MTinHaiti

You know it is hard to imagine that we are only 150 miles from Port au Prince, in a world that is not governed by the TV, mass media, Face Book, and every other technical gizmo that you can imagine.  You would hardly know that your country had changed,  that hundreds of thousands were dying, hurt, homeless or that an economic earthquake was headed your way.  There is the mouth-to-mouth accounts of the events in Port au Prince but it is not in our faces like it is in the states.  But make no mistake we are very aware of the seriousness of this situation and of many difficult days to come.

In the past few days instead of Mike and Vogly going to Port au Prince we have been able to send people from our area who wanted to go and look for lost loved ones and to bring hurting family members back to the Northwest.  Elisnel, one of our church members, was able to get 10 of his family members back to the NW.  His brother had died but his sisters were alive.  Pastor Irenel found his brother and other family members and brought some of them back to the NW while yet others had passed away.  Madam Tipicon brought her daughter to our house today to let us know that she arrived safely.  Ti-Poppa is in PAP right now and just called.  He was able to send his cousin ahead and him and his sister are supposed to come back tomorrow even though he says transportation is hard to find.  Good News – he says the Marines are working and starting to make it a safer city.  We are glad to hear that.  Most families have joy and heartache at the same time.

We went to visit two other missionaries today that live about 4 miles from us — 1 of them is saying the same thing that we have been hearing — that in the weeks ahead the NW is going to be flooded with people and there will be no food because all of the relief efforts have gone to PAP.  So please pray that there will be a way to get food and help to the other areas of this hurting country.

On Sunday Mike’s sermon tried to deal with the crisis we are going through.  He first tried to explain what causes an earthquake, and he is far from being an expert, but our Haitian family has no idea.   He then went on to try to describe some of the things happening in PAP because none of them have been able to see pictures and most have no way to get any news except by word of mouth.  He chose to speak from three passages in Psalms.  He went on to say that although the earth may shake and houses may crumble, heaven does not shake and God’s throne cannot be moved.  He offered words of hope and encouragement from God’s Word, saying at this time we needed to hear God speak. He shared Psalms 46, 42 and 23.  With each of these he added words of encouragement and words of hope from the promises found in God’s Word.  At the end he lead a focused prayer time asking the people to pray specifically for each of these items.  I will not list them all but will condense some of them.  We know you are praying but we also ask that you pray specifically for some of these:

• For those still alive to be found.
• For the relief aide to get to those who need it so badly.
• For all of the broken hearts to be healed.
• For the orphans who have lost their parents and do not understand at all what has happened.
• For order to come to this chaos.
• For a calm to come over the people and for God’s peace to quiet their fears.
• That the world will not quickly turn their hearts and eyes from the country of Haiti.
• That this country will not just be rebuilt but that it will have a rebirth, a new nation will rise from the rubble.
• That people might turn to God and not away from Him.
• For God’s children to be strengthened and to be a shining light in a dark land.
• That the people of Haiti as well as the world will unite to help the homeless and feed the hungry.
• For wisdom to choose the right paths on a long road to recovery.

The rippling effects of the quake are already beginning to be felt.  Today as we sent some of our staff in to Port de Paix to buy supplies to sustain us for a little bit — prices are already escalating.  Odines got the last 100 of 120 bags of concrete at the depot in Port de Paix.  He was told not to buy gas if it was above $60.00 a gallon and it was — it was $80.00 a gallon.  It has doubled in price in two days.  He said that tap-tap after tap-tap was full of people coming to the north from Port au Prince.  We have had several of our staff needing to bring their families that survived the quake in PAP to Beauchamp and the surrounding areas.  They escaped with their lives but everything else is gone.

This is just the beginning of what is to come.  There will be a need for medical attention outside of PAP, for food for the starving who have left with nothing more than the clothes on their backs.  The need is going to be overwhelming.  The toll it takes on you when everyone you see is in need — and their needs are real — but how do you help them all.  I know that you can’t and God will direct our work.  We all need to be aware of the economic earthquake that is heading this way. Please pray that it does not cripple the entire country.  Whatever happens this is just the beginning of a long, long and hard road.

