Update from Rick Ireland

Phases 1 and 2 of the recovery plan (which have been completed) included the following:

• More than 1,000 people were vaccinated and more than 2,000 people were seen in free clinics. These clinics were staffed by Haitian medical people volunteering their time to serve their churches and communities.
• We (the steering committee) have worked extensively with the local churches to develop programming for children prior to the restart of school.
• We conducted distributions at every church in the West and South Districts. Some of these churches are hours from Port-au-Prince, and this was the only help these people received. We have also distributed relief supplies to school staffs.
• We have given grants to 29 pastors to provide for provisional shelter and to an additional 19 pastors to assist in repairing their homes.
• We have assisted a number of churches in demolition. The typical pattern is that local church people provide the labor to take down the buildings and we provide money to have the rubble hauled away.
• We have been identifying and funding projects that can be accomplished with Haitian labor.
• We have made major progress in rebuilding the financial system and hope to be done in the next week or so.
• The Bible school has restarted.

Looking ahead

• Nearly a dozen sites have lost both their church and school. We are working hard to get at least one usable structure at every site.
• New building materials are being tested: a new (to us) steel frame building structure and a new (to Haiti) type of foam core building.
• We are expecting a major shipment of tents.
• We are looking at the possibility of a second pastors’ retreat. The first retreat was limited to only West and South District pastors. We would like to do something for all pastors and wives. The earthquake has had an impact far beyond Port-au-Prince. Superintendent Charite reports that in his region alone the population has swelled by 156,000 people and the schools are serving 20,000 additional students.
• We are planning major subsidies to all FM schools to assist them in paying for staff.
• We need to continue to rebuild the administrative structure of the mission in Haiti. This begins with finances but there are a number of other things, such as government reports and permits that need to be brought up to date as the government structure gets back to normal.

VISA Need in Haiti:

The FM recovery program in Haiti requires a geotechnical engineer to join a small team of structural engineers departing soon.
DUTIES: Help in the ongoing assessments of selected FM churches and schools which remain standing following the January earthquake. Help prepare a brief report on findings and conclusions.
ELIGIBILITY: A qualified geotechnical engineer experienced in time-efficient field assessments. A team player who understands and is in full sympathy with the Christian basis for this work is needed for this mission.
MISSION DURATION: approximately one week.
TIMING: soon – to be arranged in consultation with the team leader. Interested individuals should e-mail: conniek@fmcna.org.

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From Dr. Delia Nüesch-Olver

The Free Methodist Church has responded in incredible ways to the crisis of the January 12 earthquake in Haiti. From the beginning, God has clearly been at work confirming an action plan that not only provided immediate relief, but is producing long-range impact through rebuilding projects and healthy long-term sustainability.

Two key leadership gatherings in Haiti:

Bishop Roller visited Haiti immediately after the earthquake. A few days later, was on site. The unanimous decision was to submit to the leadership of the Haitian superintendents with the following results:

• They formed a Response Steering Committee: six Haitian superintendents and Pastor Rick Ireland as administrator.
• They determined three priorities for relief and reconstruction – which they have maintained in spite of criticism and pressure to broaden their response:
  1. Rebuild schools so that the children – including those sponsored through ICCM – can continue their education, and their lives can begin to normalize.
  2. Rebuild pastor’s houses that were destroyed by the earthquake so they can minister to others.
  3. Rebuild damaged church buildings.

A month after the earthquake Bishop Roller, Dr. Delia Nüesch-Olver, and Dr. Linda Adams, Director of International Child Care Ministries, returned to Haiti for a consultation with Haitian leadership that had been planned before the earthquake.

We observed the following results:

• Free Methodist leadership in Haiti has worked with wisdom to help FMWM avoid an approach that creates unhealthy dependency. Rather than only reacting to immediate relief needs, the leadership is working towards implementing long-term sustainable systems that truly set up the people to continue caring for themselves.
• The level of spiritual maturity and leadership among the Haitian Superintendents was impressive.
• The way the Response Steering Committee is using the relief money is an example of stewardship and of excellent principles of missions for the 21st century.
• There is an encouraging partnership with other mission organizations and aid agencies leveraging Free Methodist resources to go farther and accomplish more.
  It is clear to see that forty years of missionary work are bearing fruit.

In the first video immediately after the earthquake, Bishop Roller asked the worldwide church for money and simultaneously made a commitment to walk long term alongside the Haitian Church to help rebuild Haiti. This commitment implies more than just relief, which only lasts short term. Our commitment seeks even farther-reaching results as we continue working on the long-term plan fleshed out by our Haitian leaders: better schools, better homes, better church buildings. This plan that we are privileged to support will empower the Haitian people to rebuild Haiti and walk more boldly into the future God has for them as a people.

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As of March 24, $1,445,618 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.

