Haiti (MNN) — Six months after the devastating earthquake destroyed Haiti, reports indicate little has changed. Many working there say much of the rubble remains right where it fell January 12th, killing up to 300,000 people and displacing hundreds of thousands more. Since feeding people and providing medical care and temporary shelter have been top priorities, major rebuilding efforts are stymied.
Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) has a base in Port-au-Prince. The ministry's president John Boyd said the first days after the quake were challenging. "We had a double challenge on our hands, to be able to respond in a way that MAF does, but to also take care of and deal with the trauma that our missionaries experienced."
Boyd says none of their expatriate workers were injured or killed in the quake, but one of their national workers died tragically.
Immediately following the devastation, Boyd says MAF became a key part of the relief effort. "That little hanger [at the] Port-au-Prince Airport became the hub for so much that happened on the civilian side of the rescue attempts — [such as] the distribution [of medical aid] and food."
"Over half a million Haitians left the capital of Port-au-Prince and went into the interior. They went back to their villages," says Boyd. "Can you picture and imagine the stress and the strain on an infrastructure that's already non-existent, particularly in those outlying areas?"
While Port-au-Prince is still in great need, MAF is helping outside the city as Haitians continue to leave the capital. "Our people are flying in and out, taking food stuffs, medicines, and everything that's needed in the interior to help sustain this group of people," he adds. Boyd says they're also flying in doctors, church teams, and pastors.
MAF's work is more than just a delivery and shuttle service. "We're reaching out physically with a cup of cold water; then the opportunities to share the Gospel are phenomenal," Boyd says. "The Lord has opened a door of opportunity spiritually, where tens of thousands of voodooists in Haiti are asking huge questions about their beliefs. So the opportunity for the Gospel to be preached and taught is unprecedented in Haiti."
However, an emergency situation like this saps a ministry financially. "It's like a rocket ship, actually," Boyd adds. "Your cashflow goes from being well managed to just going through the roof. But, if just one soul is saved by an MAF plane and pilot, you can't put a dollar cost to that."
While it's been six months since the earthquake, your generous support today will help MAF reach the lost who are still searching for spiritual answers, while providing aid to those who are still desperate. For only $1 a day, you can adopt a plane and help open the doors to the Gospel in Haiti. Click here to help.
