Responding to the crisis in Haiti
A note from Outreach about gifts for Haiti:
In the days and weeks following the earthquake, when the focus was on immediate relief, The Outreach Foundation committed to sending 100% of every gift given for Haiti earthquake relief to the field. Now, as the focus of the work shifts to recovery and rebuilding, we have reinstituted our customary policy on gifts and administrative fees. Ordinarily, 95 percent of each gift received by The Outreach Foundation is applied to the designated project or missionary. When a donor makes an unrestricted gift or a contribution designated for the ministry of The Outreach Foundation, no administrative fee is withheld, and 100 percent of all gifts during the following 12 months go entirely to the designated missionary or project.
April 8 Update from Haiti Outreach Ministries
Nadege of Haiti Outreach Ministries recently sent these photos of a replacement house that is under construction in Cite Soleil. Skilled workers are being assisted by children who want to help. These homes will cost about $5,000 to build. Haiti Outreach Ministries has set a goal of building at least 100 of these homes in 2010, and your gifts will help to make it possible. HOM also is repairing homes – both those damaged in the quake and those which needed new roofs beforehand – with a goal of 100 such repairs this year.
Rob Weingartner, executive director of The Outreach Foundation, will lead a group of church leaders to Port-au-Prince on May 17-21 to help them better understand the Haitian context and to explore long-term partnership opportunities for their congregations. Pastors and church leaders interested in the trip should contact Diane Booth at diane@theoutreachfoundation.org or 800-791-5023.
March 20 Update from Haiti Outreach Ministries
Jacky Dorleans, the superintendent of HOM schools, just sent the update below. Please hold Jacky, the schools' staff members and students in your prayers.
"I am working toward reopening the schools on April 5th. The government is in favor of the reopening in April. Lots of work was needed in the school buildings in Cite Soleil. After the repairs were made to the walls, most of the classrooms in Cite Soleil were painted, and a few classrooms at Blanchard were painted also.
I had a meeting with the teachers last Monday. They are still under the shock of the 12th January earthquake. They still sleep outside their homes. I encouraged them to look ahead, to be grateful to the Lord who watched over all of them, and to appreciate the new life he put before them.
I planned with the teachers to come back to school regularly so they could get reacquainted with the school activities. For two weeks they will be coming from Monday to Friday to the library for two hours. Nadege Gay, our new librarian, is there from 8 a.m. until noon.
For the first weeks we will have school inside the Blanchard church. Most of the Haitian people are very nervous to be in a place with concrete roofs. So, to help the children and their parents, and also some of the teachers with their anxieties, and to encourage the parents to send back their children to school, it's very important that we hold classes there. The first days it will be like VBS. We will have prayers, worship time, testimonies, video projection, etc... (Cite Soleil schools have tin roofs, and classes will be in the classrooms.)
We hope and pray that most of our children will be back. We cannot know until school is in session again."
Jacky Dorleans
March 7 update from Bill Glass of Haiti Outreach Ministries
The landing at Port-au-Prince enters a military camp – multiple nations’ militaries ring the airport. Arrival is different – leading to a temporary arrival area since the old one was damaged in the earthquake. Once through customs and outside, you experience Haiti. The drive out of the airport passes by countless homeless tent encampments – there are reportedly over 1 million new homeless in Haiti, with the majority of them in the P-a-P area. Earth movers are at work in several areas, creating both new military camps (for American troops) and new semi-permanent tent cities. Humvees and other military transports vie with taptaps and private cars for space on the roads.
In Cite Soleil, the new damage is not as jarring only because the old damage from the civil disorder period and general economic problems was so severe to begin with. The makeshift tents in the middle of the main roads, and the side roads blocked with tents, reveal the new problems. Even people with undamaged homes are fearful of sleeping in them and spend their nights under tarps on the streets.
Driving toward uptown and downtown, out of the slum, immediately reveals the scale of the disaster. Large buildings have collapsed, most remaining in their condition as of the evening of January 12th. Many businesses have been closed (particularly groceries, many of which collapsed) and others have relocated to what had been warehouse facilities outside of downtown.
