Haiti Mission School - Earthquake Updates

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April 6, 2010

The living room floor is filled with brightly colored bags which were constructed by the “Bag Ladies” at Rockwell Falls and Caldwell Presbyterian churches. These bags, filled with school supplies, will be given to the children of the Labastille school. We hope to be able to take them with us, but worry that they will be too much for our allowable luggage. If so, we will send them in the container that is being packed to go to Jeremie soon.

We will be leaving (bright and early???) in the morning and will return in a couple of weeks. In the meantime, unless we find a way to send email, we will not be updating the website, but ask for your prayers for the journey. We will report on our return.

Once again, thank you for your support.
Tom and JoEllen

April 1, 2010

We watched the PBS Frontline documentary "Quake" on Tuesday night. It was an excellent and straightforward recounting of the tragedy of the earthquake in Haiti. The program is not light fare and not for the faint of heart. We like our news to be light and easy, but the truth is the event was not light and easy. For example, the reporter pointed out that while the news covered the rescues that happened, there were only about 150 of those. The much bigger story was about those thousands who were not rescued.

As we noted earlier, the large amounts of relief that flowed into the country piled up at the airport, because there was no adequate system of passing it out. The problems related to a government that was weak to begin with, which was devastated by the quake. And the UN was not much better. Much of its staff was lost in the quake. Indeed, if it had not been for the US military and a lot of small missions like our own in the early days, things would have been much worse.

There was much more that made me uncomfortable watching this story, but I do recommend that you watch it. You can see it at http://video.pbs.org/video/1456461314/#

News from the UN: Some 50 international donors made a 9.9-billion-dollar pledge at the UN conference Wednesday in a bid to help Haiti recover from the devastating earthquake.

More news from the UN: Cuban and US diplomats have held a rare meeting at the United Nations that focused on aid efforts for quake-hit Haiti, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla said.

The meeting Wednesday between Rodriguez and Cheryl Mills, chief of staff to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, "focused on rebuilding the health system of" Haiti, he said in a statement.

The encounter came on the sidelines of the UN donor conference for Haiti.

"Some cooperative activities have taken place between Cuba and the United States, in the effort to provide emergency care" following the earthquake, the minister said, adding that similar actions in the future are expected "to take place on the ground."

Over the years, we have met many Cuban doctors and nurses in Jeremie. They work for very minimal stipends and have been a real gift to a nation which has few doctors of its own.

March 28, 2010

We are home again from our rebuilding trip to the Wellspring Retreat Center in Maryland. This center is part of the Church of the Saviour in Washington, DC. We had a great trip and accomplished much. 21 of us installed two new roofs, replaced sheetrock, put a new ceiling in one building, installed a new handicap access door, repaired some carpenter ant damage and did some electrical work. The folk at the center were warm and welcoming.

Tonight we made reservations for our upcoming trip to Haiti. We will be in Haiti for two weeks from the 13th of April ‘til the 27th. We are so looking forward to this journey and the opportunity to see the school in operation. We also plan to bring as many school supplies as we can carry with us. The remainder will need to travel in the container which will be shipped shortly. Our biggest concern about the container is with customs in Haiti and whether they will let the material in. As one wag suggested, the longest part of the trip is the 300 feet on the dock it takes to get past the customs.

President Preval will present the Haitian action plan for rebuilding to the United Nations on Wednesday. The plan calls for a 3.9 billion dollar effort to rebuild the nation so devastated by the earthquake of Jan 12. The report suggests that this should be considered not a loss but an opportunity… as the report says: “The situation that the country is facing is difficult but not desperate. In many ways it is an opportunity to unite Haitians of all classes and origins in a shared project to rebuild the country on new foundations. Nobody has been spared, and no one can pick themselves up again alone. We must build on this new solidarity which is expected to trigger profound changes in behaviour and attitudes."

If you would like to read more about this, the report is found at the following site: http://haiticonference.org/Haiti_Action_Plan_ENG.pdf

Of course, those of us who know Haiti, know that there is still a culture of getting whatever you can from whoever you can whenever you can. This will be hard to change.

One more thing... PBS will present a Frontline program “QUAKE” tonight (Tuesday, March 30) which attempts to document the earthquake. Check your local listings for the time.

March 21, 2010

"Life has come full circle for many Haitians who originally migrated to escape the grinding poverty of the countryside. Since the early 1980s, rural Haitians have moved at a steady clip to Port-au-Prince in search of schools, jobs and government services. After the earthquake, more than 600,000 returned to the countryside, according to the government, putting a serious strain on desperately poor communities that have received little emergency assistance." (From a New York Times article March 17)

The new disaster in Haiti is all the people who have moved to places like Jeremie. With no work to sustain them, they are simply a crisis moved from one place to another. Even places like Labastille, where our school is, have seen an influx of people returning to where they came from. This will most likely place a severe load on our school. And this is happening all over the nation of Haiti… In schools, hospitals, homes, streets, you name it! It is a VERY BIG PROBLEM!

It is absolutely imperative that the Haitian government and all those who are working to rebuild Haiti take this into consideration and begin a process of developing schools, agriculture and even industry in the outlying areas. And it can’t happen soon enough!

Now, add that together with the typical corruption in Haiti’s government, and you have the makings for a further disaster. The land of Haiti needs lots of prayers from all of us.

March 17, 2010

We have been working on plans to go to Haiti in April. Although we can get to Haiti now, It is still difficult to travel in country. Bryan hopes to go next week and should be able to get some information about the best ways to move about and places to stay. We are so eager to see the kids and the school. We have lots of supplies to take and send… which reminds me...

Folks at Rockwell Falls Presbyterian in Lake Luzerne are putting together materials to fill a container which will go directly to Jeremie. If you are in the area and you would like to add to it here’s the list of things they hope to send:

Food: Rice, dried beans, nutrition bars, cornmeal, bottled water, powdered baby formula, baby bottles, baby wipes, vitamins (children and adult). No canned food.

Clean clothing in good condition.. no winter clothes!

Tents, tarps, sheets.

Call the church for more information (518)696-3537

The Haitian Health Foundation (HHF) in Norwich CT is loading a container to send to Jeremie on April 11. They are seeking volunteers to help load the container that day. Contact them for more information...

Haitian Health Foundation
97 Sherman Street
Norwich, CT 06360
(860) 886-4357

They also are looking for volunteers to perform various tasks in Jeremie.

Check out their web page at http://www.haitianhealthfoundation.org/

March 11, 2010

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – They kept the books, had the training and fixed the computers. They were the educated few of Haiti, an up-and-coming generation of nurses, technicians, office managers and college students. Now they're gone — just when their struggling country needs them most.

The Jan. 12 earthquake struck just before 5 p.m., destroying office buildings and disproportionately killing the young professionals who were going the extra mile to make Haiti work. Many were crushed at their desks.

"It is a generation that decided not to leave the country. They chose to work for the country," said Dieusibon Pierre-Merite, a Haitian sociologist with a United Nations anti-gang program that lost several staffers in the quake. "They are the ones who died."

Compounding the loss is a quickening brain drain, as people with the ability and means to leave abandon a ravaged country where more than 1.2 million people have lost their homes. Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive told The Associated Press he has watched with dismay as educated youths board planes to the United States and elsewhere. They leave because Haiti, always a difficult place to live, became impossible after the quake.

Haiti has gone through such losses of talent before, usually in times of political upheaval. Many fled or were killed under the father-and-son Duvalier dictatorships from 1957-86. People also escaped reprisals under the U.S.-backed junta of Gen. Raoul Cedras in the early 1990s, under President Jean-Bertrand Aristide and in the violent chaos that followed Aristide's 2004 ouster.

But the losses this time are far more significant. The destruction was so widespread and so instantaneous — gutting the capital and its institutions at precisely the moment when help, guidance and new ideas were most needed — that the absence will be felt for decades. "It will impact our culture, the future of Haiti," said Pierre-Merite, who sent his wife and three daughters, age 2, 7 and 12, to Chicago days after the quake.

Nobody knows how many professionals died in the magnitude-7 quake. Nobody knows how many people died, period. The government estimates around 230,000, but has never revealed how it reached that figure. In a country where two-thirds of eligible workers did not have formal jobs before the quake, and few finish high school, the losses at universities and office buildings are stark.

By Jonathon M. Katz -Associated Press

March 8, 2010

We sent the second installment of $900 today for the feeding program at the school. When you consider the vast amounts of money (like the $980 million that has been donated to earthquake relief so far that I mentioned yesterday) our $900 seems like a drop in the bucket. Still, it means that 85 children at the school will have a hot meal today!

842 million people worldwide are chronically undernourished.

The number of hungry people is rising at the rate of 5 million per year.
Malnutrition affects every fourth child world wide
150 million children (26.7%) are underweight or growth-stunted.
Around the world about 35,000 children (24 children per minute) die daily from hunger and preventable diseases.
Hunger could be cut in half in the United States and worldwide by 2015 for seven cents per American per day.

Draw your own conclusions!!!

To everyone who has been following our updates on a regular basis, thank you. Because things have calmed down for the time being in Haiti, we are going to stop posting on a daily basis. Instead we will post an update on Monday and Thursday which will show up on the website Tuesday and Friday. Please feel free to email us with any questions or things that you would like in the update. Meantime, please don’t forget to pray for our brothers and sisters in Haiti who are still trying to put their lives back together.

If you are among those who have “adopted” one of our children at the LaBastille School, we hope you will continue to pray for them each day by name.

March 7, 2010

We will be sending a second installment of $900 to Haiti tomorrow to provide lunches for the children at the LBastille school. The strange thing is that it costs more to provide one meal a day for the children than all the rest of the program put together. But hungry children don’t learn. Speaking of food for Haitian children… here’s another article about hungry Haitian children and food that I found on the net last night.

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AFP) -- The World Food Program (WFP) is to launch a food "surge" in Haiti from Saturday to boost rations for nearly two million people in the impoverished quake-torn country, a spokeswoman told AFP.

WFP staff in the capital Port-au-Prince were handing out coupons on Friday that will be exchanged for the food "baskets" comprising rice, beans, fortified flour, oil and salt to be distributed to the end of the month, Silke Buhr said.

The parcels are designed to feed a family of five for a month, she said.

A total of 1.9 million people will receive the rations -- more than covering the 1.3 million people left homeless by the January 12 earthquake that killed more than 220,000 people.

The new distribution expands on an initial emergency food surge for three million people following the disaster that mostly consisted of rice handouts.

The WFP said it has also started a program to feed school-age children in Port-au-Prince.

The initiative began last week in and will initially distribute meals of rice and beans, and fortified porridge to 72,000 children from school yards across the capital. Eventually it aims to feed 800,000 children.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said the priority is agriculture ahead of Haiti's mid-March crop planting season.

"During spring, in March, it's the planting season and the crops that are planted in March makes up 60 percent of the national needs, so it is very urgent that the agriculture sector gets funding," spokeswoman Elisabeth Byrs said.

"Support to agriculture is urgent and essential in the time remaining before the start of the rains in April," she added.

Some 70.6 million dollars are needed by the agriculture sector, according to the UN, but donors have so far only put up 12 percent of the sum.

"It's not enough," said Byrs.

March 6, 2010

*The Associated Press reports some amazing facts concerning donations to the Haiti earthquake relief.

"Donations from Americans for earthquake relief in Haiti have surpassed $1 billion, with about one-third going to the American Red Cross, the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University said Friday. Other major recipients include Catholic Relief Services, the U.S. Fund for UNICEF and the U.S. wing of Doctors Without Borders, according to a separate report by the Chronicle for Philanthropy.

An analysis of U.N. data shows that private donations make up the bulk of the total, accounting for more than $980 million of what has already been delivered or that donors have promised.

The United States leads all countries with its commitments of $713 million — with Canada, France, Spain, the United Kingdom, Japan and the European Union among other top donors. Saudi Arabia poured $50 million of its oil wealth into the U.N. Emergency Response Relief Fund. Even countries with their own troubles rushed to Haiti’s aid: Afghanistan provided $200,000.

