January 2010
CBT
News
Earthquake in Port au Prince
We are so grateful for the many groups that have stayed at the CBT.  To make it easier for
visitors to schedule visits at the CBT in Haiti, we're working on a new system to streamline
the process.  Click on any of our "Visitor" links, and you will be directed to a page that will
allow you to check the calendar for available dates, read our rules and request to reserve
dates for your visit.  Click here to take a look.
Coming to visit the CBT?  Click here...
Celigny Saintilnord is a recent graduate of our preaching school in Cap Haitien. He preaches in Savane
Longue in the northeast part of Haiti, almost as far as you can get from the epicenter of the quake and
still be in Haiti. David Dirrim thought this might be good to share to help understand the far-reaching
impact of the earthquake.

    I believe you know what has occurred in Haiti. For us in the Wanament area the
    earthquake was felt. It didn't cause destruction but there is much sadness, my family is
    saddened, the church in Savane Longue is in grief because we have many people (family
    and friends) who were living in Port au Prince and even up till now we have no news of
    them. Everyone has tears in their eyes. In our area  life is beginning to become very
    expensive because there is no circulation/interaction with Port au Prince and other areas.
    We ask you brother David and sister Sarah, brother Tommy, brother CJ and the church
    where you are serving, pray for Haiti and pray for my family because we are truly in
    grief/sadness.  Thank you.

Anilus Justin is a graduate of the third class of the CBT and preaches in Fort Liberte.  Here is an excerpt
from his letter:

    Thank you for your prayers for my family.  My wife and children and the children in the
    orphanage are fine.  The orphanage did not get any damage, but my house had some
    damage, and the aftershocks are making it worse.  I have some people in my family who
    we are searching for and we don’t know if they are alive or dead.  Some people in the
    church here have family who were affected.  In this situation, the church where I am has
    many people. Many family members of the Christians here who lived in Port au Prince
    have come here.  It is very difficult.  For now, my family has 13 more people with us and
    more are still coming.  

Ezekiel Milien is a graduate of the second class and preaches in Robillard.  He writes:

    My family is doing well by the grace of God but I have an uncle and a cousin who are
    dead at Port-au-prince.  We have not heard anything from my brother-in-law.  There is a
    member in my church who died when she received news that 2 of her children were dead
    with 3 cousins who lived in the same house.  Many children in my school have  problems
    too.  Please continue to pray for Haiti.
Debbie Vanderbeek mentioned Gusman's activity with the relief efforts in her blog:

"Gusman ... attended and just graduated from the Center for Biblical Training in Cap Haitien.  
He and [and other young men] have stayed at the orphanage the past couple nights.
Gusman, along with [others] is helping to provide some security just by their presence.  They
are also helping Sonia to be able to go out into the community to use her nursing skills to
help the injured by helping with the children.  They are helping to keep the children calm and
somewhat orderly.  Gusman [and others] also accompanied us yesterday all day long."
Notes from Haiti
A letter from CBT Director, Dale Huff

Dealing with the Present Crisis, Preparing for the Aftermath

The Haitian Christian Foundation is very active at present dealing with the crisis in Haiti.  The Center for
Biblical Training is located in Northern Haiti about 100 miles north of Port au Prince.  Most of our work has
been focused on the northern part of Haiti throughout the 13 years since the Center for Biblical training
first began.  Most of the preachers who have been trained have come from churches of Christ that were in
cities or villages in Northern Haiti.  Two of our graduates, Derisse Alain(first class) and Guzman
Saint-il(fourth class) came from Port au Prince and were living there when the earthquake struck.  A third
graduate, Gustinvil Fedson(second class) was also living in Port au Prince at the time of the earthquake.  
We are thankful to report that they and their families are all alive, though two of them lost their houses in
the quake.  The rest of our graduates have reported that the quake did not do any significant damage in
the villages or cities in the north of Haiti, and we are extremely thankful for that.

Though the quake took place in Port au Prince, all of Haiti felt it, and all of Haiti will continue to feel
its effect.  Almost everyone has family and friends who lived in Port au Prince.  Some of those were lost in
the quake, and we are getting reports from graduates of the family they have lost.  Also, many of those
family members will be coming to the North to stay with family after the quake.  If you know northern
Haiti, you know that this will create a tremendous burden on all of these villages and families.  Food was
not abundant before, and it will be a much greater challenge now.  No one really knows what to expect in
the days to come, but we are trying to prepare.

Groups will be led into Haiti by board members during each of the coming weeks, beginning on
Thursday, January 21, when David Dirrim leads a small group of doctors to Port au Prince to help and
assess what is needed.  Tim Mastenbrook will be taking in a group at the end of this week to help in Cap
Haitien and assess the situation.  Milton Eckhart, the first director of the CBT and a medical doctor, will
bring a group in after Tim's group leaves.  Dale and David will arrive in Cap Haitien the first week of
February.  All of these groups will help us understand what we need to do in the time to come.  

Our fifth class of students is scheduled to begin their three years study on in February.  Obviously,
many things can change between now and then, but right now, we are still planning on going forward.  
The relief and recovery effort will surely span their whole three years, but it is important for the school to
keep going.  Training servant evangelists to preach and teach the word in Haiti is the biggest relief and
recovery project to accomplish.  It would be easy to set this aside in light of the physical problems in Haiti,
but we are committed to going forward.  We do not know what the future will hold, but we are committed
to going forward.  These students will have many opportunities to help with relief projects and it can be a
great part of their training.

As our board members come back, we will be posting reports from what they find and planning what
we can best do to help.  Keep us in your prayers, and pray for Haiti and for the kingdom of God to grow
and spread during this horribly difficult time in Haiti.  There is no greater hope for Haiti than Jesus Christ.
                                                                                              
Dale Huff
Director for the Center for Biblical Training
A letter from CBT Director, Dale Huff
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