money and needed food for his family. I asked him to give me a quote to build 2 new tables and 12 chairs for my home. He gave me a good price, and I paid him to build the tables, killing two birds with one stone and allowing him to earn his money.

Also, today I ordered 10 new church pews for church. We do not have this in our budget and would not qualify for relief so, can you help me pray in $700 for this much needed expense .................by Saturday. I will let you know when you prayers are answered.

By the way, I forgot Jovens, our little 7 year old blind boy, in my list of family members last week. Can't believe none of you caught that one. So is that 34 then? I have not added to my family in 3 days....I must be slipping.

Tonight my visiting board member's wife, Connie Nuest, and board member Linda Neal made pancakes for the boys, a welcome treat for all, including poppa who had 2 or 3 or 7.

Did I tell you this, our well just drilled before the quake, was damaged by the quake and we had to re-drill this weekend. Well, they found water, good drinking water at 25 feet. We bought a water pump so in the next day or so, we will have clean water at our mission, which fits our nickname, the Oasis.

I could ramble on but, will stop. You have a lot to digest and pray about but know this, we are being Jesus in Haiti every single day, and we know many of you are being Jesus in ............wherever you are. Keep it up; you don't need the earth to open up to be Jesus.

tominhaiti

Hi from Haiti;

As busy as I was the first two weeks, seems I am getting busier every day....can't wait for November 3rd and that day off.

This morning we took a load of food, blankets and water to a small orphanage near us and they were so excited as they needed the help so badly.

We are having discussions with an organization that wants to partner with us to help rebuild the homes in our area. We are very excited about this. Pray that if this is God's will, it will happen.

Today was youth group, I stayed home to rest and I got a call that one of the boys coming to youth group was hit by a car. My son Claudy loaded him up, looked for medical help but could not find it. Claudy finally connected with a US army team and their doctor fixed him up and sent Claudy and the boy to a US hospital by the US Embassy. As I write this, they are enroute. Pray for the young boy, Bobby, who was hit by the car.

We continue to give aid daily to anywhere between 25-30 families who are so appreciative.

One shortcoming for me is that, because I am so busy, I have not connected with the 10 new ones and have not been a dad to the 22 old ones. I am starting to correct this as we speak, as I know I must be a dad to my own before I can do anything else.

They are still all sleeping outside, all but us crazy Americans who are inside. That includes me, 3 board members and the daughter of one husband-wife team.

Pre-quake, I told you we struck water with our well drillers on our mission land. However, the well we were drilling is now ruined so we are re-drilling at another spot on our property.

Much, much more is to be done in Haiti. As I have said, this is not a short fix but, instead, will be years. 90% of Haitian schools were destroyed so no one knows when school can resume. We can't legally have school unless the government says so. However, we can have "kids club" at our mission for our school kids AND we can teach them whatever we want.... so stay tuned, kids club is coming to a tent near you.

In case you lost count of names, here is the entourage God has me in the middle of:
The younger ones: Jony, 4, Peterson 5, Kaylye 5, Adrianno 6, Beverly 8, Robenson 8, Marckendy 10, Kimberly 8, Ricardo 12, Bony 10, Steven 13, Jay 1.

The 16-20 year olds: Shadrach, Matthew, Sonson, Claudy, Tito, Derson, Sonal, Maxim, Reggie, Berthony, Georgie, Louis, Edward, Jimy 1, Jimy 2, Toby, Kenel.

And staff: Roger, Altimay and Stephanie, and me. Seems like more but I think that is all the permanent ones, do ya get 33?

Great bunch, I am blessed, keep the prayers coming and, please don't forget we have a monthly budget we must meet--the quake relief is just for that. We still need 10 grand per month to run mission and do ministry in our 5 points of light.

