Haiti feels the wrath of hurricane season; a radio ministry escapes unscathed.

By September 2, 2004

Haiti (MNN)–Haiti’s shores are threatened by a Category 4 Hurricane Frances and Tropical Storm Gaston.

A tropical storm warning was posted for the north coast of the Dominican Republic. The US National Hurricane Centre in Miami warned large and dangerous waves were possible along the north coast of Hispaniola, which the Dominican Republic shares with Haiti.

The laymen’s voice of OMS International, Men For Mission’s Bill Evans says their radio ministry escaped a one-two punch so close on the heels of Hurricane Charley. “We have not had any impact from the hurricanes or tropical storms. With our radio station being in north central Haiti, and then some of our downlinks as well, it’s been pretty much the same situation. They’re in a place fortunately, where, at this point in time, anyway, we haven’t experienced any outages.”

There were positive signs that things were beginning to come together post-coup and pre-hurricane. Electricity, which was seldom a full-time service in Haiti, is available for up to 14 hours a day.

Peacekeepers have returned helped clean up the streets, and businesses and schools are open again. Humanitarian aid groups are making headway in getting supplies flowing once more to the stricken areas.

However, that activity is limited. In the storm ravaged areas, Evans says while their ministry continues broadcasting the hope of the Gospel, their teams are active in meeting other needs. “Food becomes a matter of concern. Certainly finances are always a concern, because when food and other natural things that they need, resources, are just devastated, then it really makes it challenging for the money to go as far as it used to.”

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