Our house is all powered up!!
January 29, 2010
Before the earthquake happened we used to have power in our home from 2pm to 2am. We had our inverter and batteries installed in our home the day of the earthquake. We were planning on charging the batteries with city power, but after the earthquake city power was gone. Thankfully, the batteries were quickly charged during the two hours that we had power before the earthquake. This turned out to be a blessing since we had power the night of the earthquake. But we knew that the charge on the batteries would not last forever. We saw the battery charge go from 100% to 75% to 54% to 24% and finally to 0% in a matter of days.
So we began using our small generator. The problem was that we only got enough power to turn on a few lights, fans, and charge the batteries on our computers. In the meantime, our laundry was piled up and it kept growing and growing. Cody actually wanted me to hire someone to wash the clothes for us. You see, we could power on our washing machine with our generator, BUT the spin cycle will NOT work. A huge deal for me. OK, there are more needed things than the clean clothes, but to me that was a big deal. LOL! Sleeping outside with noisy generator to run your fan was not fun at all.
A few days after the earthquake IsleGo Missions contacted us willing to help with some of our needs. After thinking through what was it that we needed in the moment I thought that I could present to them our need for a larger generator. Our small generator is not big enough to charge the batteries on our inverter so we would have to run our generator whenever we needed power. To make things worse, our generator uses gas. Which is not the best type of fuel to power a home, especially when after the earthquake gas is $6.00 a gallon and the only gas station selling gas is closed.
The team at IsleGo Missions quickly agreed to purchase a generator for us. They were very kind to supply the funds to purchase it for us. They also coordinated with GO Ministries in Santiago, Dominican Republic to have them purchase our generator and ship it to us by boat. We are forever thankful to Islego Missions and GO Ministries for their support and effort.
The Lord is awesome! He left us here to be extensions of who He is. Watching the body of Christ act like a living organism is a beautiful thing. I am amazed by the love everyone has shown, not only to us, but to the Haitian people.
Our house is now all powered up. I finally finished the last load of laundry tonight. Yes, I am still filling the washer with the buckets because the water pressure is horrible. But at least the spinning cycle is working and my drawers are full of fresh clean clothes.
If you want to learn more about the ministry of IsleGo Missions go to http://www.islego.com. They are an awesome organization! And we are thrilled to partner with them to serve the people of Haiti and share Jesus with those around us.
The truck bringing the generator to our home.
Here is our team helping us unload the generator from the truck.
Here they are! Gently putting the big power box down.
Yes, this is a very very heavy box.
Cody really wanted to pose next to his new toy…I mean generator.
Take a look at the generator IsleGo replaced. Ours is the red one. The black one belongs to Fenel. We tried using his, but it really didn’t add much power. We still love our Honda generator and it will get much use for outreach ministries and other emergencies. 
In addition to IsleGo’s gift we also received four drums of diesel to power our generator from GO Ministries. Thank you so much for your love and support IsleGo and GO Ministries! Thank you for loving us and loving Haiti!–Maria
The shift in Jacmel, Haiti
January 29, 2010
There is certainly a shift taking place here in the last 2 days. Life seems to be getting back to normal for most people here in Jacmel, aside from the fact that thousands are homeless and are living in makeshift tents. But business is back to business. People are buying and selling at the market. It looks like Jacmel. Yes, without a doubt, there are people probably in much pain, both physical and emotional as many lives were lost. The hospitals are still in great need and many there are suffering. And if you were to sit down with someone in one of their makeshift tents and ask them to share what is going on in their lives, you would probably weep as you learned of the many losses that many have suffered. So, in no way do I want it to sound like life is peachy in Jacmel, because I’m sure that for many, it is not.
But the point is that life is resuming here in Jacmel. Food is available. Gas is available. Moto taxis are once again crowding the narrow streets.
I don’t know what life is like in Port au Prince. I’m sure there is still a lot of craziness just because the devastation there was 50 times greater. Same with Leogane. I was just there yesterday with some of our Calvary Chapel Colorado team giving out some tarps and tents to a family who was in great need of them. The place is indeed leveled. There are so many homes that are flattened and underneath those homes still lay thousands of dead bodies trapped. It must be so sad for those people who have loved ones that they know are dead and still trapped underneath the rubble. My heart breaks for those people.