Not sure if I told you this, yesterday my girls from the ministry team came to my house and made 100 rice and bean dinners. We then took them to the garbage dump where there were about 50 people. We gave them the meal and drinks, then drove up and down the road giving meals to stragglers. What a joy. Thanks for making this possible.
tominhaiti

Hi from Haiti,

Today as we were visiting and providing relief for our 100 school children and their families, we could not find two little brothers. We had heard they were okay but just couldn't find them. When going to their house, a man told my staff that their mom had been killed in a building in Port Au Prince and they have been living in the woods for 2 weeks.

My staff member Pierre quickly called me, found them and I went to meet them. I brought 8-year-old Robenson, and 10-year-old Marckendy home. I took them aside and asked what happened. With tears falling, they said how their mom had died and that they had not eaten for 2 weeks. I asked them if they would come live with me, and if I could be their poppy. They both said yes. They got a shower, new, clean clothes, and a meal. They are now playing and laughing with the kids.

Folks, it don't get any better than this. Keep your Pulitzer Prize, your World Series rings, your medals of honor, your academy awards.......I have two prizes to top them sitting 4 feet from me, and I will keep them.

Your prayers, your help, your support, are making it possible for us to continue to be Jesus to these little ones. I have no idea what lies ahead, but am pretty good friends with the one who does know the future, so it is in His hands. At this moment, I feel like the most blessed man in the world. Out of all of you, and anyone else, God chose me, to safe guard and care for these two little guys, Robenson and Marckendy.

I must stop before the tears ruin my keyboard. More later, promise.

Tom

Hi,



I apologize for the lack of communication but I think all of you know that writing emails is number 3,456 on my priority list. Someone emailed me and said "you gotta keep them coming if you want to raise money". Folks, that is not why I send emails. If that is a result, praise God.

Saturday was a day spent in traffic, Gas had just become available for the first time and the Western Unions opened up, meaning thousands of Haitians would have cash for the first time. The country was a bottle neck and we were stuck in it as we picked up 3 friends from the airport.

Our friends volunteered for an aid organization, which hitched them a ride here free. They are spending a couple days with us away from the airport.

Sunday was incredible. Recall, our church attendance before the tent was about 200. Then the tent happened and, in the past few months, our attendance has been creeping up toward 500. Well yesterday, and you better sit down, we had 914 people at church. Can you believe that one?
You probably just swallowed your teeth but............it gets better, much better because we had 50 people accept Christ as their personal Savior, becoming followers of Christ. Here is the kicker, 11 came early to church asking to become Christians.

This quake has rocked this nation and shaken people and made them think about life, and about death. Praise God we are here able to meet their needs, physically, emotionally, financially, and most important, spiritually.

We have seating for about 650 so it was standing room. What a praise service it was, at least that is what they tell me. You see, we had a shipment coming in on a missionary flight that I had to pick up at the airport. My staff did a great job.

I was at the airport from 8 a.m. until noon, then rushed to our mission as everyone was leaving to meet a 2pm helicopter full of food, rice, bread, beans, jelly, peanut butter, etc,,,,

We loaded the truck and went straight to the Good Samaritan orphanage with the food, much to the delight of the kids and staff there. It was our FIRST food from outside Haiti and we were so blessed.

This morning, a few minutes, before daybreak I am headed to Pettionvile to a Christian school. There is a team of doctors there and one of them was sent with some cash from my treasurer which I am going to pick up. We still can't find a way to cash a check or get cash.

Then it is to the airport to pick up a board member who will be helping me plan and strategize the upcoming months. Please know that anyone that comes always comes on their own dime. We don't use any our ministry money or relief funds ever to bring people here.

This and a million other things are on the agenda. Keep praying, keep sending emails, I know I am busy but it takes seconds to read an email, and they encourage me so much. Today's goal, 50 emails from YOU.

tominhaiti

Hi,

We picked a pastor up at the airport, a man who was involved in the Tsunami relief and been in many disaster areas. He said he was amazed at these people and how they are bouncing back, their attitude and what is going on, so quickly. He is amazed at these folks largely because he has never seen this spirit in the other places.

I knew that, but am biased and hadn't been anywhere to compare. These people are fighters and they won't quit. You are helping build a new Jaiti, give new direction and I am convinced that Haiti will become a place where God will be glorified.

