A team from Milroy United Methodist Church and St. Luke's United Methodist Church-Indianapolis was in Haiti during January to work in the Fondwa region at a school and an orphanage. Colleen Mahan, loan document assistant with MAF, and J.D. and Ben Wicker, husband and son of Bec Wicker, marketing representative with MAF, were members of the group that arrived in Haiti on Monday, January 11th. The team was looking forward to a week of painting at the school and spending time with the children at the orphanage. The afternoon of January 12th changed the team from missionaries to survivors and the rest of their time in Haiti was spent planning their exit.

Midwest Ag Finance was affected deeply by the experiences of the mission team in Haiti during the earthquake. The empty chairs in the Rushville office, the morning prayer circles and the heavy hearts were constant reminders of what the team members and their families were experiencing during that week.

The January 12th earthquake in Haiti has been determined to be one of the fifth largest natural disasters in history. The devastation in the highly populated country about the size of Maryland was extensive, mainly due to the population density near the epicenter and the lack of infrastructure in the country.  The Haitian people are resourceful, using what they have to make do. Our prayers and support are continuously needed for the rebuilding of homes, schools, and orphanages.