A Nevada real estate developer agreed to send $5 million worth of circus tents formerly used by Cirque du Soleil. Leonardo DiCaprio and Coca-Cola are each sending $1 million. Dollar General is donating $100,000. Hanesbrands is shipping 2 million pairs of underwear."

It’s all rather amazing given the current economic situation of so many people.

*Among the many casualties of the Haitian earthquake is the education system of much of the area. UNICEF reports that more than 3,000 school buildings in the earthquake zone had been destroyed or damaged. Hundreds of teachers and thousands of students were killed, and officials are questioning the safety of the remaining buildings after violent aftershocks in recent weeks, making the goal of Haitian education officials to reopen many schools by April 1 seem increasingly remote.

"We have six engineers in the Education Ministry to survey more than 10,000 schools to see if they’re safe," said Charles Tardieu, a former education minister who is pushing for schools to reopen in tent camps. "Let’s face the reality that many schools are never going to be used again, and that we urgently need other ways to revive the system," he said.

*Another report out of Haiti today said that as many as 60% of the buildings that still remain standing in the Port Au Prince area are unsafe and may need to be torn down.

March 5, 2010

I’ve been reading a blog on the question of whether the earthquake in Haiti was caused by the sinfulness of the Haitian people. Evolutionary author Richard Dawkins, former Professor of the Public Understanding of Science at Oxford; author of "The God Delusion" and "The Greatest Show on Earth." was commenting on a statement by the Rev Pat Robertson. Robertson sees the hand of God in the earthquake, wreaking terrible retribution for a pact that the long-dead ancestors of today's Haitians made with the devil, to help rid them of their French masters.

Dawkins, on the other hand says, "We know what caused the catastrophe in Haiti. It was the bumping and grinding of the Caribbean Plate rubbing up against the North American Plate: a force of nature, sin-free and indifferent to sin, un-premeditated, unmotivated, supremely unconcerned with human affairs or human misery."

Was sin involved in the earthquake? I’m afraid that I agree with Dawkins… that the earthquake was simply a force of nature. But was sin involved? Compare the results of the earthquake in Chile with the one in Haiti. What was the difference? Slipshod construction either in contradiction to regulations, or simply that the regulations were bad to begin with. Who sinned? Lawmakers? Building inspectors? History? It’s a good question. But even more important is the question, "In light of this tragedy, what are we going to do?"

On Monday we will be sending the second installment of money for the feeding program at the school. We are eager to get down there to see what is actually happening. Please keep the school and the children in your prayers.

March 4, 2010

Time magazine has published a special report on the earthquake in Haiti. It is called Haiti: Tragedy and Hope. There are several excellent articles in the magazine as well as some first-rate photographic images. I was particularly impressed with the article by Amy Wilentz entitled In the Land of Memory. She is no stranger to Haiti, having gone there for the first time in 1986. The article not only considers the history of Haiti and its struggles but also takes an interesting look at Voodoo and its role in Haiti’s life and culture. This special report can be found at any newsstand or bookstore for $12.99, a portion of which goes to Haiti relief.

There is good news out of Chile today. They have downgraded the number of people killed in their earthquake from around 800 to 239, although there was a second earthquake in Chile that registered 6.3. This was not an aftershock but a separate earthquake in a different area.

Haiti New Briefs (http://www.haitisupport.gn.apc.org/fea_news_index.html) reports that "Haiti's main seaport at Port-au-Prince has managed to handle container traffic at a level higher than before the Jan. 12 earthquake, and full repairs to damage should be completed in April, a senior U.S. military officer said on Wednesday. The Caribbean country's main maritime terminal for import and export shipments was badly damaged in last month's quake, especially its south pier, initially blocking off a key entry point for urgently needed humanitarian supplies and imports. Divers from the U.S. Navy and other countries have been working for weeks on repairs to clear debris and wreckage from blocked channels and berths, and contractors brought in floating piers to help unload containers.

"We've had several days where we've delivered 600 containers in a single day, so their capacity is ahead of where they were before the earthquake," said Major General Daniel Allyn, deputy commander of the U.S. military Joint Task Force participating in the international relief effort in Haiti. This compared to the 200-250 containers the port was handling a month ago, following the disaster. Repairing the main seaport was seen as a critical step to bring in sufficient volumes of humanitarian supplies and equipment needed to help the victims of the quake, which may have killed up to 300,000 people, according to the Haitian government. More than a million people were left homeless and in need of assistance."

March 3, 2010

Dear friends who have been waiting eagerly for the update… I must apologize that we just had a very busy day today and so there won’t be an update. We’ll be back tomorrow with good stuff!!! Thanks for checking.

March 2, 2010

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — When a city crashes to the ground, how do you dispose of it? Six weeks after an earthquake reduced Port-au-Prince to ruins, Haitian and foreign officials who hope to build a new capital first have to confront the wreckage of the old one

The capital is a panorama of rubble: collapsed and half-fallen stores, banks, apartment buildings and homes, hillsides covered by broken shacks that fell like dominoes. Gnarled steel rebar lies all over in massive tangles, like a thousand Medusas.

The amount of debris is stunning. Officials estimate they will have to clean up as much as 25 million cubic yards of material — enough to fill the Louisiana Superdome five times over. By comparison, detritus from the destroyed World Trade Center amounted to about 1 million cubic yards.

Regionalization is a big topic, if so many of the universities were not in Port au Prince, many young people would have been closer to home; if more businesses were outside of the capital, many would have been spared. There is a lot to talk about, and a lot to do, and we are very thankful for this time in Jeremie to discuss all of these things with our friends here.

Haiti's leaders, working with officials from the United Nations and United States, last week approved a rubble-disposal plan that is expected to take at least two years to complete. The initial phase focuses on clearing debris from drainage ditches and around the most congested encampments in order to help shift people away from areas prone to flooding before spring rains arrive at the end of March.

"We don't have the luxury of stepping back and doing this in a relaxed way," said Mike Byrne, a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) official who co-chairs a multilateral committee on debris here. The longer-term cleanup will involve an armada of front loaders, excavators and trucks. Haitian President Rene Preval has said the effort will require 1,000 dump trucks for 1,000 days — which U.S. planners say is fairly accurate.

"We're going to have to go 24-7 on this," said Byrne, who was the government's point man in the World Trade Center cleanup.

Haitian officials have identified a handful of possible disposal sites, which are to include facilities for hazardous materials, separating refuse and crushing the concrete chunks. Early assessments indicate 90 percent of the debris can be recycled into road-building material, melted or put to other uses, Byrne said.

Dr. Colin Stark of Columbia University speaking on CNN about the difference between the Haiti and Chile earthquakes death tolls:

"Poverty is what ultimately kills most people during an earthquake," he writes. "Poverty means that little or no evaluation is made of seismic risk in constructing buildings and no zoning takes place. It means that building codes are not written, and even if they do exist they are difficult, or impossible, to enforce ... Haiti is a tragic illustration of this."

March 1, 2010

The following is a post from Michelle LaCourciere, Director of Sirona Cares. It is one of the first stories we have found about Jeremie since the earthquake. It was posted Feb 15

We arrived in Jeremie at dusk. It was quickly apparent that Jeremie had, for the most part, survived in tact. The buildings, that is. 500 houses collapsed, and there are cracks in buildings around town, but there are no tent cities here. Refugees have been, for the most part, absorbed by family in the surrounding area. This means that up to 23 people are living in tiny houses, and there is a woeful shortage of food, toiletries, medicine, and clothing for the thousands who have come with nothing from Port au Prince. We attended church on Sunday morning and the people who had been in Port au Prince, about a third of the congregation, told their stories. While the physical structures in Jeremie were spared, the number of people from Jeremie who died in Port au Prince was staggering. With no universities here all young people leave for the city, and many were lost while there in school or training programs. Almost every family in this town is mourning the loss of someone close to them, and in many cases multiple people. I needed to say that to avoid the assumption that I am stating that Jeremie is "in tact".

Our trip had multiple purposes, primarily assessing the situations of our partners here, and work out strategies for moving forward with them. Little that is not planned in Haiti with Haitians will ever succeed here. There are many subtle differences in culture that, if not fully appreciated, can wreak havoc on even the most well-intended efforts. An example would be this: Americans are goal oriented, while Haitians are relationship oriented. If an American wants to set expectations of certain goals, then you must understand that a lot of work on the relationship with our Haitian partners must come before your partners will fully value your expectations. It's a dance, and one that we need to value as we work here to help them move forward.

Here is the description of their organization: Imagine a fuel company that fuels not only diesel engines, but human lives as well. That is Sirona Fuels. Sirona refines and sells biodiesel. The exciting part of this story is that we will use the production of fuel to improve the lives of people both locally and in third world countries, and improve the environment at the same time.

You can find more about them at http://www.sironafuels.com/

We continue to pray for our friends in Haiti and hope you will also.

February 28, 2010

The situation in Chile while not as bad as Haiti is still devastating. At the time we put this together, there were reports of over 700 deaths, with many more missing and millions displaced from homes. International aid organizations will be hard pressed to respond due to the amount of time and energy spent in Haiti. The good news is that they will be practiced at the work they have to do.

We heard an interesting story about transitional housing in Haiti today on NPR as we were on our way to church. The story, which you can read at

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2010/02/haitian_shelters_from_coming_s.html

is about some exciting new projects for building these houses in Haiti. The story covered three different groups and houses that they are putting together. One of them, a company called InnoVida is donating a thousand homes to Haiti. They claim to be waterproof, earthquake and hurricane resistant. They will house up to 8 people. They are made of foam type panels and cost about $5,000. to build. They can become a permanent shelter which can be added to later. InnoVida plans to build a factory in Haiti by the end of the year which will employ up to a thousand workers manufacturing these panelized homes.

Another project by a group called CHF International is putting together temporary shelters that can be put up in about 4 hours by a team of 4 skilled and 4 unskilled workers and stimulate the economy by using local materials. They cost about $1,000 each and are designed to be used for housing for up to 2 years. CHF plans to build 2,000 of these by June. The International Federation of the Red Cross is trucking in enough material to build an additional 1,000 similar shelters.

The biggest question remaining is where to put them. Originally the Haitian government wanted to move thee people out of Port Au Prince, but aid agencies are encouraging them to rebuild in their original neighborhoods once the debris is cleared away. As days go by, we are certain to hear more about this issue. Time grows short before the rainy season. Pray for clear minds and little bureaucracy.

February 27, 2010

Main Picture Thanks to Amy’s camera we are now able to show you the kids from the Rolling Ramblers 4-H Club who met with us Friday and who made up the Hygiene kits for Haiti. The club’s leaders are Amy Quinn, Jen Koval and Kate McMann. The youth are (in no particular order) Madison, Sidney, Jack, Lane, John, Kyle, Sarah, Seth, Cody, Grace, Abigale, Owne, Chase and Riley. We thank them for inviting us to tell our story of the school in Labastille. The second picture shows the kids along with their leaders holding the kits they assembled.

Main Picture We look forward to sharing our presentation with your group (of any age) and answer questions about the school and Haiti.

Our hearts go out to those who suffered the earthquake in Chili today. We stand in solidarity with them and are praying for all who are faced with the problems associated with such things. At least 147 people have died as a result of the destruction, but the death toll won't approach that in Haiti because of a combination of modern construction and an epicenter that was farther away from an urban area than the one that struck Port-au-Prince in January. It gives us hope that Haiti will rebuild using these standards.

We are also praying for those who are in the way of the Tsunami.

February 26, 2010

We had a great time with the 4-H’ers today. We showed them the pictures of the school and the kids and what it’s like to live in Haiti. They asked lots of questions like why there were such different ages in the classes, and about how they get to school and the markets where they shop… We took pictures of the 4-H kids and wanted to show them to you, but one of us left the camera set on scenery, so the pictures were all blurred. We’ll get some from Amy, whose house we were at, and will post them shortly.

We’ve been impressed by the role played by our military in the disaster. Here’s a story provided by the US Air Force, at Hurlburt Field, Galveston TX..

