Teams: Keith Snyder of the Edgewood FMC, Rochester, NY, and 15 others will celebrate Thanksgiving Day in Haiti this year. This team will construct a new school in Jessome, Nov. 20 to 28. Edgewood FMC has been involved in all phases of the project, from preliminary-site planning to the school design and now the construction of the building.

Mike Bootland, Polson Park FMC, Ontario, Canada, travels to Dessalines, Haiti, to help with hospital renovations and repairs. His travel dates are Nov. 1 to 15.

Jeff Nault is leading a team of 13 from Ontario, Canada, to Haiti, Oct. 19 to 29. This team will be doing construction work in Mapou.

Pastor Nelson Brandymore, Coldwater, MI, is leading a team of five to Dessalines, Haiti, Oct. 20 to 23. This is an advance planning team for a larger team that will work next year on rehabilitating a building for vision/dental clinics.

Gene and Kelli Page, Lapeer FMC, MI, are leading a team of 15, April 2 to 9, to Haiti. This team is involved in ministry through maintenance on the properties in Dessalines. Among other supplies, the group has carried in water filters for area families.

Richard Poissant, Canada, travels to Haiti April 5 to 15. He will be doing general construction.

International Child Care Ministries
Mark Johnson, Meadowood FMC, CO, has traveled to Haiti this week to assist the International Child Care Ministries office in setting up a functioning computer network in Port-au-Prince. He will also teach the staff in how to use the new database. Mark returns Tues., April 12.

The cholera problem was identified as a major problem in the area around our hospital in Dessalines on a Friday and by Sunday we had mobilized a team of Haitian doctors, nurses, and community workers to go into the impacted area. The medical people helped the overworked staff at the hospital and the community workers went into the impacted area and passed out the 50,000 fliers with information on how to protect yourself from cholera and what to do if it strikes. The report I got back from Dr. Jerry Rusher, an American doctor, was that the Haitian team made a big difference. We didn’t stop the epidemic but we did do what we could do.

“So what do you do when faced with an impossible task? The Haitian church is planning a country wide education campaign. There are things one can do to prevent cholera and other things to do if it strikes that will increase your chance of survival. In the weeks ahead the churches will be very busy trying to help their communities. That’s what they can do. The church here long ago learned that you have to trust God for what is beyond you.

You might be wondering what you can do. First, please keep Haiti lifted up in prayer. It faces significant challenges as it rebuilds from an earthquake, a cholera epidemic, and a hurricane. If you want to do something a bit more hands-on, you might consider a donation toward clean water. For $50 you can buy a water filter that can help several families have safe water to drink. Just send your donation to Free Methodist World Missions, PO Box 535002, Indianapolis, IN 46253-5002 and mark your check, ‘Help Haiti Heal water filters.’ Another excellent way to help would be a donation to Clear Blue Global Water Project . This organization is actively drilling wells in many parts of the world, including Haiti. You can also donate to them by sending your check to Free Methodist World Mission and marking it ‘Global Water Project.’ The fact that you can’t do everything should not stop you from doing something.”

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Wednesday started like any ordinary day here. Little did I know how drastically things were soon to change. Crowds of people descended on the hospital carrying their family members who were terribly sick with severe diarrhea and vomiting. Some were in shock and unresponsive. Many had already died in the area where this epidemic started. Soon IV’s were going everywhere, all beds were filled, and we were running out of floor space. The people were terrified because this disease struck so quickly and severely … The last three days has been a nightmare with everyone being exhausted. Care for the other patients without cholera has been limited and we sent many home because the nursing staff was unable to keep up with the demands. So far only one cholera patient that made it to us alive has died, but many were very close.

Teams: A three-person team from the CrossRoads Community Church, Ottawa Lake, MI, will be involved in maintenance work at the hospital in Dessalines, Haiti, Nov. 2 to 9. Eric Messer is the team leader.

Ian Van Norman will lead a team of four from the Calgary FMC, Alberta, Canada, to continue reconstruction on the Greffen School in Haiti, Nov. 2 to 16.