Yet, a new normal is taking shape. The street economy is back in business, those businesses which are open are doing traditional business. In the areas served by Haiti Outreach Ministries there is reconstruction and relief work going on. Daily medical clinics are being run both by permanent Haitian staff in Cite Soleil and by visiting American teams in Repatriote and Cite Soleil. The scale of this medical attention has more than quintupled since the earthquake. While some of the problems seen are a result of the quake, much is simply that seen before – the medical problems which poor people in the Third World have. The huge medical response may, paradoxically, serve to improve the medical conditions and health of the very poor.
Food relief is ongoing, with fortified rations and other food being provided regularly to the people of Cite Soleil, Repatriote and Blanchard. HOM has begun the first four prototypes of a simple replacement home for families who lost their homes in the earthquake. Once these are complete and reviewed, HOM will build more – with a goal for 2010 of at least 100 such homes. HOM has resumed repairs of homes – both those damaged in the quake and those which needed new roofs before – with a goal of 100 such repairs in 2010. Finally, HOM is working on repairs and reconstruction of the damaged facilities in the communities. The wall in Cite Soleil now is reconstructed around over 50% of the perimeter – important in also acting as a levee against floods from the neighboring drainage canal. Repairs are being completed to the school buildings in Cite Soleil and Blanchard in order to support school resumption (whenever the government authorizes it). We have resumed building of the 3rd floor expansion at Blanchard in order to provide increased capacity for what may be new students who lost their schools. Repairs are needed to several other facilities and complete rebuilding will be required of the Cite Soleil clinic and the buildings at Repatriote. Dozens of Haitians are at work in various tasks relating to reconstruction and all of the permanent staff is involved in their jobs. Sewing classes resumed on March 1st. Students and teachers have met to prepare to resume classes. Local roads are being improved as holes are filled with earthquake rubble. Families have new hope as their communities take new shape and the crisis of enough food and what the future holds subside.
My trip was highlighted by meetings with Haitians as we assessed what reality is and what we should do together for the future. I found the Haitians to be eager for work and eager to lead their families, neighborhoods and country into the future. While we all grieve for the 300,000 who died in the earthquake, the future actually appears to hold substantial promise. The way back will not be easy, and January 11th will not be retrieved soon. But, the future may actually look different – better – than January 11th. Soli Deo gloria!
Haiti Outreach Ministries update February 27
The first HOM short-term mission team, from Palms Presbyterian, Jacksonville, FL, arrived Tuesday. Their task is building bunks for the new dorm rooms in the Blanchard Vocational School and getting ready for the first team to stay there. A medical team from Fairmount Christian arrives today. They will break in the new quarters.
HOM board chair Bill Glass is also there and will provide an in-depth update after he returns. Please pray for the teams' safety, flexibility, and for God's protection as they serve the people of Haiti.
Repairs are being made to both the Blanchard and Cite Soleil schools. The Blanchard school was not damaged as heavily as the Cite Soleil school, so repairs are more extensive at Cite Soleil. We understand that the Ibo Beach school was not damaged. Photos are posted regularly on Facebook.
Jacky Dorleans, who serves as Superintendant of Schools, indicates that they hope to open the primary schools in mid-March. However, the government must first approve the opening date. And much work remains to be done.
Rob Weingartner
The Outreach Foundation
February 16 Update from The Outreach Foundation
We rejoice in the generosity of Presbyterians from across the United States and beyond who have responded to our invitation to support the work of Haiti Outreach Ministries as they provide relief care in Port-au-Prince and restore their ministries for long-term service in Jesus' name. The Outreach Foundation has received more that $250,000 in support of HOM's work! Every dollar will go to Haiti.
In this time of crisis, worship is as important as ever, perhaps even more important, and people are gathering together for prayer, praise, and to hear God's Word. This past Sunday, February 14, there were over 2000 worshippers at Cite Soleil, more than 1200 at Blanchard and more than 800 at Repatriote!
Currently, three building projects are underway, the Cite Soleil wall, repairs to the schools and the start of construction on the first of the replacement houses. HOM hopes to have the latter completed soon, the prototype for what will be an ongoing ministry, so they can examine it for lessons and refine the design as they build more homes. Leon Dorleans reports that there are 40 Haitians working on these projects!
