Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Help Haiti Distress

For those interested in our conference to help our church in Haiti. Get your deacons to phone Daryl D. in W. KS in Scotts ___.  He is a committee man that can give the latest info. Our congregation has went through these channels and found ways we can help in the present situation. I only post this to encourage others to find ways we can help. Thanks.

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Hunger Distress in Haiti

I thought to mention that there is a hunger distress in Haiti. It also involves our church members with around 70% or more affected. Last years hurricanes and a dry spell have affected parts of the country. Read the last report of the clinic posted today. I have more information but I do not feel it necessary to post it here at this time. Pray for this need and our brethren there. If you or your congregation want to donate contact the Haiti Liaison committee for the particulars. I think the bottom line is to pray and get informed from the right sources and share the concern with others.  Thank-you.

Clinic News from Oriani Haiti


What people say…
-No I don’t want to be a Christian yet. I want to play and gamble some more. And, I’m still too young. – Redin (57 yrs old)

-I come from a far area that is 5 hrs walk. This clinic is my only hope! And God! God first, then the clinic. – Sylvie (a frail woman with a skinny and sick 4 yr old child)

-I can make a semp (incantation and sign) and have the Devil show himself in a bodily form to you. “what form?” He is a spirit so I never know what form he will visually show. Sometimes a body of a lion with the head of a cow. Sometimes a huge writhing snake that will stand head high and look me straight in the eye. You would be VERY scared! It takes a brave man to be in voodoo. I am brave and I can talk to the Devil. “why do you do this?” For power, and because he does things for me. Helps me or my children get healed, or he gives me money in gambling. “so why aren’t you healthy, fat, and rich?” I am really not in that anymore, because the price the Devil demands is high. Everything he gives me demands a sacrifice. To get money he takes my health. To give me long life, he demands me to sacrifice my child to him. Everything is a tradeoff and it is not worth it. – Woolow (a young man who used to work with a voodoo priest)

-The children who come to school are so hungry they sometimes just cry. They can’t study or concentrate. We teachers are about the same. When I don’t get supper and then no breakfast the next day, then by 11 am I am almost too weak to stand before my class. – DieuFe (our best-paid church school teacher who makes 3 dollars and 50 cents a day, which is not enough to buy clothes and food for his family of 10)

-A man Jesus came to me and bathed me and then covered me in powder and then asked for my hands. When I gave him my hands he squeezed them so hard that my bones still hurt. I now have a magic belt-buckle that can make me invisible.– Daniel ( a wild young man who was demon possessed until we gathered a group of church brethren to pray for him. He got delivered, PRAISE BE TO GOD! It took 5 men to carry him in to the clinic and he walked out normally.)

-I don’t want to be healed if I fall sick. Why do we want to stay here on this earth? In Heaven with God there is no hunger, pain or sadness. Why do we fight to live here? I don’t understand that. “ok but what about your family? Think of them!” Why? If they know I am in heaven and am just waiting for them to come join me, won’t they be happy? We need the eternal view! – Fre Junel ( a nice young healthy family man who looks “beyond”)

-Pray for us all in this time of hunger and desperation. Focus your prayers that the women of the community and even our church ladies won’t sell their bodies for food or money, and that the men won’t be tempted to steal. – Fre Julian (he told me this yesterday with tears in his eyes)
-Yeah I know my Bible stories! “yeah? ok who were Jesus’s disciples?” umm… I can only name a couple. “ok who?” umm… Adam and Eve. – Ognel (a young man who knows EVERYTHING)

Our new clinic inauguration was a great success. We had almost 500 people show up and we served rice and beans for about 350. It was all done Haitian style. A service was held in front of the clinic, thanking God for what has been accomplished. A sermon, singing and speeches by many notable people. We were privileged to have several special visitors one of whom was CSI director who opened the service. The next Monday we opened the doors for the poor, the sick and the curious. We were swamped till 7pm. The whole first week was chaotic with EVERYONE coming. Even had people who were paralyzed for many yrs who were carried in on beds to get healed at the new clinic. Was kinda heartbreaking to see that and then see their disappointment when we tell them there is nothing we can do for these extreme cases. Our first baby born to the new clinic (a girl) was named Benjiana, after her parents Benjamin and Juliana. Cute eh? We have seen a lot of serious stuff lately again. Knife fights, demon possessed man, huge MRSA infections, fingers cut off, strokes, extreme blood pressures, etc etc.
Heather is going back to visit Alberta for the month of June, then coming back to take her place here as nurse again. Here is her bloghttp://www.haitianinspirations2012.com/ . We are so happy for her commitment here. RN Kristi Friesen from Manitoba is coming to fill in for Heather for the 6 weeks. We have hired Nurse Jitan, a Haitian RN, and she is taking a lot of the work pressure off of Heather. We are hiring another assistant now as well. This makes us a staff of 8. Six are paid workers (Haitians). It has taken several months to build the block wall (2253 blocks plus a rock foundation) around the property, but now it is finished and the rolling gate will be installed this week. That all cost a lot of cash. What a TREMENDOUS relief to not have to look after a mason crew of 10-12 workers every day and keep them paid and etc etc. I now feel I can breathe again, and I can start spending more time in the clinic.
We thank all of you donors who made this new clinic possible. But please don’t forget us now… because operating costs are still a weekly worry. Why is this clinic so necessary? Because this clinic is now the ONLY health provider for a HUGE area that is 4-6 hrs walk in all directions. Within this area there are 4 nice(ish) Haitian government and private hospitals and clinics that are all closed due to the Dr’s not coming to work, or they stole the meds, or the government doesn’t pay the workers, etc. It’s beyond awful the way the system is dysfunctional here. When the people see a place that is consistently open, has meds, has nurses, and operates with the love of the Great Physician… it makes Clinique Confiance en Dieu a popular place. And we are happy to be here working and doing in Jesus’ name what God has given us to do. It is exhausting but incredibly rewarding work. God has opened so many doors with these dear people and at the same time they have taught us so much about faith and giving Him our all, that we feel we are the ones who have been blessed.
Other than that… our family is still very happy here and since our current schoolteacher has offered to come back to teach our children next fall, we see God is still keeping our way open to stay.
I could write a lot about the tremendous hunger in some areas of Haiti now again, but I won’t. I don’t want to desensitize you to this need by constantly talking about it. But it is a yearly cycle here and now it is extra acute. Pray about it. Pray for these people. If you feel to donate to the clinic or to this community, we will be happy to channel your funds to where you want it to go.
Last night a group of us were singing the song… “I Am Sending You” (to the barren lands and dry, to the hungry,… etc.) Because we live that song and feel the cries around us, we broke down and wept during that song. Was just too real.
May God bless and keep you all in His will and may you also be rewarded for the place you are filling in His kingdom,



Keith Toews
Administrator- Confidence Health Center
Oriani, HAITI

Wiebe's Quotes on Haiti


-I don’t want to be healed if I fall sick. Why do we want to stay here on this earth?
In Heaven with God there is no hunger, pain or sadness. Why do we fight to live here?
 I don’t understand that.

Question: " Ok but what about your family? Think of them!”

 Why? If they know I am in heaven and am just waiting for them to come join me, won’t they be happy? We need the eternal view! – Fre Junel ( a nice young healthy family man who looks “beyond”)

Keith Toews
Administrator- Confidence Health Center
Oriani, HAITI