As part of Operation Unified Response, the U.S. military has moved food, water, medical supplies, and medically evacuated injured citizens and transported military personnel throughout Haiti to meet the humanitarian needs in cities all around the country. Stories of these resupply missions, aid distributions and heroic medical feats have touched the hearts of people around the world ever since the devastating earthquake hit Port-au-Prince Jan. 12.

One more story, which is often overlooked, reveals the lone flight suit in the sea of Army Combat Uniforms and Navy Battle Dress Uniforms that make up the Joint Forces Special Operations Component Command. The flight suit belongs to Capt. Nick, whose mission is to coordinate all of the air requirements for the JFSOCC, thereby making those stories of humanitarian aid and medical rescues possible.

Initially working for the Joint Special Operations Air Component, Nick got first-hand experience working with fellow Air Force Special Operations Command Airmen to coordinate air support with U.S. and international forces in the early days after the earthquake. "It was hectic," he said. "It was so early in the process that there wasn't a system in place yet, so AFSOC had to put the process together."

He said he worked with Canadian, French and Italian forces as well as the Puerto Rican Air National Guard, the U.S. Navy, and U.S. Army to offer support to agencies like the World Food Program and the United States Agency for International Development, as well as to the military forces on the ground. Now working for the JFSOCC, the command above the JSOAC, Nick continues to collaborate with international forces and humanitarian agencies to move people and supplies to cities including Hinche, Gonaives, Cap-Haitien, Port-de-Paix, Jeremie, Gros Morne and Pignon, ensuring that aid reaches all parts of Haiti.

"I basically translate Army-speak and civilian requests into something that pilots can understand," he said. "Most people who want to get on a helicopter don't know all the information they need to pass on to make the mission happen." Nick's job is to figure out that information. After taking a request from a non-governmental organization or the military, he determines the number of passengers, pounds and size-constraints, and works the timeline with the helicopter squadrons that have been flying the missions.

As of Feb. 24, the JFSOCC helped deliver 8,500 pounds of medical supplies, 9,500 pounds of food and water, and 73,000 hand-cranked radios to people all over Haiti.

"Ultimately, it's all about linking up needs with resources to help the people of Haiti," Nick said.

February 25, 2010

As Steve entered in the update yesterday, we were victims of a heavy wet snow on Tuesday night into Wednesday and lost our power. (A little solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Haiti.—very little!) Until last year, the past several years in Jeremie there was no municipal electrical power. Hotels and restaurants had their own generators, but the city was dark at night except for lanterns. For us, an adventure, because we were in a hotel with a generator and also knew we would be going home soon. For the Haitians, a fact of life… one of the many differences. No running water in most homes, no hot water, no TV, no bathroom, an outhouse if lucky, you get the picture.

One other thing is that still after more than a month after the earthquake, we still are hard pressed to find any news coming out of Jeremie. There seems to be NO news coverage of this or other outlying areas of Haiti where thousands upon thousands of refugees are fleeing. Hello CNN… Hello NPR… Hello AP… is anybody out there?

Here’s a last minute update (YOU MUST ACT BEFORE MONDAY!!!) copied from the Haitian Health Foundation website:

People who give to charities providing earthquake relief in Haiti can claim the donations this year under recently adopted tax provisions, according to the Internal Revenue Service.

Taxpayers who itemize deductions on their 2009 return qualify for the special tax relief provision, which was enacted January 22, according to the IRS. Only cash contributions made to these charities after January 11, 2010, and before March 1, 2010, are eligible. This includes contributions made by text message, check, credit card or debit card.

Taxpayers have the option of deducting these contributions on either their 2009 or 2010 returns, but not both. To get a tax benefit, taxpayers must itemize their deductions on Schedule A. Those who claim the standard deduction, including all short-form filers, are not eligible.

We will be taking our presentation to a group of 4-H’ers today (Friday), weather permitting. A reminder that if you would like more information or a presentation for your group, let us know and we’ll be glad to come or send information.

If you would like to help make bags for the school, click on the How You Can Help section where you’ll find the plans.

February 23, 2010

We sent the first $900.00 to Dieudonne to begin the feeding program at the school. This will hopefully be a help to some hungry Haitians. Pray for the success of this program. We are still hoping to travel to Haiti and to visit the school next month.

I was asked the other day about the practice of voodoo (Vodou) in Haiti. I don’t claim a lot of knowledge about it, except to know that it is very active in Haiti. We occasionally hear the drums at night.

Most Haitians are Catholic, which is the official religion of Haiti, although there are a growing number of Protestants. Most Haitians see no conflict between Christianity and Vodouism, and many practice both. We know from hearing a personal testimony of a Haitian, that it is extremely difficult for a Haitian to pull away from Vodouism to embrace a strictly Christian viewpoint. The familial and cultural forces are enormous.

I did do some reading about it and found this primer about Haitian Vodou, written by Hougan Aboudja, one of the most knowledgeable Vodou Priests on the Orthodox Haitian Vodou Tradition according to the author of the article:

Vodou is a monotheistic religion and traditional culture whose faithful believe in a single creator God who in Haiti is commonly called Bondje (from the French Bon Dieux, or "Good God"). Beneath this Ultimate source of creation is a host of lesser divinities called Lwa (Loas), a Kreyolized word of dubious etymology. It probably arrives from any one of several Ewe dialects all denoting similar ideas such as "mystery", "law", or the like. Vodou believes that Bondje is a remote and largely impersonal force, too remote to concern Him/Her/It-self with the daily problems of mankind. It is the Lwa (Loas) then who intercede in the life of the living, healing us, protecting us, etc. The power of the Lwa (Loas) is great, but it is also finite. Only God is all-powerful.

For example, the Lwa (Loas) can protect a garden giving it a better chance to grow, but they are not responsible for the germination of the seed; that is God. The Lwa (Loas) may bring rain, but they are not responsible for water being in the sky; that is God. A few Lwa (Loas) are embodiments of natural forces such as the forest, or the sea, fire, or storm. Many Lwa (Loas) are deified ancestors. Some Lwa (Loas) represent natural forces, which historically incarnated in the flesh, died, and then became deified ancestors.

The Vodou is not just a religion, but also a culture, a way of life. In fact, it is far more appropriate and accurate to speak of "Vodou Culture", than of the "Vodou Religion". This is a complete socio-cultural system inseparable from the way of life for its faithful, one capable of answering any and all questions we might face in life. It is a familial oriented tradition, a joyous & celebratory tradition. Outsiders come to the Vodou for all manner of issues. Vodou heals; Vodou protects; Vodou solves problems, & binds people in strong, healthy family units. The Vodou is a living tradition evolving to meet the needs of its faithful, having survived for millennia in one form or another.

For more on Vodou you might read these articles: www.erzulies.com/site/articles/view/6, www.neworleansmistic.com/spells/primer/whatisvodou.htm, www.witchvox.com/va/dt_va.html?a=ustx&c=trads&id=6325

February 22, 2010

The New York Times has posted an article for teachers who wish to teach a program about Haiti and the earthquake. In the explanation they said the following:

"NOTE: Anyone can use this lesson to make sense of all the reporting on Haiti, as it provides essential questions, guiding questions and Times resources in five categories: infrastructure, human toll, history and demographics, aid and international response, and media coverage. It also provides a structure for deciding how to respond to the disaster, whether you can devote one class period or several." The article can be found at the following website:

http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/19/project-haiti-holding-a-teach-in/

The following also comes from an article in the Times:

Christian missionaries run more than 2,000 primary schools in Haiti attended by about 600,000 students, roughly a third of the country’s school-age population, according to the Haitian Education Ministry.

Todd Johnson, director of the Center for the Study of World Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, said there were about 1,700 missionaries permanently based in Haiti. The number of missionaries making short-term visits is more difficult to estimate, but some organizations say it is as high as 10,000.

"The outpouring of compassion is heartwarming," said Sarah Wilson, spokeswoman for Christian Aid, a British organization that receives much of its financing from church members and has a longstanding operation in Haiti. But she added: "People shouldn’t come down here for an experience. They should stay home and write a check.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/16/world/americas/16missionaries.html

Good news: The Weather Channel forecast for Port Au Prince says no measurable rain through Saturday. Each day without rain means another day to get tents and shelters to people and to get them away from places where they might be washed away in the storms.

More news: Lisa reports on the Haiti Relief blog about her father: “Doctors on board the Comfort were unsuccessful in taking my dad off the ventilator today. It was discovered that he had also suffered a heart attack a few days ago, probably because of the overload of I.V. fluids that had to be given to him. Doctors are hopeful that he can come back to the States by the weekend.” Please keep Wes in your prayers.

For those of you who don’t know the history here, Wes married Lisa’s mother, a Haitian. He has been traveling to Haiti for many years. We got to know him through Lisa and Bryan when they joined our church 12 years ago. We started going to Haiti with Bryan a couple of years later, and have been going every year since. We started the school in 2007. See “About Us” for more information.

February 21, 2010

The 2010 earthquake which devastated Port Au Prince was not the first one to do this.

As of 2010, five major earthquakes have been recorded in Haiti three which have destroyed Port Au Prince. As of 2010, five major earthquakes have been recorded in Haiti three which have destroyed Port Au Prince.

1751 Port-au-Prince earthquake (18 October): According to French historian Moreau de Saint-Méry, "only one masonry building had not collapsed" in Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital city.
1770 Port-au-Prince earthquake (3 June): The city was leveled in this magnitude 7.5 quake, which killed over 200 people.
1842: Northern Haiti and Dominican Republic. destroyed the city of Cap-Haïtien and other towns in the north of Haiti and the Dominican Republic; this earthquake also destroyed the Sans-Souci Palace. 10,000 people were killed.
1946 Dominican Republic earthquake (4 August): This 8.0-magnitude quake also shook Haiti, producing a tsunami that killed 1,790 people.

According to WIKIPEDIA, On June 3, 1770, at 7:15 pm on the Enriquillo fault near Port-au-Prince, Saint-Domingue, the French colony that is now the country of Haiti a major earthquake destroyed Port-au-Prince, and leveled all the buildings between Lake Miragoâne and Petit-Goâve, to the west of Port-au-Prince. The ground under Port-au-Prince liquefied, throwing down all its buildings, including those which had previously survived the 1751 earthquake.

It is estimated that 200 people died in Port-au-Prince in collapsed buildings,including 79 of the 80 people in Port-au-Prince's hospital. The death toll would have been higher, but the earthquake was preceded by a rumbling noise that gave people time to flee their houses before the main tremor, which consisted of two shocks lasting a total of four minutes. Fifty people died in Léogâne. The aftermath of the earthquake saw much more death as thousands of slaves escaped in the chaos, the local economy collapsed and 15,000 slaves died in the subsequent famine. An additional 15,000 people died from what is thought to have been gastrointestinal anthrax from eating tainted meat bought from Spanish traders.

We hope and pray that any rebuilding of public buildings in Port Au Prince will be required to meet earthquake standards.

Yesterday, Lisa reported in the Haiti Relief blog, that her dad, Wes Smith, who has been in PAP for 2 weeks came down with a sudden fever and low blood pressure problems. The doctors at their clinic decided to evacuate him to the medical ship HOPE. She reports today that he is stabilized and the fever has gone down but that they will keep him on the ship for a few days for observation.

February 20, 2010

The following is from the Haiti Relief Blog (see link):

If you would like to send some extra sheets that you may have in your linen closet, (or if you would like to buy brand new ones), send them to Everett Ramos, who has taken it upon himself to collect them. They will all go to Haitian households who need them and hospital admits who have no resources. In the public hospitals in Haiti, the patient must provide his own sheets, food, etc. Thank you, Everett, for this ministry! Questions can be directed to ramoseverett@yahoo.com

Everett Ramos
P.O. Box 80
213 Hadley Road
Stony Creek, NY 12878

And here's another one:

Rod Johnson writes:

We are going to ship a full container to Jeremie, Haiti! By networking and working together we will succeed. It will take some time and the logistics will need to be figured out, but we don’t have to wait to start collecting. I’m willing to provide storage space for everything collected that won’t freeze in my garage. I figure one bay full of totes ought to fill one shipping container.

