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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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.

If you sponsor a child whose sponsor number begins with HA600 through HA700, the child lives well outside the area directly affected by the earthquake. If the Haitian child you sponsor has a sponsor number that begins with HA500 through HA550, they are among 1,867 children participating in 16 schools in the Port-au-Prince area. As soon as we learn if a sponsored child has been affected, we will make every effort to contact you.

More information will be available at www.childcareministries.org

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.

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As far as we have heard it looks like Katie Zook and Jack Munos have been evacuated and are at Guantanamo Bay.

I’m copying a letter sent from Dan Synder

We are writing with tragic news.

The new FOHO building collapsed totally. Jeanne Munos, Merle West and his friend Gene who arrived today are all unaccounted for. Erlin who works at FOHO is also unaccounted for. We are not able to do anything more but are trying to get assistance to return to keep looking for them..

Katie Zook was pulled out of the basement after several hours of searching and seems to be ok. She is at the UN hospital with probable pulmonary contusions and possible back injury. Jack Munos was pulled out after 6 hours and probably has a broken hand, broken foot, possible fractured leg. We brought him to the Embassy as the UN refused to let me in with further injured. He is being treated and stabilized here. I am hoping to medivac both of them out in the a.m. The embassy is being exceedingly helpful and it may be we will have marine medivacs available. I THINK IT WOULD BE WISE TO START THE PROCESS OF PLANNING FOR A MEDIVAC USING OUR EVACUATION IMG INSURANCE PROGRAM. I WILL CONTINUE TO SEE IF PAP AIRPORT WILL BE OPEN IN THE A.M. I WILL ALSO CONTINUE TO SEE IF THE EMBASSY WILL BE ABLE TO ASSIST WITH THIS.

All of the Clear Blue team are safe. They had left for Gonaives and returned and are helping still with clearing rubble at FOHO.

Both the U.N. and the Embassy are telling me that they expect civil disorder to erupt. DD and I walked from Vivey Michel to FOHO and there are buildings down everywhere. Phones are out and we will only be able to communicate as the embassy lets us use their system.WE WILL CHECK THE EMAIL AT LEAST IN THE A.M.

Dan, Dee Ann, James Snyder are not injured.

Russ Cole sustained a laceration to his leg but other than that he and Sherri are OK.

Dan Snyder

Contact information and more information can be found at http://www.fohomissions.org/

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.

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.