Millions Suffering in Haiti After Hurricanes PassPrayer and Aid Needed

L U T H E R A N MISSION A S S O C I A T I O N LMA

September 2008

"To Love One Another" the Foundation of the Great Adventure in Haiti

LMA has been helping the Evangelical LutheranChurch Haiti in the North District for 5 years andMinnesota North you have supported our missionwork. In this time we have seen 5 churches emerge,4 schools develop and the Adopt A Student Spon-sorship grow. We have seen the first group ofwomen graduate from the 2 year sewing class. In2006 the Lutheran Medical Clinic opened at Made-line and has served patients for 2 years.

LMA has formed friendships with our Haitian broth-Mud cookies ers anc' s'sters 'n Christ and these trusting relation-

ships have formed bonds of Love. Your lovingthoughts, hands and prayers support LMA and our Haitian family.

This year hunger has plagued Haiti. The whole country has been damaged the hurricanes Theroads and bridges are washed away limiting the ability of the world to help. Long standinggovernment failure has blocked up the ports. We can only trust in the Lord.

Pastor Eliona Bernard is receiving refugees from the disaster in Cap-Haitian. LMA has re-sponded by sending financial support and in getting the supply container sent on its way Sep-tember 27th. The container will include 100,000 nutrient enhanced meals from Kids AgainstHunger and Feed My Starving Children and "Bundles of Love" from our LCMS congregations.The LWML women and others in our LCMS family have given hygiene kits, medicals kits, schoolkits, quilts, clothing, shoes and the financial means to send this container to Haiti. The containerwill take possibly 3 months to reach Haiti, so financial support is needed to purchase food andmedical items in the short term.

Haiti's School Children: Adopt A Student

LMA's Adopt A Student program is the primary support for the Primary School Systems of theELCH North District. LMA wants the AAS sponsors to know that the Haitian children needprayer these coming months. They face starvation and disease secondary to polluted waterand waste. Many children are facing death this year. One in three deaths is that of a child.Haitian women typically bear 5 children.

It will be essential to get the schools going with school kits, shoes and clothing. The Haitiangovernment no longer has the means to educate its next generation. We have grown to 4schools in the North District and they are provided a lunch once a day through a food pro-gram called Trinity Hope. These meals have made a significant impact on their health.

During stable times only 40% of the children attend primary school and only about 20% finishprimary school as they are required to work to help support there families. The AAS programremoves this burden from families allowing at least one of there children to attend school.

Flooding has damaged Haitiand its ability to survive.

School children attending school inthe new St. Raphael church thisMarch. The children are feed by Trin-ity Hope

In the 4 North District schools there issomewhere around 300 students.

Nurses and patients at the clinic

FAITH IS A

MIGHTY

FORTRESS .

"FAITH IN THINGS

WE CANNOT SEE

REQUIRES A

CHILDS

SIMPLICITY"

HELEN STEINER

RICE

Lil with Daniel Paul and his wifeCliney. 16 orphans and the 5 of hisfamily live among 3 rooms.

Daniel'sDaughters and some of the orphans

ions Suffer ing in Haiti Af ter Hurr icanes Pass

Storms Victims Face Disease: The Lutheran Medical Clinic

Refugees have traversedmountains and rivers withthe roads washed out to

reach Cap-Haitian with onlythe clothes on there back.

They are looking for food,clothing, shelter and medicalcare. They are tired and illfrom lack of food, bad waterand infections.

The Haitian government hasbeen unable to form anytype of water or sanitationsystems for its people. It hasbeen unable to maintain any

medical infrastructure withoutoutside aid.

Cap-Haitian saw it popula-tion double with the lastlarge hurricane in 2004. Weexpect little change with thiscurrent situation.

Refugees are coming to theclinic for aid but are unableto afford service or medicine.

You can help these poorest ofthe poor by providing fundsto service these people andto purchase needed medico-

The North District Churches: ELCHWe do not know much yetabout the state of the outly-ing churches and the strugglesthey are facing please prayfor them.

