ESMI is taking donations to help the victims of the massive 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck near the Hatian capital of Port-au-Prince on Tuesday, Jan. 12th. Also, see videos below taken in Les Cayaes.
Please donate now!
Welcome to our Website
Our mission
Hello, and welcome to the Haitian Ministries
home page.
My name is Dony St.
Germain and as the Mission to North America Haitian Movement
Leader, I am responding to God’s command by planting PCA churches in the
US, Canada, and Haiti— churches that are spiritually healthy and
Gospel-centered. To support this purpose, I seek to develop Haitian
leaders with a passion for Christ, a devotion for God’s Word, a focus on
discipleship and church multiplication, and the ministry skills for
dynamic leadership.
You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
Reach the Haitian community in Miami, Florida — 90.7 percent of whom are unchurched.
Develop ten additional Haitian PCA churches in major cities and counties of the US that will become central in a multiplying movement throughout North America.
Solidify ownership of church planting expansion among Haitian PCA leaders, lay persons, and churches
Tomorrow will make it 14 days since
this devastating earthquake. The
pressure and intensity to get aid to
the people have not subsided. Time
and resources continue to be our
greatest challenges with still not
enough food and medical care
reaching the people with the
greatest need. For example in Les
Cayes alone, 150,000 refugees are
now there from PAP. Louis wrote on
Friday:
"I just talked with some key leaders
in the south. The demand is so high
and we don't have the means to meet
it. The churches are crowded. People
came from all over and they don't
have anywhere to go. Most of the
people, before they left the
villages, sold their land and
everything. So now they have to
start again. Please continue to pray
with us. We have so much medical
need that a whole month of 100
doctors will not be enough to serve
every body. So many people fled PAP
with broken bones and severe, life
threatening and infected injuries.
We have a hospital at Bonne Fin
which my father build. It has 300
beds. All of them are occupied and
patients are on the floor. We have
at Cite Lumiere another Medical
Clinic equip with 75 beds. Same
story."
Below is an update on the response
that has come in to the immediate
needs mentioned on January 17
1. Containers with Food Supply via
the DR-To date, ESMI has sent in 6
food containers and distributed
with
over 100 Haitian volunteers from the
South helping.
2. Food Containers from the US- We
have a container that will be ready
to leave by this Wednesday from
Miami to the DR. God's willing, it
should be in Haiti early next week.
3. Medical Team- 47 nurses and
doctors are currently in Haiti.
Thanks to Lisa, Susie, Julie and
Fabiana for coordinating this. They
have medical teams lined up to go in
and out up to the end of February.
Please contact
4. Tents for Churches and homes-
Thanks to Brother Ed who secured
forty-five 10x12ft tents that can
each house a family of 10 people.
God's willing, these will be shipped
by Wednesday to the DR and should be
cleared by
the end of this week to be given to
the families most in need.
As ESMI continues to work on the
above 4 needs, we will also begin to
do the following:
5. ESMI has identified 400 pastors
to begin a more intentional network
of food distribution. On
Wednesday,
January 27, ESMI's leadership team
will meet with these pastors in
PAP. It is important that these
leaders be
empowered also to participate in the
effort. This is a work that cannot
be done alone. It is bigger than
any one
church or any one organization.
With a unified effort, the church in
Haiti can help meet the needs of her
people.
6. There is the need for 3 huge
tents to hold congregations with
2000 members. Most of the churches
in PAP
were destroyed. The congregations
are in the streets. ESMI has
identified 3 locations with key
leaders for these.The desire is to
encourage and rebuild the spiritual
life of the Haitian church. What a
wonderful opportunity
to share the good news that in the
midst of such hopelessness, there is
hope in God.
7. Containers to be packed with
tents, cots, sheets, blankets, food
for immediate consumption, etc.
God's
willing, the ports in Haiti should
be opening up in a week. Ed has
graciously agreed to offer his time
to
coordinating this effort. Please
contact Ed at 1-561-988-0253. He
will also assist in the coordinating
efforts of
the food containers from Miami.
8. Pray that by the end of this
week ESMI would have secured a piece
of land for temporary housing.
9. There is a need for about 6 Mack
dump trucks. Once the food gets to
PAP on containers, it must be
reloaded onto dump trucks for
distribution into the different
areas of need. This is the best way
to get the food out into those
communities. Later these trucks
will be used in clearing debris and
bringing in construction material.
Why Mack dump trucks? They are
long-lasting trucks and the parts
are easily available. There are
excellent mechanics,
like DouDou, who can make anything
go as long as they have the parts
available. To have piles of food
and no means to get them to the
people is a dilemma that the
international aid community is now
facing.