Thank you for your continuing prayers and for your financial support for the work of our partners, Haiti Outreach Ministries, as they share God's love in word and deed.
Rob Weingartner
The Outreach Foundation
February 12 Haiti Outreach Ministries Update
Today is the first day of three days of prayer in Haiti. The HOM churches were packed, with as many people at them as normally at Sunday worship.
Mission of Hope has sent another medical team to work at the Blanchard clinic. A Baptist Men Disaster Relief team from Cary NC has set up a tent clinic at Repatriote three days each week. Leon advises that they plan to be there for 3-6 months.
At last the banks in Haiti are operating normally! The government continues to talk about school opening -- the best assessment is that it will be the second week in March. Leon will be moving along with repairs needed to the schools to make them ready for then. We figure that it will take at least three weeks of classes for all students who are returning to do so. Leon's estimate is that up to 20% of the Port-au-Prince population has moved to other cities or the countryside, so it is likely that some of our HOM students are in that population. But, it is also possible that they will return in due course. We expect that the next few months will be very fluid as far as the schools are concerned. There is no defined plan as to whether classes will go six days/week to make up the lost time or extend classes into the summer, or both.
Bill Glass, Haiti Outreach Ministries
February 10 Haiti Outreach Ministries update:
Haiti Outreach Ministries has posted new Port-au-Prince pictures on their Facebook page that show the work done to tear down some of the damaged Cite Soleil church wall. The roof remains standing, and the walls will be rebuilt to it. Also posted are pictures of patients for the Cite Soleil clinic -- where the HOM Haitian doctor and the Samaritan's Purse medical team are seeing approximately 150 patients each day. Photos of the church at Repatriote show its roof panels being removed. The trusses will also be removed in preparation for the demolition of the church (both Repatriote buildings have to be replaced.) Finally, a number of photos show scenes of damage and repair at Blanchard.
The major news is the progress in Cite Soleil in rebuilding the wall. Leon is rebuilding the section along the canal as a matter of urgency -- since it acts as a levee if the canal floods.
The Samaritan's Purse medical team is planning to be there with HOM for about two weeks. Assuming that commercial air service resumes on February 19, our own teams will start going in the following week.
HOM just shipped 60 family tents for temporary housing. Another shipment of tents heads down in a week.
February 3 Update from Bill Glass of Haiti Outreach Ministries:
An American relief crew with heavy equipment has begun working in Cite Soleil. This crew was brought in by Samaritan's Purse and offered to help. God willing, by the end of the week the debris will be removed from the compound (or at least the debris near the wall areas). There has been an offer to help rebuild the wall from a Samaritan's Purse team, as well. If that sorts out in their priorities, it would certainly help us restore security to the compound and provide a secure place for both shelter and other community assistance activities. A Samaritan's Purse team also began cleaning up the damage at the clinic in preparation for a Samaritan's Purse medical team working there.
With the continuing shift of commercial air service to later dates (now Feb 20 at the earliest), we will have to see how that impacts our ability to accommodate early team trips. The steps in bringing teams are:
1. Air service resumption
2. Team billeting materials arrive via shipments (air mattresses, solar camp lights, camp showers)
3. Access to sufficient food to support teams
4. Building materials
5. Team accommodations in place
6. Team support organization in place
We have the billeting materials heading down in a bit over a week. We are researching how to ship building materials in and always looking for local sources. The team accommodations set up will happen after the billeting materials arrive. The support organization will exist after air service resumes and our long term volunteers are in place to match up with the Haitian translators and leaders always there.
Here's some recent information provided by Jacky. She mentions school reopening possibilities toward the end of her comments. We are coordinating with donors for tents that may have to be used as temporary classrooms while repairs are being made.
Jacky's comments: About the school children we can shout:
" Eben Ezer!" So far we lost only one child of 3 years old from
Blanchard school. Blocks from his house fell upon him. Please
pray for this family whose other child, a second grader, lost a
finger under a block too during the earthquake.
No one of my knowledge was hurt among our High School students.
However, Sirius Patrick, and Sirius Evanie lost their Mom. Prophete
Jean Emmanuel lost his Mom too. They were vendors selling their
products down town Port-au-Prince when they were hit and died.
