The full report can be reviewed in PDF format HERE.

DUTIES: Help in the ongoing assessments of selected FM churches and schools which remain standing following the January earthquake. Help prepare a brief report on findings and conclusions.

ELIGIBILITY: A qualified geotechnical engineer experienced in time-efficient field assessments. A team player who understands and is in full sympathy with the Christian basis for this work is needed for this mission.

MISSION DURATION: approximately one week.

TIMING: soon – to be arranged in consultation with the team leader. Interested individuals should email: conniek@fmcna.org.

Many helped make this happen but especially Healing Hands International.

Now we need money to go directly to drilling expenses (fuel, casing, bits, pumps, etc.) so that we can get as many wells as possible providing clean water this spring when the need is greatest. We are actively working on getting a shipping container of pumps directly from the manufacturer in India purchased and shipped to Haiti. These pumps are the critical piece for the ongoing delivery of clean water. We can get a limited supply of pumps in Haiti for about $1,000 each but if we buy in quantity directly from the manufacturer we hope to get the price significantly reduced.

Your gifts and prayers, and your willingness to contact others with this urgent and immediate need is vital. Clear Blue is a very lean operation, all volunteer. The gifts going directly to the needs, Please help us keep a steady stream of money going so there is no delay in the life-giving resource.

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More information on the Clear Blue Water Project please visit their website at www.clearblueproject.com.

Progress:

• Hundreds of water filters have been assembled and put in use; 1,000 more are being sent this week.
• A shipping container with 270,000 fortified rice meals has arrived; distribution will begin this week.
• ICCM staff and teachers are receiving emergency aid.
• Kids clubs are providing activities, exercise and nutrition for children in many school yards.
• A team of three structural engineers has assessed the damaged buildings and is making recommendations.
• American/Haitian work teams have repaired three churches/schools, with more underway each week.
• Haitian workers are demolishing structures that need to be torn down.
• Hundreds of tents are being sent.
• Some soccer balls, volley balls and jump ropes have been given out.
• School directors have received January and February support and gifts from ICCM along with sponsors’ letters to children.

Note to sponsors of Haitian children: Only Haitian children with sponsor numbers beginning with “HA5…” are among children living within the quake-affected area. If we learn that a sponsored child has perished or was seriously injured in the earthquake, we will contact their sponsor directly. Please continue to support your sponsored child unless you hear directly from us.

Yvonne and I spent last week in Haiti. Three nights we spent in tents in the rain worrying about the 1.5 million homeless, and for 3 days we were at a hotel with Haitian church leaders.

Relief and recovery is hard word and tears people apart. Partly because everyone is fatigued to the bone, one of the tasks is to keep the team together. Because the task is so huge hard decisions have to be made and no one can make everyone happy.

We’re working under Haitian superintendents team. Their decisions set our priorities. I think they’re doing an exceptional job.

We were able to spent a few moments alone at the graveside of Erlin, Jeanne, Merle & Gene. The bodies of the latter three were recovered by the U.S. military, positive identification was made through dental records and they were laid to rest on church property.

We now have a preliminary count of Free Methodists who died, in the western district, of about 100. Probably fewer died in the southern district, but still no count from them.

Of course, the Haitian leaders understood that by identifying these priorities there were other important things they would have to trust God to accomplish through other means. They have demonstrated great maturity by maintaining focus on the priorities despite the criticism of well-meaning people who think they should try to do everything.

Partnerships are being developed with other agencies so that Free Methodist relief funds are being leveraged to go farther. Resources are being used to help people help themselves and help others. With the relief funds you have generously contributed:

• Thousands have been vaccinated against typhoid and tetanus.
• Thousand of food kits have been distributed.
• Children’s clubs been started to assist with trauma counseling.
• Structural inspections have been conducted on schools, churches and homes.
• Haitian people have been hired to demolish damaged buildings.
• Grants have been made available for pastors and teachers to build temporary homes before the rainy season.
• Medical relief for victims of the earthquake has been provided at Dessalines Hospital.

All of these things have been delivered at a grass roots level – along with pastoral care. People have experienced healing and spiritual encouragement even though they are psychologically battered by the memories of the terror. Please continue to pray for the many people living in primitive conditions – including Free Methodist pastors and other leaders who are working tirelessly to minister to others.

Your funds at work:

1. Emergency funds are being used to purchase rice and oil to supplement distributions of free items acquired from various aid organizations.
2. A large number of doses to immunize for tetanus and typhoid have been acquired.
3. Resources are being used to relocate pastors and others who are living in refugee camps where people are surrounded by filth and the potential for disease is great. Three areas have been identified to set up secure camps with adequate sanitation.
4. Through the work of the Dominican Church, 80 shelterboxes will be received soon. These tents are larger and sturdier than many of the tents pastors currently have.
5. Plans are underway for demolition of FM churches and schools that cannot be repaired. These buildings pose a major safety threat if not demolished as soon as possible.
6. Grants are being made available to demolish and/or build temporary homes before the hurricane season.