Thanks for your continued prayers
and support.
NB.
El Shaddai Ministries
International, Inc. is recognized by
the Internal Revenue Service as a
501(c)(3) Tax
Exempt Non-Profit Religious
Organization. Contribution can be
sent to:
ESMI
13651 S. Biscayne River Drive
Miami, FL 33161
or on line: esmihome.org
Photo taken on day one after
quake.
This man had block fall on his
side. In the back were others
injured with one paralyzed.
Thus the plea that went out on
Sunday, January 17 for medical
personal. Upon Dony's return on
January 19, one of these victims
died from his injuries because
no one got to him in time.
All these homes on this hillside
collapsed
People are leaving PAP in large
numbers. Les Cayes now has 150,000
refugees
$10,000 worth of food bought in the
DR, loaded on semi-truck, and
shipped to PAP for $2000
Food distribution at one site.
Right now we have four location
1. Carrefour
2. Cayes
3. Croix 5es Bouquet
4. Gonaives
Distribute to Pastors and they serve
their own communities
Photos taken at night as about 100
volunteers from Cayes help load food
unto truck for distribution.
HAITI Earthquake Relief UPDATE #7
(1-20-10)
Dear Friends,
An aftershock of a 6.1 magnitude hit Haiti this morning I'm
awaiting news from Dony on what the situation is. ESMI is so
thankful to many of you who will remain committed as Haiti walks
this very difficult path.
Praise God for the response that is coming in. Two 20 ft
truckload of food and water were purchased and crossed into
Haiti from the DR yesterday. Thank you all for making this
possible. We are also partnering with other ministries to get
food into Haiti. Today at noon, God's willing, a 17-seater
plane from the Bahamas will fly into PAP filled with food,
medical supplies, and water.
Next is the distribution of food. Louis was organizing 30
people from the south to head to PAP yesterday. ESMI needs to
secure vehicles, preferably dump trucks to go into different
areas to do this. We are setting up stations in Petit Goave,
Carrefour, Miragaone, and Grecier for now. These are areas that
have suffered substantial damage also but have received little
to no aid. We will work with the pastors of these communities.
Today will also be a day of more strategic planning on
distribution and coordination of those desiring to help at this
crucial time. Pray for wisdom. The plan is to have two sites to
host Haitians and US teams: Croix des Bouquets and Carrefour.
The orphans will be removed from the latter area and the home
turned into a guesthouse for now. At the moment, there are 2
medical teams desiring to go tomorrow, Thursday, and Friday.
Pray for the logistics to be worked out and to see if this is
still possible after this 6.1 aftershock.
Suggestions for Packing Containers for Food and Clothing:
Some of you are already collecting food to send in containers
once the ports in Haiti open. We'd like to offer the following
suggestions as you do so.
Food
As
you collect, please pack a number of food items for immediate
consumption- biscuits,
chips, sardine, tuna sandwich mix, canned sausage, lots of small
bottles of water, malta drink (Haitians love this
drink-Floridians check Publix), Boost or other nutritional
drink, evaporated milk, cereal, etc. and of course, rice, black
beans, red beans, oil, canned meat, spaghetti, enriched fine
yellow cornmeal, bulgar wheat, baked beans, canned soup, tomato
paste, salt, sugar, black pepper, food seasoning, spices, etc.
These are just some of the items the Haitians enjoy food-wise.
Clothing-Please,please
gently worn clothing and shoes.
Tents-
These are needed for temporary housing. Many, as you have seen,
are sleeping in the streets with sheets as tents. We are also
looking for large tents for churches to have their services. It
rained yesterday in PAP. I leave the rest to your imagination.
To maximize the use of space in the containers, pack these items
in boxes.
Again, we thank you for your prayers. We serve a sovereign God
whose good purpose through all of this will one day be seen.
Thank you for your prayers
in such a difficult time as this for my people and my country.
We, Louis and I, have sensed your prayers as we too are mourning
the deaths of key leaders in our ministry. I lost 10 key
leaders in PAP. One of these leaders died with his entire
family.
Church, what you are
seeing on the television, as difficult as it has been to watch,
fails in comparison to what is really happening in Haiti. There
are too many people who are still not getting the help they
need, many are suffering. For example, the concentration of the
relief so far is in PAP but there are a number of surrounding
cities that have also suffered major damage that no one is
addressing such as Jacmel, Miragoan, Leogan, and the list goes
on. There are still aftershocks being felt. Two buildings that
were standing and showed no signs of damage fell yesterday with
people in them. We continue to be in desperate need of your
help to minister. Ministry must not only be in PAP but also in
the surrounding cities where many are returning. ESMI is
already strategically based in some of these cities and sees
this as an opportunity for future church plants and growth.