We would like to say that we are proud of our mission staff.  Some have gone to the front lines to help with the  medical needs in PAP.  Jody and other mission staff (Haitian and American alike) have worked tirelessly in getting the groups out of the country.   Janeil, Sam and Pam are trying to run the office as well as set up a major offensive plan for the future.  The phones are ringing off the hooks and the emails are endless.  The good side of that is that people are responding and people are showing their care and concern.

Thank you so much for caring about the people we love and the country we also call home.

Continue to check the main mission website for the best ways that you can help and be involved at the present time.    http://www.nwhcm.org

Here is some information from our main mission website.  They are loading containers in specific area — if you would like to donate supplies here is where you can take them.

NWHCM was spared major disaster from this earthquake, but God has laid it upon our hearts to go help in places that need it and are crying out. We are sending our own people and supplies to help our partners in ministry to the south. This will mean that we need finances and supplies for the task at hand and also for the task of resupplying.

Money is the most flexible resource to use in Haiti. To donate, click here.

Next, we need food, medicines, and medical supplies. Food and medicines need to be at least six months from expiration.

• High-protein foods (peanut butter, protein bars, beans, canned meat, baby formula)
• Medical supplies (bandages, sutures, splinting supplies, IV fluids, antibiotics)

Collection Centers:

• Kentucky:  NWHCM – 150 Laralan Ave. Suite E, Frankfort, KY 40601; Contact 502-695-7870; M – F 9am – 4pm.
• Florida:  Tomoka Christian Church – 1151 West Granada Boulevard, Ormond Beach, FL  32174; Contact Barb Kennedy (386-677-6455) or Leah Putting (386-214-1449); Saturday, Jan. 16 4pm -8pm, Sunday, Jan. 17 8am – 1pm, M – F 10:00am – 6:00pm.
• Central Indiana:  Common Ground – 4550 N Illinois St., Indianapolis, IN 46208; Contact 317-251-1494; M – F 9:00am – 4pm.
• Western Indiana:  Hanging Rock Camp – 6988 S State Rd. 263, West Lebanon, Indiana; click here for detailed contact information and call for hours.
• More to come…

If you are interested in volunteering in the relief and recovery, please consider giving your time to collect supplies and donations. We are not able to coordinate immediate response teams and at this time we do not know of any other organizations accepting volunteer inquiries for coming into Haiti.

Yesterday afternoon found Vogly and Mike trying to get plane tickets to go to Port au Prince to check on Vogly’s family.  It was an afternoon of tap-taps, lots of mud and by the time we got to the airport it was closed.  On the way home from Port de Paix you could see families wailing as they received the news that family members had been killed in Port au Prince.

Thursday morning started with some of the same.  Vogly is rejoicing because his mother and step-father are okay even though she received some injuries from falling blocks.  Many of his friends and his college professor have been killed.  A moment of joy and then heartache the next second over the bad news.  Salla (our Haitian employee) as well as many of the community people have been anxious all day as they have not heard anything about their family members in Port au Prince.  We gave Salla’s daughter money to go to PAP to check on her 4 sisters.  Throughout the day we have stopped to have prayers with those who are hurting.  We have rejoiced with Ti-Poppa as he heard his sister is okay.  All of these say their families houses have been demolished.

All day long we have heard planes overhead that we could not see because they were hidden by clouds or the mountain range but we have praised God knowing that relief and aide are coming to this island.  Tonight we showed Vogly, Ti-Poppa and Odines pics from the internet news — their faces showed total disbelief.  At times we cry, at times it is overwhelming, at times we feel so helpless.

As we have feared prices are starting to skyrocket.  Yesterday a gallon of gas was $37.00 (Haitian) and today we were told that in PAP it was $100.00 (Haitian) which is equivalent to about $12.00 US dollars.  Not only will this apply to gas but other things will be affected too.  We bought several bags of rice and beans yesterday but in reality these will only last a couple of weeks.

