(Dr. McCloud's letter while in Haiti)
Dear Collaborative Members and Friends,As you know, I am still in Haiti. I will never be exactly the same. The disaster here is beyond belief. The conditions that most of our Haitian brothers and sisters are living in are worst than what I read about during slavery. You have to come here and see it, to believe it! It seems as though very little help (and in most cases… no help) is getting to the Haitians.
This is not the place to come without money to help people and without a good safe place/hotel to stay in. We must raise funds immediately. I am very happy now that Dr. Franco and his security force got my money back after I initially stayed in a hotel that was infested with vermin.
This is what happened... As it was getting dark, I prayed over the room and asked God to show me the unseen as well as the seen and I rebuked every enemy in the name of Jesus. And I also asked God to have His Angels stand watched over me.
The Holy Spirit… knowing all things, ordered me to pack immediately and to be prepared to get out of the room. As soon as I finished packing, in the late evening, these strange bugs came out. They had personality and acted as if they knew it was night and their victim had to go to bed. They came ready for breakfast, lunch and dinner, all in one feeding. No Joke! When I was trying to get out of the room, I looked at the bed and panicked. I saw about 20 strange, funny looking, bugs on the two pillows and many crawling on the bed. When I tried to run, they started flying, hitting me on the face. I was finally able to get out of the room and registered a complaint with the front desk. To my surprise, the front desk changed shift and could only speak French and Creole. I just broke down and started crying.
Ten minutes later… Pastor Jomefre and our Security showed up. As the two registered my complaint, Security stood watch over me. They explained to the front desk the problem. However, the hotel did not want to give me my money back, so they called the owner. The owner came and it was a verbal altercation. The European owner told them that they were not true Haitians, as though the hotel condition was common to them. It was then explained that " their guest is unhappy and showed them my room. I was appalled and offended, so I started praying in the Holy Spirit recognizing that I was in spiritual warfare. I prayed against the evil that prevailed against the Haitians and asked God to change their way of life and living conditions. I also prayed that the owner release my money. The owner of the hotel did, after which, Dr. Franco and the team helped me find another hotel that was safe and most satisfactory!
So the team in Haiti... looked for a suitable place in the city of Kafu. They even tried the Mission House for Missionaries, etc.., but not finding one, (and seeing them working so hard to accommodate me) I told them to just take me to a safe hotel in downtown Port Au Prince because I had an episode in Africa where I got bitten by bugs in the past. I had a battle with parasite for two years. I have learned first hand that bugs are dangerous and can carry parasites and disease.
They took me...to a good hotel in Port au Prince that with stood the earthquake. I was very happy. There were no killer bugs, my room was spacious to rejoice and pray in, I had air condition at night and a ceiling fan by day, a clean bathroom, very clean marble floors, a desk and chairs for me to write and read the Bible and two double medium size beds. They even had a real nice Business Center that I could use for free. As I was checking my email and writing the Collaborative, sitting next to me one night at the computer in the Business Center, at the Hotel, was Liz, a photographer for LA Times. I asked her if she knows of any Haitians getting help or am I imaging they are not. She said "the only camp that she knows of that is really getting help is the Actor, Sean Penn’s Camp. I understand he is here running his own Camp not too far away, in Petionville Haiti. If I have time, I am going to try and interview him Monday.
However tomorrow... I am meeting with Business people and Educators. I will also visit two orphanages. They are keeping me busy. I have to thank Dr. Franco, for seeing to it that I get rest... although, he didn't know that I visited Julian Joseph, (member of West Angeles Church) father's church, school and Orphanage today when I was suppose tobe getting rest.
Julian's father, Bishop Chervil is sleeping over 300... people in his church and I couldn't count all the ones sleeping in the tents around the church, school and orphanage. I have lots of pictures and videos of his program. (see Documentary #2) comming soon.As Bishop Jean Ernest Chervil, ran the Compassion of Haiti Orphanage and helped people, he established 50 churches in the hills of Haiti for 40 years. He raised a doctor, who is now an intern in the hospital, a practing lawyer, a computer technology teacher; a minister of music with an orchestra, adopted lots of orphan kids (including Julian Joseph) which he is proud to tell his story and he still helps many families everyday.
I presented him with snacks for the Orphans from Aubry Stone, President of the California Black Chamber of Commerce and a partial donation from MC Townsend, President of the Regional Black Chamber of Commerce, SFV, to feed starving kids and families with swollen bellies and diseased in another providence. Well that's all for now.
God is truly great and merciful!
God Bless you,
Dr. McCloud
