from Bishop David Rollers blog

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.

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Update on Injured

Jack Munos’ condition has improved to the point he is being moved from ICU. Pray for his continued physical and emotional healing.

Katie Zook remains in ICU. Pray for her continued physical and emotional healing.

Superintendent Devariste’s wife, who was seriously injured, will be treated in Haiti, rather than in the Dominican Republic as earlier planned.

Follow-up Videos

Two follow-up videos will be available for showing on Sunday, January 24. One video focuses on the church in Haiti; the second focuses on the three missionaries who lost their lives: Rev. Jeanne Acheson-Munos, Gene Dufour and Merle West. Each video is less than three minutes long. These videos will be posted by Friday, January 29, on www.helphaitiheal.org and on YouTube.

Help Haiti Heal
Give
Give online at: www.helphaitiheal.org
or send checks to:
Bishops Famine and Relief Fund
Free Methodist Church of North America
PO Box 535002
Indianapolis IN 46253-5002

Go
Contact VISA Ministries at conniek@fmcna.org or click on go.fmwm.org.

Pray
Participate in the Day of Prayer and Fasting for Haiti, January 27, 2010.

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from TheLedger.com

Bishop David Roller stood in front of the pile of rubble that was the Friends of Haiti guest house in Port-au-Prince on Saturday, four days after the killer quake that struck the city.

The flat roof of what had been a four-story building rested intact on top of the 12-foot pile.
…

Two of those caught in the building’s collapse, Merle West and Gene Dufour, were winter residents of Light and Life Park, a Free Methodist retirement community in Lakeland.

…

“Every missionary goes knowing he may not come back,” he said, “But they wanted their lives to be about something bigger than themselves. They understood the danger, but as followers of Jesus, they were agents of healing.”

The full story can be found at www.theledger.com

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Haiti Update

A major earthquake struck the nation of Haiti on Tues., Jan. 12. The 7.0 quake centered on the Port-au-Prince area where 19 full FM churches and 12 church plants are located.

At the time, 17 North American FM missionaries were ministering in Port-au-Prince. Three of these individuals remain unaccounted for and are now presumed to have perished in the building that collapsed on them. Bishop David Roller conducted a memorial service at the building site on Sat., Jan. 16, for Rev. Jeanne Acheson-Munos, Merle West and Gene Dufour.

Two other missionaries, Jack Munos and Katie Zook, were med-evac’ed to a Florida hospital where they are recovering. (Personal visits are discouraged so they will be able to have sufficient rest to heal as quickly as possible.)

Cards may be sent to:
     North Broward Medical Center
     201 E Sample Road
     Deerfield Beach, FL 33064

All other FM missionaries are safe and have been evacuated with the exception of one VISA Affiliate couple, Steve and Ruth Hersey.

Ongoing reports continue to be gathered from Haitian pastors regarding the welfare of FM members and sponsored ICCM children.

Response Team: A FM response team, led by Area Director for Latin American Ministries Dr. Delia Nuesch-Olver, will arrive in Haiti this week. They will strategize with the Haitian church for future volunteer deployment and will assess standing buildings for structural safety. Pray for God’s wisdom to surround them.

Day of Prayer and Fasting: The Free Methodist Church has declared Wed., Jan. 27, as a Worldwide Day of Prayer and Fasting for the Haitian Church.

Forum: To share your prayers or words of encouragement for the Haitian church, or to share reflections, go to the forum board at: www.HelpHaitiHeal.org.

Donations: Thank you for your generosity to your Haitian brothers and sisters. Two avenues to donate – Missions Connect and PayPal – are available at: http://www.fmwm.org/give/help_haiti_heal.php.

Volunteers: If you are interested in volunteering on a future response team to Haiti, please e-mail Connie Kratzer, VISA Team Coordinator, at ConnieK@fmcna.org.

Prayer Requests: All the people impacted by the earthquake need food, water, medical care and shelter. Pray for recovery efforts and peace on the streets. Pray for God’s peace to reign in the midst of this desperate situation. Pray the many Haitian refugees who are leaving the Port-au-Prince area will receive the assistance they so desperately need.

