Segaar-King November Update

A scene of destruction in the mountains above Les Cayes, 30 miles east of Matthew's landfall.

Dear Friends and Family:

In our last prayer update, Hurricane Matthew was spinning only a few hundred miles from Haiti’s southwestern  coast.  Unfortunately, the hurricane’s path took it over the tip of the southwest peninsula as a Category 4 storm with sustained winds of 150 mph, making landfall west of Les Cayes.  The masonry and tin-roofed homes inhabited by the majority of Haitians in this part of the island were no match for Matthew and the destruction was nearly complete over a large area.  More heavily populated low-lying areas on the southern coast were flooded by the storm surge first and then submerged by floodwaters pouring off the mountains behind them.  As of today 546 deaths are attributed to the storm and over 1.4 million people are in need of immediate food, water, or shelter assistance.  What can the perspective of faith say about this event, the second major disaster to strike Haiti in six years?  In the end, we cannot understand why God allows disasters like this to strike Haiti again and again (Job 42:1-6), though we know that he takes no pleasure in the suffering of his creation (Ez. 18:32).  The Christian response is to imitate Christ by suffering with those who suffer and seeking to show God’s grace in concrete ways by word and deed (Is. 53:11).

 Please pray for:

1.       The relief effort occurring in Haiti as we speak.  It has been a struggle for many relief agencies to raise funds for the response to Hurricane Matthew.

2.       The political situation in Haiti.  Because of Matthew, the elections were postponed yet again, this time until November 20.   Pray for peace and cool heads during this coming election.

3.       Timothy Leadership Training seminar and theological training with the CRC of Haiti next week.  Pray that we will have the energy to get through it all.

4.       That we can get some rest both physically and psychologically after a very difficult October.  Our new missionaries, the Zuiderveens, will be coming for a short visit in November.  Pray that the visit would go well.

Please give thanks for:

1.       Isaiah’s healing after a very scary fall on his head.  He suffered from worrying concussion symptoms for several weeks.  Now that he is back in school, please pray that the healing would continue.

2.       A very successful worldview training seminar in October despite the effects of the Matthew.

3.       We received word that the dissertation reading committee at the Free University of Amsterdam accepted Zach’s dissertation.  All that is left is the defense ceremony in January, 2017.

4.       A safe place to ride out Hurricane Matthew.  We spent the two days of the Hurricane’s passage safely in our home.

FOR MORE PICTURES, STORIES, AND INFORMATION ABOUT OUR MINISTRY AND FAMILY, PLEASE SEE OUR BLOG AT segaarking.blogspot.com

Thanks for your prayers and support,

Zachary, Sharon, Hannah, Vivian, Isaiah and Esther Segaar-King

Missionaries to Haiti through Christian Reformed World Missions