A brief, captioned photo overview of the devastation in Haiti, some of the problems and plans for the future.
The photos were taken during planning trips for an alliance of international partners who are committed to seeing a long-term plan for ministry and renewal in Haiti.
Unity is Strength 2024 Peace Haggadah_For Digital Viewing.pdf
Haiti presentation
1. Viewer Discretion Advised Photos taken February 2010 in Haiti during long-term planning for ministry and renewal by a partnership of international leaders. While 30+ photos can only relate a small part of the story, hopefully they can provide some insight. Some people may find some of the pictures and stories of Haiti to be graphic or disturbing.
2. The earthquake decimated most buildings in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, in part due to their limited structural support, with entire floors collapsing in stacks like pancakes.
12. The earthquake created many “doll houses” where the front half of a building is sheared off, opening it to street view. Though the floor of the second level is gone, a row of men’s ties hangs from the wall.
13. For those who remain, life continues amidst the destruction.
14. Haiti is a deeply spiritual land – even the Lotto shop is named “Eternal Father” in Creole.
15. The national Treasury building is in ruins, with concrete stairs leading to nowhere. The rubble was piled much higher on our visit two weeks earlier.
16. Just 100 yards from the Treasury, we were led to this pile of bent rebar and concrete in early February by Hugo (visit theHeadfirstGospel.com for the story) – see next image.
17. Nearly six weeks after the initial earthquake, this man’s body remained visible from the street, not more than half a mile from the presidential palace.
18. Further out from the center, where the streets are still passable, Haitians utilize a traditional minibus; all the “tap taps” are decorated in similar manner.
19. Like many buildings throughout Haiti, tap taps are often painted with spiritual language and symbols – this one displaying a reference for John 3:16.
20. A staging area for international teams working in Port-au-Prince will be needed, and this property outside the city center has been made available to us.
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22. Though further from the epicenter, this new building on the property is too unstable to be used, as the next images will show.
23. The building’s finished front doesn’t reveal the issues of structural integrity. As we examined it, we saw the same patterns repeated throughout Haiti.
24. The side view reveals how rebar is placed in columns intermittently, not throughout the cinder block, which are only staggered in certain sections.
25. A view through this hole in the side of the building shows some drywall and columns inserted between the floors, but no weight-bearing walls.
27. Partnership is essential for the spiritual renewal and long-term rebuilding of Haiti. This discussion included a Haitian pastor’s nephew, a South African missionary, and a leader from the National Evangelical University of the Dominican Republic.
28. One of the children of the families living on site.
29. To the north of Port-au-Prince, another pastor has invited us to consider utilizing more than 1000 acres of land for new communities and a ministry center.
30. The land in Gonaïves, about 100 miles north of the capital, is rural and might be suitable for agricultural production.
31. The entrance to one of Gonaïves’ marketplaces was fairly active, but vendors had little to sell.
32. Inside the recently built marketplace, all the stalls were empty. We were told that merchants had nothing to sell due to poverty and importation and tariff issues.
33. The empty marketplace is a symptom and symbol of the complexity of the Haiti – whose enormous problems include political corruption, widespread practice of the occult, and the indifference of the international community.
34. A handful of the international team members who prayed, partnered and traveled together for many hours. Keep praying with us for God’s plan for Haiti.
35. You can make a difference While the task is enormous, it is not too large for God, and He plans to use His people to bring the Gospel and hope to Haiti. For more information about how to serve, give or pray, please visit www.theGlobalMission.org