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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Standing in rubble Sunday morning, I had the honor of preaching at one of our Free Methodist churches. The church and school buildings were unsafe so we met under a tarp in the school’s patio. Surrounded by unbelievable pain and destruction and odor and bugs and thirst and hunger, it was very moving to join with our Haitian sisters and brothers in singing, “For I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able …”

We attempted to bring words of comfort and hope and arranged to have water delivered. A team from the Dominican Republic will continue to deliver water and food to people from the church and neighborhood we visited for the foreseeable future.

Some reflections from members of the team after visiting downtown Port-au-Prince this afternoon:

Flattened … It looked like a nuclear bomb had gone off … Total, breathtaking destruction beyond any kind of description. Overwhelming … People burned, still alive. Sorrow …Visible decaying bodies. Smell … Hard to process the suffering. And finally: “The pictures you’ve seen in TV are not true; it is much worse.”

There was an aftershock this afternoon. We fear unstable buildings may no longer be standing.
Alice Judy had asked her husband, Larry, (one of our team members) to find out whether their friend Bill was alive. Larry asked around to anyone he thought might know. No one had heard from Bill since the earthquake, and Larry was increasingly concerned. Today as we returned from church Larry was sitting in the back of an open pick-up truck. Suddenly, Larry heard his name called out and saw his friend Bill waving at him animatedly. Bill and Larry hope to connect again tomorrow. In the midst of so much sadness, devastation and masses of people in this capital city, this felt like a wonderful moment to all of us.

On Monday the team will divide in three. We will start work again at 6 a.m. Ken LaBelle will continue doing building inspections. Dr. Dale Woods and I will meet for a third strategy meeting with the Haitian leaders, after which I will visit schools and pastors with Andy Yardy. Meanwhile Dale will fix generators to make it possible for the ICCM central office to start functioning again.

Be wise in your giving toward Haiti. We have seen people from international organizations jumping out of cars for a quick photo shoot, and then speeding away with their media material. I recommend the Bishops Famine and Relief Fund and the Help Haiti Heal fund.

Thank you for your prayers for Haiti and the Haitian people.

The team was one hour away from the Haitian border. They experienced minor vehicle troubles which have been resolved. The team is traveling in a three vehicle convoy – one truck with the team and the other two trucks with Dominican Free Methodists. The trucks are loaded with relief supplies such as water, fuel and emergency provisions. As soon as the team arrives in Port-au-Prince, they will meet with Haitian church leaders to continue relief efforts. The team is doing well and asks for your continued prayers.

The five persons team includes FMWM’s Director of Mobilization, Area Director for Latin American Ministries, FMCNA’s videographer, a structural engineer, and a long-time FOHO (Friends of Haiti Organization) leader. The “A” team will be on the ground in Port-au-Prince until the Tuesday (26 Jan 10).

Priority will be given to:

• evaluating the structural integrity of the standing schools because they can serve as temporary housing and relief centers.
• connecting with aid and government distribution points for water, medicine, food and temporary shelter.
• creating a plan for effective deployment of relief teams.

Team A
FMWM is sending team “A” on Thursday (21 Jan 2010), via Dominican Republic, to evaluate, prioritize and establish a rudimentary infrastructure for relief. The “A” team will be on the ground in Port-au-Prince until the following Tuesday. Priority will be given to:

• evaluating the structural integrity of the standing schools because they can serve as temporary housing and relief centers.
• connecting with aid and government distribution points for water, medicine, food and temporary shelter.
• creating a plan for effective deployment of relief teams.

Team “A” is five persons: FMWM’s Director of Mobilization, Area Director for Latin American Ministries, FMCNA’s videographer, a structural engineer, and a long-time FOHO (Friends of Haiti Organization) leader.

Team B
At the same time, team “B,” focused on medical relief, will be working from Dessalines Hospital (four hours north of Port-au-Prince). Many injured are being transferred there. This team “B” will be working through northern points of entry into the country.

Team C
Next in the sequence are “C” teams: relief teams from FM churches. It’s a testimony to our people that many are volunteering to serve. What a wonderful people, these people called Free Methodists! Several teams already had tickets (even before the earthquake) and are awaiting resumption of commercial flights into Port-au-Prince. But, as you can imagine, we must have a way to keep “C” teams housed, fed and usefully deployed (vehicles, communication, etc) or it will be a waste of money and energy.

We ask that you honor the following process for “C” teams:

1. all teams coordinate through FMWM’s VISA office.
2. all teams have VISA insurance (trust me, the insurance saves lives – we can’t be coordinating with individual insurance companies).

Team D
Then, the first week of February, the “D” team, made up of Canadian Bishop Keith Elford, Dominican Republic Bishop Cecilio Osoria, and me (U.S. Bishop David Roller) will go to coordinate leadership and relief between all four countries.

Please continue to pray for Haitian superintendents (Clovis, Delamy, Charite, Devariste, Clodius, Bathelemy). Those most directly involved are emotionally drained and near the breaking point. Also remember Linda Adams and her ICCM team – they carry a heavy burden too. Pray for “A” and “B” teams; they have planning and packing to complete, shots to get, and perhaps some fear.

Stateside, this has been Free Methodist World Mission’s finest hour. I know the focus is Haiti, not North America, but I have to say this: they have responded in the most noble, most Christ-like ways. They scrambled all resources, personal and institutional. They laid aside every convenience, they didn’t sleep, they didn’t eat. For nearly seven days they have had telephones glued to their ears – evacuating personnel, developing multiple plans, juggling possibilities, consulting with experts, challenging the giving church. Even though they didn’t have enough information (much was unclear those first few days), they did not hesitate, and then made a thousand mid-course corrections. Only God will know how to reward you. The church simply thanks you!

