Haiti and Typhoon Haiyan

In Haiti, located in the Caribbean's "hurricane alley," we are used to receiving devastating tropical cyclones.  Our last hurricane, Sandy, came at the end of the hurricane season last year.  Perhaps you will remember Sandy from the destruction it wrought upon New Jersey and New York.  When it hit Haiti, Sandy was had winds of 70 mph.  Typhoon Haiyan, which made landfall last week in the Philippines, had winds of 200 mph.  For us, there was a connection between Haiti and Haiyan.  Jeff Cosico, our colleague who has been working for the World Renew Disaster Response program in Leogane for the last several years, is a native of the Philippines.  In fact, he was in Haiti when the Typhoon hit his hometown on the other side of the world.  Jeff had a very difficult time getting into contact with his family in the Philippines for several days due the destruction of the communications infrastructure in his area.  However, he finally received a message that his family was not physically harmed.  His house, however, was another story.  Although his contractual employment with World Renew in Haiti was to end at the end of this month, Jeff felt compelled to return to the Philippines as soon as possible.  Please pray for Jeff and his family as they rebuild.  As we so well know, going through a natural disaster can be traumatic and discouraging.  Pray also for the relief operation that is underway in the affected areas of the Philippines.  Also, please give thanks that Haiti was spared a disastrous hurricane this season.

Jeff sent us a picture of his house in the Philippines.