VENICE, Fla. — A family, who spent the last 20 years as missionaries in Haiti, is now homeless after the devastating 7.2 magnitude earthquake destroyed their entire youth camp ministry.
Security video from Camp Mahanaim in the Les Cayes, Haiti on August 14th, shows how the ground shook violently for a terrifying 40 seconds.
"We’d be running and the ground was opening up right in front of us," said Katie Wray, the 18-year-old daughter of the family that runs the camp.
The video shows the earth breaking open and water and mud shooting out of it.
"As I was running, the boys' dorm collapsed right in front of me," said Katie.
The Wray family has spent the last decade building their ministry that serves meals, sports camps, weddings, and medical teams.
It was made to withstand a Category 4 hurricane, but not a 7.2 magnitude earthquake.
"Everything just got destroyed," said Rod Wray, Katie's father.
Miraculously, of the 160 people at the camp that morning, no one was killed and only one person got hurt after the boys' dormitory collapsed on itself.
"If it had happened a half-hour earlier. The whole group would’ve died," said Katie.
The damage and people looting afterward made the home unsafe. Agape Flights in Venice has been serving the Wray's ministry for years and was able to safely fly them out of Haiti.
"We only have three suitcases now, and three backpacks each," said Katie.
After a temporary stay in Venice, the Wrays are heading to Canada to stay with their family.
And even after losing nearly everything, the family says their faith has kept them strong and optimistic as they move on to a new chapter of their lives.
"At first it was devastating. But then we remember the Lord led us there and He gives and He takes away and it must be His timing to take that away," said Debbie Wray, Katie's mother.
