A Blessing In Haiti

Today coupons and sales just don't seem to be that important. Yesterday we all heard the news of the devastation in Haiti and as the hours pass the news becomes more grim then anyone could have ever imagined. If you're like me when something like this happens in another country we often think "Oh, that is so sad." But, it really does not hit home. Today, this hit home for our family. My brother is in Haiti with New Missions and when the earthquake hit we were like the other thousands of American families and did not have contact with him. We are blessed that God saw fit to protect him (his name is not being mentioned at this point but those who know "him" know who we are talking about) and the team of New Missions. As we see the devastation on the news and as we hear the reports coming from New Missions we are overwhelmed with God's love and protection. He is safe and the team that he is with is all safe! He has told us over and over again; "I am doing what God wants me to do and I am safe." We rest assured this evening that he is in God's hand of protection and our thoughts and prayers go out to the thousands and thousands who are still without answers this evening.

I've been praying all day asking God, "What can I do?" Then God showed me what I can do and that is help bring a little comfort to family and friends who have been contacting me all day wanting to know if he is safe. I know many of our family and friends are not on facebook but are desperate for any glimpse of information so with the help of facebook post and contact from "our brother" I will do my best to keep you updated. I hope it helps you as much as it has helped me. Like my sister said today; "Its often harder on the ones left behind wondering then it is on the one going through the experience or in our brothers case the adventure!"

01/12/10

Reported today that all mission team members in Haiti are safe at the mission compound after an earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale struck the country approximately 10 miles from the mission. New Missions requests that everyone would lift the people of Haiti up in their prayers. Although all the mission tea...m members are safe, the days ahead will no doubt show an ever growing report of disaster to the Haitian people.

01/12/10

"The ground was like an ocean wave at New Missions when the earthquake hit. Most of our team was at the Missions Training Center, it was just before 5pm. At the time, I was with Bob S. doing a video interview of a TFA student when all of a sudden we heard a big boom and the ground began to rock. The concrete pathway I was standing on at the end of the Missions Training Center, closest to the ocean cracked in half and the earth began to open. We all fell down. Started hearing things crashing and people screaming. At first we stood in a circle together between the ocean and the missions training center and confirmed no one was hurt. We moved to the other side of the mission and began to load the vehicles to evacuate. Along the road to the High School we saw continued structural damage. However, Christians were singing in the villages.

At the High School, we circled the vehicles and some slept on the trucks and some slept on the ground on a tarp. We are thankful to be safe. There is extensive damage to buildings at the mission. Please pray!" ~Tim DeTellis, in Haiti