Six months have passed since a 7.0 magnitude earthquake killed thousands of people in Haiti. Yet, despite everything that was lost, the country's people have not lost hope.
Two Haitian brothers have even dedicated their lives to passing on that hope to the next generation.
Moving On From Trauma
Pignon is in Haiti's north central plateau, about 85 miles outside of Port-au-Prince and a six-hour drive from the most visible signs of the Jan. 12 earthquake. An estimated 30,000 Pignon residents managed to escape the impact.
"It was total darkness and confusion in the minds of these people because Port-au-Prince has been the center of all kinds of activity," Haitian pastor Jephthe Lucien explained. "When you hear Port-au-Prince has been affected by disaster -- this is Haiti affected by the disaster."
The emotional toll of the quake prompted Lucien to invite a first response trauma team from America to help church leaders cope with post traumatic stress disorder and learn how to counsel others.
"We are dealing with an overwhelming amount of post traumatic stress problems," said Dr. Benjamin Keyes of Regent University. "The refugees from Port au Prince have all seen horrendous things. Bodies being piled up. Buildings collapsing. Their friends dying."
The counseling came months after the quake, but Lucien began his personal work with survivors minutes after the ground stopped shaking.
"People were crying without knowing what happened to their loved ones," Lucien said. "So one of our greatest endeavors was just to go and help them locate their family."
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Source: Efrem Graham, CBN News