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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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• We arranged for a Save the Children distribution out of the Parc Chretien church that impacted 700 families and an Operation Blessing distribution out of the Delmas 53 church that impacted an additional 700 families. Both of these were arranged by Jean Marc Zamor who is leading the Haitian relief effort under the direction of a steering committee appointed by the Haitian Board of Superintendents.
• We distributed food and other supplies to 3,054 church members, International Child Care Ministries employees, FOHO employees and other mission staff.
• Money has been given to the West and South District superintendents to meet food, water and medical needs of the churches in the impact area. We have specifically asked the superintendents and pastors to see that both churched and un-churched people benefit.
• We have run three vaccination campaigns in three different locations, vaccinating 646 people against the diseases that will soon begin to rear their heads. The vaccine came from the government, the labor from church volunteers.
• We held a free medical clinic in Port-au-Prince, staffed by Free Methodist Haitian doctors and nurses (a first), that treated more than 200 people. Additional clinics are planned. The supplies came from other aid groups, the labor from church volunteers.
• We gathered and trained children’s workers from churches in the West and South Districts, and set up safe play areas where children can step out of misery and have fun. We have discovered that even before the formal effort, many churches were already impacting their community with children’s programming. Through both donated money and items acquired from other aid groups, we are working to actively enhance this effort which has an impact vastly greater than the local churches themselves.
• We arranged for a team of U.S. engineers to begin the process of evaluating church properties, schools and pastors’ homes. Additional teams are being planned.
• With the help of Linda Adams and Mondale Perkins Oscar of International Child Care Ministries, 230,000 meals will be distributed to the impact area. We are specifically targeting the churches in communities that have had little or no access to aid. Sadly, there are too many of those.
• We have scheduled training (by Asbury Seminary staff) for pastors and church leaders designed to help them with the trauma of recent events so they can help the people they serve. This training will happen at the end of March.
• We have had a leadership summit with key Haitian and U.S. leaders to both review the relief effort and to look toward the future of the U.S./Haitian Church relationship.
• We have begun funding grants to assist pastors to demolish homes and build temporary shelters (something more than a tent) until more permanent housing solutions can happen. Pastors who have land are already offering space to their landless colleagues to get them out of sub-standard tent communities. We are also exploring the possibility of establishing temporary communities to get people out of unsafe camps.
• We are now able to wire money into the Haiti Mission bank account and write checks on it. A team is currently here in Haiti rebuilding the financial system from 1/1/2010 so we will have accurate and up-to-date financial reporting.
• Teams have reroofed the church at Geurin, done repair work at Parc Chretien church and repaired the church at Vialet. They are currently working on both the church and school at Greffin.

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As of March 5, a total of $1,307,639 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.

Venezuela has joined the list of countries sending in offerings to help Haiti relief efforts.

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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

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International Child Care Ministries (ICCM) Director Linda Adams has just returned from her second post-earthquake trip to Haiti. She learned that children whose sponsor numbers begin with a 6 or 7 (schools away from Port-au-Prince) have been attending school since February 1. School directors report many “refugees” from Port-au-Prince are attending their schools for now. Only the earthquake zone is still waiting for schools to open on April 5.

Progress:

• Hundreds of water filters have been assembled and put in use; 1,000 more are being sent this week.
• A shipping container with 270,000 fortified rice meals has arrived; distribution will begin this week.
• ICCM staff and teachers are receiving emergency aid.
• Kids clubs are providing activities, exercise and nutrition for children in many school yards.
• A team of three structural engineers has assessed the damaged buildings and is making recommendations.
• American/Haitian work teams have repaired three churches/schools, with more underway each week.
• Haitian workers are demolishing structures that need to be torn down.
• Hundreds of tents are being sent.
• Some soccer balls, volley balls and jump ropes have been given out.
• School directors have received January and February support and gifts from ICCM along with sponsors’ letters to children.

Note to sponsors of Haitian children: Only Haitian children with sponsor numbers beginning with “HA5…” are among children living within the quake-affected area. If we learn that a sponsored child has perished or was seriously injured in the earthquake, we will contact their sponsor directly. Please continue to support your sponsored child unless you hear directly from us.

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These nine International Child Care Ministries sponsored children are the first to be confirmed as having perished in the January 12 earthquake in Haiti. ICCM Director Linda Adams writes, “Our deepest hope is that all these children and teens whose lives have been touched by a sponsor have received Jesus Christ and are enjoying their eternal home with Him. Our hearts go out to their families, to our field staff in Haiti, and to the sponsors. May God comfort and bless each one.” Read Linda’s full memorial reflection as an online PDF document

The sponsors of these children have been directly contacted. Their responses have been heartwarming. To all sponsors of Haitian children: Only children with sponsor numbers beginning with “HA5…” are within the quake-affected area. If we learn that a sponsored child has perished or was seriously injured in the earthquake, we will contact their sponsor directly. Please continue to support your sponsored child unless you hear directly from us. Our Haitian ICCM team continues to try to account for children. We hope the reopening of schools across Haiti on March 12 will bring reportable information on more of our sponsored children.

For more information about International Child Care Ministries or to sponsor a child please visit ChildCareMinistries.org

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A reflection after three days of national prayer and fasting in Haiti from International Child Care Ministries publication ‘Tuesday’s Child’

Mondale Perkins Oscar grew up as a sponsored child through International Child Care Ministries (ICCM) of the Free Methodist Church. He now serves as Field Coordinator for ICCM in Haiti, with responsibility for 53 schools, over 8,900 sponsored children and 20 staff members. Mondale is in his early thirties. He lost everything in the earthquake and now lives in a tent. His immediate family is safe, but a brother-in-law perished in the quake; other family members were injured. Last week, he sent the following remarkable, insightful e-mail.

“What a wonderful God we serve!

“As you heard, my nation had 3 days fasting. [Sunday, February 14] was the last day. If you could be here to see the desire of the Haitian people seeking God’s presence…I know that God has something to do with my brothers and sisters in Haiti.

“Before Jesus comes back, there will be a great revival, and we have the feeling this will happen in Haiti first. Haitian people must be united in one Spirit. There will be a New Haiti soon. God will do what is impossible for man.

“Now, it is the time for one to accept the other whoever he is and whatever he possesses. Those people considered as poor, and those they consider as rich–right now, there is no one rich and no one poor. Everybody is sleeping outdoors together. We have learned to share even our tent, small as it is. There is no place for selfishness, and of course in that condition, we cannot be selfish.

“Haitian people have learned a good lesson of life. There are still wicked and criminals. For those, only God can change their heart. Many people have come to Christ, some emotionally, others truly. One way or another, God has been glorified. We praise Him!”

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