August 11, 2010: “Congratulations Mr. Jack.” The Community Organizer from Sous Savanne stood in the midst of our group and warmly greeted each person. Hope Force Founder Jack Minton had stood with Joseph following Haiti’s earthquake and pledged to provide support for his “homeless village.” The quake damaged most of the houses in the community and its people were living under sheets and plastic in an effort to find shelter. Now he was returning to undertake the next steps in providing reliable tents to house the people of Sous Savanne.

“We want you to know that many people in our country have given to provide these tents and also offered up prayers on your behalf,” Jack said to the assembled group. “The people who gave are Christians and these gifts come in the name of Christ.” Many months of hard work, prayer and commitment were coming to fruition.
 

Joseph, the village’s Community Organizer, had completed a comprehensive survey of the inhabitants and presented a list of families still in need of housing. They were organized by size of family, allowing an easy means of prioritizing the tent distribution. Louisanne St. Philippe and her three children were chosen to be the first recipients of the Hope Force tents. Basic instructions were given to several men in the community as to how the ground was to be prepared and the following morning the team was pleasantly surprised to arrive and find it had been completely finished. Each person is eager to find a means of providing safe and secure shelter for all of the families.

Visiting several orphanages in the region proved to be a sobering experience. Stories of buildings collapsed, children lost, limbs amputated and viewing the ongoing plight of the children greatly impacted each team member. Jack explains, “It is hard to imagine when we hear the rain at night as we think of 45 children literally in a cow pasture underneath their meager shelters. On our assessment today, we were shocked to see standing water in virtually every portion of the property. Fortunately there is some ground which is slightly higher which will provide an ideal place for the Hope Force tents.”

Wednesday evening all of the tents were loaded on a truck and sent to Leogane where they were stored in a relief centre warehouse. Village assessments continued with great progress as homes and families prepared for the disaster relief tents. Jack Minton's prayer of blessing over the first two tents speaks for all those who live in Sous Savanne, "Lord, we know that your heart breaks for all the pain Haiti has suffered. You love Haiti so much that you have brought followers of Jesus to provide help. Watch over these homes and all those who are in them."

Matthew 25:40 provides the framework for service in Haiti, “'I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!”