Today I'll make an airport run for our water filters while my staff runs church. Then a helicopter drop of 600 pounds of rice at 2pm, then,,,,,,wait a minute, isn't today a day of rest, or is that tomorrow? Keep praying.

Love you guys,

tominhaiti

Lord, I just want to say THANK YOU,

because this morning I woke up and knew where my children were,

because this morning my home was still standing,
because this morning I am not crying because my husband, my child, my

brother or sister needs to be buried out from underneath a pile of concrete,

because this morning I was able to drink a glass of water,

because this morning I was able to turn on the light,

because this morning I was able to take a shower,

because this morning I was not planning a funeral,

but most of all I thank you this morning because I still have life and a voice to

cry out for the people of Haiti.

Lord I cry out to you, the one that makes the impossible, possible, the one

that turns darkness in to light,

I cry out that you give those mothers & fathers strength, that you give them

peace that surpasses all understanding,

that you may open the streets so that help can come, that you may provide

doctors, nurses, food, water, and all that they need in a blink of an eye.

For all those that have lost family members, give them peace, give them

hope, give them courage to continue to go on!

Protect the children and shield them with your power.

I pray all this in the name of Jesus. AMEN.


Thank you for all your support and continued prayers. tominhaiti

This is being passed on from Tom for your reading.

Patrick Markey And Matthew Bigg - Fri Jan 22, 4:54 pm ET

PORT-AU-PRINCE (Reuters) - Cash became available and buses started running in Haiti's rubble-clogged capital on Friday but there was still not enough food to feed desperate earthquake survivors who were expected to need emergency aid for months.

"We can do this 24 hours a day for the next six months and we still won't meet the need," said First Sargent Rob Farnsworth, part of a U.S. Army airborne unit handing out food packs at a squalid camp where survivors lived in the open air.

Up to 1.5 million Haitians lost their homes in the January 12 earthquake that rocked the small Caribbean country, devastated its capital Port-au-Prince and killed up to 200,000.

Relief agencies estimated one-third of Haiti's 9 million people would need emergency food, water and shelter for an extended period.

Haitians struggled to find food, water and medical care. Even those whose homes withstood the magnitude 7 quake were too traumatized by aftershocks to sleep under a roof.

There were signs of daily life resuming. Taptaps, Haiti's small, colorfully decorated private buses, circulated in Port-au-Prince, sharing streets with the earth-movers and digging machines clearing debris.

Banks were scheduled to reopen on Saturday and money transfer agencies did brisk business after opening on Friday.

"I want to get some cash sent by my family from Canada. It's $500 but it's difficult. There are so many people," said businessman Aslyn Denis, 31, waiting in a line with hundreds of people, some of them jostling each other, outside a Unitransfer office.

The dead body of a young man lay in a street, his head swollen and bloody. Residents said he tried to steal money and was stoned by a crowd. He wore socks but his shoes were gone and his pockets had been pulled out.

MOB OVERWHELMS 'THE BEAST'

Edmond Mulet, acting head of the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Haiti, said coordination in delivering aid was getting better every day. The World Food Program distributed 1.2 million food rations to hospitals and orphanages on Thursday and hoped to give out 10 million in the next week.

"We may be able to scale up even quicker," said Josette Sheeran, executive director of the U.N. World Food Program. "We finally have supplies and food coming in from all over the world."

The seaport in Port-au-Prince was repaired enough to partially reopen for cargo ships, while airstrips outside the capital and in the Dominican Republic received relief flights.

But nearly 1,000 hungry people swarmed a U.S. military truck as an 82nd Airborne company known as "the Beast" handed out food and water at an encampment on a soccer field. Overwhelmed, the troops pulled out after distributing 600 packaged meals, leaving 250 food packs still on the truck.

A large supermarket, Big Star Market, reopened in the Petionville suburb on Friday, selling everything from slabs of ham and goat meat to Valentine's Day chocolates. But the store manager said they had only a week or two of stocks left and had received no deliveries.

