Paul and Rebecca Shetler Fast, Country Representatives for Mennonite Central Committee in Haiti.  Learn more about MCC Haiti at their new blog: www.haitimcc.org. They also blog for The Mennonite, Inc. 

On Tuesday, Hurricane Matthew, a Category 4 hurricane, landed on Haiti’s shores, leaving behind what Haitian Sen. Nenel Cassyhave has called “catastrophic destruction.” 

From Rebecca: 

We are grateful to report that all 27 Mennonite Central Committee staff members in Haiti and their families are safe at this time. Many in Haiti are still waiting for news of their loved ones, and the true scale of this disaster is yet to be known.

We carry with us heavy hearts from the stories we have already heard, and the many we know we are yet to hear:

Stories of an MCC staff member’s relative in the South of Haiti, who stayed alone in the ruins of her home destroyed last night, exposed to the wind and rain, praying for safety;
Stories of neighbors coming out in the storm to nail down roofs and clear clogged drainage ditches to prevent flooding;
Stories of people and churches welcoming strangers fleeing the storm;
Stories of dozens of families at an MCC supported school, forced in the night into emergency shelter by flash flooding.

A prayer for Haiti, written by Paul, hours before Hurricane Matthew hit:

We pray tonight for Haiti. We pray for the those without a safe place to sleep, without a place to brace against the coming storm. We pray for those with leaky roofs and mud walls, those still under tents and tarps and cardboard. We pray for those who fear their only belongings may be washed away. We pray for those who are sick and cannot travel to seek care. We pray for those who were hungry before this storm, and those who will see their crops washed away. We pray for compassion and helping hands. We pray for pastors opening up their churches to provide refuge from the storm. We pray for friends and neighbors helping people get to safety if they can. We pray for our staff and their families, for our partners and the communities we serve.

A message from Rebecca:

Mennonite Central Committee has already begun assessing needs and gearing up for relief efforts in Haiti. Contribute online and read more about the hurricane relief efforts.