The Church of God has played an integral role in the recovery of the country of Haiti as they continue to dig out from an earthquake which devastated the country last January.
Rev. Douglas LeRoy, director of Church of God World Missions, recently interviewed with assistant general overseer Tim Hill and gave a positive report on several areas of the recovery. In the interview, LeRoy reported that 152 Church of God churches were damaged or destroyed and are at various levels of restoration. Jim and Gina Hudson are on-site missionaries supervising the many elements of the recovery, including coordination of the many groups and short-term missionaries that have and will continue to travel to the country to assist.
The Camp Coordinators and Camp Management (CCCM), of which the Church of God is a part, was established in January 2010, to keep track of the various camps (461) where refugees in Haiti are housed. A recent survey discovered that 94 of these camps were damaged, and some are experiencing the cholera outbreak. The Church of God compound on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince in Petionville escaped any damage and outbreak. In the area, 3,384 tents were damaged, 20 destroyed, and 975 tents were flooded.
“Of the original 6,000 people on our church property (in the days following the quake) about 500 remain,” LeRoy explained. “Working with the United Nations, others have been moved to better facilities. We have ordered 10 additional tents to assist with needs and have secured 20 portable toilets for the grounds. The wall of the grounds almost has been completely restored.” LeRoy continued on to say that damaged churches are being rebuilt, and three new congregations have been established.
“In addition to building back churches, we have 250 students in our Bible school,” LeRoy said. “On some levels we have been hampered by closed or heavily damaged roads and collapsed buildings which have not been moved.”
“There has been a tremendous response to assistance in Haiti,” Hill stated in the interview. LeRoy confirmed that close to $2 million has been given toward Haiti recovery, but $5 million is the estimate needed for continual support.
“When this disaster hit and we traveled to investigate the devastation early this year, we promised that we would not forget you (people of Haiti), and that the Church of God would continue to support the recovery as long as it takes,” Hill stated. “All funds that have been or will be given will be used with great stewardship and wisdom.”
To donate to the Haiti recovery project (#152-9021), please call 1-800-345-7492, or visit www.cogwm.org.