Suggested items to collect: non-perishable food(not canned goods), large quantities of rice and dry beans, nutrition bars, cornmeal, children and adult vitamins, dry milk, bottled water, powdered formula, baby bottles, pedialyte(8 oz. size), baby wipes, clean t-shirts, pants/slacks, dresses, and socks/underwear.

Someone I love wrote, “As Christians we should expect to serve. We should seek opportunities to give. We should joyfully rise to these occasions(challenges)........

	for information or assistance
Rod Johnson	518-696-3644	rodj43@frontier.com
	or
Lisa Bartow		lisabartow@yahoo.com

We have finished putting together the paperwork for the corporation and have appointed the initial members of the Board of Directors. For the time being, Tom is going to be the CEO, (I suppose I should be getting the big bucks… the limo… the plane now??? Sorry big guy!!!)

February 19, 2010

A RECENT STUDY BY THE Inter American Development Bank states that the earthquake in Haiti will be proportionately the most costly tragedy in modern times with total cost estimates of between 8 and 12 billion dollars. The figures were determined based upon estimates of dead and injured and comparing it to cost of other modern disasters.

It is the most destructive (natural disaster) a country has ever experienced when measured in terms of the number of people killed as a share of the country's population," the report said (Katz, 2/16).

The Los Angeles Times examines the plight of those who lost limbs from earthquake-related injuries. "No one knows how many [amputees] there are, although the number is clearly in the thousands. And no one knows what sort of future there will be for this new generation of the disabled in Haiti, where the loss of a limb in the past could condemn a person to a life on the margins, in a society where even the able-bodied struggle to get by" (Landsberg, 2/17). TIME also looks at the prospects for Haiti's amputees. By the end of the year. there could be "as many as 150,000" quake amputees, which is "almost 2% of the nation's 9 million people," the magazine writes.

If you have any prosthetic devices or know of any, including wheel chairs, crutches, or artificial limbs please remember that they can be donated to Physicians For Peace. Items may be shipped to this address: Physicians for Peace, Attn: Ken Hudson, 2117 Springfield Ave, Norfolk, VA 23523

A friend of mine who works on cars once said about a particularly troublesome vehicle, “You should just jack up the hood ornament and run a new car under it.” This is how I sometimes feel about Haiti. It is so easy to become discouraged when you read report after report of all the problems there. Yet we got a call from a young friend of ours from Jeremie today. She still plans to go to college this fall… she still hopes to become a doctor, and she still hopes we will bring that laptop she requested last year so she can take it to college. Her mom brings us freshly brewed coffee every morning when we’re there…. I tell you, even JoEllen thinks it’s worth getting up for. She said she has some with our name on it.

February 18, 2010

We spent much of the day attempting to incorporate as a non-profit corporation. This is necessary so we can process the donations we have received and forward them to our Haitian representatives. We had hoped to “piggyback” on the Caldwell Church non-profit status, but that was becoming more and more difficult as we have become larger and the funds have become greater.

In filling out the various papers this day we were reminded that the official name for the school is Ecole Siloe Labastille. In English, that is “Siloam Labastille School”. We had kind of forgotten that Siloam was part of the name. Remembering this was a serendipity. You bible scholars will remember that Siloam was the miraculous healing pool where people went to be healed of their various afflictions. We have always thought that our school was to be a place of healing from the affliction of lack of education. Sometimes having to do onerous tasks like filling out paperwork does result in a silver lining.

In today’s news from Haiti, a boatload of 88 Haitians was stopped as they were trying to get to somewhere else… likely the US. Last week the Coast Guard stopped another boat with 78 people on board. In both cases, the Coast Guard says that the boats were dangerously overloaded and in danger of sinking. In Haiti, on boats or anyplace else (trucks, buses, schools) there is always room for one more person. It made me think of the overcrowded homes in Jeremie after the earthquake. And it also reminded me that Haiti is always in danger of sinking.

Eight of the ten missionaries that were arrested attempting to take “orphans” into the Dominican Republic have been allowed to return to their homes. The remaining two persons, including the leader of the group remain in custody in Haiti.

February 17, 2010

Jo Ellen and a group of women gathered at the Presbyterian Church in Lake Luzerne today to make book bags for the kids at the school. They had a great time and ended up completing 15 and have another 15 or so in process. The bags look like this:

Bag

If you or your group would like to make some bags, here are the instructions: The raw material is 14 inches wide by 30 inches long.

Questions: Call
518-696-3990

February 16, 2010

Another tragedy in Haiti happened today when a mudslide in the northern city of Cap Haitien caused the partial collapse of a school killing 4 children and injuring 2 more. Heavy rains for the past four days caused the mudslide. The rainy season is just beginning and there is great fear of more mudslides in the capital where many people are living in “tent” cities. Tens of thousands of people are still without even semi-permanent shelter. Just another in a long list of agonies for this poorest of the countries in our hemisphere.

On another front, American Airlines has announced that they will resume commercial flights to PAP this Friday. We suppose that this is a sign of some normalcy returning, although it is going to be a long, long time before things are returned to normality… perhaps normality isn’t even something that we should hope for if it isn’t a change for the better.

We sat down with Bryan today to begin doing some planning about how we will continue to respond to the needs of Haiti. Some of the issues are how to continue support to the church in Jeremie and its small outlying churches. The annual convention of the church will be held as usual in March, and that is often a time for us to be there. We are still waiting for a clear sign about when we should go.

One problem that is confronting us is where we will stay when we go to Jeremie. In years past we have stayed in one of the local hotels, but we are not certain that we will be able to this year, and not even certain if this is the best use of our money. Time (and the Lord) will tell.

February 15, 2010

One of the biggest issues in Haiti now is what to do with the thousands of children who are separated from their parents and families. The issue has been spotlighted by the Baptist missionaries who were arrested as they attempted to take a busload of children into the Dominican Republic. Many people are trying to help in a variety of ways and with various agendas. There is a serious question about whether a child is better off in the US or other country, or whether he/she is better remaining in his/her own country.

The UN-adopted Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children stress that, in emergency situations, relief organizations should trace and reunify children with their families to the maximum extent possible prior to any other permanent solution. Even in the worst disasters, such as the earthquake in Haiti, many children have extended family members willing and able (with some support) to care for them. In situations where this is not feasible, orphanages are necessary, at least until evaluations are made of people willing and eager to adopt.

It is our hope and prayer that as many Haitians as possible might be able to remain in their homes with their families. It is one reason that we have sought to provide not only schooling, but food for the children of the Labastille school. If the children are being fed at least one meal a day at school , their parents will be able to concentrate on other things.

Please remember to pray for Haiti’s children and in particular the children of our school.

February 14, 2010

The Associated Press reports that US troops are beginning to pull out of Haiti. At their peak they numbered around 20,000. The numbers are now down to 13,000, about half on shore and the other half on ships, primarily tending the injured and supporting supply efforts. We hope they don’t forget places like Jeremy which can still use a lot of logistics support.

The American troops have been very popular with the Haitians. They have gone about their work with great professionalism and kindness. We should be very proud of our men and women in uniform. We have also heard positive reports of the work done by many other groups… especially the search and rescue teams, medical volunteers and the Christian churches who helped out in Haiti. We are also aware that many who couldn’t go, also did whatever they could for the effort here at home... For that we thank you.

When you hear that the Haitians of Jeremie and other outlying villages of Haiti are providing places for their friends and relatives who have fled Port Au Prince, it is helpful to remember the houses of Haiti are not like ours. They generally consist of two small rooms, and so if you already had 5 people living there and you add another 5, it tends to get real crowded real fast. Also a family that was barely able to feed themselves before and are now adding to that number, have a serious problem with this, especially with food prices much higher. The dollars that you are sending to Rockwell Falls and to Full Life Crusade are now going directly to Jeremie to assist in these efforts. If you are donating to Caldwell church, it is going to the feeding and educational program at the school.

Our own personal efforts toward the school are starting to gear up again. JoEllen is meeting with some women at the Rockwell Falls Church this week to make some book bags to take with us when go visit our kids at Labastille in the next month or so.

We continue to ask your prayers for the school and for all in the midst of the struggle.

February 13, 2010

The Kaiser World Health website http://globalhealth.kff.org quoting the Washington Post reports that “A coalition of more than 150 humanitarian groups expressed ‘concern’ in a letter Thursday that more than half of the U.S. government's disaster-assistance program budget has been pledged to help Haiti, which they say could mean cuts for aid to countries such as Sudan or Somalia.”

While we were at a meeting of our local Red Cross organization today, that same issue was raised. In our case, what has happened is that money which normally goes to local Red Cross chapters is now going to Red Cross Haiti relief. This is putting severe strain on local abilities to respond to fires, etc. The problem is that people and organizations that contribute, allocate limited funds to relief work. I am caught between my knowledge of what Haiti needs, and what other organizations such as our local Red Cross need. The obvious solution is that we all need to give more, but in tight times...?

Furthermore, the relief is going to be a long-term thing… going on for years. This will test the abilities of all organizations to stick with it.

Richard Santos is president and CEO of IMA World Health, a nonprofit organization based in New Windsor providing health care services and supplies to vulnerable and marginalized people. He wrote in the Baltimore Sun-Times “I recently returned to my family in Silver Spring after spending 55 hours trapped in the rubble of the collapsed Hotel Montana in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The intense emotions I felt while waiting for help, and those I experienced as I heard that two colleagues did not make it, still pale in comparison to what I felt when I was on the way to the U.S. Embassy after being pulled from the hotel rubble. The scale of destruction was truly heartbreaking.”

“Relief is essential. But it is only the beginning. What are the priorities once it is time to move from relief to recovery and rebuilding?” This will be the discussion when the international community meets March 22 and 23 at a pivotal Haiti donor conference at the UN in New York.

Santos maintains that three things are necessary:

1 Improved health care;
2 Significant improvement in agricutlture; and
3 Education reform

We agree that improved education is necessary… and in some instances any education is an improvement. We hope you will keep our school and students in your prayers.

And thanks for keeping praying for Haiti!!!!

February 12, 2010

Today is the one-month anniversary of the earthquake that struck the nation of Haiti. Relief agencies report increasing abilities to feed and provide medications to needy Haitians, but there are still many who have not been helped...

Our friend in Jeremie, Dieudonne, is reporting that still no food is coming to Jeremie to provide for the estimated 80-100,000 refugees that have come. Nearly all the Christians in Jeremie are fasting and praying for three days in support of those refugees and their nation. This fasting together with the opening of homes and churches is helping to alleviate the suffering of the refugees. (see our link to Haiti Relief blog).

An Economist editorial examines the relief and recovery efforts in Haiti and the "vital" importance of planning for rebuilding the country "before the world’s generosity turns to cynicism. Fortunately there is a blueprint, drawn up by Haiti’s government and presented to donors last year. It calls for investment to be targeted on infrastructure, basic services and combating soil erosion to make farmers more productive and the country less vulnerable to hurricanes. The pressing question is who should do it and how."

The editorial asserts that setting up an authority to govern the development "is the best idea around. The authority should be set up under the auspices of the U.N. or of an ad hoc group (the United States, Canada, the European Union and Brazil, for example). It should be led by a suitable outsider (Bill Clinton, who is the U.N.’s special envoy for Haiti, would be ideal, perhaps to be followed by Brazil’s Lula after he steps down as president in a year’s time) and a prominent Haitian, such as the prime minister. ... Some will object that this would undermine a democratically elected government. But there is not much left to undermine" (1/21). http://www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=15330453

JoEllen is still on a quest to find an x-ray machine but so far has found no success. We have made progress on the transportation issues, but are praying for more good news concerning shipping direct to Jeremie.

CBS World News reports(FEB 13)that commercial flights to PAP may begin as early as Feb 19.

