Posted on 01/30/2010 11:35:40 PM PST by TheDon
PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI
The earthquake that rocked Haiti on Jan. 12 left in its aftermath an estimated 200,000 dead and more than 1 million homeless in the reeling and already impoverished Caribbean island nation.
In the two weeks since, President Colin Prosner of the Port-au-Prince Haiti Stake and Ghemmald Francillon of the Port-au-Prince Haiti North Stake have answered the call to stand firm and lead true as the two stake presidents directly responsible for the Latter-day Saints in the capital city.
For the second week, the number of Church members affected remained consistent — 20 deaths, several hundred injured and countless others missing and unaccounted for.
Church meetings have been held each Sunday since the quake — single one-hour sessions the first Sunday, on Jan. 17, and three-hour blocks the following Sunday, Jan. 24 — in the meetinghouses throughout Port-au-Prince.
And the meetinghouse grounds are still serving as temporary shelters for several thousand Haitians — members and non-members alike — who were left homeless after the earthquake. The visitors are packed on every square foot of meetinghouse properties, including lawns, parking lots and driveways.
"There is still concern for a number of the people in the shelters," said President Francillon, who received word Monday, Jan. 25, from Haitian government officials that they are looking for available space to relocate many of the homeless into temporary shelters and tents, rather than on Church grounds. This would be a welcome move, since sanitation concerns on the grounds as well as providing food and water for all are the utmost concerns.
"We are lucky to have the chapels — I've got a testimony of that," said President Prosner, adding that while many homes and buildings throughout Port-au-Prince were severely damaged or completely destroyed, the LDS meetinghouses escaped relatively unscathed.
President Prosner recalled having one non-member staying at the meetinghouse shelter tell him, "'I will not go out because this is the church of Jesus Christ. I know it won't be destroyed.'"
President Francillon echoed that same theme as the charge for Haitian Church members and leaders. "This is our chance to prove that we are members of the Church of Jesus Christ."
They do that by continuing to provide food, water and other basic necessities and supplies to the needy. They also do that by trying to maintain the order and operation of the local priesthood and welfare committees, not just in helping meet member needs but also of those all around them.
"At every shelter, the bishop is there. He is in charge. They have a committee," said President Francillon.
"We tell the members, 'This is the opportunity to share the gospel.'"
But he has been quick to caution members to avoid any suggestion or implication that non-members receiving supplies or medical care are hinged on their listening to or accepting gospel teachings.
"We try to become friends first," he said.
Priesthood leaders are out throughout the city trying to minister to the members, helping members — particularly the home teachers — to do the same. But they, like so many Haitians, are trying to normalize their lives while going through so many similar struggles — they've lost family members and friends, homes and employment.
In the Church's ongoing efforts in Haiti, Presidents Prosner and Francillon are working to follow the two objectives set by the Caribbean Area Presidency, led by Elder Francisco J. Vinas of the First Quorum of the Seventy: to continue to provide life-sustaining aid to those in need and to continue to teach welfare principles while underscoring the importance of members becoming self-reliant.
Specifically, local leaders are working to continually improve the meetinghouse shelters and maintain the best sanitation conditions there and to help people regain their hope and normalcy of life. That includes holding classes in the meetinghouses by re-establishing seminary classes and educational instruction for the children and youth, with so many of Port-au-Prince's schools having been destroyed.
This has been posted to the Religion Forum
LDS Ping!
In the two weeks since, President Colin Prosner of the Port-au-Prince Haiti Stake and Ghemmald Francillon of the Port-au-Prince Haiti North Stake have answered the call to stand firm and lead true as the two stake presidents directly responsible for the Latter-day Saints in the capital city.
For the second week, the number of Church members affected remained consistent — 20 deaths, several hundred injured and countless others missing and unaccounted for.
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