O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past tracing out! Romans 11:33

This last week, over and over, these words came to my mind in the midst of all the brokenness around us.

Friends, I can not begin to describe to you all what we have seen. Pictures, videos . . . they don’t tell the story. I thought I knew what this would all look like, would feel like, but I was wrong.

To come face-to-face with human need, human suffering again and again . . . it is beyond words. In times like this I am reminded that I am not God, and I can not understand His ways. These times create so many questions in my heart and mind, and they force me to trust that God is good - He must be good. Otherwise, there is no hope.

If you have been following our journey on social media, you know we have covered many miles the last two weeks. Some roads we traveled multiple times, and with each passing, we saw more, understood more, processed more.

As an organization, we have concluded Phase One of our response - Assessment and Relief. As Pastor Steeve often tells groups when we do food distribution, food will last a day, a week, but it is not a permanent, sustaining solution to the issues confronting those in dire need.

Therefore, we are moving into Phase Two of our response - Organize and Rebuild. Our first project will be at the home of Phebe’s family in Camp Perrin. We are budgeting construction projects in Camp Perrin, Gelee, and Pestel - three areas where we have relationships with people and have worked previously. Based on current funds received, we should be able to invest roughly $40,000 in rebuilding efforts. At times this will look like complete restoration of a home. At other times it will look like supplying members of a community with the materials needed for them to work on their own homes. Phase 2 will continue as long as funds allow.

Finally, we will enter Phase 3 of our response - Invest and Develop. Just as we did after Hurricane Matthew, we want the final project we do to help a community stand taller and stronger than it did before the natural disaster. We are currently assessing the feasibility of a project such as clean water, an outhouse, a well, or a church facility. As we are months away from such a project, we will continue to prayerfully and intentionally explore the best option for this final investment.

To those who have given and encouraged others to give, we say thank you. We take your investment seriously, and we want to steward well the funds which have been entrusted to us.

Please pray that in the days ahead we will clearly see the path God has laid out for us, and may all that we do be for His glory alone.

Tout glwa pou Bondye.