The earthquake scared me,” said Veronique Malot, a 24 year-old who joined an evangelical church two weeks ago when she found herself living in one of the city’s outdoor camps. “Vodou has been in my family, but the government isn’t helping us. The only people giving aid are the Christian churches.” CBS World News (Feb 13)

February 11, 2010

Yesterday we suggested that the need was for the Heart Hygiene kits. There is also great need for the baby kits as follows: Note: While cloth diapers are not as commonly used in the United States, they are a necessary part of the layette. 12-packs of cloth diapers can be purchased at Target and many Sears stores or may be purchased online at one of the following sites:

Baby Kit

6 — cloth diapers*
2 — T-shirts or undershirts (no onesies)
2 — washcloths
2 — gowns or sleepers
2 — diaper pins
1 — sweater or sweatshirt
2 — receiving blankets (one can be a
hand-knitted or crocheted baby blanket)

All items should be new and under 12 months in size. Wrap items inside one of the receiving blankets and secure with both diaper pins. Patterns are available for many of the components on the Church World Service website. See instructions for packing and mailing on yesterday’s update.

Heavy rains hit earthquake survivors in tent camps in Port-au-Prince on Thursday, "bringing a warning of fresh misery to come for the 1 million people living on the streets," Reuters reports. "While the rain could wash away some of the dust from the hundreds of collapsed structures in the stricken city, it could also worsen a fierce blight of mosquitoes," according to Reuters, which reports that Haiti is struggling to get all the earthquake survivors out of make-shift tents and into more substantial shelters (Loney, 2/11). Kaiser Daily Global Health Policy Report

The Los Angeles Times also looks at the possible impact of the upcoming rainy season. "Next month or in April, a punishing rainy season is certain to arrive, bringing with it the daily downpours that swamp this downtrodden capital city. Then will come the hurricane season, which last year delivered a series of deadly storms," the newspaper writes.

"These tent villages could easily become disaster zones, said Alberto Wilde, country director for CHF International, an aid group specializing in shelter issues. With many of the city's drainage canals and ravines blocked with the rubble of collapsed buildings, concern is deepening that the rains will result in deadly flash floods. 'Our fear is not that people are going to get wet when the rains come,' Wilde said. 'Our fear is that they will get swept away. We are running against time,'" the newspaper reports.

The Physicians Assistant (Amy) who just returned from Haiti has written some accounts of her experiences in Haiti on the Haiti Relief blog (see link). We hope you’ll take time to read them and continue to pray for all the returning members.

We wanted to remind you today that if you or your organization would like to DO something, in addition to or in lieu of sending money, here is something that is desperately needed in Haiti:

Marilyn Lowney from the Haitian Health Foundation writing on Feb 8: "My father and I write to you today from Jérémie, Haiti. On Saturday morning, we woke up at 4 AM to the sound of voices singing from all directions—the town rallying together in prayer for those lost and injured in the earthquake. I am told that the 4 AM vigils will continue daily until February12th, which will mark the one-month anniversary of this tragedy that has gripped all of Haiti."

Gift of the Heart Hygiene Kit

1 — hand towel (approximately 16" x 28", no fingertip or bath towels)
1 — washcloth
1 — wide-tooth comb
1 — nail clipper (no metal files or emery boards)
1 — bar of soap (bath size in wrapper)
1 — toothbrush (in original packaging)
6 — Band-Aids® or other adhesive bandage strips

Please do not add toothpaste to the Hygiene Kit. Toothpaste which has an extended expiration date will be added to Hygiene Kit shipments just prior to shipment. Seal all items in a one-gallon plastic bag with a zipper closure.

Packing and Sending "Gift of the Heart" Kits

Complete Kits should be packed in boxes.
Clearly mark the outside of the box with the contents.
Include the name and address of the church, group, or individual sending the kits at the top before sealing the box. Secure the boxes with packing tape.

Ship all Kits prepaid to the following address:

Church World Service
Brethren Service Center Annex
601 Main Street
New Windsor, MD 21776-0188
(410) 635-8794

More on the news today on corruption in the Haitian government. Top bureaucrats to courts to local police. Is anybody surprised? I have never worked with any third (4th) world country where it isn’t a problem. I just think it may be a little more open in Haiti than elsewhere… (New York State for example). But it sure would be a help if they could change this aspect of the culture a little bit!

February 10, 2010

An old dog learning new tricks:

Getting money into Haiti is a challenge. We have found that the easiest way is through Western Union. All it takes is a credit card and a name of a person in Haiti. What used to happen was that the church would give us a check, we would charge it to Western Union on our VISA and that was that. Now, however, because of the amounts of money we are talking about (over$ 10,000 US) our government looks carefully at it… and so the church writing a check to me.. well, it becomes income to me and of course, I don’t want an extra $10,000 income… well it isn’t that I don’t want it… but it isn’t really income… you see what I mean? So now we’re having to look at other ways to accomplish what used to be so simple. Do we do a DBA or does the church get a credit card to use Western Union or do we do it through the bank???????? Help!!! Any tax accountants out there???

We wanted to remind you today that if you or your organization would like to DO something, in addition to or in lieu of sending money, here is something that is desperately needed in Haiti:

Gift of the Heart Hygiene Kit

Packing and Sending "Gift of the Heart" Kits

February 9, 2010

We talked to Bryan tonight after his return from Haiti. He said that they now have a single commercial flight into Jeremie from PAP each day. That isn't good for sending much in the way of material, but it will give those of us who want to be there a way… of course we are still waiting for commercial flights into PAP from the US.

While they were in Carrefour, they were able to construct a 20x40 building to house and protect the food and medical supplies. While things are still very unstable there, there are some signs of progress happening. Bryan felt happier about this.

Lowney continues, "Then, at 6 AM, we witnessed the heartbreaking scene of the Trois Rivières boat slowly moving to the wharf with 3,000 more people arriving from Port-au-Prince. In a scene that has been repeated many times since January 12th, they were clinging to railings—many with blank faces wondering what they would be facing in the town of Jérémie….. Even with so many people making the trek into the Grand'Anse, it's surprising not to see tent cities popping up. This is a testament to the people of Haiti who are sharing what little they have to bring comfort to those from Port-au-Prince."

One of the things that always seems to happen in great tragedies like this is the outpouring of the unity of the people... People helping people… Often people they don't even know. Sometimes in the midst of bad news there is a silver lining. If there is one in this great tragedy, it might be seeing the faith of the Christians of Haiti on display for the rest of us. God doesn't promise that no bad things will happen, but God does promise that in such situations, God will be present with us… and while I don't necessarily plan to be up at 4AM to join my Haitian brothers and sisters in prayer, I will continue to pray with and for them and hope you will also.

February 8, 2010

We came across this cartoon in the Glens Falls Post Star today. I hope that we haven’t violated any copyright laws in posting it but it sure said a lot about where my mind has been lately.

Good news from the Bartows. The team is back safe and sound. It sounds like they accomplished a lot even though they didn’t get to Jeremie . (see the Haiti Relief link)

We’ve been preparing to teach a course on Psychological First Aid for disaster volunteers at Red Cross this Saturday. There was an interesting article in today’s Glens Falls Post Star about the problem of trauma that goes with this particular disaster. Still the issues are pretty much the same… no matter where you are or what your language. Sometimes it takes people years to deal with crises such as this. Imagine the multiple shock of lost homes, family members, jobs, lack of food and medications… And then add to that the fact that there is almost no counseling available in this situation… yikes! I guess that’s why we have witnessed Haitians having such amazing faith… For example… A man who has lost everything, who is praising the Lord for saving his life!!!

We still can get almost no current information about Jeremie, but we did find an article in the New York Times about some pilots from an organization called Corporate Aviation Responding in Emergencies. They are flying small planes from Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic to airstrips like Jeremie with emergency supplies like food and medicine. Like Jon’s plane, they can’t carry very much, but they can help a little. Speaking of Jon, he continues to fly in and out of PAP from Fort Lauderdale (180 hours so far.) If you’d like to help support him and his flights, make a donation to Haiti Relief at Rockwell Falls—note Pilot Jon Fussel--see the information above.

"'This is quick and effective, but it's not efficient," said Richard Wood, an investment manager from Vancouver, British Columbia, flying his Swiss Pilatus. "We can't solve the Port-au-Prince problem with this little plane.

But for smaller cities and towns, which normally depend on the distribution of goods from Port-au-Prince that has all but ceased since the quake, there was little doubt that the flights were a lifeline. Food is more expensive, fuel is scarce and medical supplies cannot be bought.

The planes have landed on a dirt airstrip in Jeremie, a 10-hour drive from the capital, Port-au-Prince, bearing the sole supply of X-ray film to an area deluged by earthquake victims with broken bones. They have spirited out the wounded and ferried in spaghetti and beans."

There is much more in this article and if you’d like to read more go to this site: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/05/world/americas/05planes.html

If these guys can do it, it seems like it would be natural for the UN or the US military to begin to fly relief flights to towns like Jeremie. Wonder where the help is???

February 7, 2010

We were warmly welcomed today by the Devir’s and the Scarborough Church. It was a very enjoyable service with communion shared, and the choir was excellent. If you are ever in the Ossining NY area, we encourage you to visit this church. We made our presentation about the Haiti School and a little bit about what is going on in Haiti right now. I am always amazed by the way the Spirit puts the worship service together, even when we have not communicated in advance. The music, scriptures, prayers, all fit together with the sermon and our presentation. Way to go Holy Spirit!

It was a lovely day for a drive up the Taconic Parkway and we were able to kind of relax and enjoy the time before getting home for the Super Bowl and on to the work of the week. I wonder whatever happened to those promised golden years of lazy retirement.

The Sunday New York Times had an in-depth article about the orphanage business in Haiti. Some of the orphanages are clearly serious about trying to do their best… others are apparently in it only to receive the money paid to them by the government. There is serious concern If you’d like to read the article yourself, you can find it at this website:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/07/world/americas/07trafficking.html?ref=todayspaper

Bryan and the remainder of the team will be returning from Haiti tonight. We’re looking forward to hearing the stories. Keep looking at the Haiti Relief blog (see link) for more information. If you are interested in joining a team to Haiti, email us or Lisa, and we’ll put you on the list. Bryan will begin leading teams there when commercial air is again available.

February 5, 2010

Our friend Dieudonne reports that as many as 80,000 refugees have now arrived in Jeremie. Although many of them may use this as a jumping off place for their homes in the mountains, it is still a serious problem for the city and the countryside as well.

Bryan and company haven’t been able to make it to Jeremie as they had hoped, but Lisa’s father Wes is still in PAP and will remain after Bryan and the others return to the states. He will continue to try to free up some supplies for Jeremie. Meanwhile, Dieudonne is coming to PAP with a large truck to haul some supplies to Jeremie.

We received word that our driver in PAP Jean Gary, whom we had not heard from since the earthquake is ok. Bryan ran into him as Bryan was trying to rent a truck in Carrefour. Jean Gary and his family all came through the earthquake… Bene Swa Letenel … praise the Lord! Jean Gary is the last of the ones we know that we had not heard from. We hold the hundreds of thousands in our prayers who have not been so fortunate.

We noticed that today’s local paper had only one article about Haiti and that was about the 10 US missionaries who have been arrested for taking the orphans out of the country without papers. We hope that while we go on about our other important things, that we will not forget our Haitian brothers and sisters.

We will be on the road tomorrow and Sunday to lead worship at Scarborough Church and talk about the school and Haiti. As a result, we do not plan to make an update. Our kind neighbor will watch the house and cat.

February 4, 2010

Imagine that your house was destroyed with all your important documents (Passport, driver’s license, birth and death notices bank records, etc) … Now imagine that the bank was destroyed too with all your information… and the government offices with records of births, Passports, etc also destroyed. Such is a little of what is going on now for residents in Haiti as well as trying to find a place to live, food, water… We remember hearing stories about trying to get money out of the bank from some of our friends in New Orleans. They had no proof of who they were and the banks had lost records too. Disasters are about much more than we can even imagine.

Here’s a reminder from our friends at Red Cross… be certain that your documents are secure and in a place where you can grab them if you have to leave in a hurry. And then back them up in another location.