They found them under rubbles. Please pray for those young
people so the would not loose faith, specially for Prophete Jean
Emmanuel who is in great despair.
The Lord made provisions for our High School students. On
December 18-20 we held a successful retreat with 99 of them
( from 9th grade to university level ). I was inspired to organize
it earlier this year, normally we meet them in March/April around
Easter season. During that retreat we reinforced the need for
them to abide closer to the Lord and to sanctify their lives.
The left wing of the school in Cite Soleil where Yves Joseph has
his office was severely damaged. We will not be able to use it
for the rest of the school year. The small gate in the back of the
school where we used to welcome the Preschool and Kindergarten
children is unusable. The first grade class at the end of the other
building by the cafeteria has lots of cracks in it. We will need to use
another classroom. The wall of the kitchen fell. the ground (the floor)
of the toilet area is broken. A lot of repairs need to be done before
we can possibly restart School in Cite Soleil by the end of the month
of February or the first week of March.
The students and their parents are still under fear and traumatic
state three weeks after the earthquake. Many of them are facing
real challenges, like the loss of their houses and relatives. Since
January 12th, most of the parents don't have work to do and are
relying on humanitarian food to sustain their lives. Many of our
students and their parents are now in the countryside. They ran
there in the hope to secure their lives. Thousands of families fled
Port-au-Prince.
The Ministry of Education ordered that the schools in the Central
and the Northern departments where the earthquake didn't pass
be reopened on February 1st. That's a good move. Many and
many schools were destroyed in Port-au-Prince. The heads of the
ministry are doing an evaluation to be able to make decision for
the reopening of the schools in the department of West which
includes Port-au-Prince, Cite Soleil, Blanchard, etc...
Every one in Port-au-Prince who has a roof to rest, and has no
injuries in their bodies, legs and arms, can consider himself/herself
blessed beyond measure. We are absolutely very grateful to the
Lord for all His blessings, especially for His Peace.
Leon Dorleans' update on facilities damage January 30
The walls at Cite Soleil (C/S) and Repatriate need to be totally reconstructed from the foundation up. The one in Blanchard is partially destroyed, especially at the soccer field. The clinic at C/S, the children church and the adults' churches in Repatriate need to be demolished right away and reconstructed all over again when we have money to do so. The cafeteria in C/S needs some minor repair. The two school buildings in C/S -- the older building needs some minor repairs, the newer one (the one built by Greg Benson) needs major repair. The church in C/S is very questionable at this time. Some people think that it could be repaired; others are saying that it can not be repaired. We need to have a more skilled engineer to tell us what really needs to be done with that building. The caretaker building in C/S needs to be demolished right away.
The church at Blanchard needs minor repairs. The school at Blanchard needs fair amounts of repairs. Where the library building connects (joins) with the first school building , the engineer needs to give careful and technical attention to that part of the building. The store room at Blanchard (the one that is located behind the church building) had been a big danger to many lives. Thank God, we were able to convince the engineer and his crew to save that building. It is now under construction. The engineer and his crew are working very diligently to save that building as well the lives that were in danger by it. It is safe from being a danger at this time due to the repair works done to it so far. The FHM clinic and the Tech buildings in Blanchard are the only apparent buildings that do not need any repairs. Even at that, they need to be inspected by a more knowledgeable engineer before we could say they are really safe. I plan to have both buildings inspected by another engineer in the near future. The toilets and the septic tanks at C/S looked like they had some damages done to them under the ground. The ground is split big time around them and water was coming out of the ground around where they are located. We found the toilet seats in the C/S clinic totally broken and removed out of its place by the quake. The wiring at the clinic in C/S is out of order. The inverter needs to be fixed and the batteries seemed to be damaged. I think that's all the info I could remember for now. I hope I didn't leave anything out. This information is subject to change due to some minor quakes we continue to have from time to time. As I'm typing this note, I felt two minor quakes.
A CNN video shows a volunteer inspecting the Cite Soleil site with Pastor Leon. The site is being prepared to be a relief site for Samaritan's Purse. Watch the video here.
