I've been sharing with you about our current need to finish the rebuild of Mercy Chefs' kitchen in Haiti that was destroyed by fire this spring.

It's difficult for me to communicate just how AMAZING this work has been for nearly a decade. In all my time of ministry, I've never seen anything like it, especially considering that we are talking about Haiti which is one of the most difficult countries in the world to accomplish anything!

I trust you saw my email from earlier this week (below) as we gear up to FINISH our kitchen in Haiti that was destroyed by fire this Spring.

Thanks to friends like you, we are very close to finishing Phase One and having the structure completed. But now, we are facing a time crunch and a critical deadline. Phase One will be completed in a few weeks and the kitchen will sit EMPTY until we can purchase and install the kitchen equipment.

As I'm sure you recall, this spring Mercy Chefs' kitchen in Haiti was destroyed by a fire. The kitchen was a total loss. 
It tore at my heart to hear that the children from the orphanage actually ran in the direction of the fire to offer their help because this was their kitchen! (Of course, they were protected from the fire.) 

As you know, we've been busy finalizing our plans to rebuild the Haiti kitchen that was destroyed by fire. I must move quickly to secure the funding due to the aggressive goal of having the kitchen rebuilt by early June.

God has done amazing things through this kitchen. He placed Mercy Chefs' kitchen right at the epicenter of a powerful mission that is leading a restoration of this entire region -- reaching more than 100,000 residents!

As I've shared, it was a real "gut punch" when I first learned that our kitchen in Haiti has been destroyed by fire. My team prepared a video of our time in Haiti designed to give you a taste of why my heart is so moved by these wonderful people and this important mission:

I never dreamed I would see this...

Over the weekend while in Haiti, we visited the city of Onaville -- which is about a mile and a half from the mission which is home to our Mercy Chefs kitchen that was recently destroyed by fire.

+ + A tent city... transformed!

A few years ago, Onaville was nothing more than a "tent city" -- a place the poorest of the poor in Haiti were relocating in hopes of a better life. Providentially, God placed our kitchen just a short distance from this tent city. And over the years, that tent city has become a real city of 90,000 residents with homes and buildings and businesses. 

How did it happen?

As we prepare to leave Haiti, I'm departing from our brief trip with a heavy heart and mixed emotions.

God is writing an amazing story here (read more here). We see great accomplishments, but they stand in the midst of still almost overwhelming need. And now, we must rebuild the kitchen which has stood as a beacon of hope at the epicenter of a powerful mission that is impacting hundreds of thousands of lives.

We will need a few days to finalize our cost estimates, but I am now expecting the total cost of the kitchen rebuild to approach $80,000 -- about double our initial estimate. And we are already under intense time pressure to get this done. I'm turning to friends like you. Please go here to help Mercy Chefs rebuild this vital kitchen and continue other efforts, and see my update from yesterday on the amazing story God is writing in Haiti!

Gary LeBlanc

P.S. Our expected costs to rebuild the kitchen have doubled, but the thought of abandoning the project because it has now become hard or expensive is abhorrent to me. We cannot leave this work unfinished! I will not abandoned these good folks who are doing such a great work. Please prayerfully consider how you can help, and thanks in advance for your support.

We've been on the ground here in Haiti for a little over 24 hours, and the reality of the challenge ahead of us in rebuilding this kitchen is hitting us -- while at the same time we marvel at the amazing "God story" that has happened through this kitchen.

As I noted to you last night, our team is still working on the rebuild plan and the cost, but it is clear after seeing the situation firsthand, the actual cost could be double my initial estimates.

First, the damage from the fire was just as it was described to us -- a total loss. The equipment was totally destroyed and the building needs so much work that a rebuild from the foundation will undoubtedly be the best option.

Second, the kitchen is meeting a much greater need and fulfilling a much larger purpose than when we built it nine years ago. Today, this kitchen is at the hub of a thriving mission and community that includes a school for 600 children, two orphanages, a distribution center, and a hospital with three operating wings and a dental clinic -- in addition to supporting the many U.S.-based mission teams that come here to minister.

+ + How God providentially placed this kitchen...

Here is Gary LeBlanc's report from Haiti and the site of the kitchen fire.

 As the Lord leads, please consider making a gift today to help Mercy Chefs rebuild the Haiti kitchen. Please go here to make your tax-deducible gift and help us rebuild this kitchen and continue other vital efforts:

I wanted you to see the makeshift "kitchen" that is being used right now in Haiti in the aftermath of the fire....

They have a gas burner, a few pots and pans, and a massive amount of determination to make the best that they can of a difficult situation.

This is why I'll be on the ground in Haiti TOMORROW to further assess the situation and finalize Mercy Chefs' plans to rebuild the kitchen.

It would take a financial miracle, but I would love to tell the people there that caring friends across America have stepped up in an amazing way to fund most or even all of the rebuild costs!

I'll be updating you tomorrow from Haiti. For now, see below for more details on the fire and our rebuild plans -- and go here to make your best possible tax-deductible gift to help Mercy Chefs rebuild in Haiti and continue other vital efforts.

God bless!

Gary LeBlanc