The following is a first-person account from someone who went through the earthquake. We thought it might be interesting to read it. It was from the Executive Director of Fonkoze… the bank for the organized poor of Haiti. She was in Port Au Prince and had just finished a meeting on the second floor of the building when the earthquake struck. She said, “I always thought that an earthquake would kind of build up but this didn’t. It just suddenly shook the building she was in violently. She knew that she had to escape… but the doors were all jammed. They tried to break them down to no avail… same with the windows… suddenly a hole opened in a wall. She shouted to her coworkers to go there and let themselves down. As she started to do it the ground shook again and the wall collapsed dropping her into a pile of rubble. Co workers pulled her out. She had a broken back and ribs… and cuts and bruises. But she escaped. She was one of the lucky ones. She was also able to get treatment and flown back to the States by the government. She says that she feels guilty about leaving but like yours truly, knows that at this point others are needed more than we are. If you would like to read the entire account and see the pictures go to http://www.fonkoze.org/images/stories/In_the_Light_of_Faith_I_am_Strong.pdf

Bryan and Co. are still in Port Au Prince. Getting to Jeremie is looking less likely at this point. We encourage you to join us in continuing praying for them and for the people of Haiti.

Blessings... JoEllen and Tom

February 3, 2010

Bryan and the team are on the ground in Port Au Prince. According to the blog, he spent much of the day attempting to get food and supplies from the mountains of it at the docks and airport. After being shuffled from one person to the next, he was finally turned away by the USAID representatives who have taken control from the military. According to Bryan… they aren’t interested in sharing. There is much more about this in the blog (see our link to Haiti Relief Blog). The other discouraging thing is that the team might not be able to make it to Jeremie due to lack of transportation. They ask for prayers.

There was some good news and some bad out of Jeremie today. The good news is that some food and supplies are being flown in… We assume that this is the UN planes that can land at Jeremie. The bad news is that some guys tried to hijack the food from the convoy heading into Jeremie from the airport. The other good news is that they were run off by the UN and Haitian police. The other bad news is that our friends in Jeremie are becoming more desperate each day for help. Pray for them too.

We spent much of the day preparing to lead worship at the Scarborough Church this Sunday. They had invited us to come and talk about the school before the earthquake… now we may share more about what we know about the current situation in Haiti. Again… if your church or civic group would like us to come and tell about the school and about Haiti, let us know. We’d be glad to travel…. Lead worship… do presentations… whatever.

February 2, 2010

Bryan and the team have arrived in Carrefour, thanks again to Jon and the Piper plane. We are waiting to hear how they will get to Jeremie, the next stop. As Lisa reports in today’s blog, Jean Michel, (otherwise known as TIVAG) calling form Jeremie today says that upwards of 30,000 refugees have arrived in Jeremie. That is roughly double the populations prior to the earthquake. There are serious shortages of food, etc. We hope that Bryan will be able to begin the arrangements for us to ship supplies directly to Jeremie in the not too distant future.

We were reminded by two separate articles today of the problem of deforestation in the land of Haiti. In one of them, a commentary by Andres Oppenheimer in today’s Glens Falls Post Star, suggested that it will be as important to supply the populace with solar or natural gas stoves and fuel as it will be to rebuild schools, hospitals, roads and industry. The reason for this is that currently the only means for the majority of Haitians to cook is with charcoal. As a result, the trees have been cut and in fact new ones being planted are also cut. This leads, of course, to floods when the hurricanes come, with the land washing to the ocean. From our vantage point their use of charcoal seems shortsighted, but we are not faced with little other alternative as they have been.

The other article in the Presbyterian Outlook magazine talked about the efforts of one group supported by the Presbyterian Church (USA), The Comprehensive Development Project to begin large scale land reclamation. They work with communities of four to a dozen families who follow a prescribed program that leads to not only reforestation, but also composting soil. When the people shepherd enough trees to maturity, they become eligible for new homes, built with concrete footings to resist hurricane force winds and/or water catchment systems and cisterns so that they don’t have to carry water to their homes.

It will take all of us, working in our own ways to help Haiti climb out of the pit it is in. The good news of the earthquake, if there is any, is the attention which has been focused on this small nation just south of us. The good news of the gospel is "wherever two or three are gathered, I am there…" and we know that "with God, nothing is impossible."

February 1, 2010

Has it only been three weeks since the earthquake struck? It seems like forever to us, but we are sure that it seems much longer to those who are still struggling with limited or no food and water… or who have serious medical conditions.

One of the things we have been aware of is how long it takes to get things organized. It is one of the blessings of small groups like the one we’ve been a part of… we can move quickly and get things done. There are, of course problems with this too, because we don’t have the clout necessary to force action, or to access some of what is there. We’re astounded at the level of support we have been able to get… thanks to you and others like you… so much has been accomplished… people fed… bodies healed… miraculous things happening… etc, etc.

We have one more thing on our side that Red Cross and all the international organizations don’t claim… and that the Haitians accept as a given… God and the power of prayer. When all else seems to be failing around us… when we can’t succeed on our own… it seems that God intervenes… giving us resources and courage and hope to keep on keeping on. We have but to ask…

We are eager to hear from Bryan and the team that left today. They are going to Carrefour and then on to Jeremie. Of course we are wondering how it is going in Jeremie. They will be able to tell us more about how to get there… how to get supplies there… what the infrastructure is like and those kinds of things. Speaking of Carrefour… we hope you will take a look at the Haiti Relief blog and read the story posted there by one of the German workers there.

January 31, 2010

I (Tom)led worship at Caldwell Church today. We focused on our callings. I wondered with the congregation about what God might be calling each of us to be and do. I was thinking about how our own calls (JoEllen and mine) have changed over the years… leading to the relationship we have today with the congregation and school in the Jeremie area and how God has opened certain doors and closed others to make it all possible.

145 of us attended a wonderful ecumenical praise service this evening (held regularly the last Sunday of each month in Lake Luzerne) where we celebrated the good work the Lord is doing in Haiti. We celebrated the arrival of little ex-orphan Jean and prayed for the team that is leaving tomorrow for Haiti. They are planning to check on the mission in Carrefour and then go to Jeremie to begin to set some plans for teams that will be going later this year. There is also a Physician’s Assistant going along to work in the Jeremie hospital and Kate Bartow will be working with her.

We hope that you will consider what skills and abilities you might bring to this project and pray about whether you might be called to join one of the upcoming missionary teams or what part you might play.

We heard from our friend Dieudone in Jeremie that the school is eager to go ahead with the feeding program. So we will be wiring money for the first two months of the feeding program tomorrow. We plan to be providing one meal a day for each of the 85 students at the school. This will cost about one dollar (US) per student per day and will cover the cost of two cooks, and all the food and supplies necessary for the program. We have sufficient funds to cover the program through the end of the school year due to the generous gifts of many people.

The greatest concern we have is if there will be enough food for the program due to the great influx of refugees into the Jeremie area. We assume that God will open the necessary doors as has happened all through the process.

January 30, 2010

We inadvertently missed putting all the kits on the "Other ways you can help" page. You should find them there today. If you haven’t checked them out, they are good ways for groups and people of all ages to get involved in the mission efforts.

Ship all Kits prepaid to one of the following:

Ferncliff Disaster Assistance Center
1720 Ferncliff Road
Little Rock, AR 72223
(501) 821-3063 or (866) 732-6121

Church World Service
Brethren Service Center Annex
601 Main Street
New Windsor, MD 21776-0188
(410) 635-8794

Please note:

Some groups prefer to take special offerings to support a project. The value for each type of kit is given below if you or your group would like to give a financial gift to support the purchase of kit contents.

Health Kit	$10.00
School Kit	$15.00
Baby Kit	$39.00
Clean-up Bucket	$56.00

We hope that your church has been in prayer for your Haitian brothers and sisters. We, or one of our team members are happy to come, speak and show some pictures.

Please keep Bryan and the team in prayer this week as they head to PAP and then on to Jeremie to help the church in their organizing to assist the refugees who are flooding into Jeremie.

We are hoping that in the near future there will be a container going by ship to Jeremie with mostly food and medical supplies. At that time, we may be asking for your help to fill the container or helping to pay for the transportation.

January 29, 2010

Presbyterian Disaster Agency (PDA) has listed kits that groups can make and send to Haiti. "Gift of the Heart kits or other kits are an excellent "hands on" project for youth groups and other groups that want a tangible way to be involved. School Kits and Hygiene Kits are often the most in demand."

          Baby Kit
          Clean Up Bucket
          School Kit
          Hygiene Kit
          (previously Health Kit)

We have posted the items for the various kits on our page "How You Can Help". For more information contact PDA at http://www.pcusa.org/pda/help/

Jean is no longer an orphan. He joined his new family, the Corriveau’s, on Monday. We were introduced to him, (actually JoEllen and I had already met him in Haiti… but that’s another story) on Wednesday night at choir. Thanks be to God! Jean is a 5-year-old who is VERY FULL OF ENERGY!!! Pray for his family!

He was part of the group of 130 orphans from the "For His Glory Orphanage" who were scheduled to come to the US. The first 80, including Jean came on Saturday. But the remaining 50, whose paperwork was all completed didn’t get out that day. By the next day, the Haitian minister in charge decided that he needed to personally see all the paperwork and sign off individually. Of course, the paperwork was destroyed in the earthquake, so it will all have to be resubmitted! This means that 50 orphans are stuck for the time being in PAP… not a very safe place for them. Please pray for these orphans and their adoptive parents who are no doubt also suffering.

From the Haiti Relief blog: "One of our goals next week is to visit Jeremie, a town receiving an enormous influx of refugees. Bryan and my father, Wes Smith, are going to meet with the church leaders there to organize an effort to help feed these people and the families who have taken them in.

We also want to take our friend, a physician's assistant, to help at the public hospital when we go. Travis, Kate and one of their friends, Justin, have all withdrawn from their college classes in order to return to Haiti. They are waiting to see if there will be room on the plane for them."

JoEllen and I are also praying about whether one or both of us should be going. At this point the problem is primarily transportation. Come on plane! And of course we know it will happen when the time is right (Kairos,{God’s} not Kronos {clock} time).

We hope you will take the time to read some of the testimonies from the Haiti Relief team blog.

April’s (yesterday) was particularly inspiring.

January 28, 2010

I PICKED THE FOLLOWING STORY UP FROM A WEBSITE CALLED "THE WANDERING ARAMEAN"...

The airport in Port-au-Prince is small. It has a single runway and only space on the ground for about 10 planes to park and load or unload. That isn’t much room when it comes time to handle hundreds of relief flights each day, especially since the planes coming in are larger than most of the commercial service that the airport regularly sees. And, yet, in the past week the airport has seen more flights and bigger planes than it has seen in years, thanks in large part to to a US Air Force Special Operations forces known as the Combat Control Team.

The Combat Control Team (CCT) is made up of folks trained in just about everything that Special Ops handles, plus they are all certified as Air Traffic Controllers by the FAA. They are the first group to arrive on the scene when the armed forces need to be able to get aircraft in to a theatre, often while simultaneously defending themselves from hostile parties. They are also some of the first on the scene when a disaster strikes, showing up to manage the airspace around the crisis scene. So it should come as no surprise that on the evening after the earthquake in Haiti a group of guys showed up on the side of the runway, set up a folding table with a few radios and began transmitting words that the air traffic in the area was in desperate need of, "This is Port-au-Prince tower."

Since that time the crew has coordinated the arrival of close to 1,000 planes carrying supplies critical to the search and recovery efforts. On Friday, January 15th United States control of the airport received the blessing of the Haitian government – there was nothing they could do any better considering the damage done to the tower in the earthquake – and so the FAA began issuing landing slots and coordinating the flow of traffic into Haiti.

There is no fuel available on the ground at the airport so inbound aircraft are required to bring enough with them to ensure that they can depart once they are unloaded. The 10 ramp positions were originally counted based on typical commercial aircraft that serve the region, not on the jumbos that are arriving on a regular basis. And there aren’t really ground control crews available to work, meaning that every now and then a CCT member hops on a motorcycle and rides across the field to lead a plane to a parking position

They've even bent the rules a bit in terms of which types of planes are permitted to land. The runway is apparently not quite up to spec for the super-jumbo cargo craft such as the Anatov An-124. But the CCT guys are bringing them in anyways. They need the supplies and in critical situations the rules tend to flex.

It is one small glimmer of hope and progress in the midst of a terrible tragedy. And it is an amazing display of coordination and logistics management under horrible circumstances. But the CCT is living up to its motto of "First There" and putting on one hell of a show on the ground at the airport.

