Haiti Disaster Relief Effort

(The Estes congregation will have an information booth concerning our Haiti disaster relief effort at FHU’s Annual Bible Lectureship February 7-12. Stop by and visit us in Bader Gymnasium.)

 The Estes congregation’s disaster relief efforts are coordinated through our full-time missionary in Haiti, Roberta Edwards.  Our security and logistics are now coming into place so that we can purchase and distribute basic food items at a substantial level through the Sonlight Children’s Home and the Santo Church of Christ, as well as other congregations. Food kits for families are being assembled in a combined effort by Roberta’s kids, Santo church members, and mission teams. Each kit contains 5 lbs. of rice, 2 lbs. of beans, 2 cans of fish, 1 can of tomato paste, 1 bar of soap, a washcloth, salt, 16 oz. bottle of oil, matches, and 2 lbs. of spaghetti. Funds that are sent to Estes are used to pay for the bulk foods, friends at Manna Global Ministries in the Dominican Republic are procuring and transporting it, and many busy hands are sorting and delivering the food in Port-au-Prince.

The food distribution takes place at several locations - a network of sister congregations and orphanages. Through these the food flows out to church members and their neighbors. At the present, our plan includes food distribution through the following contacts:  Thomaceau Orphanage, Ganthier Church of Christ, Sonlight Children’s Home, Varreaux Church of Christ in Cite Soliel, Vilaj Solidarite Church of Christ, Christ Roi Church of Christ, and Sarthe Church of Christ.  Our goal is to distribute approximately 11,000 family-meal kits, which total over 150,000 lbs. of food each month. Donations sent to Estes will continue to provide for these devastated families for the next several months. We have also been able to provide some basic medical care, and we are hoping to be able to partner with local church leaders when they are ready to rebuild.  Roberta says, “We are doing what we can do. I continue to praise God as I look around at the destruction and disaster. Thanks for all that you are doing. I know it is hectic and crazy but things are coming together and for that reason, we just rejoice and keep on working.” 

 Our third relief team is currently in Haiti, helping to fulfill many needs – construction, food organization and distribution, medical needs, transportation, etc.  The teams are, of necessity, small because commercial travel is still not allowed into the country and our ways of getting teams in and out of Haiti are limited.  If you have someone willing to go to Haiti to work on one of our relief teams, please email us at estescoc@gmail.com and we will add you to our list of names and contact you if/when there is an opening.

 We are also working with John Kachelman of the Judsonia Church of Christ in Arkansas to fill shipping containers bound for Haiti, transported by the U.S. government.  John has container-filling points at several locations – one is here in Henderson.  The containers we fill here can be earmarked to be delivered to Roberta Edwards for distribution of items there.  A container filled with more than 8,000 lbs. of toiletry items, food, mattresses, and medical supplies was recently shipped.  We expect to fill another one by the end of February.  One thing to note:  Used clothing and shoes are NOT currently being allowed into the country.  We can only ship NEW clothing and shoes (especially flip-flops and tennis shoes).  If you’d like more information about shipping containers and how/when they are being filled, you may contact Jan Sharp (jsharp@fhu.edu) or John Kachelman (jkachelman@centurytel.net). 

 Currently, the best way to help is to send a monetary donation (marked Haiti Disaster Relief) to Estes Church of Christ, P. O. Box 191, Henderson, TN 38340. Our ministry to the people of Haiti is ongoing and long-term.  We appreciate your willingness to help; may God be glorified in all we do in this effort.

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