Updates from Haiti

News continues to trickle about ICCM staff, friends, facilities, and conditions in the area of Haiti affected by last Tuesday’s 7.0 earthquake. Here is a synopsis of news about ICCM concerns to date:

- ICCM Field Coordinator Mondale Perkins Oscar is alive and unharmed. However, he, like most, have lost everything and are living in temporary shelters.

- Many other Haitian church leaders and ICCM staff have been found alive. All Haitian Free Methodist superintendents in the affected area are alive and well. Photo: Bishop Roller with several Haitian church members

- ICCM sponsors over 8,900 children in Haiti,1,867 of which live in the Port-au-Prince area. Specific information about their safety is still not accessible.

- The ICCM Office, Parc Chretien FM Church and ICCM School (HA500), all located together in Port-au-Prince, are damaged but standing. We do not know about ICCM’s 52 other school buildings across the island.

- The Friends Of Haiti Organization (FOHO) building, adjacent to these other facilities, collapsed.

- VISA volunteer Katie Zook and missionary Jack Munos were rescued from the rubble of the FOHO building within a few hours. Both are in ICU but stable and improving in Miami, Florida area hospitals. ICCM Director Linda Adams has been making personal visits to Katie and Jack.

Jeanne with Vanderlin- Missionary Jeanne Acheson-Munos, Merle West and Gene Defour were in the FOHO building when it collapsed but their bodies have not been recovered after nearly a week of rescue efforts. They are considered missing and presumed not alive. We grieve deeply with their families and friends. Jeanne, from Indianapolis and known to many in our U.S. ICCM office, was a tireless advocate for Haitian children and real ambassador for ICCM.

- U.S. Free Methodist Bishop David Roller visited the site of the collapsed FOHO facility on Saturday. After rescue efforts ended, Bishop Roller held a brief memorial service for Jeanne, Merle and Gene. When it is possible to recover their remains, these will buried near the site. Video excerpts of that memorial service at at this link.

- Bishop Roller delivered needed relief supplies at ICCM School HA500, which has been used as a relief shelter site. He spoke words of encouragement and solidarity to many Free Methodists and friends who gathered.

- Free Methodist Media Director Andy Yardy was with Bishop Roller in Haiti and is returning to the U.S. today with insightful video, some of which is posted at the Free Methodist Haiti response website: www.helphaitiheal.org.

How You Can Help

Please continue to join us in vigilant prayer for all who are affected by and responding to this natural disaster. May Christ’s love be conveyed in unsurpassed ways in the response.

ICCM is responding to this crisis through our Special Projects Fund. All donations to this fund at this time are being directed to Haiti relief and recovery (unless otherwise designated).

Relief supplies of water, Sawyer water filters, medical supplies, and food have already been delivered by Free Methodists. More is on the way and even more will be needed.

The Free Methodist Church is continuing to mobilize its response resources to be part of what is becoming a global compassionate relief effort.

You can follow developments, learn more about Free Methodist responses, our cooperation with other relief and recovery efforts, and consider personal involvement at www.helphaitiheal.org

ICCM is Twittering immediate updates on the situation in Haiti at www.twitter.com/intlchildcare

ICCM will continue to send updates via this special “ICCM Bulletin” to the sponsors and friends for whom we have e-mail addresses. You may also check our website – www.childcareministries.org – for information and other ways you can respond.

Eventually, Katie heard the familiar voices of friends and co-workers, digging in the rubble and calling out for her. Our Haitian friend, John Willair, who works for the mission was digging with his bare hands and praying for Jesus to show him where to dig. Eventually, more help came and after three hours Katie was pulled from the wreckage of the building. Our friend Dr. Dan Snyder was there to provide Katie with some initial medical care and transport her to the U.N. Hospital. Katie was Med-Vaced to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where she was treated in the U.S. Naval hospital and then rushed to her current location here in Ft. Lauderdale early Thursday morning. We have been holding vigil over Katie and sharing with her your expressions of love and support. Our Superintendent Matt Whitehead along with his wife, Melanie, happened to be in Florida for a working vacation and have been a great support to us.

Thank you for your overwhelming prayers and support for Katie and Jack Munos. Cards may be sent to them at:
     North Broward Medical Center
     201 E Sample Road
     Deerfield Beach, FL 33064

Personal visits are discouraged so that Katie and Jack will be able to have sufficient rest to heal as quickly as possible.

While in the city, a preliminary assessment of damage to International Child Care Ministries schools and churches was conducted while meeting with pastors in the area. Logistical questions were posed and some answered. What is needed? Where does it need to go? How do we get it to the people that need it the most? The questions were posed to those with the best understanding of the situation, those living there.

Below are pictures from the day. Check back later in the day. We will post a video of the days events.

Akron’s Channel 3 WKYC reports on the safe arrival of members of the Clear Blue Water project. The group, from Cornerstone Free Methodist Church, including Bruce Oberlin, Chris Browne, Dave Hornish and Melanie Brooks was in Haiti digging wells for the poor inhabitants that otherwise would not have fresh water when the Earthquake hit. The group was airlifted out of Haiti after completing repairs on 2 pumps and completing 2 new wells. Pastor Arron Swenson, lead driller, remains in Haiti, and will likely be returning to the States in a few days.

Clear Blue Water Project

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