Now if there was just some way that one of these guys could get us a C130 to fly supplies to Jeremie, we would be Oh So Happy!

That's been the task of the day here... writing letters... sending emails... making phone calls... while trying to find a cargo plane to ship much needed food, medical supplies and other necessities to our brothers and sisters in Jeremie. It feels like truly a God-sized task. Trust in the Lord!!! and continue to write the letters... etc.

The x-ray machine is still in the incubator... following much the same process as the airplane... good that God is a multi-tasker.

BTW... I TRIED TO SEE IF THERE ARE COMMERCIAL FLIGHTS TO PAP AND COULD FIND NONE AT THIS TIME... HEY JON... (remember our pilot?) HOW’S IT GOING???

January 27, 2010

We spent some time today trying to rethink the web page so that it provides the material we think you want to see, without wasting your time. The front page will have only the latest material. There is a link to previous days information so you can still find it. We hope that you will find it more helpful.

We wanted to remind everyone that we do not use your donations for administrative costs. We have been able to provide those out of our other accounts. 100% of your donations to either the Haiti Mission School, or to the Haiti Relief fund go to the actual project.

According to the Geonames geographical database, the population of Jeremie as of 2006 was 30,917. It is now estimated that at least 15,000 refugees have arrived in Jeremie. The government is providing free one-way transportation for people in PAP to go to other parts of the island. There is no money for food or for medical or other supplies. Many of them arrive with nothing more than the clothes on their back… many are injured… We have heard reports that the city hospital is overflowing with patients putting a huge stress on their already meager supplies.

This is a hospital that in the best of times struggled with limited staff and resources. It has three wards… a men’s ward… women’s ward and children’s ward. No private or semi-private rooms. Sheets and food have to be brought in by family or friends. Medicine has to be purchased by the patients. There is no medical insurance or government help to pay the cost. They have one vintage x-ray machine. Most doctors are Cuban who receive minimal pay and struggle valiantly against great odds.

These issues are leading to serious problems and have led us to begin putting our energy back into Jeremie... the city we know best. We are looking into the possibility of shipping supplies directly from Florida to Jeremie. There was no Customs service in Jeremie, so whether this is possible we don’t know, but we do know that at this time it is nearly impossible to ship material to PAP and then transport to Jeremie or anywhere else on the island. We are not even sure if the airline that served the Jeremie airport is in operation, or whether we could fly there in a private plane from the states.

We do continue, however, to look for a plane and pilot willing to work with us to make the trip.

Good news from Carrefour… gasoline has become more plentiful and available. This mission seems to be getting supplies and things are becoming a little more normal(?).

January 26, 2010

Because some goof forgot to attach the update to the email last night, Steve was unable to post yesterday’s update until today. I promise I will send this one tonight! Anyway you should find Mondays’ and Tuesday’s update on Wednesday. Please read the Monday update too… it has some good stuff we hope you’ll find interesting in it.

If you’ve been following our daily updates, you may have noticed that some of the earlier ones are no longer there. They can be accessed by clicking on the link at the bottom. We will only keep the three most current days on the main page.

There are some great pictures and stories from the team that was in Haiti on the Haiti Relief blog. (see the link)

The rescue operations have been winding down in PAP and thoughts are now turning to how to rebuild. We hope that the rebuilding will happen throughout the country and that a sustained effort by the entire world will turn things around in Haiti. We think that one of the first things that needs to happen is education. Haiti needs to develop a national educational program which is in keeping with the new realities of the world. We are working with our school to do some of this, starting with our intention to begin an English as second language program.

Because everything was centered in PAP, the earthquake devastated not just the city, but the entire nation. The infrastructure needs are not just in PAP but throughout the country…. Roads, communications, ports, airports, industry…. Even rail. This is going to be a long process, but much can be done quickly, if people put their minds to it.

In closing, we’d like to share with you a poem which we received yesterday from the Presbytery office:

"...but God was not in the earthquake"
( 1 Kings 19:11 )

The ground shook like a furious animal,
the mountains trembled and the ocean let loose its anger,
the ground opened and all that was built was destroyed,
and a village tired of suffering began to suffer anew.
We saw their faces and heard their cries,
the images shook and beat us,
people wandering about, crushed bodies,
destruction and death, pain and anguish
after the cruel and devastating earthquake.

But God was not in the earthquake...

Children without mothers, mothers without children,
siblings without siblings, friends without friends,
thousands and thousands of lives squashed in seconds,
histories, hopes, dreams, wishes
disappeared in the opening and closing of an eye.
The horror left its indelible mark
in the blank stares, in the desolate faces,
on the dead, on the trapped, on the mutilated,
in each life broken by what was not expected.

But God was not in the earthquake...

Someone shouted in shock, other voices joined in.
Someone offered up a prayer, others followed,
someone sang and many sang,
someone lifted a piece of rubble
and others began to lift the stones,
someone hugged one of the wounded,
and others carried the wounded
someone offered their hand
and thousands of hands were united.

And God was with them.

In solidarity with the people of Haiti.
Gerardo Oberman Castelar, January 13, 2010
Engl. Translation: Katherine H. Fiegenbaum

January 25, 2010

As the refugees continue to stream by thousands into Jeremie, we are beginning to turn some of our efforts to support for the city we are most familiar with in Haiti. This does not mean we are giving up on Carrefour, but rather are beginning a second stage. As Lisa has reported in her blog today, the Jeremie hospital is now filled to overflowing, and supplies are starting to dwindle. We continue to hope and pray for another plane so that we could now begin to ship supplies to Jeremie.

We are also hoping to arrange for a way to send supplies in containers to both Port Au Prince and to Jeremie. Today we began to search for a portable X-Ray machine that we could ship to Jeremie as the only X-Ray machines at the hospital are old and tired. (like me???) If anyone knows of a means for us to get one of these machines, please contact us at (518)696-3990. Jo Ellen was a Radiologic Tech in her earlier life, and she has been calling and renewing some old friendships as she searches for this machine. There are blessings aplenty in this project and renewing some old friendships is one of them.

This is a difficult time in the recovery. People are beginning to tire of the constant news and just as we are turning our efforts toward Jeremie, some people are turning their efforts away from Haiti. We need to remind everyone that this will be an ongoing issue for a very long time. We also are well aware that the hurricane season is not that far away. People will surely need to be in secure areas when that season comes.

We just saw a segment on CNN (thanks for their continuing coverage) about the huge need for prosthetic devices in Haiti… from crutches to wheelchairs to actual prostheses. These can all be recycled. If you have or know of anybody who has any of these which you would be willing to donate, please contact physiciansforpeace.org or heathermills.org.

We want to remind you that 100 percent of all donations to either our school project at Caldwell Presbyterian or to the Haiti Relief at Rockwell Falls Presbyterian go to the actual work. All administrative expenses are covered in other ways.

We plan to be going to Scarborough New York and perhaps to the Albany area in the next few weeks to share with them about relief work in Haiti and our school project. If you know of any church or other organization that would like a presentation, please contact us by email or phone. (see our contact info above). We are willing to travel.

January 24, 2010

We finally heard from our friends in Jeremie. Things are quite good there in that they suffered very little damage. Still there is great concern about the flood of refugees that are coming. We pray that supplies will begin to arrive along with the people.

We had been under the impression that there were about 75 students in our school. It turns out that this latest class was the biggest , and now there are 85 students in our little school. We also learned that it will cost about $1 per student per day to feed them. This will include two cooks, and all the supplies. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we believe that we will be able to do it, for at least the rest of this year.

If you’ve been reading our updates, you know that our organist and choir director have been waiting for their Haitian adoptee, Jean to arrive. He arrived in the States last night and will be arriving in his new home tomorrow. We rejoice with Jim and Beth and look forward to getting to know Jean.

We attended the youth group meeting tonight at the Bartow’s and heard first hand about their time in Haiti. Several of the stories we heard are available on the blog… (see the link to Haiti Relief). Still, you can read the stories and miss the emotion of the telling. I wish you could hear Bryan, Kate and Travis tell of the literal miracles they witnessed…. How prayers were answered within minutes… how physical healings occurred. All we can say is that it was a very powerful and moving experience to hear about it.

We continue to hope and pray for another plane (hopefully bigger) but continue to give thanks to the pilot Jon Fussel, who has been donating his time to fly all the flights back and forth. We also thank the individual who has been letting us use his plane at no cost to us except for the cost of fuel.

Bryan told us that the US military have been very helpful at the airport and the places they have seen them in operation around the city. Sometimes the military is criticized in situations like these, but the Haitians seem very pleased with them… caring, helpful and professional. Thanks to the Army, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard and Navy for all you are doing.

January 23, 2010

I just finished reading the stories from the Bartow team that has now arrived home. (see the link to Haiti Relief). One of the things that has controlled our thinking about Haiti for some time is that if you have to wait for things to get well there before you help, you are never going to get anything done. What the team said, and what we have found to be true, is that you help the person you are next to now, one person at a time

We have been so blessed by so many people trying to help in one way or another. We are indebted to Brad and Brian Borchers, our nephews, and our son, Steve, who did their best to get corporate planes for our use. Though it didn’t work, we really appreciate their efforts. So many others have volunteered to help in one way and another, and many donated medical supplies and money to help. Thank you… thank you…thank you!

We continue to worry about our friends in Jeremie as the crowds of refugees arrive. We give thanks for all those who are helping there, including the church, the Croix Rouge (Red Cross), and the Haitian Health Foundation.

We’re thinking about our organist and choir director who eagerly await their new son Jean, one of the orphans for whom they have been waiting the past couple of years, and who we pray will be arriving to his new home soon.

We pray for all those who will be leading worship on Sunday and who will be leading prayers for Haiti. We invite you to pray for the mission at Carrefour, the church in Jeremie, and those who continue to help feed, provide medical help, and serve the ones in need.

We still have not had confirmation of the new plane and so we continue to pray for that to happen and hope you will too.

January 22, 2010

The Bartow group have returned to the States today. They were able to hitch a ride back with a flight of orphans. We imagine that Kate was in her glory, since she loves to hug the little Haitians. They left with things a little more organized than when they got there just a week ago.

WE are hoping to have confirmation of another plane… a larger one… in the near future. There has been an office set up in Florida near the airport. There is a ground coordinator in Florida now for flights, people and supplies. We will be posting her phone number and contact information soon. People who are interested in supporting the ministry can continue to send money to Rockwell Falls Presbyterian Church PO Box 490, Lake Luzerne, NY 12846, or the following types of medical supplies to the Haiti Relief Group, 240 SW 34th St., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33315 (ATTN tail #N882TM)

IV fluids (saline and dextrose), topical and regular antibiotics, sterile gauze, peroxide, Betadine, Saline solution, needles and syringes, surgical gloves. Sheets, blankets and tarps are also needed.

At this time, donations other than the above supplies and money are not needed.

"Research has shown that the largest migration of workers into Port Au Prince came from the Grand’Anse region… (where Jeremie is located)… Unable to support their families in an area with no industry, they had been forced to live and work in Port Au Prince and send money back home. Now they are out of work." (HHF report) Since they are now out of work and with no place to live, they are returning to the Grand’Anse.

The Haitian Health Foundation reports that many more refugees have arrived in Jeremie. 4,500 arrived just yesterday. Because this area is so poverty stricken, a great many people had gone to Port Au Prince for work. They, along with their families, are now flooding back into the region. HHF reports that they are expecting several tens of thousands to come back to this area. CNN reported that a ferry boat designed for 600 passengers left PAP for Jeremie with over 3,000 people on board… another disaster looking for a place to happen. People continue to arrive by boat, truck, bus and foot. Dr. Lowney of HHF says “We need help and lots of it. The most important thing is FOOD…”

Our friend Dieudone made the 14 hour bus trip from PAP with his family and 60 plus/minus more. We still cannot get through by phone to our friends in Jeremie. We are relying on HHF and other sources for our information. When our friends have managed to get through to us, we get about 20 seconds before we are disconnected. This is just enough time for us to say “Pale dousma” (speak slowly). They are so excited to get through they speak so fast we can’t understand. We will pass along information as we get it.

