I am again debriefed with more information about Haiti!
At six on Monday morning, Daddy left Santo Domingo (capital of the Dominican Republic) with 25 other team members from churches around the DR and the United Sates. Due to protests along the way, they had to make a detour and drive through sugar cane fields. It was only after they received directions from some of the locals on how to drive through the cane maze that they safely crossed the border. They unloaded the supplies they brought with them and went to bed. The next morning, the medical teams went to two locations, one where the contacts were no good and a scuffle broke out (our guys are fine), and the other where the joy of the Lord and the willingness to serve is apparent. In the latter location, the Haitians definitely needed physical aid, but they were also concerned with the training of pastors for their churches. This is what these first trips are all about, weeding out the bad to help where it will truly be needed and appreciated.
On Wednesday, Daddy and some of the men went to two villages in the earthquake's epicenter, Jacmel and Bainet, to distribute necessities to the people there. He writes the place is devastated. Many still need medical care and there were 300 people registered to see Dad for treatment. There was no medicine. The people, however, were so gracious and thankful for what the Lord had given them. I suppose we could learn some things from the Christians in Haiti.
Thursday consisted of delivering more supplies, including 500 tents! As I mentioned before, tents are gold in Haiti. After distributing what they had, Daddy returned to the DR with one of the members of the team who, I think, was hurt, but I am not sure.
One thing Daddy kept mentioning was the organization of this trip compared to the last one. The team he went with knew what to do and how to do it, they found a good central location from which to disperse the goods, and made contact with promising people to further gospel. We thank God for Dad's safe travels and fruitful trip. I will be posting some more information on how to help and, Lord willing, more details from the trip soon. Thank you all for your prayers and keeping up with the reports!
Soli Deo Gloria,
Jenn
Showing posts with label Haiti. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Haiti. Show all posts
Friday, February 19, 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Report from Haiti II
Well, Daddy arrived safely in the Dominican Republic where he preached morning and night at two churches. He returned to Haiti yesterday with three medical teams, one of which he is a part. Thankfully, we were able to talk to him a few times before he left. He mentioned some things that might be helpful to those of us here who would like to lend aid to Haiti: 1) Tents are 'gold'. The living conditions of the dislocated families are horrendous! Some live on tarps spread on the ground, others in cardboard boxes, and others live in 'communal homes' which consist of four sticks and a tarp thrown across to protect from the sun. They do everything around their homes, and when I say everything, I mean everything. Daddy says tents would make the situation much better. We must keep in mind that Haiti's rainy season is coming upon us and many of the people have chosen to make their homes on the dry river beds due to the soft sand. This will not do! 2) Protein drinks. Rice will not nourish a body, just keep it alive. Things like Ensure, etc. would at least give them some nutrition without the need for refrigeration. Also, these shakes are individually sealed so there is no chance of contamination during the handling or cooking which is vital for such an unhygienic place.
Those are some of the more practical things we discussed, but I also asked him about the condition of the children in Haiti, particularly in reference to the thousands of orphans the country has. If any of you have seen Mr. Phillips posts on UNICEF's influences in Haiti, know what he says is right. Daddy saw it first-hand as well. Whenever Daddy asked anyone in Haiti about adoption, they shied away from the subject as if it was taboo, or they had no idea about the process altogether. The reason for this is twofold. Firstly, UNICEF has a distinctly anti-American Adoption agenda and as they have significant sway in Haiti, their agenda is widespread. The ordeal with the ten American missionaries who were imprisoned was a joke. We all knew they were not sex-traffickers! But after that incident, Haitians and their foreign helpers alike avoid helping orphans leave Haiti, whether for medical treatment or adoption. Secondly, many in Haiti live of off the mercy-system. They have orphanages which bring in a good income. Losing the orphans would mean losing their livelihood. Despicable, I know, but it is the truth. Now, I realize there are good missionaries and good Haitians with a true desire to help, and help they do! But the reality remains that a fair number of orphan-care workers are not what they seem. That is why it is difficult to adopt! And why we who lend our aid must be cautious in how we do so.
I expect more updates to come along soon! Communication with Daddy while he is in Haiti is minimal, so it might not be for a while. In the meantime, please keep him and the other workers in your prayers.
Those are some of the more practical things we discussed, but I also asked him about the condition of the children in Haiti, particularly in reference to the thousands of orphans the country has. If any of you have seen Mr. Phillips posts on UNICEF's influences in Haiti, know what he says is right. Daddy saw it first-hand as well. Whenever Daddy asked anyone in Haiti about adoption, they shied away from the subject as if it was taboo, or they had no idea about the process altogether. The reason for this is twofold. Firstly, UNICEF has a distinctly anti-American Adoption agenda and as they have significant sway in Haiti, their agenda is widespread. The ordeal with the ten American missionaries who were imprisoned was a joke. We all knew they were not sex-traffickers! But after that incident, Haitians and their foreign helpers alike avoid helping orphans leave Haiti, whether for medical treatment or adoption. Secondly, many in Haiti live of off the mercy-system. They have orphanages which bring in a good income. Losing the orphans would mean losing their livelihood. Despicable, I know, but it is the truth. Now, I realize there are good missionaries and good Haitians with a true desire to help, and help they do! But the reality remains that a fair number of orphan-care workers are not what they seem. That is why it is difficult to adopt! And why we who lend our aid must be cautious in how we do so.
I expect more updates to come along soon! Communication with Daddy while he is in Haiti is minimal, so it might not be for a while. In the meantime, please keep him and the other workers in your prayers.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Report from Haiti I
Last night, as the olympians were mourning the loss of a Georgian sledder and preparing for their grand entry in the Vancouver stadium, I was talking with my Dad. He is in Haiti right now and, of course, I miss him. After hearing some of what he has gone through, however, my ache seems small and insignificant. One could see in his face that what is being said on the news about Haiti does not begin to describe the true horrors people there have to face every day.