January 28 update from Bill Glass of Haiti Outreach Ministries
Leon Dorleans was not able to communicate the past couple of days because his satellite hookup wasn't working. He has been spending time with the engineers (about repairs) and Samaritan's Purse reps (about clean-up, relief and moving forward). While the scope of the damage to the buildings may not be as bad as we had thought, the costs involved in repairing or replacing them seem in line with our original estimate of $1M. The security walls at the Cite Soleil and Repatriote compounds will require far more to rebuild than they cost to build. Part of that is the passage of time and inflation and part is the need to rebuild them better - better foundations and reinforcement. While our buildings fared better than many, we are still going to have to bear in mind the now-released geological fault line that southern Haiti (runs over to Jamaica) lies on.
We are receiving donations for relief now and will open another account for reconstruction. The relief account will be directed at community relief and rebuilding, while the reconstruction account will provide for rebuilding of both the community and the HOM facilities. The banks are open but very difficult to deal with since so many people want cash (Imagine black Friday at the start of the Depression.) We will have to sort out how to deal with this. Please continue to pray for Haiti, its people, and the ministry. Please continue to tell the story of Haiti, its people and the ministry. Please pray that the resources will come to both help the community significantly recover and to rebuild the facilities HOM uses to serve God and the people.
January 26 Haiti update from The Outreach Foundation
Dear friends,
The Outreach Foundation is very grateful for the gifts that we have received in support of our partner in Port-au-Prince, Haiti Outreach Ministries (HOM). Those gifts so far have totaled nearly $100,000. All of these funds will go to the work of HOM in Cite Soleil, Blanchard, Repatriote and Ibo Beach.
On Sunday the congregations welcomed many visitors from the community to worship. The church buildings at Cite Soleil and Repatriote are not safe to use, so the people gathered outside on the soccer fields. 1500 worshipped at Cite Soleil where forty people responded to an invitation to give their lives in faith to Jesus Christ. God’s glory and grace are being revealed amidst the brokenness.
Daily food relief and housing of displaced people continues. The church grounds have become a kind of sanctuary for many who are homeless. More tents are on the way. Food is prepared in the compound for those now living there, and other food is taken into the communities to distribution points. The Mission of Hope U.S. medical team came to Blanchard again this weekend. They will be with HOM for a few more days before moving to another area. Youths are helping to bring older and less able patients to the team for treatment.
Your gifts are being used for immediate food and shelter for those in need and for supplies for the clinic at Cite Soleil. Gifts will also be used for a community-based housing replacement program. An initial effort will seek to build 250 simple, safe family homes at a cost of $5,000 each. A complementary program will address houses that can be repaired. Of course, separate from these efforts will be the need to repair and replace Haiti Outreach Ministries’ own damaged church, school and clinic facilities. Given the level of damage to the Cite Soleil school, one priority surely will be developing plans to accommodates students when schools can be reopened.
Leon Dorleans and Profaite met with a Samaritan's Purse representative on Monday, and Samaritan’s Purse will partner with HOM in Cite Soleil for relief distribution this Friday. HOM hopes to partner with Samaritan’s Purse in both near-term relief and long-term recovery activities. HOM staff are ordering supplies and working to put team dorms in place as soon as they can, hoping to begin repair and rebuilding efforts in February. Watch The Outreach Foundation’s website for more information about how teams can be of assistance.
Thank you for your prayers on behalf of Haiti – and for your gifts in support of Haiti Outreach Ministries and their efforts to show God’s love in word and deed amidst the loss and destruction of recent weeks.
About your gifts:
The Outreach Foundation will forward 100% of the resources that we receive to Haiti Outreach Ministries for their work in addressing the immediate and longer-term needs of those whom they are serving. Gifts may be marked “Haiti Earthquake” and sent to: The Outreach Foundation, 318 Seaboard Lane, Suite 205 Franklin, TN 37067. Gifts may also be made on-line. Those gifts are subject to a 5% transaction fee.
January 22 update
Bill Glass, chair of the Haiti Outreach Ministries board, spoke with Leon Dorleans last night on Skype.
There was another significant aftershock yesterday. He said that, not surprisingly, everyone is afraid to go into buildings.
