The joy of giving to the poor...
You may wonder why we look so happy standing in front of some brightly painted houses. We are in the village of Le Tant. In Le Tant, nearly everyone lived in little mud and stick huts called kay pays. Several years ago, a group of thugs came in the night and set fire to some of the kay pays. The wind blew the sparks, and most of the village was gone.
When we came the next day, the people were upset to say the least! What few possessions they had were lost. The little bit of protection from the rain and sun their huts provided was gone, too. We tried to comfort the people; we told them that we loved them and gave them food and medicine. We prayed with them, and promised that God had not forgotten them, but He laid it upon our hearts to do even more. That is when we decided to build block houses for the poor.
From this...
 | The kay pays are the best most people can do, but they offer little more than shade. Ants, mosquitoes and gnats torture the families. Days are bad enough, but the nights are hell. The heat and mosquitoes, along with lying on the dirt floor, make sleep nearly impossible. The life of the average Haitian is so difficult; they sleep anyway, from exhaustion. Babies sit on the dirt floors with no diapers, and they get worms and other parasites. No matter how hard their mothers try to keep the huts clean, eventually the little children get sick. Rain makes life nearly unbearable, but the poor have no other choice. |
To this...
Love A Child builds these block homes to withstand the storms that blow through the island. Floors and roofs are concrete, and each house has good, solid doors and windows. All houses have a little front porch, where the family can sit in the shade. The block construction keeps out much of the heat, and the sturdy roof keeps the family dry. Receiving a house is an unbelievable blessing for a poor Haitian family. What a change from living in a kay pay! These little houses seem like mansions to the people who live in them. It is hard for people in the States to understand how these parents feel, when they hear that someone they have never met is giving them a new home! |  |
The bright colors make a big difference in the landscape!
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It took a long time just to prepare the area for construction. Tons of gravel were hauled to the site, and a well had to be dug. Seawalls and a retaining wall had to be constructed to keep the homes safe from the tidal surges and mudslides, which come with hurricanes.
Can you imagine what a blessing this is for a poor family?
Please "consider the poor" by sponsoring a house for a family. This is a great project for a church, Sunday School class or youth group.
Please donate now
One of these homes cost $4800 to build; $5650 includes paint and furnishings, but we would be grateful for any amount whatsoever. Please, please pray about what you can do to provide a simple, well-built home for a poor family.
God bless you and we love you,
Bobby and Sherry Burnette
"Blessed is he that considereth the poor:
the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble." Psalm 41:1