Drs. Don & Mary Jo Calebaugh relate this touching story from Haiti

A couple of years ago, I wanted to buy a motorcycle. My wife said I could if we sponsored a couple of kids through International Child Care Ministries. This was a no brainer for me: for $42 a month for both kids, I could go riding.

Our next task was to go to the ICCM web site and pick our kids. After viewing lots of available kids, I said we should pick two children from Haiti since it was closest to the USA and we might someday get there. My wife looked at me doubtfully.

Shortly after the Haiti earthquake, my wife and I (both physicians) were urgently asked to join a 9-person Haiti Medical Disaster Relief Mission trip to a small hospital in Dessalines, Haiti that is sponsored by the Free Methodist Church. The medical members of the team came from all over the USA and we all were humbled by the support help of our respective hospitals. We were able to procure thousands of dollars of medicines, supplies, and surgical stuff, plus two new oxygen generators to be taken with us to Haiti. The airlines waived the weight and baggage limits, and the 9 of us arrived with 44 suitcases packed with medical supplies for the hospital.

The work there was hard and difficult but fulfilling. At lunch on day, I was sitting next to some Haitian visitors from a rural area. When they mentioned where they were from, it sounded familiar and indeed, it was the area where our sponsored kids lived. We had taken our documents and photos from ICCM and when we showed these pictures, they not only knew our kids, but would bring them to us the next day.

They arrived the next day on a “tap-tap” (a pick-up truck with seats) along with their school master. We all had a great lunch together. We learned about the local environment, living conditions of the family and the children’s schooling. We gave our kids some Yankee ball caps and Payday candy bars and had some pictures taken.

We know for a fact that International Child Care Ministries is real, it works, and the funds go right to the kids and school programs as advertised. With so much money going into Haiti and not knowing where it winds up, when asked how people can help Haiti, I tell them to contact ICCM and support a couple of kids. The money goes to support the kids, their families and their Christian education.

When my wife and I left for Haiti, our local newspaper interviewed us as to what impact we expected to have on this medical relief trip. We knew the situation was immense, but we reflected that we needed to give our help, face to face, one patient at a time. So it is when sponsoring a child: one-on-one, one child at a time.

Our love and support to the Haitian people,

Don and Mary Jo Calebaugh, MDs
Binghamton, New York

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Days after the January 12 earthquake devastated Port-au-Prince, I met with the Haitian superintendents to determine the priorities for Free Methodist response. A steering committee of six Haitian pastors and one North American missionary was empowered to manage the response according to these priorities.

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.

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from Pastor William Kirchhofer Clifton, NJ, Crossroads FMC

Water will gush in the wilderness and streams in the desert. Gladness and joy will overtake them and sorrow and sighing will flee away.
Isaiah 35: 6b, 10b

Poverty, disease, starvation and then on January 12, 2010, the earth shook. Now death, destruction, loss and grief join the brokenness that is Haiti.

On February 21 we step out of our cocoon into the devastation of Port-au-Prince. Hungry people and collapsed buildings line the streets. Fragile tent cities arise amid the rubble. The entire country is in shock and grief.

Who can rebuild the rubble? Who can heal the brokenhearted? Can there be streams in the desert? Can the prophecy of Isaiah 35 be fulfilled?

We arrive at Marchand Dessalines, and we join a team of four doctors and one nurse for a week of ministry at the Claire Heureuse (Dessalines) Hospital. Our assignment is to minister to the emotional and spiritual needs of the patients. We are at ground zero.

We move through the wards patient by patient:

• A five-year-old girl in the midst of an epileptic fit is healed through prayer.
• A woman who lost four children in the earthquake is comforted and converted.
• Many others are converted throughout the week.
• A 9-month-old baby who had been drinking only sugar water for three days is given milk to drink. The mother is converted.
• A woman dying of cancer is prayed for and comforted as Jesus takes her home.
• A woman dies as we pray for her. Several others die.
• The gospel is preached as the patients gather in the outdoor chapel at 6:30 a.m. each morning waiting for the clinic to open.
• An alcoholic repents and is given food for the first time in several days.
• Many patients receive grief counseling.
• Food is distributed at the hospital to about 80 people.
• A two-month-old baby whose mother died in the earthquake is adopted by her aunt who was converted.
• The week ends with a funeral service for a young woman who died in the earthquake; the family receives closure, and the healing process begins.

