Zook was in Haiti on a two-year mission with the Free Methodist Church where she was staying in the four story Friends of Haiti building that collapsed during the 12 Feb earthquake that devastated Haiti. Kelly Perkins was also in Haiti drilling water wells on a short term mission when the earthquake struck. He and others helped pull Katie from the rubble.
KTBV, Idaho News Channel 7 tells the story of Katie Zook’s rescue.
International Child Care Ministries Director Linda Adams frames challenges for children in post-quake Haiti. ICCM sponsors over 8,900 children and operates 53 schools in Haiti. Relief is the immediate need. Rebuilding is the longer-term challenge. Thanks for your prayers and support both now and in the hopeful days ahead.
For more information about International Child Care Ministries or to sponsor a child please visit ChildCareMinistries.org
As of Feb. 12, a total of $840,613 has been given through the Bishops Famine and Relief Fund, Help Haiti Heal, Operation Hope and International Child Care Ministries for Haiti relief, recovery and development needs.
Dr. Delia Nuesch-Olver, Area Director of Latin America, and Dr. Dale Woods, Director of Mobilization, report what is happening to the Haitian Free Methodist Church just 10 days after being devastated by the earthquake. Check out what they are doing to help and find out the ways you can help your brothers and sisters in Christ.
Katie Zook is one of the lucky ones who got out alive after the devastating earthquake in Haiti. She’s recovering in a Florida hospital and hoping to be back home in Arlington some time soon. It will take time for her body and mind to heal, but her spirit was never broken.
It was a very close call for her. Friends and strangers risked their lives and pulled katie from the wreckage. She was rushed to a hospital at the U.S. embassy in Haiti, then to Guantanamo’s medical clinic, then to Florida – all within 2 days.
“Hello? I see you,” says Katie Zook from her hospital bed near Fort Lauderdale, Florida. I reached her by Skype. The 22-year-old is recovering and remembering:
“I remember how dark that dark was when I was trapped,” she says looking off into the distance. “I have never been in dark like that before.”
Exactly two weeks ago, Katie was in Haiti volunteering as a missionary in Port Au Prince when her world crumbled.
“and there was this loud rumble like a jet headed straight for the building,” she remembers, “and then the building started moving.”
She had no idea of the massive devastation around her. Hurt and frantic, her co-worker Jack got out, but Katie did not.
“…and I could hear Jack screaming and every time there was an aftershock I heard everyone in the streets screaming.”
For hours she was one of many trapped under the rubble, curled up in the fetal position in darkness, but then:
“I had enough room around my right arm to grab the bottle and tap it against the table, so Jack could hear the tapping, but when I yelled he couldn’t hear me yelling so I gave up yelling and I just tapped…” she trails off.
The church’s Haitian driver John heard the tapping too, then started praying and digging.
National news coverage has reported what is happening in Haiti as a result of the Jan. 12 earthquake. On a more personal note, Director of Multimedia Andy Yardy has been to Haiti to film the impact of this disaster on the Free Methodist Church. The people are hurting. They are suffering. There is action we can take.
On Tues., Jan. 12, 2010, the FMC lost three missionaries in the earthquake that hit Haiti. Jeanne Acheson- Munos, Gene Dufour and Merle West were doing what they loved, working alongside their brothers and sisters in Haiti. Look at what is happening in Haiti and what we can do to help make their vision for Haiti a reality – Haiti for Christ.
This morning Bishop Roller and others from the relief team traveled to Port-au-Prince to deliver supplies and meet with church leaders. They met at International Child Care Ministries School 500 where hundred of survivors are huddled in a makeshift relief shelter. For them the trip, meant a lifeline of clean-safe water, food and fuel.
With profound sadness, Free Methodist World Missions reports Rev. Jeanne Acheson-Munos, Merle West, and Gene Dufour, the three missionaries who have been unaccounted for, have not been located and are now presumed to not be alive. Today, Bishop David Roller conducted a funeral service at the site of the building they were in which collapsed when Tuesday’s earthquake hit. These three individuals gave their lives in service to the Haitian people whom they loved deeply.
Rev. Jeanne Acheson-Munos, and her husband, Jack, were appointed as career missionaries to Haiti in March 2004. Together they worked alongside the national church to develop and strengthen the conference, pastors, church leaders and members. Jeanne’s deepest desire was that Haiti, the Pearl of the Antilles, would shine again with “Haiti for Christ” becoming a reality.
Merle West had been ministering in Haiti since 1978. He served as president of FOHO (Friends of Haiti Organization) and supervised construction of the new FOHO building. Merle was active in Craftsman for Christ and worked construction in the Miami Haitian churches. He also took three trips to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.
Gene Dufour had been on three trips to Haiti and one to Africa. Gene, along with Merle, was active in Craftsman for Christ and worked construction in the Miami Haitian churches. Gene and Merle were good friends, enjoying each other’s company and sharing a heart and love for Haiti.
Here is a short excerpt from a memorial service remembering those who were lost in the Friends of Haiti Organization Building Collapse.
We join with the whole world in grieving this tragic earthquake in Haiti. Our hearts and minds cannot imagine the level of devastation, and we fear the news of the next few days will compound our grief.
Volunteers and laborers in #Haiti are demolishing badly damaged ICCM schools and clearing away rubble to prepare for rebuilding.08:58:33 PM March 12, 2010from TweetDeck
Breaking news: ICCM learned today (Thurs, Mar 11, 2010) that all 130 children ICCM sponsors in Chile are safe and unharmed.09:53:38 PM March 11, 2010from web
#Haitian and International VISA Ministries teams partnering together have repaired 3 churches & ICCM schools, with more underway each week.07:20:45 PM March 10, 2010from TweetDeck
Through ICCM's Haiti Food Fund, a container with 270,000 fortified rice meals has arrived in #Haiti; distribution begins this week.06:50:11 PM March 10, 2010from TweetDeck
"..Touched by a loving heart, wakened by kindness, chords that were broken will vibrate once more." - Fanny J. Crosby01:01:30 PM March 09, 2010from TweetDeck