Dear Friends and Family,
As the whole world knows by now Haiti was hit with an earthquake measuring 7.0 on the richter scale at 4:53pm on January 12. Since then news from Haiti has been all over the media and millions of dollars have been given to help with the relief effort. As you all know Becca and I’s ties to Haiti are deep. For those of you who do not know, we’ve been involved with ministry in Haiti for 10 years now, and I lived there full time as a missionary before I went to seminary.
Over the past several years we’ve become increasingly involved with an international church in Port-au-Prince called Quisqueya Chapel. Since the earthquake I’ve remained in communication with the pastor of this church trying to do what we can to help from afar. We wanted to go immediately, but knew it would be best to wait until we became aware of specific needs that we might be able to help with. In my communications with the pastor this past week, it has become apparent to me that he is just swamped with all that has been thrust on him in the past couple of weeks. Since the earthquake Quisqueya Chapel has turned into a refugee camp. There are two orphanages that are camping on the grounds in addition to many from the neighborhood. Each day roughly 2,000 people from the neighborhood are being fed there. There has been a makeshift medical clinic on the grounds treating the injured. Now, the grounds will also become a place where helicopters will be landing to pick up seriously injured people to transport them to where they can get better care.
Today, in one of my emails to the pastor I asked him if I could better help him here in Dallas, or there in Port-au-Prince. His response: “I need someone on board to assist, come..”
While this is all happening pretty fast, in the next couple of days I will be putting things together with the hopes of being on the ground early next week. I have withdrawn from my classes at seminary for this semester and will pick them up again hopefully this summer. My plan at this point is to go for a month. After a month either have Becca come visit if the situation is ok, or me return to her for a week or so. After this, if the need is still as great I’ll return.
However, I can’t do this without your support. One of the biggest needs right now is cash. The earthquake leveled the places I used to cash checks and the banks that survived are not accessible yet. My hope is to get a significant amount of cash in hand before I leave so that we’ll be able to get supplies as we need them once I’m there. There are walls to repair, mouths to feed, gas for generators to buy, etc, etc.
In addition to the needs I hope to meet while there, I also need funds to cover my expenses so I’m not a burden on those I’ll be staying with and funds to travel there and back again.
If you’d like to help there are a couple of ways you can do this:
1: You can make a (tax deductible) check out to: “Danville Baptist Church” and include a note that indicates it is for the “Luke Perkins Haiti Fund”. Then mail the check to:
Danville Baptist Church
P.O. Box 2
Danville, NH 03819
2: For a quicker way to get funds to us, go to our blog: theperkinsblog.blogspot.com and click on the “donate” button. While this is a great way to get money available to us instantly, it is not tax deductible. Whatever money comes in this way I’ll take out of the bank and bring it with me.
3: If you have any American Airlines miles you’d like to donate that would be great too! I have enough to get to the Dominican Republic (from there I’ll likely take a bus to PAP as the airport in Haiti is closed to commercial traffic), but I need more to be able to get home again.
4. Pray, Pray, Pray! Now is certainly not a good time to go to Haiti as the security situation is very tense. Pray for safety, wisdom and physical and emotional strength as I serve there. Pray also for Becca as she remains in Dallas. Pray that the Lord will help us endure as we’re apart from each other.
If you have any questions please email me or call me at (972) 415-3771 and I’d love to talk with you about what I’ll be doing.
Thanks so much for your support of us and the people of Haiti.
In and for Christ,
Luke and Becca Perkins
As the whole world knows by now Haiti was hit with an earthquake measuring 7.0 on the richter scale at 4:53pm on January 12. Since then news from Haiti has been all over the media and millions of dollars have been given to help with the relief effort. As you all know Becca and I’s ties to Haiti are deep. For those of you who do not know, we’ve been involved with ministry in Haiti for 10 years now, and I lived there full time as a missionary before I went to seminary.
Over the past several years we’ve become increasingly involved with an international church in Port-au-Prince called Quisqueya Chapel. Since the earthquake I’ve remained in communication with the pastor of this church trying to do what we can to help from afar. We wanted to go immediately, but knew it would be best to wait until we became aware of specific needs that we might be able to help with. In my communications with the pastor this past week, it has become apparent to me that he is just swamped with all that has been thrust on him in the past couple of weeks. Since the earthquake Quisqueya Chapel has turned into a refugee camp. There are two orphanages that are camping on the grounds in addition to many from the neighborhood. Each day roughly 2,000 people from the neighborhood are being fed there. There has been a makeshift medical clinic on the grounds treating the injured. Now, the grounds will also become a place where helicopters will be landing to pick up seriously injured people to transport them to where they can get better care.
Today, in one of my emails to the pastor I asked him if I could better help him here in Dallas, or there in Port-au-Prince. His response: “I need someone on board to assist, come..”
While this is all happening pretty fast, in the next couple of days I will be putting things together with the hopes of being on the ground early next week. I have withdrawn from my classes at seminary for this semester and will pick them up again hopefully this summer. My plan at this point is to go for a month. After a month either have Becca come visit if the situation is ok, or me return to her for a week or so. After this, if the need is still as great I’ll return.
However, I can’t do this without your support. One of the biggest needs right now is cash. The earthquake leveled the places I used to cash checks and the banks that survived are not accessible yet. My hope is to get a significant amount of cash in hand before I leave so that we’ll be able to get supplies as we need them once I’m there. There are walls to repair, mouths to feed, gas for generators to buy, etc, etc.
In addition to the needs I hope to meet while there, I also need funds to cover my expenses so I’m not a burden on those I’ll be staying with and funds to travel there and back again.
If you’d like to help there are a couple of ways you can do this:
1: You can make a (tax deductible) check out to: “Danville Baptist Church” and include a note that indicates it is for the “Luke Perkins Haiti Fund”. Then mail the check to:
Danville Baptist Church
P.O. Box 2
Danville, NH 03819
2: For a quicker way to get funds to us, go to our blog: theperkinsblog.blogspot.com and click on the “donate” button. While this is a great way to get money available to us instantly, it is not tax deductible. Whatever money comes in this way I’ll take out of the bank and bring it with me.
3: If you have any American Airlines miles you’d like to donate that would be great too! I have enough to get to the Dominican Republic (from there I’ll likely take a bus to PAP as the airport in Haiti is closed to commercial traffic), but I need more to be able to get home again.
4. Pray, Pray, Pray! Now is certainly not a good time to go to Haiti as the security situation is very tense. Pray for safety, wisdom and physical and emotional strength as I serve there. Pray also for Becca as she remains in Dallas. Pray that the Lord will help us endure as we’re apart from each other.
If you have any questions please email me or call me at (972) 415-3771 and I’d love to talk with you about what I’ll be doing.
Thanks so much for your support of us and the people of Haiti.
In and for Christ,
Luke and Becca Perkins
