A Time of Rejoicing and Wailing
Yesterday afternoon found Vogly and Mike trying to get plane tickets to go to Port au Prince to check on Vogly’s family. It was an afternoon of tap-taps, lots of mud and by the time we got to the airport it was closed. On the way home from Port de Paix you could see families wailing as they received the news that family members had been killed in Port au Prince.
Thursday morning started with some of the same. Vogly is rejoicing because his mother and step-father are okay even though she received some injuries from falling blocks. Many of his friends and his college professor have been killed. A moment of joy and then heartache the next second over the bad news. Salla (our Haitian employee) as well as many of the community people have been anxious all day as they have not heard anything about their family members in Port au Prince. We gave Salla’s daughter money to go to PAP to check on her 4 sisters. Throughout the day we have stopped to have prayers with those who are hurting. We have rejoiced with Ti-Poppa as he heard his sister is okay. All of these say their families houses have been demolished.
All day long we have heard planes overhead that we could not see because they were hidden by clouds or the mountain range but we have praised God knowing that relief and aide are coming to this island. Tonight we showed Vogly, Ti-Poppa and Odines pics from the internet news — their faces showed total disbelief. At times we cry, at times it is overwhelming, at times we feel so helpless.
As we have feared prices are starting to skyrocket. Yesterday a gallon of gas was $37.00 (Haitian) and today we were told that in PAP it was $100.00 (Haitian) which is equivalent to about $12.00 US dollars. Not only will this apply to gas but other things will be affected too. We bought several bags of rice and beans yesterday but in reality these will only last a couple of weeks.
Psalms 46 says it best… God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts. The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Come and see the works of the LORD, the desolations he has brought on the earth. He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, he burns the shields with fire. “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.
As one of our friends commented on our blog — may God raise up a holy nation out of the rubble. Please continue to pray because this will be a long ordeal and please know that your prayers and support to us are greatly appreciated. May we lean on God and not our own strength because it has been drained very quickly.