The One-Month Mark

The word from Dieudonne is that there is no food aid getting to the 80,000 refugees in Jeremie. So far, only their families and the local people are trying to feed them. The hospital received the truckload of medical supplies that Dieudonne drove from Carrefour and were very thankful. Other people are trickling supplies to them, too, but the hospital is still overflowing with people needing treatment.

Mission Par La Fois, a huge mission compound up the road from my old family home in Jeremie, has opened their doors and is crowded with people. Evidently, the Haitian government has declared today, the one-month anniversary of the earthquake, a day of mourning.

But the Christians in Jeremie (and throughout the rest of the country) have taken it one step farther. They are praying and fasting (for those who weren't already fasting) for three days. All of the churches in Jeremie have combined to participate in this and they are having non-stop prayer vigils and services over the weekend at this Mission compound. Dieudonne said almost all the members of the churches are fasting and praying. Undoubtedly, this will help to preserve the limited food stores in the village.

Basically, the believers will be giving up three days worth of food, so that others may eat. This is yet another beautiful act of self-sacrifice. For every man who steals a bag of rice from a woman, there is another man somewhere on his knees, willingly going without. We have a God in heaven who hears us...and will answer.