Update from Haiti
Gary Dilley
Director of Global Ministries
Posted March 23, 2004
As we have seen in the news, Haiti has been in upheaval. The
United Brethren church is affected in two ways: we have about 40
churches in Haiti, and we have a missionary, Luanne Brooks, serving
there with OMS.
Richard Oliam
Richard Oliam is the superintendent of our churches in Haiti.
He lives in Port au Prince, the capital, which became a turbulent
place during the recent rebel activity and change of government.
He writes: "By God's grace, I am well. God has kept me alive
during these recent weeks. Things are not well in the country.
Stores
have been broken into and many places have been destroyed. So many
things have happened during these last days. God is starting to
work some of the things out. President Aristide is out of the country,
and a new government it trying to be established. I'm hoping that
things will settle down. I'm asking you to continue to pray for
the changes needed in Haiti."
Luanne Brooks
OMS International has a compound in the northern city of Cap
Hatian. This is the center of their work in radio ministry, pastoral
training, medical missions, and other areas. Normally, the compound
has 75 people. OMS evacuated all but six of them. Along with concerns
for safety, they were running out of food and medicine. The city
was cut off by the rebels, and no food was able to enter the city.
Luanne normally lives on the compound, but had been in the capital
city, Port au Prince, doing language study. Luanne, too, was evacuated.
On February 21, she came back to the States, and is now staying
with her mother in Palm Coast, Florida.
OMS is monitoring the situation closely. Last week, three missionaries
were returned to Cap Hatian, and Luanne Brooks has a tentative
return date of March 30. Port au Prince continues to see a lot
of turmoil, but things have quieted down in the north, where Cap
Hatian is located.
The UB Churches
Most of the turmoil is in the cities. Fortunately, most of our
churches are located in smaller villages, some in remote locations.
We don't know a lot about their situation, but are trusting for
God's protection.
Richard Oliam, our superintendent, lives in Port Au Prince, so
he is much closer to the conflict. Please keep Richard, Luanne,
and all of the UB churches in your prayers.
Luanne Returning to Haiti (3/23/04)
Luanne Brooks
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you so much for your love and support
during this difficult time. Now I need your prayers again. It is
time for me to return to Haiti. Many of my friends have returned
in the past week and a half and have found our compound just as
they left it.
We are praising the Lord that our coworkers in Haiti have been
kept safe. I have been told that Cap Haitian is functioning just
as before except that the airport is no longer functioning. The
runway is still open so that we can fly in, but I will have to
fly to Port au Prince first to go through immigration before heading
on to Cap Haitian.
I do not know what will happen with my continued language study.
OMS has decided that Port au Prince is still too unstable to return
any of our missionaries there. So we will try to set something
up in Cap Haitian. I will just be glad to get home.
The clinic has been functioning daily under the wise supervision
of my dear friend Prudence. I am so thankful for her.
What have I been doing with my time off? Well, for the first
few days home I moped around and cried a lot. (Not very missionary-like,
I know!) Then I received word that all the missionaries were coming
out and that we would be having a debriefing in Greenwood, Ind.
So I flew to Indianapolis and was greeted by two of my friends,
one of whom was my room mate, Erica. The debriefing was a wonderful
cathartic event. I have not cried since I came home. It filled
me with hope.
Upon returning to Florida, I received a phone call from the mother
of one of the young men in my church. She said she was desperate
for help with an elderly aunt and uncle. She was concerned about
how she was going to care for them, and when she saw me in the
newspaper, she knew I was her answer. I spent the next two weeks
helping this dear couple get their lives back together. Please
pray for James and Helen Muller. She is a godly woman trying to
care for her invalid husband when she became ill and was unable
to do it. They are doing better now, and Helen is up and about.
Upon returning to Daytona, I moved into a room in the family
life center at my church. I got my yearly physical and have been
getting all my continuing education credits done for my nursing
liscense. Today I am speaking at my grandson's school for career
day. Dakota made a poster, saying that he wanted to be a missionary
when he grew up. Awww.
Pray for me as I prepare to return home. I had my cat "Tommy" declawed
while we were home and so I know that he will be glad to get back
on his home turf.
On Monday, March 29, I will rent a car and drive to West Palm
Beach. The next morning, March 30, I will board a small plane and
fly to Haiti.
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