The damage to HOM facilities is greater than initially thought. At Blanchard, the storage building - the one with the solar panels on top - has been seriously weakened. The corners - which provide the strength - are badly damaged. While the walls - blocks - are bad enough in terms of danger, the roof is a rebar reinforced slab, making it dangerous for anyone underneath it. So, at least for now it means that what is in the storage room is inaccessible. And it puts the solar panels and water tanks on top at risk. As well, both of the one story school buildings in Cite Soleil are damaged. The estimate of $1M in damage to our facilities seems realistic.
Again, not surprisingly, the city is at a standstill in terms of normalcy. The stores that are left can't open since no one will go into them to manage them. While I expect that capitalism will eventually prevail, it may not do so in a timely manner and we cannot expect the international aid effort to do much more than deal with the big damage (which we do not have). As a result, Leon and I agree that we will have to assume that we will need to ship in whatever we need. That will include meds for the clinic and teams, new solar panels, batteries and an inverter to replace the ones we will probably lose at Blanchard, other building materials (maybe everything except cement) and everything else. Since electricity is otherwise not available, I think that we have to hustle on the solar panels to ensure we have that at Blanchard.
Leon had no additional info about conditions and injuries, except that every time it shakes some damaged buildings fall. It has not yet rained there, so when the rain comes there will be other problems to deal with.
We have ordered a 10,000 sq ft tent and are looking for 40 x 40 ones plus the various items needed to set up spartan mission team accommodations. We hope to get that stuff shipped together in a couple of weeks. Since we need it now, we will have to bite the bullet and ship via CASCO.
MOH has been coming to Blanchard with more food (100 SHN boxes each day) and a medical team. So, in addition to the 31,000 meals passed out on Sunday, 2 days of 100 boxes = 36 x 200 x 6 = 43,200 meals. Dieu merci for SHN and the partnership we have had - it is a Godsend for the Haitians.
I am booked on AmAir to go down on 2/5 and spend time with Leon sorting out what the next steps will be. If current conditions - aftershocks - continue, then it is possible that AmAir will delay again. But, right now they are advertising the end of January, and I hope that I've allowed enough buffer to make it a do-able event. Once back I will get with the board re. what we should do. Rough order of magnitude, I think, it will be a phasing plan for teams to go - stressing that we need a steady effort and not a spike, setting up team facilities, getting resources ID'd for shipping, and setting up a plan of action for making our way through the community and our facilities. A note on that - Luc, Profaite and Denis have suffered damage to their homes. In the latter two cases, the homes are destroyed. I am deeply sympathetic to them and want to help. But, we have to appreciate that we cannot focus attention only on the leaders or even the leaders first. Our efforts have to treat everyone fairly…
At this point, the immediate rescue phase is pretty much over, the relief effort is working. Leon and the others have that in hand - and we have to be deliberate in organizing ourselves and teams for the long haul of reconstruction. As you talk to folks about this, please counsel patience and the need to sustain this reconstruction effort - which includes a steady effort of med teams to provide community care since the med system in Haiti has been hammered - for a very, very long time… As well, please convey to your churches, friends, and civic groups the same thing - that the initial outpouring of help will help feed and remove debris, but that bringing conditions back to even what they were will take far more. I think that the estimate for that for us of $1M for our own damage and seed money of $5M to start helping the communities is a reasonable estimate for now.
Sending stuff to Haiti. We've been asked many times about how to get material goods to Haiti. It is expensive and difficult. My request of all who want to send collected items is, instead, to have a yard sale and send the cash down. Even if the items are useful, they carry with them shipping and storage costs and may not be what is needed right now. However, a host of yard sales converting stuff into cash would be exceptionally helpful.
The good news remains that the deaths in our areas have been far fewer than other areas. We know, still, of only two HOM students who were killed in the quake - out of a population of about 1250. That number may still climb as information is assembled, but it remains an exceptionally bright spot for us. The other good news is that the needs are clear and the direction relatively evident. We just need to have the perseverance, patience and courage to continue with our Haitian brothers and sisters. So, in addition to constantly lifting them up in prayer, we should pray for ourselves and our North American friends to have the necessary perseverance, patience and courage. The CNN crews will leave. The current political will abroad in our country and the world will fade, but we must settle in for the duration - which is likely the rest of our lives for many of us.