We continue appreciate your outpouring of support for the relief effort, and also continue to ask for your prayers. Click on the Haiti Relief blog for additional information.

January 21, 2010

I’ve been working on a sermon for next week at church. It’s about God’s call to Jeremiah. Trying to remain open to the call of God is seldom easy… especially when we have our own ideas on how to do whatever we are doing. Jeremiah protested, saying he was too young. I often protest saying, “I think I know a little better than God…” We were convinced that we were on the right track to get a corporate jet to fly more people and supplies to Haiti. That effort has not worked. Still, we really appreciate the efforts of those who have been struggling to help us in this endeavor. . Maybe it wasn’t God’s plan… or perhaps it isn’t the right time??? We wait to see.

As we write this tonight, it looks and sounds like more aid is getting into Haiti. Not everywhere… but in more pockets. The US military seems to be getting through. Still we are under the impression that much of the aid is coming from small organizations and churches like the one in Carrefour. The medical mission continues in Carrefour… Anesthesiologist Dr Gerdes arrived today (that will be a blessing to those who are being operated on). The Haitian church members in Carrefour and around Port Au Prince continue to feed, bring water and comfort to thousands (more than a thousand at Carrefour alone) each day.

Although we were not successful in getting the plane, God continues to move over the waters… Jon has continued to fly his small plane back and forth between Port Au Prince and Fort Lauderdale with his 500 pounds of precious cargo. One of the blessings has been that Jon has been able to fly in and out of the PAP airport every day… even while there is a large backlog of other flights. Tonight’s flight back to the states will include the members of the Bartow family… Bryan, Travis and Kate (kicking and screaming all the way).

Our ministry to Haiti will continue for the foreseeable future… God willing. We are eager to get to Jeremie and see for ourselves how our friends and little school are doing. Our plans to go are still open. We have still been unable to speak for more than a few seconds to our friends before the connection fails. For now, we must simply wait and pray and serve in other ways as we are called.

We understand that refugees continue to arrive in Jeremie daily. This is a concern for those who live there and a stress on the available resources, but knowing them as we do, they will rely on Bondye (God) as usual and do their best to help their brothers and sisters in need.

Our organist and choir director have been waiting with bated breath to hear if the boy they have been trying to adopt will be among those receiving the parole to leave the country. It is possible that they will be leaving today. We keep little Jean (and all the other orphans) in our prayers and hope you will also.

For now until the next time… may God bless us all

January 20, 2010

We (mostly JoEllen) have spent the day on the phone trying to locate another plane to help haul supplies to Bryan and the team in Carrefour. They have doctors and nurses (could use more) but really need medical supplies. So we are looking for both the plane and the medical supplies …IV fluids, topical antibiotics, sterile gauze, peroxide, Betadine, saline solution, sheets, tarps, blankets…. Etc.. If you know of anybody who can help, please let us know.

Still no word from the school… we still can’t get through to Jeremie. We are getting our information from the Haitian Health Foundation who seems to have a way to get the info. Still we are under the impression that Jeremie has escaped the worst, but is going to be most affected by the refugees.

We are setting up a supply center in the Miami area where we can warehouse our supplies for the flight to Haiti. We are looking for someone in that area… a medical person preferably, who could help solicit supplies and be certain we get the things we really need. If we get another plane, this will help in the turnaround time. Speaking of which, Jon Fussel the pilot of our small plane says that he can get into Port Au Prince, unload and get right back out… no waiting… no delays.

The Haiti team has so far had no problems at all with robbers… here’s the report from Bryan: The men who are passing out food in our area are highly respected Christians in the Carrefour area, so robbers are leaving them completely alone (either that or the whole robber thing is overly trumped up)!!! They are even able to cook some meals and pass them out.

People here have asked about what they can do. Some people have wanted to take up collections of food, clothing, etc. At this point we have no way to get those things to Haiti. We need money… to help pay for gas ($70 a gallon in PAP) … planes… and medical supplies that aren’t donated. So if you want to help, send money to the Rockwell Falls Presbyterian Church, PO Box 490, Lake Luzerne, NY 12846 and mark it for the Haiti Relief fund.

January 19, 2010

Bryan and his team have arrived in Carrefour. This is copied from their blog about what they are seeing…Here's the story in Carrefour: the people have organized themselves into tent communities. Those communities have committees of people who represent the group. They have formed their own form of representative government! What a testimony to the Haitian people!! Some of these committee members are coming to us with the needs of their larger community. It is safe, it is peaceful, but it is desperate. Heidi, April and Kate are moving among the injured, cleaning and bandaging. Bry said he and Trav had to clear an area of debris and are on their way to help medically, but they are soon going to run out of stuff.

Pilot Jon says that there are mountains of stuff at the airport waiting to be distributed, but apparently it isn’t going out because decisions need to be made on how to distribute it. Remember the song… “If we ever needed the Lord before, we sure do need him now…” and then some people who are listening????

Please note… We believe that it isn’t “looting” when you or your children are starving or haven’t had water for days… and help isn’t coming.

We have been in contact with Charles Adams in the Dominican Republic… (see yesterday’s update). If we can get money to the Rotary Club there, they will purchase food and medical supplies for us and try to get them to Jeremie or Carrefour. We’re waiting to get more information about distribution possibilities in either place.

Our friend Dieudonne is leaving PAP with 60 people to go to Jeremie. This scene is being replayed all over the island as people flee the PAP area. The refugee problems will surely become bigger as days go by.

January 18, 2010

The news from Haiti is a little better, with some aid getting to those in PAP… but in the outlying areas, not much is happening yet.

We understand that the first refugees have arrived in Jeremie from PAP. There were about 2,000 of them… some with serious injuries. The most serious injuries were taken to the public hospital. Those less serious were treated by the Croix Rouge (Red Cross of Haiti). Most came by boat, the remainder by bus and truck over the arduous Haitian roads. They were welcomed by UN personnel, Haitian Police, Boy Scouts and others. Some have then gone to their family homes and others to a tent city at a local school.

On the road, one truck was in an accident and another broke down. They were all somehow crowded into other vehicles to finish their trip. Haitians helping Haitians! The travelers saw many people enroute traveling by foot… a six –day journey. Some were actually carrying caskets.

Much of this information has come to us from the Haitian Health Foundation (HHF) which has a large presence in the Jeremie area… particularly helping pregnant women with pregnancy education and assistance. You can find more about them by visiting their website www.haitianhealthfoundation.org.

We still have been unable to contact our friends in Jeremie …. Skype says the line is busy. So we have not talked to them about the school directly but believe that things are ok or we would have heard. We’ll keep trying.

January 17, 2010

We made presentations at church today and received numerous thoughts and questions afterward. The outpouring of support is quite amazing.

We have just heard from our friend Charles Adams who is living in the Dominican Republic and is the International Coordinator for the Haiti Disaster Relief Committee of the Rotary Clubs International. He is also an expert on the clean water systems Rotary has been installing in Haiti. Rotary has offered to assist all non-governmental organizations that are attempting to get material and supplies into Haiti. Further information can be obtained by contacting the following address:

Charles F. Adams

International Coordinator
Haiti Disaster Relief Committee
District 4060 - Dominican Republic
   Dom.Rep. Office: 809-226-8565
   Dom.Rep. Cell: 829-509-5505 (Charles) or 809-753-5505 (Alexandra)
   U.S. Skype Line to Dom.Rep.: 518-685-4285
Member of Rotary Club of Santiago Monumenta

The first four members of Bryan’s team arrived in PAP this evening at about 5. Our friend Dieudone met them at the airport and will help them get to Carrefour. The plane now needs to return to pick up Bryan, Travis and Kate. They are hoping to leave Fort Lauderdale for Haiti around 3 AM if Jon can get refueled and out of PAP.

We are aware that there are other areas such as Les Cayes (pop 70,000) on the south coast and no doubt many small villages in the mountains that have been struck, but most attention has been paid to PAP. We are hoping and praying that aid will get to these towns and other areas of Haiti as well.

And one last thing.. There is a great need for medical personnel in Haiti right now. Missionary Flights International out of Fort Pierce, Florida will transport doctors, nurses, EMT’s or PA’s to Haiti. All you need to do is to get to Ft. Pierce and be prepared to be self-sustaining (water and food) for one week. Contact us (518) 696-3990 or Lisa Bartow (518) 696-3976 for further information.

January 16, 2010

The news continues to be bleak from Port Au Prince (PAP). The needs are great and things are moving much more slowly than we’d like. But then it takes time to get all things going. We continue to pray for all those in the midst of this tragedy.

We have heard that cell-phone service is out in much of Southwest Haiti around Jeremie. This is the primary means of communication in the area, so it makes it difficult to follow up on family, friends and neighbors.

There appears to be plans underway to evacuate people from PAP to places like Jeremie on boats and buses. Many of these will arrive with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Some, not willing to wait, have begun the 190 kilometer 7-day walk to Jeremie.

Our good friend Bryan Bartow and several others are on their way to Haiti as we write this. They are taking $50,000 worth of water purifiers and some medical supplies, two nurses, a missionary couple with a congregation in Carrefour and flying in on a private plane rented by a pilot friend of theirs. You can read all about their journey at their blog: www.haitireliefupdates.blogspot.com. If you would like to help support this mission effort, donations are being accepted at Rockwell Falls Presbyterian Church in Lake Luzerne… PO Box 490, Zip-code 12846.

We continue to wait to see if Red Cross needs us.

There is a great need for nurses and doctors in Haiti right now. Missionary Flights International has permission to fly into PAP and will provide transportation for doctors and nurses. All you need to do is get to their base in Fort Pierce, FL. You need to be self sufficient (water, food, etc) for at least 5 days so you are not an additional drain on already limited necessities … Contact us for further information.

On the bright side, we’ve heard that our friend Dieudone, who is setting up the lunch program at the school for us, is in PAP, has found his family and they are all well… We are thankful for this as well as all the other little and big miracles in this tragedy.

January 15, 2010

We just want to thank you again for all the e-mails, phone calls, expressions of concern, offers of help and your outpouring of love for the people of Haiti.

We have wanted to start providing the students with a meal each day, and had made arrangements with some friends in Haiti to get the program going. Unfortunately the parents of the young man are missing in Port Au Prince, and so his energies are focused on this now. Our prayers are with Dieudone and his wife that his parents will be found safe and sound. We hope to resume the meal plan in the near future.

We expressed in our concerns yesterday about an upcoming shortage of food water and medical supplies, etc, in the outlying areas of the island such as Jeremie. It now appears that some of those with resources, aware of the upcoming shortages, are beginning to stockpile supplies. This, of course, will tend to force up prices and make it even more difficult for the average Haitian to maintain even a meager existence.

Please pray that those wealthier folk will think about this and how their actions affect everyone in a very difficult and trying time.

January 14, 2010

We still have not heard from the school directly, but have spoken with friends in Jeremie who assure us that while there has been damage, there have been no serious injuries or loss of life in the area that they know of.

We are trying to make people, not familiar with Haiti, aware that all resources coming to the island arrive in Port Au Prince and then are shipped out to places like Jeremie. Unfortunately a major bridge on the road to Jeremie is out and so as time goes by, the area around Jeremie will likely be suffering from shortages. This, of course, is in addition to the fact that the great needs will be in Port for the foreseeable future.

Another issue that’s heavy on our hearts is that the children at the school and their parents probably have relatives and friends in Port whom they have not heard from and they are no doubt very concerned… so school and studying may be a secondary thing on their minds at this point.

We have heard about a few of our friends in Port and so far the news is all good. There are, however several whom we have not heard from and so we keep them in our thoughts and prayers.

We will strive to keep you informed of any special information we have and any needs. Thanks to all of you for your inquiries and prayers.

January 13, 2010

We understand that the place we usually go, Jeremie, has suffered some minor damage but apparently no deaths or serious injuries. We, of course, have heard nothing from the school or any of the students at this time, although since there was little damage in Jeremie, we hope and pray that there was little at the school.

Again, please pray for all Haitians and especially for the school and our students.

Thanks for your continuing support.
Tom and JoEllen