Hi everyone,

Hopefully, this finds all of you healthy. We are; Terry is doing very well and slowly gaining some of her strength back. There is no timeline for recovery, but it seems each day she is able to do a little more.

Last month we mentioned the COVID-19 in Haiti. Remarkably, there are only 62 confirmed cases. But the emphasis is on “confirmed.” Knowing Haiti as we do, and knowing that so many cannot afford to be tested (if there is testing) or even to go a doctor, the actual number is likely much higher, especially in remote villages.

Social distancing rules are in place there much as there are here, but in countries like Haiti, they are much harder to adhere to. The picture of the man and cross was taken Easter morning at a church in Port au prince. Like here, churches across the country remain closed, as are schools.

Its hard to imagine the “stay at home” orders we are under and doing that in Haiti. In our villages, the only times you are in your house is to sleep or sick. Most of the time, if you are sick, you lie outside. There is rarely anything other than a banana leaf mattress on the floor, or maybe a chair or two. And with no electricity why would you want to stay inside?

Ventilators have made the news here a lot lately. According to a BBC report, there maybe 20 working ventilators in Haiti and few doctors who know how to operate them — for a country of over 11 million people.

Haiti’s ability to respond to this is bound by its economic problems. Over 60% live below its poverty line, so you either go about your daily business and run the risk, or stay home and be unable to put food on the table. Many are taking that risk. And as one person Beaubrun knows said, “if COVID comes to our village, we will all die”.

We are still running the programs and as safely as possible. Three women in each place do the cooking. When it’s ready, people form a line (no one sick in the line) at least an arm length apart. We fill the bowl or plate, and they leave. We do not know any other way to do it.

One of the program’s budgeted funds run out this month, so please pray we can keep these operating. We do have extra right now, we can use but that goes only so far.

One of the things Haitians are proud of is their heritage and have worked hard to preserve relicts from the past, especially from the slavery period. There are several museums in Port au Prince and many around the country with restored items from that period. One of the country’s most prized sites, a UNESCO world heritage site that includes the ruins of Sans Souci palace, was a church that was started in 1810 and completed in 1813, burned on April 13. To say the least, people throughout the country are mad at their politicians for not taking better care of it and other sites like it.

As always, thank you for your prayers: for Terry, our friends in Haiti, and for your help in providing for them. We both know this is a difficult time we as a country are going through and we appreciate every single thing you do.

Please be safe. We pray God will keep all of you in good health.