Haiti Buckets of Hope Released

Monday, June 14, 2010 – What an incredible day in Haiti! We started out by going to the Minister of Civil Defense’s office for a mandatory meeting. It was called because of a problem that developed Friday. The minister decided to go with us to open 5 containers. (He rarely went to that so it was going to be great or really bad.) When got to the truck yard, there were only 2 containers. Needless to say, the Minister was upset at us for not having 5 containers. (It was a simple delivery problem but still the whole thing almost blew up.) While they were discussing the problem in a loud manner, I felt compelled to sit down, under the deck of a semi-trailer and pray. I prayed for the Lord to intervene. Within minutes I noticed that the voices were calmer. As I looked up I noticed CMBH National Director of Ministry, Pastor Lebranc, giving me a thumbs up. At first, the minister only gave us permission to open the rice container. He said we could not open the bucket one. As we went to open the rice container, we found that someone had placed a lock on it but no one had the key. Again things were tense but the Lord prevailed. Once we opened the rice container, the minister warmed up and decided to let us open the bucket container. That was incredible.

Since the beginning I had visualized this day in my mind. I had been telling the pastors, the contract workers and others about the buckets. They could not comprehend it. When we opened a couple of buckets and showed the minister and his assistant how the bucket was packed, they were amazed along with everyone else. We distributed over 600 buckets this afternoon. We also distributed over 8 pallets of rice. It was hot, tiring, and hard. Still, it was a great day. Several times I had to stop because I became overwhelmed by the enormity of the moment. This is just the first of over 100 containers. The marathon continues.

For those of you practical people, yes the buckets did shift and tumble some because this one was not palatalized except at the back. Many lids cracked because some buckets had more space that the original size we tried to get people to use in the promotion piece. Many bottoms of the buckets bulged, bent and a few cracked. Never-the-less, there was only two buckets that the beans and oil did not survive. They it came apart when they fell out of the back of the truck when we opened the door. Pretty awesome!

From Don Owen in Haiti

First let me begin by saying, Thank You, to everyone who has come to Haiti to work with the medical end of our Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief effort. I already knew from all your emails and your updates to the blog what a difference the work was making. However after talking to the director of the entire project and with the doctors, nurses and the EMT's I have learned that the half of the story has not been told. Second let me say, Thank You, to those of you who supported, through your donations to the Nolachucky Baptist Association Haiti relief fund, and through your prayer support of those who came and became a living sacrifice. According to the Director of Operations for the Medical project know as Medi-Share more than 20,000 lives were saved as a result of thousands of volunteers supporting and serving through this operation in Port au Prince Haiti. Plus not only were lives saved in the operating rooms and through the care of the doctors, nurses and medicines provided but thousands have given their hearts to Christ and saved for eternity. David Acres, our state DR Director, was here to start up operations of at the hospital project (back in March) and also here to assist in the shutting down our portion of the massive operation. Today,Tuesday, the area where the operations and work took place is just a big open space at the airport. The tents are gone the containers are all gone and that page in the 2010 Haiti earthquake recovery effort is now history.

Now to page two:
Beginning today our efforts will turn toward looking for ways we can effectively work to support the rebuilding in Haiti. A team is flying in this morning from Memphis to meet and show us an area we might possibly serve. There are so many, many needs here and my biggest request of you at this moment is to ask you to pray for God to show us His plan. Please pray for Mr. Acres and me today and the remainder of the week here in Haiti.

A personal note:
It has been incredible for me to see how the people of Haiti have picked themselves up dusted themselves off, and even in their poverty, have kept smiles on their faces as they begin the long uphill battle of rebuilding their country. These are some of the hardest working people I have ever seen. In the heat of the day, and I mean heat with a capitol H, they do not stop. They do not have jack hammers they use hammers or whatever tool they have to bust up concrete in small enough chunks to be carried in 5 gallon buckets outside and dump it in a pile. From these piles others go through sifting it and salvaging everything that has a possible use. Most of these people are doing this for food or possibly up to two dollars per day. Please do not forget the people of Haiti.

- Don Owen

The Last Team Out - Team 13 Post from Haiti

Our team represents the FBC Shelbyville and consists of Bill Chapman, Travis Binion, and Drew Hooker who, by the Grace of God, has had a life changing experience while serving the needs of the Haitian people.


This will be the final blog for the TBDR assignment to manage the Medical Warehouse for the University of Miami/Medishare Field Hospital. We were blessed by the arrival of David Acres and Don Owen to finalize the shutdown of the operation. The Hospital has moved to a permanent location and most of the work today was involved in moving and saying our goodbyes to a wonderful and dedicated group of doctors, nurses, and EMT people. We were informed today by the Project Director of Medishare there were over 20,000 lives saved at this Hospital.

When the Lord led me to go on this mission, I knew I had a desire to serve. But because of the spiritual condition of this country, the Lord gave me a greater desire to find someone I could help to spread the Gospel in this country. On Tuesday, one of the local people approached the Warehouse and made the usual request for water or the Gatorade Sport Drink they call ‘shake’. As I talked to this man, he told me his name was Pastor Alida Edry and said he was a local Pastor at a church he calls the Great Harvest Church of God. He began telling me of this great vision he had to spread the Gospel through his country of Haiti and how God had told him this was a golden opportunity to minister to so many people affected by the devastating earthquake. He is planning to start another church in a city called Cornillon and said he was waiting for the Lord to furnish him with 200 Bibles. One hundred in the French language and one hundred in the Creole language. I told him I would do anything I could to help him get those Bibles. I cannot tell you how blessed I felt! I knew without a doubt I was the one sent to this man to help him with his ministry!

And by the grace and generosity of the TBDR, they have already offered to provide the Bibles for this Pastor. But that does not end the story. I will continually be in contact with this Pastor to provide more of what he needs and the other Pastors that all have the same vision.

And some will say, ‘Well, how do you know if this Pastor is really sincere and is really going to go through with his vision?’

On Wednesday, he wandered into our camp and was reading a devotional, ‘Our Daily Bread’, which looked like he had just about worn it out. I immediately thought about my beloved devotional book written by Henry Blackaby, and with some hesitation, I offered to give him my devotional book. We went to my tent and when I gave him the book, he looked at the cover and said ‘I know this man!, ‘I know this man!’, ‘I have his book!’

On Thursday, the Pastor returned with a notebook. And he pulled out this old ragged book and I could hardly read the cover. When I took a closer look, it was the Experiencing God book by Henry Blackaby!!

This Pastor has been using this book to teach his congregation for ten years!

So God had confirmed my vision as well as Pastor Edry and, GOD willing, the Haitian people. And I know all of our volunteers have been blessed by their experiences with this mission. Many seeds have been planted. And we have fulfilled the final commandment from Jesus Our Lord according to Acts 1:8 and we will all be eternally blessed. Until we meet again , The Last Team, Team No. 13, is signing off.

- Bill Chapman, FBC Shelbyville, Tn