Tim Burke’s Haiti 2010 Report

Dear Family and Friends,

Thank you for your prayers and support while I was in Haiti last week.  My time in Haiti was “life changing”. I was able to see and capture in my heart the devastation, unrest, and hope in many of the Haitian people.

As I write you this letter this question comes to my mind, “What if our nation was destroyed in 35 seconds?”

The January 12^th earth quake has forced a large percentage of the people to live in “tent cities”.  The primary reason, being their homes have been destroyed.  In Port Au Prince, 80% of the homes were destroyed. However, many Haitian’s who have undamaged homes have chosen to move to the tent cities.  They are afraid their block and cement home may become their tomb. I heard it said, “The greatest aftershock in Haiti is fear”.  Imagine living in a place with little to no communication, little to no education, rumors spreading like crazy, and little to no help to rebuild your life.

Many of these tent cities are constructed of blue tarps and bed sheets.  The Haitians are very resourceful people, building shelters out of almost anything. In a tent city you may find, pastors, lawyers, government workers, dentists, the poor, doctors, and construction workers, there is no social class in tent cities everyone has found themselves on common ground after the January 12^th quake.

The unrest covers the country like a thick blanket of smoke.  Schools have been closed, leaving the children to wander the streets and tent cities. The work is endless!  Imagine the labor it would take to rebuild a country? Haitian men can’t afford to work and expend the energy if they are not paid.  The average Haitian makes $6.00 a day and $300.00 a year. They live off one meal a day (rice, beans, and a little meat).  If you were to walk through the city you would see the local stream or ditch becomes the laundry mat, carwash, water supply, latrine…for the people who live closest to it.  My eye’s where opened to a nation with little to no systems, infrastructure, public works, department of transportation, free public education, military, police force, or government.  In Haiti “anything goes”.  It is a totally different world then we American’s are used to.

The contrast between our nation and Haiti produced in me a tension between complete unrest and total thankfulness. The unrest is a result that to live life here in the state’s without a vision for the world would be abdicating my responsibility to the gospel and mankind. Also I hope I “never complain again”!  There are so many little things we take for granted and it is such a wonderful privilege to live in a country where we have the freedom to become and do almost anything we set our mind to.  I am thankful for our government, military, police force, transportation systems, economy, free public education, public works, fresh water, grocery stores, organization…and many of the other wonderful gifts we have as American’s.  If I could encourage any of you, “please, please, please” don’t complain; take the opportunity to let your heart and perspective on life be changed by serving the poor and the needy all over the world.  As American’s our biggest epidemic is “the poverty of provision” we have everything, but we are unthankful, entitled, and we feel like our life is difficult. Please learn with me the value of being “thankful”, the scriptures teach us, (1 Thessalonians 5:18 ) “in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

I hope my journey to Haiti can be an encouragement to you in two ways. One “to be thankful” and two “to give your life away to spreading the gospel and serving the needs of people all over this world”!
The hope I saw in Haiti glisten’s in the eye’s and hearts of the people. The men are ready to work and provide for their families. The people are kind and thankful for our efforts to support, resource, and encourage them. One of the young boys shared with me how important the Christians have been to him and his family.  I heard it said, “The Voodoo run in fear and the Christian’s come in love”.  The hope for Haiti is in the Light of Christ and the goodness of the gospel.  On my plane ride home I sat with a Haitian school teacher (attended primary school in Haiti and college and graduate school in the U.S.) he said the quake was devastating to his country but his hope is to rebuild a new Haiti with better and safer schools (free public education) for the children.  He wept most of the time as he shared with me his heart.  I have never been so moved in my life.

Here are a few of the projects I was a part of.  On Wednesday I was able to help rebuild a Free Methodist Church in the town of Greffin, right next to a school that was being built by compassion international. The organization I partnered with is called “Friends of Haiti Organization or FOHO”. We put on a new roof, rebuilt and reinforced the walls, and put in a baptistery and foundation for the floor.  On Thursday I worked with Pastor Aaron from Cornerstone Community Church in Pendleton Oregon.  He is a partner with “Healing Hands International” and “Clear Blue Water”.  We drilled a 200ft well in a small village “Bon Report” outside of Port of Prince.  This “well” will provide fresh clean water for 2500 Haitian’s in the community (contaminated water is one of the leading causes of health problems in Haitian children).

I love you all and I thank you for your support. If you have questions and want to chat please feel free to call me 503-881-7616 or email me tim@dayspringfellowship.com.

With Hope

Tim

(Psalm 27:1) The LORD is my light and my salvation– whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life– of whom shall I be afraid?