Vision
of Hope
Ministries seeks
to fulfill
our Lord’s
call to reach out in compassion
to those who are suffering.
James 2:14-16 says: What
good is it, my brothers,
if a man claims to have
faith but has no deeds?
Can such faith save him?
Suppose a brother or sister
is without clothes and
daily food.
If
one of
you says to him, “Go,
I wish you well; keep
warm and well fed,” but
does nothing about his
physical needs, what good
is it? In the same way,
faith by itself, if it
is not accompanied by
action, is dead. Through
donations to the Disaster
Relief fund, VOHM seeks
to extend God’s
compassion to those
who are suffering as
a result
of natural disasters
or political crisis.
2003
Flood
 On
the
20th and
21st
of December
of 2003,
rains
caused damage to
the
city of Cap Haitian
and the surrounding
area.
The water spread
over four miles
and people
had to climb onto
their roofs to escape.
Some
stood upright in
the water all night
while
observing the water
devastating everything
they have.The Evangelical
Free Church of  Cap
Haitian opened its
doors to
the homeless as
well as the students
in
the school and the
members
of the Free churches
of Cap-Haitian and
Berard who had suffered
loss
as a result of the
flooding. Fully
two-thirds of
the members of the
church were devastated
by the
flood. The church
became involved
in the clean
up and in providing
relief.
Gonaives Disaster
2004
The
following
is a narrative
written
by Pastor
Henoc
Lucien
after
he traveled
to Gonaives
following
the devastating
flooding
that occurred
there
as a result
of  Hurricane
Jeanne
in October
2005.
We woke
up at 7
in the morning.
A delegation
of 10 of
us boarded
a Toyota
double cab
in order
to go to
Gonaives
and investigate
the problems
there. Three
of us were
from the
church in
Cap Haitien,
two from
Grande Riviere
du Nord
and 5 from
two other
churches
in the area.
Once we
got to Passe
Reine, about
30 minutes
from Gonaives,
we started
to see  houses
that were
washed away
by the storms.
One man
explained
how his
uncle lived
in a yard
that had
41 people
in it and
all of them
are gone.
There are
families
that are
non existent.
Several
rivers merged
and flooded
the road
leading
to Gonaives.
The river
was at least
15 to 20
feet deep
with a high
current.
Once we
arrived
in Gonaives,
it was a
pile of
mud. The
city was
completely
destroyed.
Some houses
are still
closed with
families
inside covered
by mud and
there is
so much
to do that
there that
no one worried
about the
bodies.
The city
smells like
a place
filled with
 dead animals
and humans.
We had to
tie limes
under our
noses to
be able
to stand
the smell.
The only
people who
survived
are the
ones who
were fortunate
enough to
go on top
of a two
story building.
Anyone who
climbed
to only
one story
would be
swallowed
by the water
and the
mud.
Donations
to the Disaster
Relief Fund
provided
basic food
and hygiene
items as
well as
mattresses
for the
victims
of this
disaster.
In addition,
funds were
used to
help rebuild
a Christian
school.
Political
Crisis-February
2004
 The
political
chaos
of the
early
months
of
2004 left
many families
in northern
Haiti
more
destitute
than ever
before.
World
Vision
International
described
the situation
this way- “A
major political
uprising
began on
February
5, 2004,
which ended
in the ouster
of President
Aristide
on February
29, 2004.
The uprising
left more
than 100
people dead
and cost
Haiti about
$300 million
according
to the prime
minister
of Haiti’s
 government.
This is
roughly
the equivalent
of Haiti’s
yearly
budget.
In response
to this
situation
the Evangelical
Free Church
of Cap
Haitien
initiated
a disaster
relief
program
beginning
in February
2004.
This program
is designed
to provide
80 needy
families
with rice,
beans
and
oil for
6 months.
The church
leadership
is in
charge
of the
distribution.
Compassion
Ministries
of the
Evangelical
Free Church
of America
responded
to this
effort
by  sending
a generous
donation
to kick
this project
off. The
tremendous
outpouring
of funds
for this
project
from VOHM
supporters
ensured
that these
families
received
the help
they needed.
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