However, at this time, the focus must be on the immediate needs.
These are the needs we
must work on now:
1. Containers with Food
Supply from the Dominican Republic (DR).
PAP was the main entrance
of food for the entire country. They have run out. Soon the
trickling effect into other cities will begin as these cities
become overcrowded with people who have left PAP.
We can get a 20ft
container with $10,000 worth of food and transport it across for
another $2,000. We need at least 20 of these right now. A team
is already in place to do the purchasing and packing once the
funds are received.
2.Food Containers from the US
Although rice, black
beans, red beans, oil, canned meat, spaghetti, cornmeal, bulgar
wheat, baked beans, canned soup, tomato paste are much needed
items, other important items to pack are food for immediate
consumption such as biscuits, tuna sandwich mix, canned sausage,
lots of small bottles of water, etc., anything that does not
have to be cooked. ESMI has the contact to have these
containers cleared within 3 days in the DR.
3.Medical Team
Many, many people have not
been treated for their injuries. Large numbers are sitting
under sheets with swollen feet, arms, and face; untreated
injuries with dried clots of blood; back injuries; some totally
immobile because blocks fell on their backs or chest. Some are
being fed by others that are too weak to feed themselves but it
is only a matter of time before they are no more if no one sees
them. The General Hospital is overcrowded, patients are outside
waiting and the people are dying by the minute. This is just
too much for the hospital to handle.
The Need:
i) Several mobile clinics
with all the needed medical supplies to treat these patients in
the different locations.
ii) Medical Team
We are ready right now to
have medical teams come in to see patients. I have secured a
clinic in the Croix de Bouquet area, 15-20 minutes outside of
PAP. It is safe.
4.Tents for Churches and Homes
Most churches in PAP have
collapsed but the body of Christ is very much alive. As the sun
sets and night falls PAP becomes a city of worship. Singing is
heard everywhere throughout the darkness. We need huge tents
that can accommodate the thousands of church members, and
smaller ones for those living on the streets until other housing
is found.
Thank you once again for
all your prayers and financial support that has come in these
last few days. We still need your financial support to meet
some of these immediate needs.
By God’s grace, I know we
will prevail as His people.
In His Service,
Dony St. Germain
Haitian Ministries Coordinator
HAITI Earthquake Relief UPDATE #5
(1-17-10)
Dear Friends,
We are on Day 4 of the aftereffects of the quake. Spoke
with Dony late last night and received a few emails this
morning.
Yesterday, he visited schools and hospitals in PAP. Did not
go to the DR since C3 partners were already there. His
words:
"One school has 350 children buried under it. Another
nursing school, 100 students. No food. Day 4 without food
and water in PAP. Interviewed a family that lost 12
people. PAP not a city that can be rebuilt easily.
Hundreds and thousands of people sleeping on the streets.
Some are sleeping in tents but there are not enough. If I
could get some in the DR and take in...Everyone is seeing
things differently, but you have to be here on the field.
Visit to the hospitals-no antibiotics, no medication, not
enough personnel to minister to the people. No gas in PAP.
Need to purchase 2 huge containers to store for future. ESMI
lost one of its vehicle. People are moving back to the
provinces so ministry cannot only be in PAP but need to go
to the villages to them too. Still a lot of areas without
help. A lot of people still in need of help. We
have identified a clinic twice bigger than the one in Cayes
that we can use for the relief effort and use it as our
headquarter. It also has a guesthouse where we can host at
least 200 people so I have taken control of the facility."
Today's plan:
1. Louis will send 5 nurses and 1 doctor, possibly 2, to
the above facility to begin doing some preliminary treatment
until we can get medical teams organized from the US to come
in. This is a big need: medical personnel and medical
supplies to treat earthquake victims. The facility is in a
safe place about 15 minutes outside of PAP. If
you are interested in being a part of a medical team, please
respond ASAP to
esmieletter@aol.com.
2. Dony will head to St. Marc and the Gonaives area to buy
up as much food as he can for storage
3. C3's trucks should be arriving today at a location about
3 hours from the DR border where the food will be stored and
then distributed from.
4. Louis will also get staff from Cayes to manage this
distribution center and will bring more supplies...food,
water and medical
Pray for these efforts today and for safety as one team
travels from Les Cayes and another from the DR. Dony will
need to return with whatever funds we can collect here. No
banks are functioning in Haiti.
If you would like to send a contribution, please send to:
ESMI
13651 S. Biscayne River Drive
Miami, FL 33161
or online: esmihome.org
Thanks to all who have already sent funds. Please know that
100% will go toward the relief effort.