But even in Leogane, life was beginning to resume. The dazed and confused look is gone and now the people are just trying to rebuild their lives. Haitians are the most resilient people I have ever known. Don’t ever think the Haitian people are lazy. Every Haitian I know will put my work effort to shame, including elderly women. The Haitian people are strong. They will recover.
So, yesterday we went with the Calvary Chapel Colorado team to Leogane to personally deliver some tarts and tents to this family that we had met last week when we brought them food. We had seen that they were rebuilding their homes with sticks and banana leaves and were doing an amazing job, but they needed tarps for the roof. We had prayed for them that God would provide to meet their needs. So, when the Calvary Colorado team arrived at our house and showed us that they brought some tents and tarps to give to people in need, I immediately thought of this family and asked the team if we could personally deliver this to them. They were excited to do it.
So, yesterday morning, we all piled into my 4Runner and made the trek over the mountain to Leogane. It is about an hour and a half ride and it is long and windy. My girls usually get car sick because it is so windy. Normally, we would make this trip because we had to go to Port au Prince or we were going to give out a ton of food to the people in Leogane. But yesterday, the Lord directed us to put a few tarps and tents in the vehicle and make this long difficult drive just to hand deliver these things to a family in need to let them know that God has heard their prayers and He has answered them. He has sent 3 guys from Colorado to fly to Haiti and come here today to his makeshift home and hand them tarps for his roof. Isn’t God amazing? We wanted to show this family just how much the Lord cares for them. We prayed with the family and gave thanks to God for His provision. Lance prayed for us…in English only. Haha (private joke). The man that was building this home was so thankful. And then we turned around and drove all the way back home. God cares for people so much. He is faithful to provide to those who trust in Him.
We all celebrated the end of the Calvary Chapel invasion by the Colorado crew taking us out for a nice dinner last night. We had a great time together. Then we kicked all of them out of our house (except for Paul whom we just can’t seem to get rid of. Haha) at midnight as it was time for them to return. Lord willing, we will see them again.
Calvary Chapel team visits Jacmel
January 27, 2010
We are hosting a group of men from different Calvary Chapel churches in the states. It truly has been a blessing to have these guys in our home. I am sure it makes Cody very happy to have some male representation in the house. He is probably thinking that it was about time that I got to experience what he has to go through when he is home alone with females only. LOL!
Here are some pictures of what the team did on night that they arrived.
The guys delivered a tent and mat to a family in our neighborhood.
They helped setup the tent for this family. Their home is actually on the background laying on the ground.
Even though these are temporary homes, it truly blesses the people to have a roof over their heads. They have been sleeping outside for days. The day that the team brought the tent rained a little bit.
Many hands make the load light.
There is nothing like a big smile on a child’s face.
These kidos are ready to go to sleep. They love their new mattress.
Imagine these little ones blesses to have a new tent to sleep in. Yes, one tent can make a difference.
Mike and Brian were having fun with the kids.
Here is the finished product.
And here are our CC friends with our neighbors.
Some many not think that delivering one tent is all that great. Perhaps it may not be as great as feeding 10,000 or even 1,000, but the truth is that one tent matters. This is one family in our very own neighborhood that lost their home. All the money they had saved throughout the years to build their home is forever gone. One tent may not replace that, but the love of Jesus can. And simple little things such as bringing a tent and making a child smile touches both, the heart of the giver and the heart of the receiver.
Thank you Calvary Chapel for coming to our little neighborhood in Lamandou, Jacmel. We really love opening our home to you. You are bright stars for Jesus. –Maria
The Calvary invasion
January 27, 2010
Hotel Whittaker should be renamed “Calvary Chapel Mission House”. We are being invaded by all things Calvary Chapel. We have 10 of them staying with us until Friday. Some are from CC Old Bridge NJ, some are from a Calvary in Colorado, and some are from CC Costa Mesa. I’m surprised we haven’t had chapter by chapter and verse by verse devotions. Haha. Seriously, we love Calvary Chapel.