Haitians are realizing it could take months or years to regain some sense of normalcy.

"We want it to be over, but it's not finished yet, things are bad," said Jeanette, a 53-year-old architect shopping at the market. "I've lost my office. I've lost a whole year of work. We have no stability, no direction, we've been left to fend for ourselves. We can't plan for the future, we're just living day-to-day."

The United Nations counted nearly 450 encampments in Port-au-Prince alone where the homeless huddle, cook and sleep amid mounds of garbage.

More than $1.2 billion has been pledged to help rebuild roads, government buildings and homes, but the World Bank said much more would be needed to get Haiti on its feet.

"My anticipation is that $1.2 billion is just the floor," the bank's director for the Caribbean, Yvonne Tsikata, told France 24 television.

The International Monetary Fund urged donors gathering in Montreal next week to adopt a Marshall Plan for Haiti, similar to the U.S. effort that helped rebuild Europe after the Second World War.

"It is not unrealistic to imagine that the country can be rebuilt as a prosperous nation. But it needs help over a prolonged period," IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn wrote on the Huffington Post.

FREE RADIOS

U.S. Navy helicopters ferried in boxes of water to distribute to Haitians lined up at a sprawling camp that covered a golf course. Actor Sean Penn stopped by to deliver antibiotics, painkillers and water filters. "The whole city has collapsed," he said.

U.S. troops were giving away 50,000 solar- and crank-powered radios to help displaced Haitians receive announcements telling them where aid was available.

More than 13,000 U.S. military personnel are in Haiti and on ships offshore, flying in supplies, evacuating the seriously wounded and protecting aid distribution points. The United Nations is adding 2,000 troops and 1,500 police to its 9,000-member peacekeeping mission.

But for many, life remained precarious.

At another camp in Port-au-Prince, a woman tried not to moan in pain as a student doctor bandaged her badly-injured leg. In the dirty tent where he worked, cooking pots bubbled and a dog slept inches from the open wound.

"Of course there is the risk of infection," said Alexi Guyto, 26. "For the most part, we have lost the people who came with major traumas after the earthquake but we still have lots of head and other injuries."

Water distribution at the dump

Hi,

We have not had power or internet service for the past day or so and I apologize for the lack of communication. Our generator has been fixed. We found the owner of company, who lost his company but still sent the tech man to put in a new gas pump. Praise God. Internet service is back. For now.

So, so busy. I have been going 18-20 hour days for 10 or 11 days now. It caught up with me yesterday afternoon. I went and crawled in bed, and was there until 5am today. A nice rest. I am ready to roll.

I have too much to tell you in one email but will start two per day, if we have service. We have divided our relief into 11 geographic areas, with 3 teams of 9 people each giving out relief. We finally got into Merjay yesterday. They did not lose too many houses but, with the food shortage, they are all hungry. We helped 30 families, more to come.

Every day since the quake hit, we have driven a 5-mile stretch between the edge of our town, Bon Repos, and Merjay. We take food and water to nearly 100 men and women who are all rummaging the debris from town that has been discarded. What a joy and thrill to pull up and see my boys sprinting 100 yards to provide help to someone out in the field. The men now come to us when they see us and devour whatever we give them so quickly. My boys are loving it and so is their very proud dad. God has blessed me with 20 young men in my care who are becoming full time ministry partners, as well as sons.

We are helping about 50 families per day. We have not received one drop of food or supplies from outside Haiti yet. Dozens of people are trying to get to us but there are 1400 planes waiting, just to come to Haiti. Plus, once they get here, you can't get to the airport.

The good news is, and you can pray for this, between 10am and 11am, we expect a helicopter from Air Calvary and one from the coast guard to bring supplies to our mission. We are getting ready to leave to go to the site to secure it and await these desperately needed supplies.

Speaking of 10am, my younger brother is having prostate surgery at this time in Indiana and please pray for him. Mark is his name.

I am probably sharing about 2% of what is happening, so know that much more is going on. I am just realizing how my family is suffering. They have lost their country, their classmates, no school, and no idea of the future, I am working with this.

