At 4:53 PM Haiti Time today, a devastating magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck 15 miles southwest of Port-au-Prince. The quake was felt in our work area of Marfranc, which is 117 miles west of the epicenter. Steve and Joline Moore, our staff couple living in Marfranc, have reported in unharmed. Pastor Plaisir and his family living in Marfranc are all fine as well, although there are reports of damaged homes in and around Marfranc. The school structures and the staff house built in Marfranc by New Life for Haiti withstood the quake.

When the quake hit, the Moore’s were on their porch with Vilex Plaisir, the New Life for Haiti Child Sponsorship Program Administrator in Haiti.

“We were drinking coffee and the metal work (grillage) started shaking”, reported Joline Moore.

“The walls of our concrete house started to move and the floor (solid concrete) was swaying. The chair Vilex was sitting in started to shake and we heard a pot crash in the kitchen and Steve said, “everyone out”. We ran outside, and the ground was still swaying while we stood there. There was a large rumble when it first started.”

Because the sun set just 45 minutes after the quake hit, the Moore’s were unable to survey any of the surrounding area for damage themselves. They will do so Wednesday morning. Cell phone service in the Marfranc area remained intact, and they were able to determine through phone calls that several homes in and around Marfranc had collapsed, including one across the street from the Good Shepherd Baptist School of Marfranc (the school buildings New Life for Haiti has been constructing). Several homes in nearby Jeremie have also collapsed. There is no word on casualties in the Marfranc or Jeremie areas.

We have been unable to contact MAF (Mission Aviation Fellowship) staff or the staff of the Matthew 25 House in Port-au-Prince as communication and power lines are down there. These are both organizations that support us on our trips to Haiti while we are in the capital city. Pastor Plaisir has several children living in Port-au-Prince and other areas of Haiti. He is also unable to reach these children at this time. We ask that you please keep these people and all the people of Haiti in your prayers in this time of disaster.

We will continue to provide updates on the situation in Marfranc as the scope of damage becomes clear.