Haiti Herald, May 28, 2010

Registering the Population
The OAS has begun developing a civil registry in Haiti that includes minors and children. The most basic elements of social and economic planning and development require a clear accounting of the population and their location. This process was started five years ago and more than 4 million adults had been registred when the earthquake hit on Jan 12. Efforts have been renewed since Jan. and some 1,500 children and their parents or guardians have been registered so far. (Caribbean News)

Relocating the Homeless
President Preval underscored the relocation of the homeless as a priority before the beginning of the hurricane season. But he has not found the magical formula to carry it out.

Relocating the homeless has become worrisome for the Haitian government and the international organizations intervening the the post-disaster activities. Many strategies have been studied, but none so far offers the desired effects.

People are being allowed back into their homes once they have been inspected. Some 40% of the homes in Port au Prince are still habitable. Some people who could be back in their homes refuse to return prefering to live in the camps where they can take advantage of receiving water, food and sanitary facilities.


7,000 homeless were forcefully removed from the soccer stadium. Another 245,000 are in danger of flooding during the rainy season. Seven tent sights have been declared high risk areas. Government officials make regular visits to these areas urging the people to consider moving. President Preval says that housing is his first priority. "Relocating 1.3 million people who sleep on the streets will take time and will be costly. We have started with those who faced the greatest danger. The reconstruction is going to take a long time". (Le Matin)

(The following is an article that explains a little about how the political system works in Haiti. It is a bit lengthy but I found it to be very instructive about insights into how the country is functioning).

Haiti and its flawed electoral process!
By Jean H Charles

The Haitian Constitution stipulates that regular presidential elections shall take place every five years on the last Sunday of November, with a presidential inauguration to take place on the following February 7, to correspond ab eternum to the day the Haitian people delivered themselves from the Duvalier dictatorial regime.

The earthquake of January 12, 2010, has destroyed the capital city of Port au Prince as well as surrounding cities of Jacmel, Leogane, Petit Goave and Grand Goave, with more than 1.7 million people sleeping under a tent, sometimes in the rain amidst squalor and the mud. Vital records have been destroyed, the dead have been cremated without proper state sponsored identification and the Preval government has exhibited a culture of deception, corruption, and perversion of the electoral process. It is a perfect storm to create a disaster in lives lost in the next few months. It is also the perfect tool for maintaining the status quo through a flawed electoral process. Yet the international community, through the voice of the OAS Assistant Secretary General Albert Ramdin, the United Nations representative Edmond Mulet, the CARICOM delegate PJ Patterson, is pushing full speed ahead for a flawed election to take place under the baton of Rene Preval, a master mind of cunning, double talk, and plain disregard for the plight of the majority of the Haitian people.

May 18 commemorates the weaving of the flag made with the blue and red piece of cloth from which the white piece symbolizing colonial France has been extirpated. On this very day of celebration, the people of Haiti are demonstrating en masse, on the street demanding the forced departure of the Preval government so they can go on with their lives, and ensure a fairly clean election. Will Preval and the international community, through misguided policy, succeed in maintaining a status quo that will lead to disaster in the coming months of the hurricane season with millions of people at risk? Or will the Haitian people succeed in forging a new order of business in running the Republic of Haiti?


Haiti has been sinking deeper into bigger risk in food security, diminution of human life protection and severe environmental degradation. The international community has responded with unusual humanity and compassion to the earthquake-stricken Haiti with ten billion dollars, the corrupt regime and the partisans of the status quo will easily sink $100 billion with no apparent result for the Haitian people. They have discovered a brand new concept: disaster profiteering.

Not one of the 565 rural hamlets of Haiti has received any funding for infrastructure and institution building. Seven million Haitian people out of the 9 million population live in extreme misery, neglect and ostracism from their own government.

Faithful Leaders

This month we were privileged to celebrate the birthdays of two of our leaders.

The mens club got together and gave Philip a surprise party.





The congregation gave Pastor Alex a surprise party after Bible study.






What a blessing it is when God allows us to have faithful leaders that teach us His Word, not only in classes but also in their daily lives. This is another example of God working among the people as He preserves His work by strengthening the leaders, giving them hearts dedicated to spreading the gospel and seeking the lost.

