Natasha, alive and thankful

Dear Friends,

I’m happy to report that your gifts to the Disaster Relief Fund are still at work in Haiti. Heaven’s Family continues to provide food, safe water, shelter, and other critical needs to the Arcahaie resettlement camp. Heaven’s Family staff members visited that camp just two weeks ago, and they heard a number of encouraging stories of survival that I’d like to pass on to you.

Natasha (pictured above) was studying in her third-floor apartment when the earthquake struck in the late afternoon of January 12. Two walls of her apartment collapsed inward on both sides, pinning her by her shoulders between them, while the floor below her collapsed, leaving her suspended. Many people saw her from the street but no one was able or willing to help her. She ultimately fainted from the severe pain, but she awoke at dusk to receive help from a man who was able to push one of the walls just enough to free her from her tortuous predicament. Natasha still does not know how he moved such a heavy wall, but gives the Lord glory for her deliverance.

She thought her shoulders were broken, but God protected her and now all signs of her injury are gone. Five others were in her apartment at the time, and four of them died.

Nataha’s pastor brought her to the Arcahaie resettlement camp. Although she cannot return to her school, she is thankful to be alive. Heaven’s Family is now meeting her daily needs.

Irmanise is expecting her child any day

Irmanise was almost seven months pregnant and sitting in her church when the quake struck. She heard a loud noise just before something struck her, knocking her unconscious. When she regained consciousness, she was alone—lying face down, bleeding, and trapped under concrete blocks.

Two fellow church members were able to uncover and rescue her, and they carried her to a stadium where the rest of the church members and many others were gathering. Once there, she found her husband who was separated from her in the confusion after the earthquake.

Three days later, Irmanise was taken to a hospital north of Port-au-Prince to treat her wounds…and to receive an ultrasound exam. Praise God that her unborn child was alive and well. Irmanise is expecting any day now, and thankful that she has a safe place to live with her husband and their new baby.

Suzette and her son Tedmaens

The last story I want to share with you is about Suzette, who teaches Kindergarten. She had just exited a bus after work and was crossing a street as the earthquake struck. When she arrived home she saw that the apartment building where she and her family lived had collapsed. She asked some neighbors where her family was and was told they were in church. So she ran to the church and found her husband, who told her that her two children were at home being watched by a relative. Suzette feared the worst.

She and her husband ran back and searched what was left of their apartment until 3:00 AM. They found their four-year-old son, Tedmaens, alive, after digging him out with their hands and some crude tools. He had injuries to his head and hand. Their three-year-old daughter Somara, however, didn’t survive, along with seven other people in the apartment building.

We cannot undo what has happened, but we thank God that we can be there for our brothers and sisters in their time of need. Thanks for caring and giving them hope in a time of individual and national grief. We’re also working to help our spiritual family make a way out of the rubble and into a brighter future. We’ll continue to keep you posted.

Because of Him,

Jeff Trotter

P.S. Over 60 additional tents were just delivered to the camp yesterday.

Learn how the Disaster Relief Fund helps believers affected by earthquakes, floods, cyclones, tsunamis, and other natural disasters.