Psalms 46 says it best…  God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.  There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells.  God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.  Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts.  The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Come and see the works of the LORD, the desolations he has brought on the earth.  He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, he burns the shields with fire. “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”   The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

As one of our friends commented on our blog — may God raise up a holy nation out of the rubble.  Please continue to pray because this will be a long ordeal and please know that your prayers and support to us are greatly appreciated.  May we lean on God and not our own strength because it has been drained very quickly.

I am copying a section from Jody’s email to help with questions about how you can help:

It is the recommendation of the mission that if you want to bring in a group of medical people or provide relief efforts – that you contact larger organizations that have the manpower to house, feed, and set up a facility in PAP. We are working at the Mission of Hope. A truck of supplies went down today. We have only raised 7,000.00 – folks – it’s NOT enough. It’s no where near enough.

We are going on the battle-lines and can easily move the small group we have – but we simply don’t have the resources there. Samaritans Purse is a good friend of the mission as is The Red Cross if you are looking to volunteer in PAP.

As some cell phones are beginning to work now – news about personal accounts are filtering their way up here. You will hear someone PRAISE THE LORD – when they hear their family is okay – – while another one collapses to the ground when they realize they lost everyone.

If you would like to donate financially you can donate on the main mission’s website:

http://www.nwhcm.org

As we woke this morning to a helicopter flying overhead this morning I could not wait to run to the computer to see if there was more news about the earthquake.  I went to several online news sources and stopped at FOX news.  They had pictures and a video.  A whole crowd of Haitians were huddled around me to see the report — I only have a small alloted amount of downloading and partway through the video it stopped.  We feel so “in the dark” here.  If it were not for our computer this area would not have any idea of the devestation.  Not only do we feel in the dark but we feel helpless.  We are only 150 miles away but it might as well be 5000.  Our heart is very heavy for our Haitian family — they have mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, and children in Port au Prince.  There are tears in their eyes and concern on their faces as they are unable to have any communication with Port au Prince.  They have no idea how their families are doing or if they are even still alive.

We would like to go to Port au Prince to help and are trying to find out if that might be possible.   When this happens in the U.S. it takes several days to get set up but here in Haiti there is no government emergency help to speak of, no facilities to provide assistance — so just setting up basic relief efforts (food, water, medical assistance) will be a major operation.

The rippling effects of the quake will be far-reaching and long-lasting.  With Port au Prince being the main port of entry for all things for Haiti the effect is going to be tremendous if this city is closed down for any length of time which we suspect it will be .  The people here are already suffering and they cannot withstand price hikes or food shortages because of this.  When the hurricanes hit in September of 2008 we in the Northwest felt the effects of being cut off from Port au Prince.  Gas prices sky-rocketed and was not even available after a short while.  Food prices went way up and soon ran out and many people were starving.  Supplies could not get through and this crippled the country.

It is Mike and I’s prayer that the world’s eyes may truly be opened to the devastation and need of this country.  Many times the world has turned a blind eye to Haiti.  Pray that this catastrophe will reveal just how desperate everyday life in Haiti really is.

We continue to ask for prayer for Vogly — he is beside himself with not knowing if his mother is okay or not.  He may be headed to Port au Prince tomorrow, and Mike may go with him, to see if he can find his mother.

Thank you so much for your prayers and continue to be on your knees.  Pray that God will be glorified through such a tragedy as this.

Teresa and I were both working when I started to hear a low rumble.  I thought – what is that that is shaking the ground.  Pretty soon the whole house began to shake, things began to fall off of the shelves.  I stepped outside and water barrels that were full from the rain were shaking and the ripples were about 4 or 5 inches high and splashing out of the barrels.  Swoosh (one of our donkeys) was braying and high-stepping with this.  I looked at Teresa and said – “we just had an earthquake”.  Growing up in Florida we were quite used to hurricanes but had never experienced an earthquake.  It is obvious that we had not had earthquake training because we did not look for cover or run outside — we just stood there in amazement.

