3/5/10: Our ship came in!
The ship that Guts Church in Tulsa contracted to bring relief supplies to LaGonave arrived three days ago, but amid customs complications the supplies were just off loaded this morning (Friday 3/5/10).
Jerry and Sonja have been in Haiti all week. Sonja reported that the Celebrate Jesus of Haiti campus is now stocked as full as the yard at a Home Depot. Over $250,000 worth of food, medical supplies, and building materials were delivered to Anse-a-Galets this morning. Praise the Lord!
Over 70 Haitian volunteers helped with the transfer of supplies. Other churches and civic groups are involved with distribution and helping with the effort. Pray for Sonja, Jerry, and Pastor Juaquim as they continue the difficult task of distributing the supplies to those in need.
Irrigation Reservoir Completed 3/5/10
While waiting for the ship to clear customs, Jerry completed the irrigation reservoir for the Promised Land gardens. This will allow the capture of rainwater that would otherwise have been wasted. More information on the garden can be found under the Ministries tab above.
School Expansion Started
Jerry has begun another expansion of the school. We will have more details when they return to the US.
2010 Earthquake - Our campus undamaged
The earthquake that devastated the city of Port-au-Prince was felt very strongly on the island of La Gonave. Because few buildings there had concrete roofs, there were no fatalities on La Gonave. People on the island flocked to the Celebrate Jesus of Haiti campus, sleeping on the grounds and requesting prayer. A church on the island, NOT the Celebrate Jesus Church, was severely damaged. Because Jerry insisted on quality building materials and methods, our campus was undamaged except for a paint chip near the ceiling of the church.
Update 2/15/10: Sonja and Jerry will be travelling back to Haiti very soon.
A few days after they arrive, the ship that Guts Church hired to deliver the containers of food and medical supplies to La Gonave will arrive.
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Videos moved to Stories Section
The videos that were formerly on the home page have been moved to the Stories section (see "Stories" tab at the top of each page). This allows the home page of our web site to emphasize the overview of our mission as it did before the tragic earthquake.
US Taxpayers: Certain Cash Contributions for Haiti Relief Can Be Deducted on Your 2009 Tax Return
A new law allows you to choose to deduct certain charitable contributions of money on your 2009 tax return instead of your 2010 return. The contributions must have been made after January 11, 2010, and before March 1, 2010, for the relief of victims in areas affected by the January 12, 2010, earthquake in Haiti.
Contributions of money include contributions made by cash, check, money order, credit card, charge card, debit card, or via cell phone.
The new law was enacted after the 2009 forms, instructions, and publications had already been printed. When preparing your 2009 tax return, you may complete the forms as if these contributions were made on December 31, 2009, instead of in 2010.
To deduct your charitable contributions, you must itemize deductions on Schedule A (Form 1040) or Schedule A (Form 1040NR). The contribution must be made to a qualified organization and meet all other requirements for charitable contribution deductions.
Celebrate Jesus of Haiti is a qualified organization. Our Federal Tax ID number is 45-0490339 501C3