The good news is the 10 little ones have no clue and we will keep it that way, for now. Another huge quake the other day, then last night one that scared me and we ran for the door, as it "shook the house pretty good". We think we have an engineer coming today to inspect our 3 houses on our compound to see if they are safe to live in.
Fuel is back, we are loaded for a couple months as we speak. I can never repay my board for what they are doing. They have dropped their lives for 10 days and focused 100 percent on our well being: mine, my families and that of the people we work with. My board member Linda Neal, who is here, has saved me. What a great help; she was sent by God.

Keep praying, keep raising money, we need it all and yes, 100% is still coming this way.

Love you guys,

tominhaiti

Hi from Haiti,



Last night I finally got to sleep about 2am. At 5am I woke up to a 6.1 earthquake. Okay, they call it an aftershock, IT IS AN EARTHQUAKE.

It lasted about 10 seconds and wow, was it scary. By the time I got to the yard outside-- in 15 seconds--my entire family was already there to greet me. The ironic thing was that I finally convinced everyone they could sleep inside again.

It was a tough night as our big generator was not working. We got it fixed today, Praise God. This morning was spent getting supplies and sending my team out. At one point I think we had 28 people out providing relief in some form. At 3pm, I was ready to hit the road and I took 9 of the boys and Linda, our board member who is "stuck" here. We went to see the men from the garbage dump and gave them water, rice and bread. Then we just drove up and down the road sharing our supplies with the poorest of the poor. We served about 100 men, women and children.

On the way home we saw a line of only about 4 cars at the gas station. I pulled in to fill up with diesel fuel and, while waiting there, a young man I know named Jimy, 16, came walking to the truck. Normally Jimy runs to my truck yelling, "Tom Tom" and I buy my phone cards from him. Today, a subdued Jimy came over and said hi. I asked him what was wrong. He said nothing, he was okay. When I said, "Come on Jimy, something is wrong", I found out that his mom was dead, and his dad was missing in Port-au-Prince, probably deceased, and he knew it.

I told him if he ever needed a place to stay, he was welcome at our house. He looked at me with pleading eyes and said "today?" I said, "Yes, right now." The boy had been homeless and climbed in the back of the truck, with a small back pack with all he owned. Jimy came here and ate and drank lots of water.

The worst part is, I pulled up to the pump and they were out of gas, giving the last to the truck before me. As I pulled away I thought, wow, came for gas, going home with Jimy. Not going to that gas station anymore. Of course I am kidding, like I was about God not reading my e-mails. For you new folks, you will catch my very dry, poor sense of humor.

Earlier today I felt the weight of the whole world on my shoulders. I got a headache and so badly just wanted to crawl in bed for a day or so. I cannot. We must keep pushing on. Today we were able to provide hope and supplies for over 200 people. We continue to await thousands of pounds of food promised on its way to the airport.

Thanks to all of you for making this relief effort possible. I heard someone say that if any organization says 100% of your money goes to the people, they are lying". I can tell you this in not a lie, at least for us. You see, we did not come just for the relief effort. I have been here 12 years. We have a system, trucks, supplies, and a staff and don't need to spend a penny to get ready to provide relief. We already do that, on a much smaller scale. So yes, 100% of your money is coming here for food, water, medical supplies and to help rebuild homes.

So much more but I will quit for now, keep praying, thank you so much,

tominhaiti

Relief workers prepare to head out.

Dear friends,

The past 30 hours have been incredible and very sobering. Without knowing if there is any damage to our homes, our entire family slept in the courtyard on mattress's. Our security guard didn't show up so I was the guard all night, It was a long night.

By 5:30 am we were up and getting ready to head to the villages where we do ministry. We arrived just after sun up and first went to our mission compound. Praise God we have NO damage, everything intact.

I along with Linda Neal one of our board members and 7 of my boys then began to walk the village of Source Matles. Let me be clear on our role in this crisis. We are not part of search and rescue. We were involved in that in our neighborhood moments after the quake hit but not today. The search and rescue is going on in Port au Prince. In the villages there are NO 2 story buildings or houses.

