Letter from Jamalyn, a missionary to Haiti who was in Fondwa, at the orphanage where our kids came from. It's quite beautiful to read about relationships being all that matter in life because in a minute, all things temporary can be lost: 

Dear Friends and Prayer Warriors!

I am so thankful for your prayers and words of concern. It has been a long two weeks since the ground first shook. Many of you have asked what I saw, what I thought and so on. It is not real easy for me to put all these thoughts into words just yet, but I will share with you what is on my mind at the moment. 

The destruction was unbelievable. At first when the quake hit I was with the children at the orphanage and couldn't figure out if what had happened was something others felt around Fondwa or if it was just in that one spot. My mind just couldn't wrap itself around what was happening. All the older children thought it was the second coming. All I knew was they had to get away from the building (that somehow miraculously did not fall) and up to the main road. So I told them that I wasn't sure if it was Jesus coming back or an earthquake but if it was Jesus he would find us on the main road. Up on the main road, I was shocked to see that the shaking of the ground was indeed an earthquake and the further I walked down the road the further I keep seeing destruction. The protestant church where we worshiped. Our friend Dia's house where everyone hung out on her porch. My dear friend Jesula where I would sit and talk about life and drink coffee. All gone. Then, there was the guesthouse. All the memories Dave and I made there our first two years of marriage--gone. The work the peasants did to put that structure up and to create infrastructure--a radio station, a clinic, a business office--gone. The Sisters quarters--gone. It was just unbelievable to me. Then there was the news about Sister Oudel and Baby Jude--gone. All in a matter of 35 seconds. I was scared to ask about the school. I didn't have to - as people saw me they began to tell me. The school is gone. Lekol la te tonbe. I felt my stomach turn. The blessing was it was after school was done for the day so none of our students were hurt. However, two Masons working at the school lost their lives. My office at St. Luke's has concrete walls. It is an odd reminder of what is here and what can be gone in seconds. I figured it is too much to ask the trustees to put dry wall over it so I will just cope (or have my therapist write a letter for me). After the first night of sleeping on the road with all our neighbors and listening to their prayers that they would randomly cry out in the middle of the night I realized all this "stuff" is gone but my relationships within the community were still strong. Madame Chery gave us a mat and sheet to keep he team warm in the middle of the night. We all had shorts and t-shirts on and the temp dropped to about 50 degrees. In the morning, Jesula whose husband suffered a broken arm, leg and clavicle (he was working at the school too) boiled us water so we would have clean water to drink. She had lost her house, her husband was suffering with broken bones that were not yet set and she took time to care for us. Later the Sisters made sure we had some food to eat. These relationships are all I have now and they are really all I needed in the end. I am thankful for my relationships with all of you too. You all were the force behind the peace I felt when I should have felt panic. I knew that I had a community praying for me at home and I was so thankful for your love. 

As for Fondwa, Dave is going in two weeks to begin to assess the needsand then we will be able to decide what is next. If you are interested in donating to Fondwa go to www.familyhm.org <http://www.familyhm.org/> and click on Fondwa. If you are interested in going on a team with us in the future make sure to let us know.