A miracle in the midst of terror
We’re here in Haiti. Earlier, our team brought hot chocolate to the families and the victims. One man, Francois, caught their attention. Next to him was a young kid and an older man, perhaps the father. They both had broken arms. Pain was everywhere.
Francois asked what our team was doing there. He expressed his thanks to the many people who had flown in from the outside out of the goodness of their hearts to love and comfort his people. One of our staff members, Steph Tyrna, asked him about his story and he shared it.*
Just two weeks earlier, Francois was in his house in Port-au-Prince. He and his wife, Elina, lived in a five-story building near the center of town. As he was working on the bottom floor, the earth began to shake and suddenly, the building collapsed. Five floors came crashing down on top of him.
Elina was nine months pregnant. She been in their home on the fifth floor and fell straight through the floor. Concrete came crumbling down in a roar that drowned out the screams of people falling. Incredibly, his wife landed just a few feet from where Francois. Instinctively, he leapt across the moving floor and covered his wife with his body. It was the only thing that he could do. Thirty seconds later, the ground stopped and chaos ensued all around them.
Francois checked himself, he saw that he could move amidst the rubble. He could hear people desperately searching for their families. He looked down at his Elina. “Are you OK?”
She seemed unhurt, but shocked. “Francois, the labor pains have started – I’m contracting.”
Fortunately, after some time, the pains stopped. Francois knew they had to leave the chaos and get to a hospital. For the next five days, Elina was in great pain as they fled for the border town of Jimani. “How was she going to survive?” he thought to himself. “Who will help us?”
Arriving at the border, Francois began asking questions. Medical teams attended the mobs of people streaming to the Dominican border. When they saw Elina, her contractions had started again.
Francois knew Elina couldn’t handle much more. He sat praying and asking the Lord for mercy.
Then came the news that Elina had given birth to a baby girl whom they would call Francelina. Overcome with joy, the only thing Francois could say was “God saved my family”. Only a divine creator concerned with the intimate details of his children could provide a solution to something so seemingly impossible.
When our team met Francois and his family, Francelina was only ten days old. Their “home” was a tent with a mattress and a backpack that was sitting in the corner. This was their life as of that moment. It was all just so surreal to comprehend that each of their lives have forever been changed within a matter of seconds. And this is where they are now…
At this church/hospital, the clinic was understaffed, there were language barriers, and there was a shortage of medical supplies. One of these was baby milk/formula. Three other families had newborn babies at this clinic but the milk had run out that morning and it was now 10pm. The need was great considering the babies had not eaten since that morning. His wife could not feed their child because she was unable to produce milk.
Our team went on a search around town. And although most of of the pharmacies in Jimani were out of milk, Steph was able to find both formula and bottles. When they returned to the hospital, the only thing Francois could do was thank us and thank God for saving his family.
Below is a video of Steph’s experience.
*Thanks to Steph Tyrna for putting this story together and being Jesus’ hands in Jimani.
Comments (7)
Leave a Reply
Thank you so much… every single one of you… for being His hands and feet… I am so humbled and in awe of you… and so grateful to you… praying for you every day and night, and praying for the people of Haiti.. and all those other wounded, hurting lost people around the world…
I thought a church in a nearby city here in Canada was sending diapers and baby formula over there, I heard it on television. No one would other wise have any good source to send such to, I am very glad this baby survived, and her parents as well, God was with them.
As the days unfold we will hear more and more of these miracles. There is always mercy in the midst of a storm……
The video was well done.. God save the Haitians..
We’re heading to Haiti in 16 days, so I was curious to learn more about the people we’ll be meeting. Whew! Now tears are streaming down my face!! I want to find this couple and give them a shipment of formula all their own! (Is such a thing possible? I’ve discovered NOTHING is impossible with God! He continues to amaze me.)
As surely as God lives He still moves mountains–and performs miracles. *WOW*
God’s miraculous provision for Francelina, Elina and Francois will linger a long while.
This really is a miracle! The story is quite moving from when I read it the first time after Steph posted it. It is sooo heart warming to hear how all of you are totally giving of yourselves. You truly are His hands and feet. Praying for all of you! Thank you for sharing Steph’s story! God Bless! Sue Draughon (Steph’s mom)