Pretty soon Vogly and Odines came running back to the campus and they both realized what had happened also.  Then a few minutes later we got hit with a short aftershock.  Teresa was in the room trying to immediately put a post on FB when she could feel the foundation of the house begin to tremble again.  Wow!  We immediately were asking for information to confirm it was an earthquake and thanks to all of our family and friends who immediately responded with prayers and information.

We still have very little information about Port au Prince — you will receive more information in the U.S. than we will here.  Please keep us up to date.  But most of all, please be praying for Vogly’s family (his mother and step-father live in Port au Prince) and most of our Haitian family has family and friends that live in Port au Prince and there is no cell phone signals so we cannot reach anyone by phone.

Our prayer is this — that the world’s eyes may be turned to Haiti and hearts of compassion will burst open and flood this country with aide which is so desperately needed.  We are hoping and praying that the modern world will realize that no country in the western hemisphere or world for that matter should have to live in these conditions.  May God be glorified and have the last word.

p.s.  The original earthquake hit shortly after 5:00 p.m. and at about 8:10 p.m. we felt another little shake!

I cannot believe how fast 2009 has come and gone.  As I look back over an entire year and all that has taken place I am amazed.  Our campus in Beauchamp has grown considerably with more growth schedule for 2010.  There has been 4 new churches planted in the northwest zone with the adoption of 10 new ones.  We now have “running” water on the campus when the cisterns are full — we went from bucket baths to showers in 2009.  I know a lot of travelers to the Beauchamp campus are happy about that including myself.  There were new additions “animal wise” to our campus.  We now have 2 donkeys, 1 horse, 1 colt and a kitty that we did not have previously.  Although I am sad that in 2009 we lost all of our dogs.  First Bandit, then Katie from the main campus had to be put down and while in the states I have learned that Cody and Belle (the dog) died.  It will be sad going back to Beauchamp next week and not having anyone to greet me at the St. Louis campus and the Beauchamp campus.  I have already told Mike that I cannot live without a dog in our lives so I will be on the lookout to get a dog for the Beauchamp campus.  I might even try to get one from the states to take back in with me when I am in during March.

Our interpreter, Vogly, had big changes in his life in 2009.  He went from single to married and is now waiting on the birth of his first child.  We pray that God will continue to bless Vogly and his family in this upcoming year.

Mike and I had a wonderful addition to our family in November.  Our 4th grandchild was born, Jude Michael Grant.  We have been thrilled to be able to spend a little time with him this past month.  We were able to spend his first Christmas together along with our other 3 grandchildren.  Christmas has been fantastic — all of our family together — vacationing at Disney and enjoying a magical time!  One of the hardest things about being in Haiti is not being with our grandchildren.

As I think about the path that God has us on for 2010 I pray that we are keenly alert to His will and His direction.  Many things are already planned for 2010 — 6 new church plants, 20+ revivals, the teaching of the leaders and ministers in the far west and bible college, the sewing ministry which has grown by leaps and bounds, multiple groups coming out to Beauchamp, and our own personal and spiritual growth — may God be at the heart of all of these things.  Mike and I are both reading “Crazy Love” by Francis Chan — I pray that our love for God and His work will be a crazy love.  One that is not bound and characterized by the world but wrapped up in God and visible to the nonchristian as crazy.

Clinic Team -- Josaline, Marvel, Malinda, Virginia, Pam, Vogly, Sue, Jamie

We were so glad to have the group from North Carolina come and do a clinic in BeauChamp.  Dave and Sue Gagnon, Gloria, Virginia, Pam, Jamie, and interpreters Malinda, Marvel and Vogly worked very hard with the clinic.  Over the next few days they saw around 155 patients.  

Gloria checking on a patient

We went to the market in BeauChamp on Friday.  Market day is always busy.  Our little town is like a ghost town on most days but on Friday it becomes a a fury of congestion.  A few thousand people buying, selling and bartering their goods – beans, rice, vegetables, clothing, cooking items, livestock, butcher shop area — anything that does not need refrigeration.  We bought several items that day.  Virginia and Pam haggled over the price of underwear  – when they learned what the real price was (Haitian dollar) they were embarrassed and Marvel took them back to the lady and they bought some underwear from her to give to  the children.  When they learned that $10.00 Haitian dollars is only a little over $1.00 US dollar the price did not seem so bad!  