The Airport Church rent is dueand the cost is expected tobe around $1600. This is thefirst church and resides in theslum area of Cap-Haitian.

The Madeline Complex is inCap-Haitian and is the NorthDistrict office of Eliona Ber-nard. The 2nd phase of con-struction is in need of finan-cial support to finish thefloor and roof of new clinicsection and pastoral offices.

The church in Don Don rent isup in January and will not berenewed. Land has beenpurchased for a church oftheir own. $2000 has beensent to build a hanger andrice storage building for theschool rice. It won't be

enough to finish the project

The church in St. Raphaelneeds a cement floor andsteps. They have received adeep water well speciallybuilt for the community. Theyare in need of a school ricestorage building.

The Rivere du Nord churchwill have rent due within oneyear.

The North District ELCH hadthere annual Lay LeaderConference at Madelinewhich LMA supported.

The North District Schoolteachers also attended aConference at Madelineprior to the hurricanes.

Madeline was host to theSeminary Without Wallsseminary students this March.Lori Salvhus and Lil Spildetaught a English class with theRosetta stone program and

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tion. The clinic doesn't havethe financial means to standalone in this crisis with outsupport from the outside.

The generator and the clinicwere undamaged by thestorms and there is little gasto run the generator but thebackup batteries are doingthere job! Thank you LWMLfor this generous gift.

We are so thankful for LyndaBernard, Miss Wickland, Mrs.Obey a nurse, and Mrs. Ber-nadette a nurse for therefaithfulness.

were able to use the powerfrom the generator to run theprojector.

The Haitian Pastor DanielPaul in the neighboring dis-trict was visited in March. Hehas an orphanage called"Daniels Lambs" where 16girls reside.

Daniel and his wife Clineyhave 3 daughters and werewonderful hosts.

Daniel and Eliona have awonderful bond. We sawthat many of the things sent inthe last container have cometo aid Daniel and his childrentoo.

With a 80% unemploymentrate and living on a dollarper day. There is little in thecollection plate so

LMA is so thankful for thewonderful support MNNyour love is a shining light.

LMA

Recent Letter from Eliona BernardDear Lil beloved one inChrist;

I greet you this morning inthe name of the Lord Je-sus!

I thank you for your con-stant care and support tous at this difficult time. Weare so glad to have as ourdearest and faithful sup-porters. We feel that youare bounded to us in truelove. We do not feel alone.Haiti has a population of 8millions people if not morebut do you know thatamong that 8 millions 4millions are hungry I doread in a report but I evenwonder if this number iscorrect. From my opinion Iwould say that there aremore than just 4 millions.It was the official numberbefore the hurricanes nowI do not for sure how manyof them are hungry. I donot know what will happenin the next few months.Most of the Haitian people,especially those in thecountry side depend onagriculture, actually wecannot dare to talk aboutagriculture because every-thing in term of agriculturehas been destroyed. Ac-cording to official estima-tion just to restart the agri-cultural system, 24 millionsdollars are needed. Wherethis money will come from?we do not know. If someorganizations are willing todonate this money thequestion would be nowwho will mange the moneyas we know our govern-ments are not always good

manager. We have con-cerns and they are increas-ing day after day but inspite of all we know thatGod is in control.

Yes, Soeur Lil we start thedistribution of the rice wedid buy a first portion of 18bags of 18 kilos and willcontinue to buy more. For-tunately we know someonewho has enough in hisstorage with or withoutmoney he will keep whatwe need. We need to bedone with the first portionand then take a secondportion just for a matter ofthe safety. As the placewhere we buy it is not farfrom the Church we payand ask the other leadersfrom other Churches in thedistrict to come and getwhat belonging to themwithout taking all of themat Madeline.

We will, once we are com-pletely done send you thereport. How much rice hasbeen purchased, how muchbeans and oil.