As we pray, give sacrificially and go, the prophecy begins its fulfillment. Healing and renewal come to the broken and grieving. Then suddenly one day the prophecy will be complete: Jesus will return and the desert of this world will become a spring eternal, and sorrow and sighing will flee forever away.

Team Haiti 2010
Pastors Willie & Daisy Kirchhofer, Carlos Rodriguez & Matthew Saldarini

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Three Brazilian leaders traveled to Haiti Mon., March 1, taking donations and tents. Venezuela also joined the countries sending an offering for the relief and recovery efforts.

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)

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Dr. Dan Snyder, Dessalines Hospital – Saturday, February 13

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.

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From Bishop David Roller’s Blog 2/24/2010

Something about this earthquake in Haiti touched us at a primal level… It felt like the brokenness of the creation had heaped its shards on this resilient people. How could a people so accustomed to sorrow survive one more devastating blow? As if lawlessness and corruption weren’t enough, and deforestation and poverty weren’t enough, and the hurricanes and hopelessness weren’t enough…now an earthquake to grind home the lesson; the creation is broken and groans for healing and well-being. And there stands Jesus, the healer, the restorer, the first-fruit of God’s plan of full redemption. And there stand Jesus’ people, we who proclaim that the Kingdom of Heaven has indeed drawn near; we who live out the values and behaviors of that kingdom even as we live in this broken kingdom.

Free Methodist from nearly 20 countries have responded to the earthquake, living out those values and behaviors. I’ve been privileged to observe and participate as God’s people have sacrificially sent money to assist their Haitian brothers and sisters. At last count we had received over $840,000 dollars toward the relief and recovery effort. That’s an amazing effort in the middle of a world-wide economic recession!

I have personally been back to Haiti twice since the earthquake and will return this coming weekend, along with a team to continue the oversight and plan for the future.

Let me keep you up-to-date on the process and progress of the response. This may be too much information for some, but others will be interested:

Regarding the Decision-making Process:

1. The Haitian superintendents team, with input from me, crafts the major contours of the response; we decide what the major components of the relief and recovery should look like.

2. A Response Steering Committee was set up on February 5th. Composed of 6 Haitian leaders and 1 American missionary this committee makes the decisions regarding priorities. They “steer” the response so it can accomplish the major goals set by the superintendents.

3. Then the implementers in Haiti, led by Jean Marc Zamor and Rick Ireland, put the plans into action. They are both on the steering committee and they are the link to those “on-the-ground.” They are charged with executing the response plan.

4. Accountability and control links are built into all 3 levels.

Regarding the Funds:

1. Early on we decided to make this a coordinated response. Even though funds are coming from various sources and through various channels (Int’l Childcare, Help Haiti Heal, Operation Hope, Bishops’ Famine and relief, Canadian and Dominican FMC, and others) we are spending through a coordinated disbursement budget that comes from Haiti. This helps us avoid the possibility of over-responding to some needs and under responding to others.

2. A disbursement budget was built on Feb 5th, anticipating eventual donations of 1.4 million dollars, broken into three components:

   • $150,000 – Phase 1 Immediate Relief (food, water, tents, etc)

   • $450,000 – Phase 2 Mid-term Recovery (food, tents, hygiene kits, medical, school kits, etc)

   • $850,000 – Phase 3 Long-term Reconstruction (rebuilding of schools, houses, churches)

3. These “Phases” have more to do with timing than with content. That is, relief activities continue well into phase 2, and will probably need to extend into phase 3.

4. Even as I write this we’re reacting to the ever-changing context in Haiti and are modifying the above budget. We have built the budget so it is scalable and flexible. We’re hoping that people continue to remember Haiti in the next months and years, even though the news media forgets.

