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Haiti Ap Grandi in the News

The Lake Oswego Review newspaper published an article on August 31 about the earthquake aftermath and relief efforts based on an interview with Jim Shaw, one of our Directors. It describes how Haiti Ap Grandi, two churches in the Lake Oswego area, Reciprocal Ministries International, and Etienne’s Passion for Haiti organization are working together to address the critical needs of the earthquake victims. Here’s the link to the article. Subscribers can read the article for free. Others can create an account to view content. I clicked the $5 month option, but after giving my email address creating a password, I was allowed to read this one article for free.

Earthquake Update 8/22/21

This information was relayed to Jim by Etienne in a phone call on Aug 24. Etienne is traveling all over helping wherever he is needed. Working yesterday with an organization that has a helicopter, they rescued 23 injured people from a mountain village on Pik Macaya*, the second-highest mountain in Haiti. 18 other people from the village perished from injuries and lack of food and water. Between the earthquake, torrential rains, and aftershocks, there have been many landslides and they continue to occur. Today Etienne is in Les Anglais where 25 people were killed, 20 in the collapse of the Catholic church’s steeple. The Baptist church is in pretty good shape, with some cracking, especially in the pastors’ residence. The pastor and his wife have…

Earthquake Update 8/17/2021

Excerpts from Reciprocal Ministries International’s Facebook Page: The destruction is widespread on the entire southern peninsula. No community was spared clear out to the farthest tip of the island. There are many landslides across the road that leads into the mountains to go to the other coast as well as the main road that leads west to that area of Haiti. Bridges are damaged and many are impassable. In Cayes and Jeremie most, if not all, stores and businesses have been heavily damaged or destroyed. In general, the infrastructure that southern Haiti had is badly damaged and severely crippled. Benjamin observed that “It was the grace of God that it happened at the right time…people were up and out of their houses, schools were not in session and…

Earthquake Update, Day 3

Message from Jim Shaw to our Haiti Supporters: We are grieved to tell you that the Saturday August 14th earthquake in Haiti killed 20 children and adults during a baptism at the Les Anglais Catholic church when the steeple fell down on them. The town of Les Anglais is in mourning.   None of the buildings at the Baptist church and school fell or were seriously damaged. Some developed cracks but are still functional.   Reciprocal Ministries International had no serious damage to any of their buildings in Les Cayes although many homes in the area around their headquarters were destroyed. They are working on a plan for assistance. More news to come later. Etienne Francois is driving about the country helping people who are injured get to hospitals. He needs…

Earthquake August 14, 2021

Message from Jim Shaw: Sadly, Haiti has experienced another major quake even larger than the 2010 earthquake. This one was centered much closer to Les Cayes, where RMI and Etienne’s Passion For Haiti organization are based. Etienne’s facilities and RMI’s compound suffered little damage, but Les Cayes has suffered greatly. Not much news yet other than that. Etienne messaged me that he is well and the Sister Church in Les Anglais is still standing. PTL for that.  However, the Les Anglais Catholic Church collapsed during services this morning and killed and injured many people. News still breaking there.   I will let you know more as we get info.   Pray for our Sister Church and Etienne and his staff and RMI and their staff.   Also, we received a message from…

Update on the Current Situation in Haiti – July 2021

The news here in the US is full of reporting about the assassination of the President of Haiti and the resulting turmoil in politics and on the streets of Port-au-Prince. The assassination itself has very little direct impact on the lives of those in the Sud (South) Department of Haiti, which includes Les Cayes and Les Anglais and everything in between. However, many people are leaving Port-au-Prince for the far provinces to escape potential violence. As happened after the 2010 earthquake, people already living in the Sud area may find themselves hosting or otherwise providing support to those coming from the capital city. There may also be additional difficulties in obtaining goods that they need and in transporting and selling crops and other products outside their…