Then tomorrow, there are about 5 or 7 pastors and leaders coming in from Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale and some of them will meet with Maria and I in the afternoon since Maria knows them from when she used to work at Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale. I told Maria that if Bob Coy wants to stay at our house, he is welcome to use one of our tents set up in our yard. Haha.
We are thankful to the Lord that He is burdening the hearts of many people and churches to come and invest their lives in helping the people of Haiti. We pray that many people come to know the love and truth in Jesus as a result of the efforts of both short and long term missionaries.
Today, our original plan of getting 40,000 pounds of rice and beans fell through. Hey, this is Haiti…things change in a minute. We found out after arriving at the airport with our truck that the food was designated to another ministry. So, that is good as long as the food is getting out to the people, we are pleased. I have one of the Calvary Chapel guys staying with us telling me that this ministry was not able to take the entire 40,000 pounds and that he is working on trying to get it into our hands so that we can get it out to the people. So, we’ll see. In the meantime, this Calvary Chapel guy has a contact who is also here in Haiti trying to help. He is the former owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Anyway, he wants to meet me and Fenel tomorrow so that he can give us money so that we can buy food to give it to the people. So, again, the Lord provides. We need not worry.
Since we did not get any food today, we decided to put our money together and buy a ton of rice and spaghetti so that we could give it out to some hungry people in a remote village that we have a connection with. So, the guys from Calvary Chapel Colorado (Mike, Lance, and Brian), myself, and Fenel all kicked in some coin and we loaded up our vehicles and drove to Marigot to deliver food to a school there that has many children who are in great need. We have delivered food in the past to this school and so we are thinking about further ways of partnering with this school. There are many things that we can do to help. We can bring mission teams to help build a wall around the school. We can get local pastors to come in and teach them the bible as part of their curriculum. I can help with that as well once I become fluent in the language. We could do a medical clinic there as well. I love going up there. The kids are so sweet.
After that, we ran into Apostle Paul who was returning from the clinic and said that they need a lot of food there just to help feed the doctors and other people who are working tirelessly up there all day long. So, some of the group went to the tiny market that was open and practically bought the place out. We then went up to the clinic and delivered the food to them. They were very happy. They are so busy up there, but they are doing an awesome job. They set up a makeshift clinic underneath a tarp outside in addition to the clinic inside.
After we returned home, I got a phone call from a Haitian pastor who somehow got my cell number and was calling me asking if we could bring him food for the many people of his congregation that had not received any food. So, I told him that if we get food tomorrow, then we will get some to him.
The plan tomorrow is to meet with this former owner of the Dodgers early in the morning so that he could meet us and give us money to buy supplies. Are we talking about $50 or $5,000? I have no idea. But God is good and He continues to provide all that we need to do His will. After that, we will go with our Colorado Calvary crew of Mike, Brian, and Lance (by the way, they told me to write on the blog that they are awesome so…um…they are um…awesome). We will take them over the mountains to Leogane where they will personally deliver a tarp to a man we met early this week there who said that he really needs a tarp for the makeshift house that he is building. I pray that this man sees that God loves him, God heard his prayers, and God sent these 3 Americans from Colorado to come to Haiti to bring him a tarp.
After we get back, we will meet with these Calvary Fort Lauderdale people. Then, we will load our vehicles again with supplies and drive way up into the mountains to Cap Wouge to deliver food to a little school there who we have given food to before. I will bring my guitar so that we can do some worship with the kids up there. It should be a great time.
Another day of giving aid…and lifting up the name of Jesus
January 26, 2010
Ok, this will not be a well written, well polished post like they normally are. Haha. I am very tired and it is getting way too late for me to be up after such a long day.
Normally, we would be in la la land at this time of the night (close to 11PM) but the truth is that there are many still up in our house gabbing away. Oh, did I forget to mention that Hotel Whittaker has expanded their occupancy capacity? We now have 10 Calvary Chapel pastors and leaders living in our house for the week. They kind of just showed up on our doorstep yesterday and asked if it was cool for them to stay with us. I had no idea what to say…I kind of just paused with my jaw hung open. And then I told them “Kay mwen…kay ou” (My house is your house). So, they are all here camped out all over our floors and yards. They are here to help and seek the lord as to how to best get involved to help out here in Haiti. So…it’s cool
Today, we got behind the iron gate of the world food program thanks to our friends at “Hands and Feet Project” who gave us clearance to come in and get some food to give out to the community. We loaded up our 2 vehicles again in the morning with a ton of food. We went back to our packing and distribution center (our driveway) and started sorting food so that we could give out to several different large family groups.
