Merry Christmas 2004 and Happy new year 2005. I am sure that thousands of people in Gonaives and Bayonnais would have made fun of me if they had heard me saying : "Merry Christmas 2004 and Happy new year 2005". For, you would hear every where you go that new year 2005 is coming, but Christmas 2004 is being postponed. I have doubt that this kind of statement will trouble lots of you.

Christmas is a season of caring, happiness, joy, togetherness and more. But when they know that Jeanne has flooded their businesses in Gonaives and their crops in Bayonnais have being dried out at 95%, they stated that Christmas 2004 is being postponed and they don't care for new year 2005.

This note is being written in Port-au-Prince in the College Students House. They are all doing great. But frankly there is too much  pressure on them. They got to deal with too much noise 24 hours a day and each time they go to school, they expect to get shot until they get home.

 I am here in Port-Au-Prince for an interview that I hade with my two younger children (Gilberte Christina and Simon Valéry Actionnel II). The interview went well and they will claim their passports  on Monday, 13th of December. I am very grateful for that. But Valery, my 5-year -old-boy, shouted, "Alleluia! Thank you, Lord! Now I can leave Haiti when people are shooting in Gonaives and Bayonnais. I will go to the United States of America." I did not reply to his statement, but I come to realize how much Valery as well as the other children are concerned about this climate of violence which has been spread all over in Haiti since late 1990.

I seem not  to care that much for what people in Gonaives and Bayonnais might say regarding me saying, "Merry Christmas 2004 and Happy new year 2005." I have chosen to do so because you have done tremendous things for Bayonnais, Gonaives and even for Haiti in general, through OFCB Ministries, since 1993.

Merry Christmas 2004 and happy new year 2005 to you all, my friends and partners. Let's bless His name and rejoice ourselves in Him no matter what, for hurricane Jeanne and drought in Bayonnais have not made God less loving, less Powerful, less caring or less merciful. He is the same, yesterday, to day, and forever. Let's keep sharing God's love and grace with others no matter what. since October 31th until December 10, we have counted 175 new souls coming to the Lord. You have given about $38,000 to help those that Jeanne has victimized in Gonaives and Bayonnais. (about 300 families X 10 relatives at least each).

I am sure there are things you have done in the city of Gonaives and Bayonnais and you will not know about it until you get into heaven. we have received the feedbacks. You have been feeding now over 1,200 children in school from K to 13th grade. You have just sent two big buses loaded of very useful goods for folks down here. your prayers and finances have kept the College Students safe and in school for the whole Country. Merry Christmas to each one of you and happy new year in Jesus Christ, our Lord. I love you all and will always be grateful to you. Merry Christmas.

Since after Jeanne's disaster, we have been working on individuals charity, but we are now concentrating on social services - helping more people to get involved in business- making more loans and social action - doing whatever we can to prevent the city and its surrounding areas from being flooded if just in case another flood comes near in the future, by planting trees - this one is really heavy maybe too heavy for individuals, but one hand alone does not claps.

My favorite Chinese proverb says: "If you are planting for a year, you plant grains. If you are planting for a decade, you plant trees. If you are planting for a generation, you plant people."