Gloria, Mike and Teresa walking to market

Virginia, Marvel and Gloria buying something

Virginia, Pam and Marvel buying the underwear!!

On Saturday morning they flew kites with the children.  They brought in beautiful kites and the kids love to fly them.  The wind was wonderful and lifted them high into the sky and they stayed there all afternoon.  Next they  did a VBS for the children and had them perform a drama reenacting the birth of Jesus.  Later that afternoon they all took a walk to look at the countryside and mingle with the children along the way.  What a beautiful Saturday it was.  

Drama Team

Group taking a walk

Sunday morning found us scurrying around trying to catch rain water in the barrels to pump into the cisterns on the bathhouse and our personal house.  No one came to church that morning due to the rain and the mud.  We held our own service in the ministry room and lifted our worship to God.

Monday and Tuesday were wrapped up with another clinic day and then saying their goodbyes.  We want to say thank you for the use of your talents, for your concern and love for the Haitian people and Mike and myself.  

Sewing Hope - Original 5 ladies

As I am trying to pull my thoughts together for this blog I cannot help but be in awe of how much the Sewing Hope Program has grown since its inception.  I started with 5 ladies and now have 16 ladies in my employment.  We have been making blankets for the mission programs, studying the bible and having prayer time for the last year-and-a-half.  I have prayed and asked God for wisdom on how to direct these ladies and this program.  I have gotten some glimpses of what I think God would like.

receiving their new creole bible story books

 

God has answered and new things are in the works for January 2010.  I put out a plea for treadle sewing machines and one of our preacher friends responded.  His church has donated 5 treadle sewing machines and hopefully we should have them by January.   They then asked Mike if we had a project that his church and another church could help with when they come in January  as a mission group.   I said yes! –  a sewing room would be wonderful.  They have provided half of the funds needed for this room but we are short $2,000.00 (that is if we have a tin roof on the room) $4,000.00 (if we put a concrete roof on the room).  I am asking for $4,000.00 so we can make this room with a concrete roof.  This will make the room more secure and more weather resistant which will in turn help in keeping the machines in good working order.  

My women are excited about this.  We are praying for this to happen.  After I told them that we would have our “own” sewing room but needed more funds we decided to make it a matter of prayer.  We gathered on the spot where the room is going to be built and had a prayer circle.  Invoking the will and blessing of God — what a way to start this off.

Prayer Circle for Sewing Room Funds

Change is in the air  –  sewing machines, a sewing room and 16 ladies.  Now how to make change happen.    After we get the sewing machines set up the ladies are going to be divided into 3 different groups.  There will be one group that will sew clothing and diapers, one group will sew quilts and diapers, and one group will continue to make the receiving blankets.  I will teach them how to make simple children’s clothes, simple quilts and diapers.  Everyone will come together once a week for bible study and prayer time, then there will be appointed times for the two groups using the machines.  Each lady will be assigned a machine thus making them responsible for the upkeep and care of that machine.  While they are in “training” and on “work time” they will sew diapers, clothes and quilts for the mission programs such as all of the orphanages and diapers for the Miriam Center children.  We will continue to make blankets for the birthing center and baby orphanage.  The ladies will then be allowed to come to the sewing room during designated times to work on projects for themselves.

I see children being able to go to school because their mothers now know how to sew and can make their school uniforms.  I see new and pretty dresses for the girls for church and nice new shorts for the boys.  This program can continue to expand as God sees fit.  He has blessed this way beyond my wildest dreams and is even stretching me daily with this program.  God has given me a vision to help these ladies and I cannot believe that He will not bring us through it.  

I want to say THANK YOU to all of you who have given to this program from the beginning, middle and anywhere else in between.  I could not have done this without you.  The ladies say thank you for providing employment and helping them become confident in themselves, have a better knowledge of God’s word, a deeper understanding of the power of prayer  and proud of their beautiful blankets.  

The sign says it all!