We loaded up the vehicles with the food designated for specific family groups whom we have been providing food for since the quake. We delivered the food to these groups and they were so happy. We also delivered a good size amount to a church down the street from our house that has many displaced people living there. We met the pastor and I asked him to lead us in a prayer of thanksgiving and a song. It was beautiful. They were so happy to get so much food. I would like to return and help them with more than just food, but maybe get a team to help them finish building their church. We could also do a medical clinic there and some programs for the children. The pastor said that he would love for me to come and preach sometime. So, Lord willing, we will return.
We also brought another doctor (one of the guys from the Calvary Chapel group) to one of the rural medical clinics that we have been helping out with supplies and doctors. They put him to work all day long. He will be there all day tomorrow as well performing surgeries for the many people there who are waiting.
All of the food that we loaded up in the morning was all given out before noon. We were like a well oiled machine.
We also spent part of the day looking at homes for our Haitian missionary friend and his family who are living with us since his home crashed. God has put it on our hearts to put some money together to get him into another home. God is providing for my friend as some of the short-term guys from Calvary Chapel here have also told me that the Lord has put it on their hearts to give financially to my friend to help him. God indeed provides for His children who trust in Him. We have no worries.
So, by noon we had given out all the food we had and our warehouse (spare bedroom) was empty again. In the evening, I get a call from Drex at Hands and Feet Project telling me that he has an organization called SCORE that he doesn’t even know sending him 40,000 pounds of rice and beans and he wants to send as much to us as we can possibly handle as well as help him get it out to some missionaries who we know will get it directly to the people. Again, God provides.
So, tomorrow we will rent a truck and spend the majority of our day loading supplies from the planes that bring this in and driving them to some missions that we know and trust to get it to the people, including driving a ton of it to our own mission (aka house). We are also expecting several thousand boxes being sent our way from Kids Against Hunger. We have many rural communities that we will start getting this aid to.
This evening around 9PM, we all gathered outside on our upper terrace and had a sweet time of worship and prayer with all of our house guests…all 15 of them.
Now…I am beat. Mwen ale dormi (I’m going to sleep)
Sou wout nan Leogane…On the road to Leogane
January 26, 2010
Here are some pictures of our trip to Leogane.
The road to Leogane has suffered some damage. It is passable, but you can tell where in some places the rocks from the mountains have fallen.
Here is an area where you can tell that part of the mountain has fallen.
In Leogane, some of the roads have cracks on them.
Most of the houses on the way to Leogane are destroyed.
I don’t even feel like I want to post all these pictures. But the truth is that people need to see that Leogane and the surrounding areas need help. We still have families burried underneath the rubble here. And most people are totally displaced. if nothing is done, Leogane and the road to Jacmel will soon look like Cite Soleil.
Houses are totally flattened. This was a two-story home.
Taking pictures was a bit overwhelming. All houses on the main road are down. We could have literally taken a picture of every one of them. It was just too much.
Life goes on for these people. They still need to go about their business. I wonder, just wonder, if they have time to grieve.
They must still their food and goods to sustain themselves. The hardware store on the background fell to the ground, yet they still set their food stands outside to sell.
The town hall of Leogane has been affected too. The building has a crack right on the middle on the left side. I am afraid this building can collapse any minute.
This is what practically all the streets in downtown Leogane look like. I am thankful that this devastation did not come to Jacmel. We praise God that we have been spared. But I am very sad for the people of Leogane.
Downtown Leogane has become a makeshift camp with makeshift tents.
A group of people look through the rubble in one of the houses in downtown Leogane.
Like I said, life goes on. They must continue to make money. Haitians are the most resilient people I’ve ever known.
Oh God, help us! I am not sure how something so big becomes powder in less than a minute.
