Below are updates that have been received from Pastor Louis, the main pastor with whom Martin Luther Chapel and the Haiti Lutheran Mission Society (http://www.haitilutheran.org/) work in Haiti.

Message 1:
Date: Friday, January 15, 2010, 8:40 AM

First off, thank you to everyone for their prayer, care, and concern for the situation in Haiti. At a moment like this a lot of people are scared and are wondering why something like this happened. But we Christians are blessed to have God to turn to and know that everything happens for his glory. And whether or not we understand why, we can trust that He is here with us and will provide a way for us to stand up under this.

With the help of you, our brothers and sisters in Christ, we hope to first take care of the wounded, then clear out the wreckage and debris, and then finally rebuild what once was all for the glory of God.

Thankfully there were no casualties on any of the properties, but there was one major injury sustained. Wilnand Monpremier, daughter of Wilfrid Monpremier was injured badly during the earthquake. Wilfrid is the grounds keeper at the Delmas 89 property. In the afternoon of the earthquake, Wilnand was upstairs on the 4th floor of the high school building studying for her classes. When the earthquake hit, the 3rd and 4th stories of the building collapsed on the 1st and 2nd floors . The fact that Wilnand even survived the crash is a testament of God's mercy. (See attached pictures of collapse). She broke both her legs and sustained a big injury to the head and bruises to her face. It was extremely difficult to get her medical attention because the earthquake also leveled many hospitals and took the lives of many physicians. But we were fortunate enough to have her admitted into the Baptist Mission's clinic. Please keep her and her family in your prayers for they have a long road of recovery in front of them, both physically and financially. Any aid to the family would be greatly appreciated.

As for the property damage, it is extensive, but manageable. The property at Delmas 89, our primary place of worship, was hit the hardest. As mentioned above, the high school building that is across the yard from the church came crashing down. The 3rd and 4th stories of the building now rest, destroyed, upon the bottom 2 stories and the roof of the build is at ground level. There is a massive amount of rubble that will need to be demolished by heavy machinery and then ultimately removed from the compound.

The amount of work needed to be done here seems daunting for one, but many hands make light work. So with your help and prayer, this rubble can be removed, and the building rebuilt, so as to once again serve as an educational institution used to nurture the young minds of Haiti's future.

As for the church, it's foundation, fortunately, remains sound. There was however structural damage to both the interior and exterior of the building. You'll see in the attached pictures where cracks developed in the ceiling and walls, as well as broken glass outside from shattered windows. Before we can continue to worship in the church, it is important that an engineer is called in to examine the church and evaluate the extent of damage done by these structural fractures. In this, Haiti's darkest hour, the Delmas 89 church is a beacon of light, and hope. Many of the church's patrons and people in the community will turn to the church in search of solace, guidance, and aid. It is imperative that the process of recovery be expedited.

This is the first email of 3. The next 2 emails will be about the orphanage at Lilavois and the property at Caradeux. Please feel free to share this email with all our concerned brothers in sisters in the US.

Your brother in Christ,

Reverend Doris Jean Louis

Message 2:
Date: Friday, January 15, 2010, 9:26 AM

Contrary to our initial beliefs, the property at Lilavois did not collapse completely. We were told by a neighbor the day after the earthquake that the entire orphanage had collapsed. But upon visiting the location ourselves, we saw that, by the mercy of God, the orphanage at Lilavois remained standing! It did sustain heavy structural damage, but nothing that can not be consolidated.

The columns supporting the garage area, buckled and shattered. Two of the walls surrounding the entire compound have fallen over. The tile on the inside of the building has been pushed up out of the floor due to the intense pressure from the earthquake. A lot of fractures and cracks have appeared along the outside of the building as well as on the inside. Many of the windows shattered during the tremendous rattle. The attached pictures will allow you to see the damage up close.

Like the church at Delmas 89, and engineer will be called out to inspect the building to make sure that is is safe to work on and then, ultimately, live in. A lot of people were made homeless and orphaned during this, Haiti's worst natural disaster to date. Now more than ever will this orphanage be need to provide shelter and security for the orphaned children of Haiti.

There is one more email on the way. It will focus on Caradeux and the other properties.

Your brother in Christ,

Reverend Doris Jean Louis

Message 3:
Date: Friday, January 15, 2010, 11:04 AM

The property at Caradeux took minimal damage in comparisons to the other locations. The area was fortunate and was not hit as severely as the rest of the surrounding areas.

There were tiles that ruptured both on the floor and on the columns. There are also crack that have appeared on the walls and ground. A lot of things on the inside were jostled around and broke, but for the most part the Caradeux church remains firm. The walls surrounding the property also fell down.

Just like Delmas 89 and Lilavois, we will need to have an engineer come out and evaluate the integrity of the building so as not to endanger any lives.

As for the other properties;

Pelerin is all right. But we will investigate further to be absolutely sure.

The property at Cite Soleil has also sustained some damage. From what we were told by the grounds keeper, the walls surrounding the compound have all fallen down and one of the walls in the school also fell down. Due to all the damaging effects of the earthquake to the roads, passage to Cite Soleil is not yet recommended. Once the situation has elevated a bit, we will make a trip to inspect the damage ourselves.

The death toll in Haiti is still unclear due to the lack of telecommunication and the migration of a lot of people to safer areas. Many people are missing and while it is uncertain if they are alive or deceased, we ask that you keep these families in your prayers. We have been made aware of casualties in the families of some of our parish members, but at this point they are unverified. Our primary focus has been aiding the wounded and caring for others. Once the dust settles, we will be able to better determine the casualties.

As of now, this is all the information we have. With each passing day we learn more and more, so we will be sure to keep you posted. Since 75% of telecommunication in Haiti is down, the internet has become the primary way for us to communicate with the US. Please feel free to email me with any questions and concerns. I am not certain how long the internet will be working, so I will also give you my youngest son, Lutherson's email:

lulouismail@gmail.com

We are attempting to help him fly back to LA via the Dominican Republic. If you are unable to get a hold of us in Haiti, then give him a try.

Thanks once again for all the love, prayer, and support. It is truly all of that which allows us to push forward with courage. The coming days, weeks, months, and even years will be very tough and the road to recovery for Haiti will be unbelievably challenging. But by the grace of God and with the help and strength of our brothers and sisters both locally and abroad, Haiti will prevail!

God Bless and Keep Each and Everyone of you and we will be in touch! Thank you.

Sincerely in Christ

Reverend Doris Jean Louis