Haiti Ministries

Mission Team at Haiti

As the airplane approached Port Au Prince, Haiti, you could see the tent cities shining white and tarp-blue in the tropical sun. You could also see the shells of houses and buildings, collapsed from the earthquake, gapping open toward the sky.

Our team of twelve from West Virginia entered the beleaguered city, supported by the prayers of many, loaded down with as much supplies as we could carry, and hopeful that in the name of Jesus we could make a difference.

And, indeed, to God’s glory, you helped us make a difference. After the January earthquake you partnered with us to minister to and with the people of Haiti. W all were partners with a loving God who has a heart for the people of Haiti.

Together we are providing a meal a day, the only meal they will get, for thirty orphans who live under tarps near their collapsed orphanage.

Together we were able to see 490 persons in our eyeglass clinics.

Together we are providing micro-loans through the Haitian Artists for Peace International (HAPI) that are helping Haitians help themselves.

Together we are helping the residents of a tent city gain access to health care.

Together we helped repair/reconstruct four homes in the Mizak community.

Together we are assisting a cholera clinic in saving lives.

Together we are building 25 homes for those who have been living in tents

Thank you for sharing the heart of God with Haiti!

Donations to our ministry in Haiti can be made to: Trinity United Methodist Church, 373 Pocahontas Ave. Ronceverte, WV 24970.

Check out our Haiti Missions website: www.mountainstomountains.weebly.com

· February 11 – Joining other United Methodist Churches, community organizations and friends, we will pack 50,000 meals for quick shipment to Haiti. Our partner organization STOP HUNGER NOW (www.stophungernow.org) will arrive at the Blue Ribbon Center, at the West Virginia State Fair Grounds, at 5pm. We’ll begin packing at 6pm.

· Dr. Jon Stout will be delivering valuable medicines and medical supplies to Port Au Prince and hopes, with his daughter, Carly, to be working at the clinic at Heartline Ministries the first week of February (www.childhope.org). You may have seen footage on Larry King Live from Childhope’s main orphanage Maison de Lumiere, the boys home our churches have worked with in past years, and now the site of the make-shift emergency clinic.

· We will continue our partnership with the United Methodist mission site in Mizak. Below is a letter from the mission’s chairperson describing some of the work that we may be doing this summer (July 21 – 30).

Friends,

I was always amazed at the ability of my Haitian friends to go for long periods without water. I was equally amazed at how much they could drink at one time. I recall watching Ulrick "refill" and wondering where it was all going. He laughed and told me, "We're like camels!"

Watching the miracle stories of human survival in the rubble after more than a week, I am now a believer. Yet, the work of rescue draws to a close and the next wave of relief to sustain the living has begun.

Thanks to those of you who responded to HAPI's initial appeal.
We sent $2700 with our medical team this week and we have additional donations arriving. Thanks to ALL for the outpouring of prayer and concern.

Update on HAPI's response:

First Response, Emergency Food Pantry

HAPI decided on a system of distribution through our children's program, Peace Pals. Peace Pals was a Saturday program. We will now increase it to three days per week and we will send dry food home through the children to share with their families. This will reach approx 250 families in Mizak and will provide programming for the children to help them process the earthquake and provide a degree of 'normalcy' to their disrupted lives.

$2500 PER WEEK TO MAINTAIN THIS INITIATIVE. $10 per child per week. Our goal would be to continue this initiative until normal market activity resumes and food prices stabilize. More $$, more families. HOST A FUNDRAISER TODAY!

Second Response, Medical Equipment & Supplies

HAPI has a small medical team currently on the ground. They worked for two days at an orthopedic clinic in Jacmel. Today was the first day of clinic in Mizak. I've been unable to make phone contact, but will update soon. They carried in antibiotics and pain relievers. We have 3 teams scheduled, beginning February 19-March 31. Each has a medical component. One of HAPI's RN volunteers, Anne Ringger, has established a blogsite http://www.mizakhealthclinic.blogspot.com/. Check the site for updates on teams and donation needs. Comment!

Third Response, Repair & Rebuild

With 325+ houses completely destroyed and over 217 structurally unsound, housing is an urgent health need. Our initial thought are tents and blankets and/or earthbag homes.

1) I have contacted Dr. Surena, a member of the Petionville Rotary Club, with a request for SHELTER BOXES, www.shelterbox.org. These are often sponsored by Rotary Clubs. Haiti has received 400 to date. Dr. Surena said that he would "see what could be done," as they receive additional shelter boxes. If you are a Rotarian, encourage your club to support shelter boxes to Haiti and email to notify him of the contribution. Ask him to consider distribution to Haitian Artisans for Peace International in Mizak with my name and email address as contact. csurena@gmail.com

2) Paul Prevost is checking the availability of sand bags for earthbag houses.

3) The United Nations has medical, tent, and tarp supplies at compound in PortauPrince. These supplies can only be accessed by an organization with NGO status in Haiti; HAPI does not have this. I have sent out an email to several organizations, requesting assistance. Please email me if you have any Haiti connections with NGO access or if you are aware of organizations currently on the ground who are providing shelter.

4) Two of our spring teams also contain a construction component and they have each been assigned a family. Donations for materials and local labor will be a long term need extending beyond our immediate disaster response.

Finally, a gift from volunteer Katie Major. She has posted her video impressions of Haiti here http://katiemajordesign.com/photography/haiti/. Many of these photos were taken in Mizak. Take a moment to share her journey!

Peace,

Valerie

· The United Methodist Committee on Relief – UMCOR – (http://new.gbgm-umc.org/Umcor/) was recently designated a 4STAR charity because 100% of donations given go toward the designated cause, and because of the quality of their organization and responses to disaster. UMCOR is doing a great job in Haiti and is paving the way for good work in the future.

· Partnering with other United Methodist congregations in the Greenbrier District, approximately 500 health kits have been gathered and will be sent to Haiti.