Our team brought some food to a misplaced group of families in Leogane. We fed twenty five families.
We worked together to get the food out of our vehicle as quickly as we could in order to avoid other groups coming to us asking for food.
The people were very happy to have food and they covered it under a blanket to hide it from other groups.
We prayed for them.
We spent time with them and got to know them.
We played with them and told them about Jesus.
We gave the moms some formula for their babies and told them how to use it.
We made them laugh a little bit.
Our friend Paul even shared the gospel with the people.
Perhaps Leogane will never be the same. Maybe the houses will not be rebuilt as quickly as we would want them to be. But we hope to bring something greater than a new house or food that will feed them for months, weeks, or even days. We bring them the love of Jesus. Our desire is to bring them hope in the midst of their pain. And to show them we love them. Jesus loves them. And all of you reading this love them too. — Maria
Bringing more than just food to Leogane
January 25, 2010
Food is certainly a most important thing to bring to people that are hungry. But what do you bring to people that are both hungry and devastated? I believe there is much more needed to bring them than mere food. They need hope. They need encouragement. They need to laugh since they have been crying so much. They need to play since they have been working so hard. They need love. And most importantly, they need to know of a love greater than mere man. They need to know of a God who loves them and desires a relationship with Him.
That is what we try to bring to the people that we are delivering food to every day. And today, I believe that we brought much more than food to over 20 different families in Leogane who have lost their homes and their loved ones.
Team Whittaker/Bruno or Bruno/Whittaker loaded up our vehicles early this morning with the last of the food that had been given to us to give away. We prayed in our driveway and asked that the Lord would guide us to the families that He wanted us to see.
We drove up over the mountain that leads towards Port au Prince and headed into Leogane. I have never seen anything like what I saw today in Leogane. The place has been leveled. Literally every other house is in a pile of rubble, and that is not an exaggeration. It is a sad reality. On one side of the road are house after house that are now big piles of rubble. On the other side of the street are one makeshift tent/shelter after another. People have lost everything there, but they are already trying to move on. What else can they do?
So, we passed by a large group of people that were assembled underneath one of these makeshift shelters. We asked went over to them and asked how many families were represented in their group. They said there were about 22 families in the group. So, we told them we had food to give them. They were very happy.
We unloaded the food from our vehicles within seconds so that we would not draw attention from others around who might swarm our vehicles in hopes of getting something themselves. There is just simply too much need to satisfy everybody.
After we gave them the food and our vehicles were completely empty, we went over to where they were and spent some time with them. First, we prayed for them and told them that the Lord has heard their prayers and has brought food their way. Then, we started talking to the guys who were showing us the stick homes that they were in the process of building. They are doing an amazing job with absolutely nothing for resources.
Within minutes, children were swarming about us as we were just showing them the love of God by playing with them and just spending time with them. My sunglasses became a hit as each kid wanted to put them on because I was imitating them looking cool with the shades. I put them on a child and started saying in Creole, “I know, I’m pretty, that’s right. I’m pretty” while making my cool posture. The kids were cracking up and each one wanted to try it. It was so much fun. After that, I had all the children gather together and I put my hands on them and prayed for them. It was awesome!
Meanwhile, Maria was giving a can of formula to a woman with a baby and was explaining the directions for feeding the child.
Then, I notice that Apostle Paul is missing. Apostle Paul is our friend who is from Calvary Chapel in the states who is here visiting for the week and is staying with us. His name is Paul, but we call him Apostle Paul because every time we turn around, we see him preaching the gospel to people…and he doesn’t even speak Creole! So, there was Apostle Paul with a huge gathering of children and adults sharing the gospel story through a piece of paper that he changes into many different shapes and objects that eventually becomes a cross as he discusses that only Jesus is the one who can truly satisfy. The children were amazed and all applauded when they saw this paper that had been folded and ripped many times end up being a cross.
The whole time we were there, there was joy and laughter. The people forgot about their losses for a moment. You wouldn’t think that we were in a makeshift tent across the street from their home that was lying in ruins. They were free. It was beautiful.
