LDS relief: Tent village surrounds Mormon meetinghouse in Haiti

PETIONVILLE, Haiti — A momentary calm fell over the Petionville Ward Chapel grounds as homeless Haitians raised their voices in song and prayer to close another day.

Strains of "Where Can I Turn for Peace" in French filled the cloudy night sky followed by Stevenson Laurent's heartfelt petition in Creole to awake to the sunshine of a new morning.

The nightly devotional calms the restlessness of what amounts to a village that sprang up around the church after the Jan. 12 earthquake. Petionville was one of the hardest-hit areas in the country. About 600 tent cities or makeshift communities are sprinkled throughout the region. About 1 million Haitians, or 1 in 9, were displaced by the earthquake.

Petionville Ward Bishop Harry Mardy estimates 600 people — some members of L'?lise de Jesus Christ des Saints des Derniers Jours (LDS Church), some not — call the meetinghouse grounds home for now. He said his biggest need at the moment is a larger bathroom.

People drifted to sleep Wednesday night in tents, under palm trees and on the concrete courtyard. Mattresses covered nearly every inch of open space, causing anyone moving about to tiptoe.

Barking dogs, crowing roosters and the occasional coughing child broke the night silence, sometimes in coincidental chorus. The church's generator hummed in the background. A shooting star appeared just before dawn.

Thursday morning seemed to come quickly. Many people were up and about before first light and heading to the bathroom, toothbrush in hand. Some filed out the large metal gate for work or other business, most, if not all, without breakfast. Food is not plentiful, so one meal of rice and beans a day must suffice.

Bishop Mardy led members in the hymn "Scatter Sunshine" and morning prayer. And another day for Haitians without a home began.

For a hint of what life is like at the Petionville chapel, think Boy Scout jamboree — with mom, dad and all the kids — minus the playing with fire.

There was food, games and entertainment. A group of girls sat in a circle tossing and catching smooth goat or cow bones in a game of roslet, which resembles jacks. Several boys kicked a ball around. Some kids blew up long, colorful balloons.

Stories were continually swapped around the cooking pot. Young people and cell phones were inseparable. Laughter was not uncommon.

A group of children singing and dancing took center stage for a moment. Even Justin Timberlake made an appearance — on a laptop music video.