quick summary of the past couple of days

Sorry for the lack of posts over the past few days. I've been too busy during the days to get near a computer and the internet has not worked the past couple of nights.

I began Saturday with a neighborhood meeting at the Chapel. Several of the missionaries living in this neighborhood got together to share what we're each doing and to share ideas with each other. One of the reasons for this is to ensure that we're not doubling up on things. We're trying to avoid things like having two separate medical clinics right down the street from each other and instead we're trying to combine resources as much as possible so we can serve this community more efficiently. So we have one organization doing medical clinics, we're distributing food and water at the church, another organization is addressing shelter, etc, etc. The meeting went well and was productive. Shortly after the meeting began we were joined by the group of police officers that are responsible for this zone. We're able to share with them some of our security concerns and also work out specific times for them to patrol or provide a presence. At the end of our meeting with them we gathered around them and prayed for God to protect them and provide for their needs.

Yesterday was Sunday and we had a great time together at church in the morning. I've never seen Quisqueya Chapel as full as it was yesterday morning. As Pastor Bobby began the service, the workers and I went all over the campus to get every chair we could so that as many as possible could sit. Many had to stand outside at the entrance because we simply could not fit another person in the building. We prepared extra communion cups in anticipation of a large crowd but there were still maybe 50 or so that did not get a cup because we ran out. I know there is a lot of debate going on both in the States and here about whether the quake is judgement from God or not, but one thing it has done is driven many people to seek God and the forgiveness that He offers. The word on the street (I heard it again today from a trusted friend) is that President Preval has called for three days of prayer and fasting around the time that would normally be carnival (kind of like mardi gras). Interesting.

Today we had a successful food distribution at the church. I say successful because these don't always go well. I asked a friend that lives in another part of the city if he has been able to get food and he says that whenever people go to a food distribution they have to fight with the crowd to get anything. He doesn't want to fight so he doesn't go. He did wait in line, in the sun, for an hour this morning for a 20oz bottle of water.

I was also able to get a battery for the car I'm using today. I had to go to 5 places before I found someone that sold the right battery, but I got one. Traffic is much worse than the normal bad traffic here so errands like this are tiring.

We're planning on having a memorial service at the Chapel this Friday, which is the one month anniversary. The service will begin at 4 and at 4:53 we'll have a period of silence (Psalm 46). We're also going to have those who have lost someone come up and read the name and age of the person they lost. Over 200,000 killed and there have been very few funerals. We're hoping to provide an opportunity for the church as a community to grieve together. I know this community has been affected in a big way because there is a mass grave just up the street. The grief is so apparent in people's eyes. Grief is everywhere in this city.