Regarding the Progress:

1. Funeral services were held on Tuesday, February 23rd on the mission property in Port-au-Prince for the 4 who died in the guest house. We continue to grieve, but not as those who have no hope. These four died in the “line of sacrifice.” Many more Free Methodists died but we do not have an accounting yet. Due to major relocation of people, it’s impossible to know who may have died and who may have traveled to the countryside.

   Jack Munoz is in Texas and healing well. Katie Zook is in Washington and healing well. Madame Desvariste (supt Desvariste’s wife) had a successful 7-hour surgery on Tuesday in Miami and is expected to need months of rehabilitation.

2. Much has been done to evaluate and prioritize the buildings; determining which must be demolished and which can be rebuilt. Some structures have already been rehabilitated.

3. Free Methodist work teams have begun to re-enter Haiti. Please contact the VISA office for orientation if you have a team interested in going and register for the training at Haiti Visa Training. Keep in mind that the situation in Haiti continues to involve high risk and teams will want to approach the possibility with a frank acknowledgment of the risks.

4. Funds have been distributed from day 2 (Jan 13) to enable people to buy food, water, medicine. We continue to distribute money as well as the items themselves. The Dominican church has been an important lifeline, taking numerous caravans of vehicles and supplies into Haiti. But in spite of our best efforts, we haven’t been able to do everything we need to do in a timely way. This is part of the reality of relief efforts.

5. A program to address children’s psychosocial needs is on the way. Training has been given to West District and South District staff so we can normalize at least one component of children’s lives.

6. The hospital in Dessalines initially saw an increase in patients and has treated many for free. The hospital has been very generous in their response to effected individuals, and medical teams from North America are also engaging through the hospital.

7. Tents are in short supply but we’re working every available option to provide temporary shelter (Brazil has a load going in, another shipment through Atlanta, etc). We know that long-term shelter will be needed.

8. Price quotes are being gathered to put together 2,000 hygiene kits (soap, bleach, toothpaste, etc) for distribution. They are expected to cost about $15 US per kit.

9. A grant program is being set up to assist pastor to buy the materials for temporary structures. Several groups have developed plans for inexpensive wooden structures with tin roofs that would provide a couple of 10 by 10 rooms at a cost of under $5,000. Other plans are being developed for more substantial homes.

10. Once the engineering team gives us a better idea of what needs to be done with the repairable pastors homes, a grant program to assist them is in the works

Thank you for standing by the Haitians in this hour of need. How I wish it were only an hour. Unfortunately it’s a long drawn-out crisis. Please continue to pray for stamina for all those involved. Relief workers are stressed, too. Our Haitian leaders are being worn out by the conditions and constant needs. And there is no end in sight. In fact, there is no end. We are still in the beginning stages of a epic struggle. Please continue to pray for God’s mercy.

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Sally Volz, part of the first medical team at Dessalines Hospital written to her church family – New Covenant FMC, Clio, MI

Bonjour from Haiti,

I would like to tell everyone what my days are like here:

We get up at about 6 a.m. We are fortunate to have water in the building and wash each day. Our team support staff, Denise, has already been up preparing a breakfast of toast and oatmeal with coffee. We discuss our goals for the day, individually and as a team. We are at the hospital for worship by 8 a.m. The service is in Creole and is organized by prayer topic; Monday the service is to pray and give thanks for missionaries in the field. Then we go to our specific clinic or job for the day. At 12:30 p.m. we again walk about three blocks distance, with children running at our feet, for our main meal of the day.

It is hard to see the hunger, even starvation, people are suffering in the hospital and on our walks. We are blessed. We walk back to the hospital and work until the clinics and follow-up care are completed, sometimes after dark. The streets are lit by small fires, candles and oil lamps. Only about four buildings in the whole town have electricity after dark. The nurses work with flash lights most of the night as the generator is only used for emergencies and surgeries. We appreciate the beauty of the stars and the moon. Many nights we have visitors to share our sandwiches and fruit. We have a group meeting. We pray, look to God’s Word and seek guidance and wisdom – solutions for meeting the complex needs of the hospital and community. The team is working on recommendations and a strategic plan to maintain the valuable health resource.

