This is a message received from Craig and Christi Gabhart, Operations Managers in Pignon. They sent this at 11:00 PM on 9/6/2017. We will continue to monitor the situation and give updates when we have solid information.

Hello! 

We appreciate your messages and prayers for us as we wait for Irma to arrive.  We are hearing a sense of confidence from Haitians who are counting on the past experiences with Hurricanes over Haiti. Being in the Central Plateau, people are counting on the protection that comes from the rim of mountains that surrounds our area.  A neighbor/MH worker named TiPay has lived in this community all his life and says he has never seen any disaster from a hurricane passing over Haiti.  I asked him today if we would have wind and rain.  His response, “maybe”.  Of course he is not watching the weather channel and seeing the trajectories that are being tracked. He is just trusting that everything will be OK.

The government did cancel school today, Thursday, and Friday.  MH Preschool did hold class today but we will be closed the rest of the week.  MH employees will come to work in the morning.  We said we would just monitor the situation as the day goes along. We have purchased some extra gallons of gas for generator use just in case our solar would somehow go out. We have filled the tanks with propane, purchased some food items in the event some people in the area need help. 

The past weeks there have been many people coming to MH with a plea for help.  Not because of the pending weather, just because for many families it is ‘back to school’ time and the needs are great.  Just today, at two different times, moms with young children came stating they need help, “We have nothing in our house to eat.” Desparation. We have had many challenging days recently wanting to know how to help in the right way. 

There will be damage in the north the way things sound.  Just wondering where God will lead MH. We give thanks for many who have prayed for protection for us and the Haitian people.  We will keep in touch.  Thank you again for caring about us.

Hurricane Irma map, as of 7:00 AM (CST) on 9/7/2017.