Haiti Herald, May 15, 2010

Manifestations Demand the Resignation of Preval
Protesters are demanding that President Preval resign. His term was due to end in Feb. but presidential elections may not be held until Nov. because the earthquake destroyed voting records and polling places.

The entire lower house and one-third of the senate are no longer sitting because the earthquake prevented Feb. legislative elections from taking place. Effectively, the parliament is ceasing to exist as a governing body. This concentrates power in the hands of the President and the international commission that has been set up.

The commission, co-chaired by former President Clinton is to oversee the $9.9 billion US for foreign reconstruction, money pledged at a March conference, a sum 40% larger than Haiti's entire gross domestic product.

Many protesters say that Preval has sold the country to foreign powers, while the commission violates Haiti's sovereignty. (Haiti Globe)


Four months after the quake, and people are still living in tents. "We've heard that foreigners have given lots of aid money. But we are still living the same way as before, and we're still dying the same way," said Davery Nulmeus. Haiti's needs are still enormous, but more than 100 days after the quake, the plan for dealing with them is unclear. (Haiti Press)

Reconstruction Blackout (Haiti En Marche)

The earthquake killed 300.000 people and destroyed 500,000 homes. With international aid, the government is taking inventory of the losses. Some buildings are a total loss, others need to be demolished. Some can be repaired but need to be reinforced to prevent hurricane damage or further damage from more earthquakes.

But while we wait, those who are in charge have been totally vague. No one seems to know what to do.

No one knows what Port au Prince will look like in 6 months, one year or ten years - or even if the capital is condemned to remain in its present state. At this stage, nothing seems impossible. In any case, the Reconstruction that everyone else is talking about seems to be a foreign word for the administration.

The people await their words of wisdom. Everyone realizes they need to be understanding of the difficulty of the situation, even those who have the means to begin reconstruction. But the officials continue in their silence.

Even if they don't know the agenda for the future projects, they at least have some idea of what is being planned. They would do well to inform the population - if only to be able to inform them that they will not continue living in this situation indefinitely, to give them some spark of hope that there will be some kind of order in this monstrous cacophony that reigns now in the capital.

Who knows what the capital could look like after this huge earthquake that affected each and every one of its inhabitants? This is the subject of conversations in all of Haiti. Rumors are flying. But the people involved are the last ones to know.

The people are forced to get their information from foreigners. The people being affected are the last to know. That is the rule in Haiti.

So everyone tries to keep on hoping. Do the people who actually live here have a voice in the plans? A city should be built for its inhabitants and not just for the pleasure of building.

We need to reawaken the spirit of being a good neighbor, not just trying to protect our own territory. The people dream about a change.

We hear people say all the time: "If I rebuild, and the the State decides to put a community center next to my house - behold the chaos".

With regard to the Reconstruction, it seems that everyone's mouth has been sewn shut.

Until now the population has remained calm. But if the hurricane season causes another catastrophe, the absence of information will leave the people only one choice, as a popular refrain says: Each one for themselves and all for God.

And that will be the end of everyone's dreams.
(This article taken from Haiti En Marche, May 12, 2010)

Sound the Trumpets!

Trumpets are sounding, angels are rejoicing, Christians are giving glory to the Savior.

Today, through the sacrament of Holy Baptism, the Holy Spirit fulfilled the promise of forgiveness and faith in the hearts of three children. What a blessing as all three children received the blessings promised in the Word.

What a joy for all of the members who were present at the baptisms. Faith was strengthened and comfort given as we continue to see God working among the people. He is the one creating faith in the parents hearts, leading them to believe the promises and bring their children for baptism. Why else would someone want their children to be baptized? Doesn't society teach us that we are basically good, that children are innocent, not guilty? The rite of baptism is a witness to the world that we believe what God says in His Word, that our children are sinful beings that need His forgiveness and washing of their sins. It is a witness of our trust in God to fulfill His promises in the lives of these young ones. They are now His children.

When the sacraments are practiced they are a blessing for all present. Those who participate receive the promised blessings. Those who only observe are also blessed by hearing the Word and remembering how God worked this faith in them also. With thankful and humble hearts we recognize that this gift comes to us purely by God's grace since we have not and do not do anything to deserve it.

What a wonderful day for the Christian church. Sound the trumpets! Give praise to God! He is working among the people: creating, strengthening and preserving them in faith through the power of His Word.

Arise, be baptized, for the forgiveness of sins and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.