Most nights there is singing and music in the streets until the wee hours, even into the morning. Our fellow Christians in Haiti are the best examples of Christ’s love I have witnessed. An example is a couple at the hospital that have taken in an orphan from Port-au-Prince with severe shoulder injuries. They are both working but have no income. They have their own children at home. They are living on faith. This is a common story here now.

Please continue your support. Have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Humbly,
Sally

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Praise God Jack Munos arrived safely at his brother’s home in Texas where he will be staying for the remainder of his recovery.

Pray for individuals currently ministering in Haiti:

• Missionary Rick Ireland
• Medical personnel, including Drs. Dan Snyder, Joel Miller, Tim Dew and Jerry Rusher, based out of Dessalines Hospital
• Vahan Sipantizi, digging wells
• Team of six led by Jim Rowan (Texas) at Dessalines Hospital serving in maintenance/repair and medical
• Team of six led by Rick Stetner (Quincy FMC, WA) in Port-au-Prince, construction
• Team of four led by Eric Messer (CrossRoads FMC, Ottawa Lake, MI) providing an eye clinic for those who lost their glasses in the earthquake

Leaving this week:

• Team of 18 led by Ron Hansen (Arlington FMC, WA) leave Wed., Feb.17, for Port-au-Prince (one doctor will be based at Dessalines)
• Team of three engineers leave Thurs., Feb 18, to provide structural assessments

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Dr. Jerry Rusher, Member of Medical Team Serving at Dessalines Hospital

I want to share about a 15 year-old orphan boy who had been wandering the streets of Port-au-Prince when the earthquake occurred. His name is Mackendy. He was living off money made by wiping the windows of people stopping at stoplights and slept in the streets. He was thrown to the ground by the quake and fractured his left shoulder. He had no treatment until arriving here two days ago and was in quite a bit of pain. He will be staying with our chaplain, Hyrounce, until next week with his arm in a sling until an orthopedist arrives. The chaplain smiles as he tells how disorderly Mackendy is. He is used to being on his own and doesn’t do anything he is told. Pray that the love he receives while here will touch his heart and we will know what to do after he gets his shoulder fixed.

Many of the people injured in the quake are recovering, and we are not seeing so many now who have not had treatment. We are being kept busy with the usual medical problems of the Dessalines area, only with more of them than usual because of many quake refugees moving here. There has been a fair amount of quite sick people with typhoid fever and malaria and the usual frequent motorcycle accidents.

One of the really hard things to deal with is the increase in begging we are seeing. Many are having trouble finding food especially refugees. I hope some of the Port-au-Prince aid makes its way up here. I am using money I brought with me mainly for medical needs in the hospital and its hard to turn away the many asking for money for food. Generally it’s been the policy here to not give food to people begging on the streets or you will be inundated.

I have some really good news to share. Since I have been here I hadn’t had time to thoroughly evaluate Claire Marthe the witch doctor’s daughter who we treated for cancer last year. That is until today. She is feeling quite well and has gained 30 pounds. The tumor she had secretes human chorionic gonadotropins, which is what is present in the urine with a pregnancy test. So you know the tumor is gone when the pregnancy test becomes negative. We did a pregnancy test today and I began praising God when it came back negative. I reminded her of the time over a year ago when she came forward for the pastor to anoint her with oil and pray for her healing. She is being a real missionary in her community. Last Sunday she brought 4 or 5 children with her to church.

God has been good to us on this trip. Devotions with the chaplain have been especially good. I think our team felt like they got as much out of this trip as they gave to others. I think many of us were learning lessons of depending on God as we were stretched.

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Dr. Delia Nuesch-Olver oversees all our FMWM missionaries and work in Latin American including Haiti. She and Bishop David Roller co-chair the Haiti Response Team which is led by Pastor John Marc Zamor of Haiti with missionary Rick Ireland as administrator. Larry and Alice Judy, members of FOHO (Friends of Haiti) provide logistical support and Dr. Dan Snyder oversees FM work at Dessalines Hospital.

The team of seven in Haiti who are overseeing relief, recovery and development efforts include: John Marc Zamor; Rick Ireland; Haitian superintendents Clovis, Desvariste and Clodius; Haiti ICCM Field Coordinator Mondale Perkins Oscar and Pastor George Valcourt.

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