Recently, a fellow missionary wrote the post below and put it on their facebook page. I don’t think they’ll mind me sharing it since it was a public post. I hope this will cause you, the reader, to give thanks for the many untold blessings we enjoy stateside and elsewhere. Even if the Walmarts, Costcos, and Sam’s Clubs lack the basics, at least you know more will be coming eventually. Plus, the workers in these outdoor markets don’t have anything to fall back on. There are no credit cards, retirement accounts, food kitchens, or gift cards for our Haitian friends to cash in.
Last week the Market in Cap Haitien was closed down for “cleaning” in order to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. This market is where a large majority of people in the Cap Haitien area buy and sell their goods. Food, cleaning supplies, hygiene supplies, cook ware, clothes, school s upplies, etc are all sold out of this large outdoor market. If you’ve ever had the pleasure of shopping at this market, you know it’s a bit of organized chaos. To an outsider, its overwhelming, ridiculously crowded, has nasty water flowing through it (ie sewage), it’s loud, and you have to be careful where you step, or you might just fall into an open storm drain, (not that this has ever happened to anyone we know, oh wait, yes it has on multiple occasions). However, this is our “Walmart” if you will. It’s our one stop shopping for everything you need. And once you get the hang of it, there really is some order to it.
With it closed, THOUSANDS of people are out of work. Not just the merchants selling the goods, but the rural farmers, the people hauling the goods across the DR border, and so so many more.
I know people all over the world are suffering financially right now and many have lost jobs. But for Haitians who were already living on less than $2 a day, having your income source shut off is life altering. As a result of all this, the price of many goods has tripled. Our employees, our friends, and our community can’t afford these increase.
Can you imagine going into this crisis and not having a place to buy soap to wash your hands? Not having a place to buy groceries? Yes things in the US are harder than normal, but we still have it so easy compared to so many other countries.
Haiti, like many places across the world is struggling to prepare for a fight they know is going to kick them in the behind. The government and citizens want to do what they can, but unfortunately there is not much to be done. Please keep praying for Haiti.
Hospitals
The hospitals here are not prepared for this epidemic.The State Hospital in Port-au-Prince is in shambles. Doctors and nurses have fled and there’s no one to care for the sick, plus they lack the proper masks and sterilizers to protect themselves against the virus. There have been 14 people at present who have tested positive for the Corona virus. As far as I know, no one here in the north of Haiti has tested positive yet.
While these reports are extremely dismal, we are not without hope. We have the sure promises of God’s Word to comfort us. Psalm 91 is not just a flowery, poetic piece of literature that Moses penned because it sounded so beautiful and eloquent. The scriptures are just as relevant today as they were centuries ago. While human hands are limited to help in this crisis, we are trusting in the Lord’s protection over this land as well as for our loved ones back home. We thank you for your prayers as well!
Rehoboth Ministries is… Changing Lives and Impacting a Nation
Links for Giving:
https://pushpay.com/g/tltglobalmissions?
Send Checks to: The Lord’s Table / PO Box 11049 / Goldsboro, NC 27532 / (919) 751-8188 & please earmark your gift for Haiti.
Contact Information:
Pritchard: pgiba3@gmail.com/ 910 703 3098 / Haiti: 011 509 4160 4096
Dana: danaptl@gmail.com / 910 916 7229 / Haiti: 011 509 4037 5341
John: adams.john@gmail.com / 910 581 0390 / Haiti: 011 509 3253 0595
Mailing Address:
Pritchard & Dana ADAMS
702 Cattail Court
Jacksonville, NC 28540
(NOTE: Our stateside #’s do not work when we are in Haiti.)
Rehoboth Ministries 
Honestly Dana! I can only imagine! When you talk about going to church on Sunday, do you mean on your compound where you live? Just curious and trying to picture your setting. Good thing the marches will be “cleaned” Ha! Did they not allow the merchants to at least take their things home with them? One thing for you to be thankful for- it is not snowing!! We have had a very cold wintery week here and people are starting to get restless cooped up inside- too cold to even sit on the deck. Lots of counseling as people can no longer escape their issues and addictions although some are reveling in time at home, more rest etc. Here in Alberta, there are not as many cases as B.C., Ontario and Quebec so hopefully that will continue. Quite a few of us are wondering if the response to this virus (loss of jobs, schools closed etc) may turn out to be worse than the virus itself. There is a sharp increase in suicides for example. On a positive note, Erin told me yesterday that about 80% of our church people are still working which is great and we are reaching increasing # of people with the online platforms our admin team scrambled to get in place. Corey and Erin are rising to the challenge of leading in these uncertain time and their marriage/partnership is thriving which is our joy. The girls are all helping too which keeps them busy. They are hosting a daily hour long bible lesson for kids where the kids interact, do crafts together etc all online. I came downstairs one day last week and Neela was on with the kids and I heard her say “well I don’t think God is very impressed with me when I..” and I thought wow- big idea! So we are adapting to our new normal And Inthink the whole thing may be over as quickly as it came up (if we learn the lessons God has for us in the midst of this season) Love you , Corey closes every meeting now with “ the Lord bless you and keep you- the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you,and give you peace” Numbers 6:24-26 Beth Sent from my iPhone
>