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from International Child Care Ministries

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.

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ABC 12 WJRT
from ABC 12 WJRT

Merle West from Mount Morris and Gene Dufour from Clio landed in Haiti to work shortly before the quake hit.

Today, their pastor comforted other church members. “Merle was ready to give you the shirt of his back. Gene loved to help,” said Pastor Roger Allen.

More information about Mount Morris and Gene Dufour

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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.

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A major earthquake struck just off the coast of Haiti late this afternoon, January 12. According to reports, the 7.0 quake has caused major damage in the capital city, Port-au-Prince.

Please urgently pray for all those impacted by this disaster. We will provide Hotline updates as soon as reports are received as to the welfare of Free Methodist missionaries, church members and children sponsored through International Child Care Ministries.

Missionaries serving in Haiti include:

Missionaries

Jack Munos and Jeanne Acheson-Munos

Dan and DeeAnn Snyder and James

VISA

Russell and Sherrie Cole

Katie Zook

Steve and Ruth Hersey (VISA Affiliates)

Other VISA Personnel

Melanie Brooks

Chris Browne

Gene Defour

Dave Hornish

Bruce Oberlin

Kelly Perkins

Jason Sheets

Arron Swenson

Merle West

The 79 Free Methodist Haitian churches have a total membership of 14,642.

International Child Care Ministries sponsors more than 4,000 children in Haiti. ICCM has 53 schools across the island nation, many in or near Port-au-Prince. ICCM Haitian offices are in Port-au-Prince.

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Report from Bishop David Roller: 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 that the news of the next few days will compound our grief. I write on behalf of Dr. Art Brown and FMWM, as well as the Board of Bishops.

Yvonne and I left Haiti just 48 hours before the earthquake. All last week we celebrated a wonderful annual conference with the Haitian church. The Free Methodist Haitian Church is vibrant and strong, numbering some 15,000 members and our hearts break with yours in this time of loss.

We do not have any good information yet from the Haitian church leaders as to the level of destruction of churches and schools, nor regarding the loss of life. We are working to open lines of communication with Haitian FM leaders, but have so far been unsuccessful. As soon as we can, some of us will go to assess how we might best respond to the needs. I am confident that the worldwide Free Methodist Church will again show itself to be a generous and faithful partner with our Haitian brothers and sisters.

There were 17 North American FM missionaries in Haiti at the time of the earthquake and unfortunately Jeanne Acheson-Munos, Merle West and Gene Dufor are still unaccounted for. We believe they may have been in the multi-story FM work-team building in Port-au-Prince. That building collapsed in this seismic event and we have grave concern for those three. We call the church to pray for them.

Another two of the 17 missionaries sustained injuries and are being med-evac’ed out of Haiti. We are hopeful, praying and expecting a rapid recovery for these two. The rest of the 17 are well, although not without minor injuries.

Free Methodist World Missions is proceeding with a plan to extract its non-essential missionary personnel from Haiti. We of course want to be available to the Haitian church for assistance but recognize that, to some degree, they could be a burden on the National church at this point.

We appreciate the many volunteers who have stepped forward offering to help in Haiti. However at this time, sending more people to Haiti would be non productive and would only complicate matters for those on the ground. We ask that no one travel to Haiti unless FMWM calls upon you as part of the response team.

We do know that our brothers and sisters in Haiti will have immediate and long-term financial needs. You may respond by giving to either Operation Hope or the Bishops Famine and Relief Fund at P.O. Box 535002, Indianapolis, IN 46253-5002. Both funds have already released money for Haiti.  An on-line giving option will be announced soon.

Again, thank you for your solidarity with the Haitian church. Your prayers and love are extremely meaningful to them and to us in these days.

We will send updates as information becomes available.
Bishop David Roller

If you have concerns regarding a loved one in Haiti, call the U.S. State Department at 1-888-407-4747.

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