Bill Glass
January 19 update from Luc at Haiti Outreach Ministries
Hello friends,
I know it has been frustrating not hearing from me the last couple days. I have been out mostly coordinating some efforts to ministering to the people in the Blanchard areas as well as family members and relatives. So far we are doing the best we can with food and water distributions, but still in serious need for medical attention, which we are working on. Let's pray that the commercial flights will resume so our partner missionaries can get down to help out. Things are horrible here in every way beyond what can be seen on any TV news.
On a more personnal basis, things are getting worse as Leon and I are facing great difficulties to get diesel/gas to run back and forth in reaching out and coordinating our ministries to the people. It is the same thing for our diesel generator. We want to provide as much as water we can to the communities but no diesel is available. We were lucky yesterday to for both Leon and i to get 5 gallons each of us in black market.
We will continue to work hard as the Lord allows. Please continue to pray and look for ways to stand with us as we want to make the best of every opportunity to show the people and grieving families that they are not alone and the Lord will never give up on them. Expect more pictures and updates as electricity (generator/gas) allows.
This picture above is of worship at Cite Soleil on Sunday. The church is now meeting on soccer field because the auditorium is no longer safe.
Luc
January 15 update
Haiti Outreach Ministries is already at work serving those affected by the recent earthquake. Their plans for this continuing work include:
1. Relieve immediate suffering. Tents will soon arrive to assist with emergency housing needs.
2. Restore daily clinic operations for primary community medical care.
3. Restore the ministry’s schools in order that they will be able to support classes when the government reopens the schools.
4. Help individuals rebuild their lives and resume their livelihoods through the HOM microloan program.
5. Repair and rebuild HOM facilities in order to sustain long-term activities in the communities. Teams will be needed for rebuilding efforts.
6. Resume and expand HOM’s housing repair and rebuilding program. This program provides basic houses for families at a cost of about $5,000.
PC(USA) missionary Sharyn Babe is recovering in Florida after being airlifted from Haiti. If you would like to send notes of prayer, support and care, use the following address: Sharyn Babe c/o Presbytery of Tropical Florida, 440 E. Sample Road, Suite 208, Pompano Beach, FL 33064. Sharyn’s husband Rodney is still looking for a way to travel from Haiti to the U.S. to be with her. Pray for them.
January 15 update from Leon Dorleans in Port-au-Prince:
I plan to take an engineer friend with me today to visit all of our compounds to get some input from him as to what we need to do with our buildings.
We desperately need some large tents and a team to put them up in Blanchard, Cite Soleil and Repatriate. We need to do that right away and work on our walls at the same time. Our people are in great need of medical assistance, food and home repairs.
The city doesn't give us any electricity since Sunday. We've been using energy from the solar power. It doesn't seem like it would last for too long. I tried to visit Ibo Beach yesterday and was forced to come back because of the road condition. I plan to try again later on today. We're OK but Haiti as a whole is in terrible condition.
God still in control. We trust Him to see us and the people of Haiti through this ordeal.
Happy to serve the Lord with you in Haiti.
Leon & Jacky
January 14 update from Leon Dorleans in Port-au-Prince:
We're doing fine but very concerned for our brothers and sisters who lived around us. The situation is very critical as most people are living with lots of fear thinking that the last days are in. Some people heard on the news that this ordeal would last 'till Friday. That doesn't help their behavior at all for too many of them are so emotional and not being able to think for themselves on how to best live the moment. I'm truly moved with lots of compassion for them.
No one wants to get close to their homes for fear of death, except crazy guys like me, thinking that their house would fall on them. We have over three millions people living in Port-au-Prince most of them have been sleeping on the streets since the warning. I'm sure some of them would continue to do that even beyond Friday, the supposed last day of the quake, for fear of death.
Our churches, schools and clinic buildings have all suffered much damage. Two out of the four churches, Cite Soleil church and Repatriate churches, are nonfunctional. Those buildings are still standing up but look very unstable, unsecured for worship. I haven't been able to visit Ibo Beach yet . I plan to do that today. I will send more information to you after I visited Ibo Beach.