Thanks too, to my friend, Susie Austin, who has been getting
the word out to you via email. Thanks to Frantz St. Germain
and Shane Hackett who have been posting the updates and at
the same time working feverishly to get our website updated
to make it functional during this relief effort.
May God continue to guide us and have mercy on His people.
With His Peace,
Sharon
HAITI Earthquake Relief UPDATE #4
(1-15-10)
"God is
truly amazing! My God is truly amazing!"
Those words
from a song are resounding in my mind as I write. Our C3 partners
have been trying to get a hold of Dony and Louis as they hoped to
meet in Port-au-Prince yesterday. Their plane, however, was not
permitted to land and had to be diverted to Santo Domingo,DR. They
were frustrated. Since they were in the DR, they thought of
purchasing food and was able to contact a business woman who
willingly helped with getting the vehicles. Were they ever
encouraged to read update #3 that Dony was heading to the DR!! The
next concern was how to connect with him.
God is
AMAZING! They were able to do that this morning. C3 partners
worked hard this morning in purchasing food, water, etc., packing
the items and getting clearance to drive across. The plan is to
meet up with Dony and DouDou who will organize the distribution from
the Haiti end. Of course, the food will not be brought into PAP
just like that. Food will be stored outside of PAP and brought in
discretely.
Louis was
in PAP yesterday with a Haitian team from the Les Cayes area. The 2
brothers have yet to meet.
Louis
writes:
"I WAS AT PAP YESTERDAY, ALL DAY. WE ARE GOING BACK TOMORROW,
SATURDAY.
WE BROUGHT FOOD, WATER AND MEDICAL SUPPLIES TO PETION VILLE.
WE RESCUED A YOUNG GIRL AT DELMAS 40.
BROTHERS, IT IS UNBELIEVABLE AND HORRIBLE, MORE THAN ANYONE COULD
IMAGINE.
THE DISTRIBUTION WENT WELL.
INDEED, THEIR IS NO CAR RENTAL AT PAP. NO GAS IS AVAILABLE SO FAR.
THEIR IS NO FOOD AT THE RESTAURANTS. CIRCULATION IS OK AT SOME
PLACES. BUT THE SMELL IS HORRIBLE. IT IS WINDY AND ALSO THE DUST IN
THE AIR MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO BREATHE. TOMORROW IT MAY BE
CHALLENGING, BECAUSE THE SMELL WILL BE WORSE. THERE ARE MANY BODIES
TRAPPED IN THE COLLAPSED BUILDINGS AND THEY CANNOT GET THEM OUT.
EVERY BODY NEEDS HELP. MOSTLY WHEN THEY SEE STRANGERS AND THE
JOURNALISTS, THEY WILL APPROACH AND START TO ASK REPETITIVELY FOR
HELP. THEY NEED TO SURVIVE AND THEY ARE STILL UNDER SHOCK FROM THE
EVENT.
AT BROCHETTE (CARREFOUR), OUR KIDS ARE OK. WE CARRIED
WATER, FOOD AND CLOTHING FOR THEM. WE WILL BRING MORE
TOMORROW. WE WILL CARRY FOUR HUNDRED GALLON OF WATER FOR
THEM TO DRINK. IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS, WATER AT PAP WILL
BE NON PORTABLE...
PART OF THE FRONT WALL COLLAPSED. THE GATE IS DAMAGED
(BENT), BUT THE HOUSE IS OKAY AND SO ARE THE KIDS. I
WAS SO HAPPY TO SEE THEM. THEY WELCOMED ME WARMLY."
Please check esmihome.org for current photos and videos
from Louis. More will be posted today describing the
drive from Les Cayes to PAP and what was seen and done
yesterday in PAP.
On a sad note, those of you who have been to Haiti may remember
Esaie, another driver we would use with Nader. His wife died in the
quake and Dony had to do the funeral yesterday. Continue to pray
for his family and so many who have lost loved ones in this manner.
Dony reports
that many are returning to the provinces. There is now nothing for
them in PAP.
Yes, there is
a spirit of sadness and despair but thank God we can look to Him for
hope, a hope that is eternal. We will continue to trust God to
bring good out of this horrific situation. The Haitians are a
resilient people, what says those who are firm believers in a Mighty
God.
With His
Peace,
Sharon
HAITI Earthquake Relief UPDATE #3
(1-15-10)
Dear Friends,
Thank you so much for your prayers.
Just heard from Dony at 6:25pm.
He's well. He was only able to
talk very briefly. Situation is
horrific with dead bodies on the
ground and everything smells.