We brought them food because we knew they were hungry. But we also brought them love, laughter, truth, and hope…because we knew that they were hungry. – Cody
So many people to thank…but One deserving all thanks
January 24, 2010
No, this isn’t the Oscars where everybody who wins the award says for the first 3 seconds that they want to thank God, but then spend the rest of their time bragging on everybody else responsible for their success.
I want to give plenty of space to first thank the Lord for all of His faithfulness and goodness in the midst of such tragedy. He is Good and He has shown His goodness to so many amidst this tragedy. All throughout the country are reports of miracles of people being found alive after being buried for over 10 days. All over Haiti, missionaries, churches, and individuals share stories that just can’t be coincidence, but rather the hand of God who has everything in his care. He is good. He is faithful. He is worthy of all praise.
A few nights ago, we (my wife and I, the Haitian family that is living with us, and our short-term missionary friend who we are hosting) all took time to pray, worship, share the Word, and lift up His name. It was wonderful to gather together to worship and praise the One from whom all blessings flow. He is worthy. Amazing things are happening and I first want to give all glory to God.
Being the fact though that we are the body of Christ, He often displays His glory through people, and so I just want to also give thanks for the people that God has displayed His love and glory through. Here are some people and organizations that we have been blessed to work along side of in order to help the people of Haiti and therefore bring glory to God:
GO Ministries – They are a mission in the Dominican Republic who have played a huge role in purchasing tons of food and supplies and sending them over to Jacmel via plane and boat. So a thank you to GO Ministries also means a thank you to the thousands of people who made a contribution to GO Ministries. They have been instrumental in helping the people of Haiti. They have worked hard. They have sacrificed much. Their reward in heaven will be great. We are blessed to work along side of them.
Hands and Feet Project – This is an orphanage here in Jacmel that was started by the band Audio Adrenaline. By the providence of God, we got connected with them after the quake and we have been helping each other ever since. They have raised thousands of dollars and have been able to get resources out to the people. Mark, the lead singer of the band, is a super cool guy and I don’t just say that because he is a rock star. I have worked along side of him down at the sea port unloading supplies and he has spoke up often on our behalf to make sure that we were getting supplies. His father Drex and I have coordinated a lot in terms of distributing food and medical supplies.
Islego Ministries – These guys contacted me as soon as the quake hit. I did not know them beforehand. They came across our blog and immediately asked us what they can do to help. Since then, they have purchased us a huge diesel generator so that we can have power in our home, they are sending us hundreds of boxes of food from Kids Against Hunger so that we can give these to the families, and they are planning a mission team to come in the end of February. They have been awesome.
Joy in Hope – They are a ministry here in Jacmel who have children’s homes in addition to other community projects. They were the first ones to start working at the airport and helping get planes coming here to bring in support. They have received a lot of food and supplies from various organizations and have distributed it as fast as they received it. They are doing a great job. They have all been working tirelessly since the first day of the quake. Many people in the community have been helped as a result of their efforts.
The military forces – Awesome job!!
Then there are individuals that I don’t even know much about them, but I see them working so hard. There is this girl named Tiffany who is like a permanent fixture at the airport these days. She has been coordinating so much of the medical teams and supplies that have come in. She now has someone else who has come down to join her and help coordinate distribution of both medical supplies and medical teams. I am sure that she has helped save many lives. Maybe one day I will learn a little more about who she is and how she ended up in Haiti.
There are the many pilots who have sacrificed much time and their own money to come here and work like crazy to get supplies flown here.
Last, but not least by any means, are the countless number of people and churches that have supported our ministry here. Without the support that has come in, we could not be doing what we are doing. So thank you so much for your sacrificial giving. You are really making a difference. Lives are being saved and lives are being changed as a result of what you are doing. You may never be able to see exactly how your giving is saving a life, but it really is. Thank you so much.
Some needed rest…then back at it
January 24, 2010
I am so thankful for the partial day of rest today. I desperately needed it. I went to sleep last night just after 9PM and didn’t get off my bed until close to noon today. I was wiped out!!! It has been so busy, but it was much needed to take some rest today.