Cells phone are practically dead except for one company (Haitel) which I don't do business with for years since the other providers come on the scene. Gas is very scared and very expensive. One gallon of gas cost as much as $12.50 (U.S. dollars) in some places yesterday. Some people are taking advantage of the situation to practice black market. Markets aren't open; food is scarce, expensive and rare, gas stations aren't open either. Water trucks are not delivering water. Schools and businesses are closed. It was a very unusual day in Haiti yesterday. It sounds like what John talked about in Revelation is begging to be a reality at least for a short time in Haiti.
Yesterday, I was able to visit several families in their homes. Their situation demands much attention. Many houses are destroyed; some need major repairs, lots of them need to be totally rebuilt. So far we've registered five deaths in the three churches that I visited and many injured people. In the case of the Repatriate church, the quake started while they were having 278 people showed up for Bible study and prayer. Many people were injured while trying to run to save their lives. It was a sad thing to see. One young boy, about 8 years old, died from a fallen wall while getting ready to go to church. Several got injured.
Our church compounds (Cite Soleil and Blanchard) are being used as places of refuge, away from the danger of any houses and trees that could fall on the people. Thank God for the soccer field in C/S as well as the one in Blanchard. Both being used as camping grounds for the people in the community.
Some of you might remember Boselor, known to some of you as Bosie, he was found dea yesterday inside a class room with several other students where he used to go to school. Another college student from Blanchard church was also found dead in a class room in Port-au-Prince. I heard of couple more from Cite Soleil church but I've been able to confirm that information yet. Expect to hear more about from me.
The total people that have been injured and died from the quake couldn't possibly be known by any one person or agent. I heard reports anywhere from 50,000 - 100,000. I don't know how many but I've seen too many dead bodies on the streets of Port - au - Prince yesterday. It was a very sad and provocative day of my life. I seriously question our government's ability, specially their possibility and capability to help with the situation even half way decent.
We called for an all leaders' meeting for this coming Saturday to find out together how we're going to be and do church in the months to come. We have so many needs to meet both physical and spiritual, we don't know for sure where and how to begging. We don't know for sure where we're going to meet for worship, especially with the C/S and Repatriate folks. We recommend that several large and big tents be sent right away to help momentarily with the situation. In C/S we normally have between 2,200 -2300 in worship every Sunday. The tents need to be big enough to hold at least 1,500 people. We need two for C/S church. We need two others that could hold at least 600 and 200 each to use in Repatriate.
We thank God for giving Allen & the Obrians , the inspiration to build the soccer field in C/S that is now being use as a camp ground, a refuge place, a place away from any danger of being exposed to fallen houses and walls. For all practical reason, the soccer field could be used and a place of worship but we need tents large and big enough to accommodate the people that we have. Most likely, based on historical facts, we would have more people coming to know the Lord as their Savior or coming back to the church as result of this ordeal. We need to be ready and be prepared to receive and welcome them. The sooner the better.
We hope to meet together this week end as a group of leaders to find out what we should do to minister both spiritually and physically to the people that the Lord has entrusted to us. Needless to say that your prayers as well as your financial assistance and that of your friends are needed for your brothers and sisters who are living in Haiti.
Palms's water project is nonoperational at this time due to the wall that felt on the building and destroyed some of the installation. Moreover, the building that the project was in is half destroyed by the wall that collapsed right on it. It was very sad to see that yesterday.
We have a situation in C/S and Blanchard where water is coming up from the ground because of too many splits (cracks) in the ground. The wells in Repatriate are over flowed with water. Water is coming up through the pipes into the streets like a spring. It looks very dangerous.
The only decent building that we now have in C/S is the cafeteria and the second school building built by Ferdie's group six or seven years ago. All other buildings in that compound are questionable for future usage. The walls in C/S and in Repatriate are totally destroyed. There is no security whatsoever in those two compounds. The sewing machines in C/S are all destroyed.
Blanchard's buildings look very good except for a large crack that we saw between the library building and the hall way that connects the second floor of that building to the library. I plan to invite couple engineers, after the situation is over, to see if there is any way we could restore and secure all of our buildings for good usage in the future. The situation is called for immediate action both for the physical and spiritual needs of the people.
Please stay in touch. I will have more to share with you as the situation is developing.
In the service of the King, together with you on behalf of our brothers and sisters in Haiti,
Leon & Jacky Dorleans
