"Would you bear with us again?" - Haiti Earthquake

"Haiti, oh Haiti! you did not choose your geographical place on the planet, but that does not spare you from hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, cholera, covid-19 and much miseries.  

Dear friends once again Haiti is back and when I say Haiti is back you all got a sense of what I mean. Would you bear with us again? For how long you might ask? God alone knows. You ought to be tired.  We fill it for you.  Let me tell you, we ourselves we are tired.  We are tired of being in the news only for our bad lucks. We are tired of putting our calabash before you for our entire lives.  

 If you talk about Haiti’ fatigue you’re right. Yes, you ought to be tired.   Are we a cross for you to carry for your entire existence? We hope not."

Reverend Pierre Claudel Zephyr, Superintendent Minister of Jeremie and the Leon Circuits in Western Haiti, writes to partners and asks us to 'bear with them' a little while longer. There has been no rest for Haitians from the social, political and economic insecurity that characterises the conditions that Haitians have lived with for decades. In 2021, the nation has had to contend with the COVID pandemic and the ever-deepening food insecurity that it has caused. The nation has had to mourn the assassination of their President, Jovenel Moises, killed in July. The nation is now getting to grips with the devastation, loss of life and injury to life that Saturday's earthquake has caused, as well as with the pressing humanitarian need of thousands of Haitians who find themselves without food, potable water, medical supplies and attention and adequate shelter.  (Left - the church gathers for worship on the morning after the earthquake, not able to worship indoors due to the structural damage and danger of aftershocks causing collapse)

Yet the Haitian people persevere. Yet many continue confessing the goodness of God in the midst of this valley of the shadow of death through which they walk. God is their hope and their salvation. If our Haitian brothers and sisters continue in hope regardless of their travails, how can we, as their family in Christ, not continue in hope, prayer and supplication on their behalf?

What can we do in the midst of such great need and devastation? We can ensure that we heed the words of Revd Pierre Claudel Zephyr- that we do not become and tired and weary in our love for our Haitian brothers and sisters.

That we give if we are able to. Please consider giving to the Joint Methodist Church in Britain and All We Can Haiti Earthquake Emergency Appeal.

That we do not cease praying. Please join Reverend Sonia Hicks, President of the Methodist Church in Britain, as she leads us in offering prayer and supplication to God for Haiti. 

In the words of Revd Pierre Claudel Zephyr, our prayers and support will mean much to our family in Haiti: "We pray, one day all that we will say to you is thank you. We will say thank you, to you who never let us down when we were hungry, naked, homeless, sick and troubled. We will say thank you to you who even when our choices or the choices that our leaders have made suffer and choke the progress and the development of our own people that never let us catch a breath over many centuries, but you were always there for us." 

Sandra Lopez, Partnership Coordinator for Latin America and the Caribbean

Read the full letter from Revd Pierre Claudel Zephyr here.