What we found in the village is nearly 100% of the folks homeless. Last night they all slept on the ground in front of their small homes. All the homes were damaged, entire walls falling in, roofs caving in and walls cracking. We heard many stories of babies nearly killed. I held two little babies, one had a scratch on his lip and one had a scratch on his neck, this from a falling cement block that hit them. The moms were praising God.

We toured the village for over 3 hours, hearing every story, seeing everyones' destroyed homes. We were able to help many people who still needed medical care. We also promised about 25 families we would help rebuild their home.

What a joy to see their faces, and the hope that we had given. This is just one of our 4 villages. The other villages have been destroyed just as badly.

I have taken in 5 teens into my home who are homeless and we will help rebuild their homes. The cost to help each family rebuild will be about $300-$500.

We are working on food distribution tomorrow for those who need meals. Water is not an issue in Source Matles as they have a fresh spring water.

We are still sleeping in court yard. The after shocks keep coming, and are very strong and very scary. Of course all schools are canceled and may be for the rest of the year.

Tomorrow we hope to be able to get back to the Good Samaritan orphanage, as well as begin to meet the needs of our 100 school children.

What you are seeing on CNN is not happening in the villages but they are all homeless and need our help so badly, which we are doing.

Think of everything in your home, in ruins, lying under cement blocks. You have no money, no food and can't even think about rebuilding. We are giving hope back.

Today we had one meal at our home, a 3pm pot of rice and beans, and popcorn tonight as we ration the food.

I am very sad as we have reports that the French Grocery store I have been going to for 12 years, was leveled. I made dozens of friends in 12 years with the owners, the cashiers, the bag men and I am so sad that most of them are probably dead.

The garbage dump people of Merjay are doing fine. Two men came to my house today and said "God spared us, no injuries, no structural damage". We still have Titiyan, Cabaret and Minnotree to visit in up coming days.

There is NO where to buy food or gas at this point. I do need to try to find blankets tomorrow as the people are very cold at night. I know it is still 70 but that is cold for these folks,. Imagine your temp dropping from 70 to 40, you would be cold. I hope to get 100 blankets to distribute.

I could go on but I will stop. Our guard is here today so I can sleep in my shaky bed tonight. The boys think I am crazy for sleeping in the house but the bugs are so bad outside. We will have pictures on our website that are amazing and really paint the picture of what has happened in the rural areas.

tominhaiti

hi from haiti

This is the worst thing to ever happen to Haiti. The worst news will come tomorrow. My heart is so heavy. We just got our 15th or so after shock tremor. Some last for 10 seconds. It is very scary.

By tomorrow morning, our webmaster will have a donate button for you to help with this crisis. We will be helping as many people as we can, in our points of light, and neighborhood in the next few days and weeks. We will be helping with medical help, food and drinking water. No amount of money will be enough but whatever we get, every single penny will go to help these poor people. Sadly, we already have some deaths in our points of light, we will need to help with that.

We are all sleeping in the courtyard outside as the houses keep shaking. Much of our inside stuff was broken but house seems solid. we will check in the morning on structural damage.

We plan on leaving at 5am before sun up to visit our villages. Several motorcyles have come to our house from the village checking on us, with terrible reports of death and destruction.

Our Roger came home 30 minutes ago, fell into our arms, He was at Bible school in a building that collapsed, he was injured and walked the 5 miles home. He lost some classmates.

Our board of directors were scheduled to come this week but we have cancelled the meeting. This will last for a long time. Just now another tremor, about number 17. We have reports of much looting going on. Our guard did not show up today so I am standing guard duty over my sleeping family in the courtyard.

We just got full supplies this morning, praise God. God placed us here for such a time as this. We will do our best to be Jesus to these people and bring relief.

Side note, I brought a little blind boy home last week, 7 year old and blind since birth. What a sweetie, Jovens. We will seek medical help to check out his eyes.

