July 12 was the six-month anniversary of what has been described as the greatest natural disaster in recorded history. A major metropolitan area (Port- au-Prince is home to one- fourth of Haiti’s population) was hit by a major earthquake. The response of the Free Methodist Church was immediate and generous. Over $1.6 million has been received from churches in the United States, Canada, the Dominican Republic and around the world. To date, more than a mil lion of that has been distributed.

The full report can be reviewed in PDF format HERE.

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Relationships are crucial to partnerships. Consider this example from missionary Rick Ireland involving two U.S. teams (from The Journey Community Church, CO, and Ransomville FMC, NY) that worked alongside Haitians to rebuild after the earthquake: “The church at Petite Place Cazeau is in a poor community, but each day they fed the U.S. teams both breakfast and lunch. Though it was a real financial sacrifice for this Haitian church, it didn’t stop them from ministering to the people who were ministering to them. If their U.S. brothers and sisters were willing to sacrifice money, time and comfort to help them, they were going to return it as best they could. Each Sunday the U.S. teams drove to Petite Place Cazeau for worship. Both teams reported that God showed up in a big way.” Does the prospect of relationships like this stir something in you? Contact Dale Woods (Dale4Missions@gmail.com or 810-836-6527) to discover how you can be involved.

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Funeral services for Haitian Pastor David Charles, who was murdered Wednesday, May 26, will be held Saturday, June 5. As Pastor Charles was leaving a Port-au-Prince bank after cashing a check, two motorcycle robbers accosted him to steal his money (and perhaps kidnap him). While the robbery was taking place, a security guard stepped into view. The robbers panicked, shot the guard and Pastor Charles, killing them both, and then fled. Pastor Charles was the legal representative for the Haiti Annual Conference.

Missionary Rick Ireland Reflects May 29, 2010

Every Thursday at noon, a group of Free Methodist Haitian pastors gathers in the office of the General Superintendent for a time of worship and prayer. I happened be there as they gathered this week. The mood was somber. The day before, a prominent and beloved pastor had been robbed and killed as he left his bank after withdrawing some money to replace his car. The murdered pastor’s son was among those who slowly and quietly filed in. Each greeted the grieving son. Someone handed out hymnals and one of the pastors led out the singing, marking time with the snap of his fingers. The first song was slow and sad. A pastor prayed. The second song was a bit more upbeat. Another pastor prayed. And so the pattern continued. At one point, a pastor opened his Bible and began to preach. I couldn’t understand all the words but the name “Job” figured prominently. More singing and praying followed. And though I did not understand all the words (except the ones I was asked to share), I did watch in wonder as God filled that space, lifting people up in a difficult time. By the end of the meeting, even the grieving son was singing these songs of faith. As the impromptu service wound down, there was still sadness but there was also quiet resolution. These pastors did not face the future alone. They have one another, and they have a God who is bigger than their suffering, and who understands their suffering, sharing the journey.

Our faith doesn’t exempt us from suffering. What I could see first hand is that what faith does do is give us the resources to face the suffering that is part of life in a fallen world. We do not serve a God who is watching a show from a distance. We serve a God who took on the very flesh of man, experienced life in its joy and sorrow, in its victory and its suffering – a God who understands the pain of grieving over a much too early death. There is a strength in that and I saw it in the faces of the men as they left that day.

In 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 (NIV) we read:
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.

I saw that lived out in the in the flesh this week. These pastors are no strangers to suffering. They have lived through floods, political upheaval, and now earthquakes. Everyone of them lost people close to them on January 12. They knew the pain of the grieving son, but they knew the Son who saw them though the suffering of the past would be there in this as well.

I knew the pastor who died. I will miss his quiet gentle spirit and his words of encouragement as I adapt to life in this very different place. I am strong in the reality that this time of separation is not permanent. We will meet again.

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Free Methodist World Missions received the following report from Rick Ireland at approximately 6:00 p.m. today, Wed., May 26:

About two hours ago Haitian Pastor David Charles was murdered in Port-au-Prince. He was secretary of the Haiti Annual Conference. This death will have a big impact on the national leadership team. The circumstances, as we currently understand them, are that as Pastor Charles was leaving the bank after cashing a check, two motorcycle robbers accosted him to steal his money (and perhaps kidnap him). While the robbery was taking place, a security guard stepped into view. The robbers panicked, shot the guard and Pastor Charles, killing them both, and then fled.

More details will be released as they are available.

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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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Recently the pastors of the West and South Districts impacted by the earthquake met to review progress to date and to look ahead. A lot is going on. Over the past couple of weeks, 6,500 food packs were passed out through the pastors at 27 church locations. Each food pack contained enough food for a person for a week.

Most of the pastors there had benefited from a grant program initiated by the Haitian Relief Steering Committee. Pastors who lost homes they owned were eligible for a grant to assist in taking down the homes and clearing rubble. All pastors with homes in the earthquake were eligible for a grant to assist in building temporary structures until more permanent solutions can be implemented. The temporary homes are already going up. Money has also been authorized to assist Mission staff and Child Care staff. The money not only helps the pastors and other staff, it provides much-needed jobs as people are hired to assist. Following the meeting each pastor received lunch, a bag of food, a case of water and other items.

Another popular program has been a series of health and immunization clinics run by Haitian doctors and nurses volunteering their time. More than 600 have been immunized, and hundreds have been treated in these free clinics.

A major challenge on the horizon is the rebuilding of damaged or destroyed churches and schools. In some locations one or the other building is repairable but in many locations all buildings have been ruined. We are looking for ways to provide temporary structures until buildings can be replaced. So far three damaged churches have been repaired. In two of those locations the schools had minimal damage, but in one, it was totally destroyed. The schools will be able to use the church buildings on a temporary basis.

Keep Haiti in your prayers. The hard work has only just begun. It is going to take years to fully recover.

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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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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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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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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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