Some things he told us:
The mentality there is so different from our American paradigm. They live in a give-me culture and it is hard for them to do something. Instead, thievery and deception reign on the streets, counteracting what help is given.
The amount of support from foreign nations is enormous! Daddy said the roads into Haiti are lined for miles with containers of supplies from the DR. Praise God!
Unfortunately, organization is not as prevalent as supplies. Food is rotting in those containers simply because of a lack of distribution! It seems that forethought is also lacking. For example, Daddy described families who were given 100 pound bags of rice. Naturally, they could not carry them anywhere, much less eat it all. Daddy's team distributes rice in 10 pound bags.
As the media has so strikingly captured, the streets are lined with people. It take hours for anyone to mobilize just because of how full everything is.
Oh, before I move onto other aspects of his trip, I must mention this. The buildings. This shows the different mentalities I was talking about. Four and five-story buildings are supported by beams only two inches thick. Structures which have not collapsed but are visibly cracked, ready to crumble at the slightest breeze, are given the royal treatment of a layer of plaster and then a coat of paint. Problem solved! No wonder mayhem is the key word over there.
Daddy is serving in Haiti as a pastor and medical doctor. Apparently, the 'emergency' phase of the disaster is slowly flowing into an after-shock phase. The emergency patients have mostly either died or been able to find medical assistance. Out of the forty-some patients Daddy treated in one day, most had yeast infections or anxiety symptoms. They came in complaining of racing hearts, tight muscles, and pounding headaches. 'When did this start?' Dad would ask. 'After the earthquake,' was the unanimous reply.
However, there are still horrors. The collapsed buildings full of the dead are only now being 'taken care of''. This means some men dump chemicals through the roof and then set the place on fire. A tragic, smelly business.
One day, a little boy was brought into the clinic where Daddy works. At least, he thinks it is a boy. Only about two months old. Anyway, he came in more dead than alive, full of bruises, broken ribs, scratches everywhere, and eyes, eyes so vacant and lifeless. No, this pitiful mess called a baby was not the result of tumbling buildings, but of a mother gone mad. After the earthquake, she went insane and beat up the child whenever he whimpered. Her milk ran out after the terror and her boy starved. Finally, the grandmother took the baby, without the mother's knowledge, to the clinic at which Daddy works. The sight of that darling bundle affected the whole team. It was...dreadful. Daddy says there is not much hope for this little one. At an ICU, maybe, but we are in Haiti, not the United Sates.
There are so many stories like this one! Continue to pray for those in Haiti whose lives have been devastated, for the workers who see things so ghastly every day and yet have to continue pouring themselves out to those who need everything, and for the Christians. Here is where our light should shine the brightest, in the Heart of Darkness.
Some things he told us:
The mentality there is so different from our American paradigm. They live in a give-me culture and it is hard for them to do something. Instead, thievery and deception reign on the streets, counteracting what help is given.
The amount of support from foreign nations is enormous! Daddy said the roads into Haiti are lined for miles with containers of supplies from the DR. Praise God!
Unfortunately, organization is not as prevalent as supplies. Food is rotting in those containers simply because of a lack of distribution! It seems that forethought is also lacking. For example, Daddy described families who were given 100 pound bags of rice. Naturally, they could not carry them anywhere, much less eat it all. Daddy's team distributes rice in 10 pound bags.
As the media has so strikingly captured, the streets are lined with people. It take hours for anyone to mobilize just because of how full everything is.
Oh, before I move onto other aspects of his trip, I must mention this. The buildings. This shows the different mentalities I was talking about. Four and five-story buildings are supported by beams only two inches thick. Structures which have not collapsed but are visibly cracked, ready to crumble at the slightest breeze, are given the royal treatment of a layer of plaster and then a coat of paint. Problem solved! No wonder mayhem is the key word over there.
Daddy is serving in Haiti as a pastor and medical doctor. Apparently, the 'emergency' phase of the disaster is slowly flowing into an after-shock phase. The emergency patients have mostly either died or been able to find medical assistance. Out of the forty-some patients Daddy treated in one day, most had yeast infections or anxiety symptoms. They came in complaining of racing hearts, tight muscles, and pounding headaches. 'When did this start?' Dad would ask. 'After the earthquake,' was the unanimous reply.
However, there are still horrors. The collapsed buildings full of the dead are only now being 'taken care of''. This means some men dump chemicals through the roof and then set the place on fire. A tragic, smelly business.
One day, a little boy was brought into the clinic where Daddy works. At least, he thinks it is a boy. Only about two months old. Anyway, he came in more dead than alive, full of bruises, broken ribs, scratches everywhere, and eyes, eyes so vacant and lifeless. No, this pitiful mess called a baby was not the result of tumbling buildings, but of a mother gone mad. After the earthquake, she went insane and beat up the child whenever he whimpered. Her milk ran out after the terror and her boy starved. Finally, the grandmother took the baby, without the mother's knowledge, to the clinic at which Daddy works. The sight of that darling bundle affected the whole team. It was...dreadful. Daddy says there is not much hope for this little one. At an ICU, maybe, but we are in Haiti, not the United Sates.
There are so many stories like this one! Continue to pray for those in Haiti whose lives have been devastated, for the workers who see things so ghastly every day and yet have to continue pouring themselves out to those who need everything, and for the Christians. Here is where our light should shine the brightest, in the Heart of Darkness.
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