Earthquake update - good news! 2/11/10

We have good news to share today! We talked to Marie Noel again last night and school in Terrier Rouge opened on Monday. Marie said that not many of the children had returned to school yet because they are still afraid but, in time, they will begin to return back to their normal attendance. She hoped that by next Monday, more children will return but at least the schools are open and operating so the children can attend now and we are very grateful for that! We also spoke to our good friend Stevens Charles last night and he confirmed Marie's news, saying that all the schools in the area were reopening and children were slowly returning. Please pray that their fears will soon be overcome and all the children will eventually return to school.

We also learned today that our new missionary friends in the Dominican Republic are making plans to go to Terrier Rouge this weekend to bring them some much-needed supplies. We are so thankful to them and to their supporters, as well as the brothers and sisters in the Dominican Republic who are reaching out to our friends in Haiti to bring them this help!

In October of 2008, Pastor Noel asked us for help to purchase a piece of land on which he wanted to build a home for orphaned and abandoned children. As a result of some wonderful donations, we were able to give him the money he needed and the land was purchased. When we spoke to Marie Noel last night, Pastor Noel asked us for help again. In light of the recent disaster, he would now like to begin building this home for children on the piece of land purchased 1-1/2 years ago. We know the need for this type of housing has obviously increased in recent days and we promised him we would do all we could to find the financial help necessary to begin this construction. If you would like to donate towards the cost of beginning this home for children, please send us an e-mail at info@hishandsforhaiti.org or you can log into PayPal and send your donation to that same e-mail address.

Also, many of you have already sent us financial donations towards the added cost of purchasing food and other necessities for the displaced people who have come from Port-Au-Prince and are now looking for help in Terrier Rouge. And while we are extremely grateful what's already been given, we know that this need will be on-going so we're asking for continued support to meet this need in the long term. We have also been overwhelmed at the outpouring of support in the form of new sponsorships for the children already pictured on our website and, again, we are extremely grateful for that. Our hope is that the children remaining on the website now will also find sponsors BEFORE we return to Haiti just one month from today as we anticipate new children being enrolled in the schools who will need sponsorship support. As we have been saying since the beginning of this crisis, the crisis in Northeast Haiti is still growing, and will continue to grow, so our friends continue to need our help.

A new tax relief law allows people who contribute to Haiti earthquake relief by March 1, 2010 to take a tax deduction for the contribution on their 2009 tax return. This means donors can receive an immediate tax benefit, rather than having to wait until they file next year's return. Donors may deduct these contributions on either their 2009 or 2010 returns, but not both. As you are aware, we are a registered 501c3, tax-exempt, non-profit organization so donations made through His Hands are considered tax-exempt and we do issue a receipt to all donors. Media attention is beginning to wane as time passes, but we will continue to serve the pastors we have partnered with in Northeast Haiti long after Haiti has left the news and the last reporters have gone home. We are in this for the long haul and we would appreciate your participation with us to help the pastors to help the people in their communities and, of course, to help the children in the schools. If you wish to make a financial donation through PayPal towards the cost of food for the children in the schools we're working with or to help with food, clothing and other necessities for people who have been displaced by the earthquake, please send us an e-mail at info@hishandsforhaiti.org or log intoPayPal and send your donation to that same e-mail address.

Please join us as we pray for the people of Haiti in this time of disaster. As we have more specific information about the children in our program, we will post it here.

Thank you for your concern -
His Hands Support Ministries