(405) 425-5070

For Christians in the Caribbean, Sandy was just the beginning of weather woes


“We are overcomers” was the all-too-appropriate theme of a recent “bring-a-friend Sunday” at the Marsh Harbour Church of Christ.
The congregation, on Abaco Island in the northern Bahamas, survived Hurricane Sandy, which claimed more than 60 lives across the Caribbean before it shifted northward to the U.S. The church’s members in the Sandy Point community endured flooding.
“We thank God for sparing our lives,” said Katrinka Quashie, whose husband ministers for the congregation.
The storm caused an estimated $300 million in damage to the islands. David Caskey, a longtime missionary to the Bahamas, is collecting funds for relief.
Christians in Cuba report that the storm caused widespread damage to homes and crops. Congregations including the 10th of October Church of Christ have collected aid to distribute.
Healing Hands International, a relief ministry supported by Churches of Christ, is sending a container of relief supplies to Cuba. The ministry also has shipped a container of rice, beans and supplies to southern Haiti, where nearly half a million people still live in tents, displaced by the Jan. 12, 2010, earthquake, said Harry Hames, Healing Hands’ Haiti coordinator.
An outbreak of cholera followed the storm, Hames said. A Church of Christ in Ganthier, Haiti, has set up a distribution center for aid.
In the weeks following the hurricane, Haiti continued to experience heavy rainfall. In the northern city of Cap Haitien, flooding claimed at least 20 lives and left much of the Cap Haitien Children’s Home, a church-supported ministry, underwater. Overseers Hunter and Jillian Kitrell are distributing aid for Haitians who lost possessions and homes.
“The rains, oh how they came down. And the floods, oh how they came up,” Jillian Kittrell said in a blog post to supporters. “But just as much as the water rose, so did all your prayers. And the blessings have been falling down on us in more ways than we could have ever imagined.”
RELIEF FOR THE CARIBBEAN: Contact these ministries and nonprofits to contribute to Hurricane Sandy relief efforts or to learn other ways to help.
Healing Hands Internationalwww.hhi.org • (615) 832-2000
Cap Haitien Children’s Homewww.caphaitienchildrenshome.org • (877) 332-3430
Bahama Missionwww.flyingpreacher.com • (239) 936-4554

  • Feedback
    The Patrick City congregation (Carl Mitchell – Minister) in Jamaica suffered damage to their building as well.
    Monique White
    Wyoming Avenue
    Southfield, MI
    USA
    November, 28 2012

Filed under: International

View Comments

Don’t miss out on more stories like this.

Subscribe today to receive more inspiring articles like this one delivered straight to your inbox twice a month.

Did you enjoy this article?

Your donation helps us not only keep our quality of journalism high, but helps us continue to reach more people in the Churches of Christ community.

$
Personal Info

Dedicate this Donation

In Honor/Memory of Details

Card Notification Details

Credit Card Info
This is a secure SSL encrypted payment.
Billing Details

Donation Total: $3 One Time