World Renewal International

Do you ever wonder how people pick themselves up after being struck by tragedy? One evening Pastor Luc Joseph, our leader in Haiti, sensed that he should bring the orphans from Christ's Compassion Orphanage to his small house.

The city was without electricity or communication. No one but the outside world knew that a third hurricane was about to strike the already devastated island. By the next afternoon flood waters began to come over the roof of Luc’s house where Luc, his family and household and the orphans had taken refuge. Thankfully a building behind was being built that had a second floor. All 35+ scrambled onto the roof of that structure where they would attempt to wait out the storm. The flood waters were pushing down houses and strong walls all around them. They all wondered if they would survive this time as 3000+ perished just four years before in this town of Gonaive.
Luc called our USA staff on his cell phone that was rapidly losing battery power. All he said was “Pray for us, trying to save the orphans and family.” However, Luc then gathered his wife, Rosana, and daughter Rose Luci. They did not think they would make it through this storm. They said goodbye to one another and promised to meet in Heaven.

Here, we set off prayer chains of concern using emails, web and blog sites.
After 3-4 days without water and food the waters receded. The streets had not only become filled with water and debris but several feet of mud had pushed in from erosion from mountains outside the city making movement almost impossible. Open sewers, now not visible to sight in the flooded city made the exodus of Luc and his family along with the orphans extremely dangerous as they headed three miles for higher ground at the new unfinished mission house we had been building outside of the flood zone. They made it even though more rain was coming down.
They all were safe from the flood waters but there was no food and water. All financial institutions and means of help from the outside world were unavailable. Bridges had been destroyed cutting off the city from those inside Haiti who could help. Airstrips were all under 6-8 feet of water. Even the port was damaged to the point it had to be repaired before international aid could enter. Again, using the last of his cell phone battery, Luc called our staff and all he asked was for us to “pray”.

We used the same avenue of communications to ask people to pray and start a fund to help financially. Soon we had funds to help as Americans responded to this awful dilemma. However, there was not one single method available for help except prayer. Luc’s family and the orphans went several periods of 3-4 days without food and water. Some became sick and ran fevers. The new mission house was not finished and had little to offer but safe walls. Everything was wet. They found some boards left by the construction and slept on them for a dryer sleep. Finally, we on the outside world made gains in getting resources of help to them. Entrances to the city were found.
Everyone had lost everything. Luc’s house, the orphanage, church and school were completely destroyed and cannot be used at this point. All clothes, households items, school supplies are gone.

I saw this picture of Luc in his house trying to clean it up. The look on his face is one I have never seen before. It is the face of a man feeling too much pain, too much has gone wrong. 2004 they started over, now this again, even worse!

We brought Luc to the USA. He needed to be here and rest and be encouraged. Look at this next picture of him when he has been around Christian brothers and sisters for just a few hours. Christ has given him a new face, a new energy. Isn't that amazing! How did it happen?

This is how the Apostle Paul described this process. 2 Cor. 4:

This is how it is done. It is the resurrection power of Christ in ourselves and the brothers and sisters around us that pick us up when "knocked down" we will not be destroyed.

Thanks for stopping by.