Continue to pray for the Leadership Consultation taking place through Thurs., March 4 to strategize, pray and chart a course for the maturing Haitian Church.

Pray for these individuals currently ministering in Haiti:

• Missionaries Rick Ireland and FOHO members Larry and Alice Judy
• Medical/maintenance personnel, including Dan and DeeAnn Snyder, Cedric Johnson, Jerry Rusher, Greg Ingle, Garrett Stanley, Randy and Jane Wynn, and Jim Rowan, based out of Dessalines Hospital
• Vahan Sipantizi, with a team of 6, and Arron Swenson, digging wells
• Team of 18 led by Ron Hansen (Arlington FMC, WA) in Port-au-Prince
• Team of three engineers to provide structural assessments
• VISA Voyagers Russ and Sherrie Cole (Quincy, WA)
• VISA Affiliate Steve Hersey (Wilmore FMC, KY)

So here I am in Haiti…writing about the situation in Chile!

We have many churches in the affected area. This part of Chile is the birthplace of the FMC in Haiti. Early this morning 3 separate relief parties (1 truck each) set out from Santiago, each one with a specific destination city. They are carrying food, clothes, and supplies.

The Bishops Famine and Relief fund yesterday sent funds and then again this morning we’re sending more money.

I will be traveling to Chile on Monday, the 8th for a quick evaluation visit, along with bishop Jose Ildo from Brazil.

As many know, we lived in Chile for 10 years and so have many personal ties there. We are very eager to help in every way possible.

Perhaps the most helpful, immediate information I can share is the following note I received this morning from Free Methodist missionary Beth Gomez:

“Please keep the people informed. We have pastors and lots of other people living in tents or worse because their homes have been destroyed. Some people are completely out of touch with family members. Others, as you know, have passed away. Lots of people are without water and any kind of food. Supt. Sergio said he saw many are without clothing. What little people do have, others are stealing.Parts of Chile got hit with a 1-2 punch; earthquake and then tsunami. The few minutes that we had enough electricity to watch news last night, we heard that there is so much lawlessness now that some people say it is worse than the earthquake itself. We saw men guarding their homes with guns – in other videos neighbors were forming “armies” using rakes and hoes, brooms, whatever they had to try and protect their areas from the lawless. There is story after story to be told. It may be far away but it is very real. Please help the people see that and encourage them to keep praying!”

Thank you for all you’re doing for our Chilean church.

The latest information about what the Free Methodist Church is doing in response to the Chilean Earthquake can be found at HelpChileHeal.org

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We are seeing a lot of emotional trauma and misinformation. The country as a whole is spending three days in government-mandated time off and prayer. Preachers in the country are frequently preaching non-biblical messages. One example is: the reason the earthquake happened is because we as a Haitian people knew we lived in an earthquake area and should have built our homes with wood. But instead we ignored this and built with brick and iron, and God is punishing us for this. (In other words, we ignored “common sense” recommendations and God is punishing us.)

Pastor Robenson was in Port-au-Prince when the earthquake hit. He was waiting to meet with Jeanne (Acheson-Munos) when he received a phone call from his girlfriend asking him to meet her. … The earthquake hit as he turned to leave FOHO; he saw the building going down. His girlfriend is a nursing student, and only she and one other classmate who were not in the downtown school building survived – 85 died. Jean Castel, our hospital administrator of 23 years, lost his oldest daughter and multiple other family members. Leon, our accountant, lost six family members. Sydney, our pharmacist, lost 16 members of his family … and on. The hospital has set up a counseling program for any patient who arrives and agrees to see our chaplains.

I have only had interactions with a few staff members so far but none of them are sleeping well or functioning very well. I have never seen them like this. A huge support for them is going to be feeding, building construction and health care; however the pastoral staff also need their emotional and spiritual issues addressed. Basic education of the Biblical message concerning pain and suffering should be part of the process to thwart the misinformation circulating in country.

Dessalines was very busy the first 2-3 weeks treating earthquake trauma victims. We are now seeing mostly follow up patients and are shifting into the more routine care. The obvious problem is that many do not have funds for payment. These are in categories: first those who were in the earthquake and have lost everything and are living in the street or in a U.N. tent in Port-au-Prince or with a local family or friend, all of whom are coming for health care. Second are the local families themselves who are having to feed and support friends and relatives and are already broke due to the economic stress of this situation. The hospital earlier made an announcement that they would treat earthquake victims for free for one month.