Five months after January’s magnitude 7 earthquake, more than 1,300 settlements around the country house Haiti’s population of IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons). Officials report that 1.6 million people still have not been able to return “home” as a result of the widespread destruction of dwellings across the country. Experts are predicting a busier-than-usual hurricane season for 2010, which causes heightened levels of concern as the plight of Haiti’s people remains bleak.

Hope Force is shipping disaster relief tents for the village of Sous Savanne – the area identified for aid projects by Hope Force and our associates. Almost 90% of the buildings in the region were destroyed in January’s earthquake. The most recent information from the village indicates that some of the people have found interim housing with extended family and that this shipment may well address the majority of the unmet need.

The community has also requested space for a children’s activity center so we ordered a large 30’ tent, (706 sq. ft.) to fulfill this purpose.  These are very high quality tents, designed especially for the grueling environment in which they are destined for use.

We are committed to providing durable shelter for the village’s inhabitants while they begin to rebuild homes and lives. Your prayers are vital to the success of our Haiti Shelter Project. We were recently informed that the Haitian government stopped allowing our consignee to use their franchise to expedite shipments. This now means the process of clearing a container could take much longer, will be unpredictable, and we will likely have to pay taxes and customs charges.

Hope Force is assembling a distribution team with plans to be on location in late July. Please pray for fast and efficient customs clearance of our shipment, effective collaboration with our in-country partners along with safety and good health for the team. Up to this point, shipments on behalf of many charities have enjoyed favor from the Haitian government, but it appears things have changed dramatically for many international organizations in Haiti with no warning. As a consequence, clearing our container/tents from customs will take an unknown length of time and could have financial implications as well.

HFI will also be exploring ways in which to continue to assist Sous Savanne with their ongoing recovery needs. This next round of assessments will be conducted in conjunction with the distribution of the tents. Please join us in praying for God’s wisdom, discernment and provision required to continue on the journey of hope and healing for the Haitian people.

We invite you to join with us as we reach a world in need, whether that be through our projects in the US, Haiti or other areas. You can make a donation by mail or via the web as well as pray for our efforts. Thank you for your support of our efforts to reach a world in need.

In Christ,

P.S. The new Hope Force prayer card is our gift to you in appreciation for your support of Hope Force and our endeavors. We hope you will print it out and use it in your Bible, a favorite book or put it on the refrigerator. Thank you for your prayers – we cannot do it alone!