Although the recent weather phenomenon has caused horrendous damage, activities have begun to gradually resume.
After Hurricane Matthew swept the islands and East Coast, many inhabitants were left to deal with the tragic aftermath including wreckage, injuries and casualties. In response, the First Presbyterian Church of Moorestown has prayed and is now thankful that its partner, Haiti Outreach Ministries, did not experience damage or flooding at its four Port-au-Prince campuses.
HOM began in the 1990s as a result of a relationship that was formed between the Rev. Leon Dorleans and Walker Gaulding while attending seminary in the United States. Dorleans formed the Mission Communautaire de l’Eglise Chretienne des Cites, which translates as Mission Outreach of the Cite Soleil Christian Church, and Walker formed Haiti Outreach Ministries as a way for citizens of the U.S. to make tax-deductible contributions to MICECC.
On Thursday, Oct. 6, Pastor Profaite Medeus, senior pastor of Cities Christian Church (Cite Soleil), sent a message to the HOM Board of Directors providing an update on the situation in the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew.
He said, “We thank and praise the Lord for protecting us from the Hurricane Matthew. Thanks be to God, we have not experience any damage or flooding on our four campuses. Activities are gradually returning to normal in Haiti since the storm has passed with the exception of school classes that are scheduled to resume on Monday, [Oct. 10].”
The support offered by the FPC stems from its heart for missions. For example, when Haiti experienced the powerful earthquake in 2010, causing devastation and thousands of casualties, the First Presbyterian Church responded by sending a team to Haiti to work alongside other disaster relief workers and volunteers. The areas assigned to FPC were communities supported by HOM, and that is how the church began its relationship with the outreach program.
“With much relief and restoration work needing to be done, God placed a burden on the hearts of the members of the First Presbyterian Church to continue being the hands and feet of Jesus in Haiti within these same communities,” the Rev Marsha L. Harris, director of Mission Ministries at FPC, said. “First Presbyterian Church has taken mission teams to Haiti each year since the earthquake, and planning is underway for the January 2017 trip.”
Although HOM went largely undisturbed during Hurricane Matthew, the disruption in the daily lives of others residing in Haiti has led to reduced opportunities for earning a living and dangerous conditions remaining on the island. It has also caused horrendous damage throughout the rest of the island, having experienced rain and winds up to 145 miles per hour. While activities have already begun to gradually resume, help is still needed.
Therefore, the FPC will continue to provide support to these areas through seizing various opportunities including the opportunity to join a volunteer team, donate money, provide hygiene kits and more. It will also continue its support to HOM and MICECC through its planned ground team trip in January.
“The devastation brought by Hurricane Matthew to the poorest areas of Haiti is huge. Over thousands of lives were lost, countless injuries occurred, an immeasurable number of homes were destroyed, and an unknown number of businesses were impacted,” Harris said. “The Bible tells us to love God with our all and to love our neighbors as we love ourselves, this is reason enough for people to reach beyond themselves to assist our neighbors who are in need.”
To help support the relief effort HOM is leading in Haiti, those interested should visit the HOM website at: goo.gl/R5kjTp.