We spent the rest of the day trying to help my Haitian friend and his family to find a home since their home collapsed in the earthquake and now they are living with us. It has been a joy to have them. They are absolutely wonderful people. We have become very good friends. But we know that they want to have a home of their own as soon as possible, therefore we are trying to help them as best as we can. Please pray for them.
We continue to help get medical supplies into the hands of the doctors that are working long hours each day at the hospital/clinic in Caye-Jacmel. The doctors there tell us each time we come with stuff that they are so thankful for us bringing these things in. We feel like it is just such a tiny part that we are doing, but we know that everybody doing a little leads to big things getting done.
Although medical missions is not really our thing, we know that it is desperately needed right now, therefore we are doing whatever we can to help the people that are suffering. We are working on coordinating a team of 8-10 doctors and surgeons from the states to come stay with us and help for 2 weeks at the clinic that we have been bringing supplies to.
We also have another mission team coming in immediately after that and some of that team will also be doing medical work. The other part of that team will be doing clothing and food distribution in the community as well as helping clear some rubble from many homes in our area. We are excited to see so many people respond throughout this crisis. I’m sure that we will be hosting way more mission teams than we expected.
Tomorrow, we should be getting a lot more food through some of our partner organizations that will be coming our way through GO Ministries. Once we get this food, we will load up our vehicles and go into some of the rural mountain communities around Jacmel and distribute the food to the people who need it. We have been trying to get up into the mountains for days now to give out food, but each day another great need comes up and we have been unable to go. Tomorrow, Lord willing, we will get there. There are most likely many there that have not received any of the aid yet that has been sent in. The majority of the focus near us has been on the city of Jacmel, but there are many rural villages just outside of Jacmel that also are in desperate need. We want to get some food to them immediately.
I hear that Haiti is starting to lose the top spot in the news. That is sad that some think that the story is old because, just like another missionary friend of mine here said, the real story has just begun. We are thankful that God has us here to be a part of that story. May we be faithful to do the part that He has given us.
A visit to a hospital in Cayes-Jacmel
January 24, 2010
Yesterday, we went to a hospital in the town of Cayes-Jacmel to bring a team from GO Ministries. This is the hospital that we have been bring supplies back and forth. We had the opportunity to talk to the doctors there and find out what their needs are. Rebecca Robinson from GO Ministries and I were able to witness a surgery and take pictures. The doctors are doing a great job treating the people with the tools they have. Unfortunately, the don’t have enough. They need more and they also need the right tools.
The man who was getting surgery had three different problems. The bones in his arm were out of place, he had a deep wound on his elbow, and the bones in his ankles were shattered. To make things worse he came to the hospital late and his leg was infected. They were thinking first of putting pins in his legs, but all they had were pins for the wrist. They thought they could make it work, but the infection was too much. If they do not amputate the leg, the man can die in the next few days. The final decision was to wait and let the man know that he would lose his leg so that he would not wake up from the surgery to find out that his leg was missing.
It was a very sad story. But what was really amazing was watching these doctors doing their best to serve the people of Haiti. They were truly serving Christ. Prayers were said over the man before they even began doing work. They were united in thought and they were doing their best to save lives. I was deeply touched to see the faith of these doctors. Please continue to pray for the medical teams coming here to help in Haiti. We need your continual prayer and support so that the doctors can do what they need to do to help the people. Although some have died during the earthquake, others will die because of the earthquake. So we need all of you to team up and support those that can help preserve lives.–Maria
A woman outside the hospital resting on the ground.
John Martinez from GO Ministries helping move a patient at the hospital.
Many patients are sleeping outside for fear of the aftershocks.
This is how it looks outside the hospital.
Inside the hospital are those that are recuperating from surgery.
Most of the injuries are foot injuries, arm injuries, and head injuries. These patients are resting after surgery.
Here is the team from GO Ministries and Cody talking to the doctor at the hospital.
Paul, a short term missionary from Calvary Chapel Old Bridge in New Jersey, is preaching the Gospel outside the hospital.
The doctors are sharing with us what their needs are.
Here we are getting ready to go into the surgery room.
The doctors prayed before the got to work.
This x-ray shows the bone inside this man’s ankle are all shattered.
The doctors work on putting the bones in his arm back in place.