People are sleeping on the streets.
No water. No food.
PRAISE GOD! PRAISE GOD! the pastor,
the workers and the 106 orphans in
Carrefour are fine. He passed also
through Gonaives and the pastors and
ministry there are well. THANK YOU
LORD!
What is needed immediately are
monetary funds. With whatever funds
he took down, he was able to help
those around the airport area who
have so graciously helped us when
teams would come in, and others. He
is making plans to return to the DR
and buy supplies there-dry food
items, water, etc. and drive those
back to PAP. Pray for them as they
will begin tonight.
Thank you, Father, for showing Your
mercy continuously even in the midst
of this indescribable devastation.
Continue to pray for the many other
organizations doing relief effort in
these first few days which are
always so crucial.
If you are able to help, please send
funds to:
ESMI
13651 S. Biscayne River Drive
Miami, FL 33161
Memo: Earthquake Relief
or esmihome.org
In His Service,
Sharon
HAITI Earthquake Relief UPDATE #2
(1-14-10)
Dear Friends,
Got an email
from Dony at
5:44pm. He
should be in PAP
in 3 hours,
God's willing.
His phone will
no longer work.
This is
supposedly where
DouDou will meet
him. He was
able to meet 2
men from a
network station.
Thank the Lord.
They drove
together from
Santiago to the
Haitian border.
The following is
an email from
Louis earlier
today:
UPDATE FROM LES
CAYES,
THIS MORNING
WHEN WE WOKE UP,
WE THOUGHT WE
WERE IN ANOTHER
COUNTRY:
1. EVERY FACE
HAS A SAD
APPEARANCE.
2. SINCE THEIR
IS NO NEWS FROM
PEOPLE IN PAP,
EVERY ONE IS
CRYING.
3. MOST OF THE
BUSINESSES DID
NOT OPEN TODAY.
4. MARKET WAS
CLOSED.
5. TWO BUILDINGS
COLLAPSED
6. THE PEOPLE
LEFT THEIR HOMES
AND STAYED IN
THE STREETS.
7. WE CAN FEEL
EVERY WHERE THE
SPIRIT OF UNITY
8. SINCE PAP IS
THE HEART OF THE
NATION, PEOPLE
ARE WONDERING
WHAT TOMORROW
WILL LOOK LIKE.
9. CHANTAL,
PASTOR CHERY'S
HOME WAS DAMAGED
10. CAMP PERRIN,
ABOUT 15 MINUTES
FROM LES CAYES,
LOTS OF PEOPLE
WERE INJURED
ALSO.
11. MANICHE, A
CITY ABOUT 20
MINUTES FROM LES
CAYES WAS
TERRIBLY HIT.
HUGE CRACKS IN
THE HOUSES
12. YESTERDAY
AFTER NOON,
SEVERAL STUDENTS
WERE AFRAID AND
JUMPED OFF FROM
THEIR SCHOOL
BUILDING AND
BROKE THEIR ARMS
AND LEGS.
13. IN THE NEXT
FEW DAYS, WE
WILL NOT HAVE
ENOUGH SUPPLIES
IN LES CAYES...
BIG QUESTION..
MAY GOD CONTINUE
TO BLESS YOU.
SINCERELY
YOURS,
LOUIS
HAITI Earthquake Relief UPDATE #1
(1-13-10)
Dear Friends,
Your heart is breaking like ours as we
listen to the news. This is just a very
brief update of what we know.
Louis made contact with us yesterday
evening via "ooVoo", internet phone. He
and his family are shaken but fine.
Thank the Lord. He emailed later to
let us know that
-Maniche, a small town from Cambry had
lots of damage,
-Chantal- Pastor Chery called to say he
was fine but one of the walls in his
home fell
-Jeremie- the construction workers there
felt the shock
-Cassa Major-Pastor Clotaire called. He
may have some damage but don't know the
extent
So far, the orphans in the south seem to
be fine. But we are still waiting to
confirm this. We are also waiting to
hear from all the other pastors in
Gonaives and around Les Cayes as to
their communities.
Dony left this morning. He'll fly to
Santiago, DR, and drive into Haiti from
Cap-Haitian and down into
Port-au-Prince. God's willing he should
be there tonight or early morning. His
concern at this time are for the pastor,
workers and the 106 orphans in
Carrefour. The news is reporting this
as the epicenter of the quake. Please
pray that they are miraculously well.
He'll try and keep us posted as much as
possible.
If you would like to send relief funds,
please send to:
ESMI
13651 S. Biscayne River Drive
Miami, FL 33161
or donate online- esmihome.org
Here are some of the video we were able to
take In Les Cayes Haiti.