February 8, 2010

At least five Christian Reformed Church in Haiti (ECRH) church buildings in the Jacmel area, near Port-au-Prince, Haiti, were destroyed in the massive earthquake of Jan. 12, says Ad deBlaeij, CRWRC-Haiti staff member.

While he and members of the ECRH have been active delivering food, tarps and other forms of aid to earthquake survivors, they have also taken a few moments to mourn the loss of these churches that meant so much to the pastors and people who worshipped in them. While the buildings can always be rebuilt, a part of the tradition that they represented has been lost.

Consider, for example, Holy Trinity Church. While it was not a part of the ECRH, this church building was a beautiful structure filled with bright, sacred Haitian art including a painting behind the altar showing the birth, crucifixion, and ascension of Christ.

"Inside this church there were beautiful murals. Famous Haitian painters had painted on the walls different Bible stories, and for me it was always a great place to talk with groups about religion and art in Haiti," said deBlaiej.

When deBlaeij went to visit the church after the earthquake, he realized only one wall was standing. Climbing over the rubble, he could see on that wall a mural of Jesus being baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River. As with so many other churches, so little was left intact. A rich artistic legacy was destroyed.

While Christians across Haiti mourn the loss of this art and these buildings, deBlaeij and his colleagues in Haiti couldn't ponder the rubble for too long. Instead, they've continued to reach out to meet the needs of those around them.

"This past week our Haiti team has been helping in relief. Food has been distributed through our partners in many pockets of the city. Also tarps have been given out and people have started to build small houses with the tarps, which are necessary in light of the coming rainy season, which could start as early as March," he said.

At the same time, the Haiti team continues preparations for a long-term rehabilitation project in the Leogane area, including temporary shelter and building of houses, which will be earthquake resistant. George and Toni Fernhout from Edmonton, Alberta, sent by CRWRC, are leading the relief effort. Jos Joosse, a Dutch engineer has been sent by ZOA, a Dutch relief organization, to help make plans for the availability of clean water and to address other technical issues. Perhaps most importantly for the ability to accomplish long-term relief and rehabilitation, the CRWRC-Haiti staff is also working on a plan to help in the rehabilitation of its local partners.

"[Our partners] have lost family members and are traumatized. One of our partners (PWOFOD) has lost its office building and everything the organization owned. Many staff members have lost their houses, too. We have to help them back on their feet, both the partners and their staff, before they can continue their work," he says.

Coby deBlaeij, Ad's wife, has been busy at a Quisqueya Christian School, which is one of CRWRC's partners. The local school reopened a week and a half ago. Of the original 275 students at the school, only 60 are still in the country. Teachers are also gone. The teacher who had been expected to teach grades Pre-K through 1st grade is in the United States. Coby will take over these classes while he is gone. When that teacher returns, Coby "will take on whatever comes her way." Please continue to pray for Ad, Coby, and the other CRC staff and partners in Haiti. While much has already been accomplished after this disaster, there is a long road still ahead. Pray for safety, endurance, and wisdom as people work together to rebuild this country. If Canadians give a donation to the Haiti Earthquake victims through CRWRC by February 12th, it will double in impact due to a generous contribution from the Canadian Government.

Checks, marked "Haiti Earthquake 2010" can be sent to: CRWRC-US: 2850 Kalamazoo Ave SE Grand Rapids, MI 49560, Ph: 1-800-55-CRWRC. CRWRC-Canada: 3475 Mainway, P.O. Box 5070 STN LCD 1, Burlington, Ontario, L7R 3Y8, Ph: 1-800-730-3490.

Donations to support CRWRC's work in Haiti can be made by calling 1-800-730-3490, visiting http://www.crwrc.org/, or by sending cheques to CRWRC, 3475 Mainway, PO Box 5070 STN LCD 1, Burlington, ON, L7R 3Y8.

Christian Reformed Church in North America