Also, just heard the UN headquarters collapsed. checking the report, will give you update tomorrow afternoon or night. Pray will ya, still unaccounted for is Manel, Jony and Clasimay., tom

Our family is safe. The buildings, homes, businesses, and hospitals of Port-au-Prince are flattened. We stand outside and weep as we hear thousands of crying people. Thousands have died, many, many around our house. Ten of the boys were out rescuing people from under fallen walls and buildings.

One of our guys from Minnotree just came by on motorcycle, The big rice factory, with 500 men working, collapsed. Titiyan, Source Matles, Minnotree, flat, except a few houses; Pastor Jackie's house still stands tall.

Gas station near our house, market, all flat. Several hospitals have collapsed, and, therefore, no place to take people. My boys who have families in these villages are weeping and praying in the yard. We feel it is too unsafe to drive with power lines down and total chaos.

Our houses shook and swayed back and forth for at least ten seconds. I was driving and thought the axle fell out. Roger is not here. He was in Port-au-Prince at bible college. Pray for Manel, Roger, Jony and Deckenson, Claismay, Bobby and our entire staff.

The air is full of wailing. We just got after shock, about four of them since the big one, and the boys are afraid to come in the houses. More later. Not sure what lies ahead. God is in control. Pray for the people of Haiti. tominhaiti.

Greetings from Haiti,

I am not much into looking back but think it worth a little look over our shoulder. When I think of this year, I think what pops out at me. Here is a list of things by the date they happened:

1) Hundreds of you visited, assisting our ministry here in Haiti and I made many new close friends. I will never forget your sacrifice of money, time and energy for these precious people of Haiti and for the Lord. Lives were changed for eternity because you came, and because you left part of your heart behind. Thank you so much.

2) The loss of several people, including Mommy Tia from our family. It was sad this Christmas not being able to pick out a gift or two that I knew would bring a huge smile to her face. We know that Mommy was in the presence of the birthday BOY Himself which is way better.

3) A fantastic journey to Seattle and Minnesota meeting new folks and sharing what God is doing, here in Haiti.

4) The addition of Jony, Peterson, Auddy, Adrianno, Berthony and Reggie to our family.

5) Pastor Jackie leaving our ministry, a Godly man we miss so much.

6) A brand new Kia Truck and a brand new generator for our house.

7) Tremendous progress for the government of Haiti in many different areas making the country safer and on a comeback.

8) For the first time ever, having all of our school students sponsored.

9) And....the tent. This will be known as the year of the tent, the year we made our move to our property. What a joy this has been and ministry has advanced 100% forward.

10) Last and most important, several hundred people became Christ followers, many of those baptized and becoming leaders. Folks, this is why we are here, everything else is just window dressing. Remember what I have told you many times "IF WE ARE NOT MAKING DISCIPLES, WE ARE NOT MAKING A DIFFERENCE." We can feed people until the cows come in but if we aren't making an eternal difference, we might as well pack up and go home. Thank you for being a part of this amazing year.

What lies ahead in 2010
Who knows, but some questions to be answered.

1) Will this be the year of the glorious return of our Lord? We can only hope.

2) Will the church building begin in February and be done in the summer?

3) Will 6 more be added to my family? (you know what I am hoping)

4) Will I or one of you go home to Glory, to be with the people we love and the Savior we adore? (you are ready, right?)

5) Will the Detroit Tigers win the world championship?

6) Will we get a much needed truck, a people mover?

7) Will you finally get over your fear of Haiti, and actually come? (to the hundred that always say they are coming, but don't)

8) We have topped 500 in church. Will we reach the 1,000 number in the new church building? (don't bet against this one)

9) Will God send me a pastor and his wife to work alongside and a young couple to work with the youth?

10) Will we be adding more points of light?

As you see, many questions to be answered and the only way I know to get answers is to continue to be faithful to the call God has put on all of our lives. None of these above items could be accomplished without your sacrifice of love, money, time and prayer. Thank you so much. Thank you for these innocent children who have no voice. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Happy New Year, tominhaiti