Let me thank you and allthose who understand oursituation and take intoheart by helping us inmany ways, we pray thatGod continue to blessthem.

Still a big problem: No gaz,no fuel. Pastor Danielbought some gallons forme at the Dominican Re-public: 5 gallons of dieselfor the generator, 5 gallonsof diesel for my car, 5 gal-lons of gasoline for Lynda's

car and now our tanks arealmost empty. What to do?I do not know. In all thecorners there are peopleselling gaz, where they getit I do not know but we areafraid to buy from thembecause most the timethey put mixed the gazwith water, it is a realproblem.

I will be in the States fromSunday to Monday. I willflight to PAP tomorrowmorning and have meetingwith other pastors. Willkeep you posted.

God continue to bless!

Eliona

"SO FAITH, HOPE,

LOVE ABIDE, THESE

THREE; BUT THE

GREATEST OF THESE

IS LOVE.

1 CORINTHIANS

13:13

The generator

Lori Salvhus teaching English to the Seminary stu-dents in the Seminary Without Walls program at theMadeline complex sewing room in March 2008

2nd Phase construc-tion at Madeline

Lil Spilde, Pastor Bernard, PastorRiche and Virginiaspeaking with a Seminary Studentafter Church in March at the Made-line Complex.

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Mission Statement: LMA promotes mission activity among the congregation of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod inNorthern Minnesota. LMA promotes and maintains relations in a substantive "hands on" way with LCMS members and con-fessional Lutheran missions around the world for their support in the work of bringing the gospel to the world.

Lutheran Mission AssociationSt. Paul Lutheran1 324 9th StInternational Falls MN 56649

Phone: 1-218-333-1560E-Mail: plsplide@paulbunyan.net

Board DirectoryLeroy Kelly PresidentVice Pres. VacantDeb Larson Sec./Nurse ConsultantLil Spilde TreasurerLori Salvhus Financial SecretaryPastoral Advisors:Rev. Nathan HigginsRev. Allan WierschkeRev. Arvid SalvhusJames Wagner News Letter Editor

Lutheran Mission Associationis 501c3 non profit organiza-tion. All proceeds go directlyto missions. Donations are taxdeductable.

Haiti Facts• Half the country is malnourished

• Haiti is loosing 20,000 tons oftop soil per year

• Haiti can no longer farm enoughrice to feed itself

• Haiti is the most densely popu-lated and poorest nation in theWestern Hemisphere

• Its population will double by theyear 2025

• 80% of the population is unem-ployed

• It is the third hungriest nation inthe world

• 50% can't read or write

• 1 in 3 deaths is that of a child

• 75% don't have clean water orsanitation

• The majority have no electricity

• Only 40% of the children attendprimary school and only 20%finish primary school

If you wish to donate funds toward the North District of the ELCH you may make you checkspayable to:

LMA meets the first Saturday of themonth at Trinity Lutheran Churchhi Bemidji MN at 9:30 AM

Lutheran Mission Association

And mail to:

Lutheran Mission AssociationLori SalvhusFinancial Secretary1977 240th AveMahnomen, MN56557

To learn more or to have someone speak to your group call Lil Spilde at 1-218-333-1560

Now that by your obedience to the truth you have purified yourselves and have come to havea sincere love for other believers, love one another earnestly with all your heart. For throughthe living and eternal word of God you have been born again as the children of a parent whois immortal, not mortal. 1 Peter 1:22-23

The 2008 team looking over the garden property and its po-tential to help the hungry.

LMA wishes to thank all those who have given support to our mission efforts. You are ablessing to the Haitian people and the mission outreach of LMA.

27 LMA and MN North LCMS members loading a 40 foot Cargo Containersend to Cap-Haitian, Haiti September 27th in Bemidji, MN with food fromFeed My Starving Children and Kids Against Hunger, hygiene kits, schoolkits, medicine, quilts, shoes, clothing and other relief items. Haiti was severelydevastated by storms and hurricanes this year.