Haiti Missions Trip 2010

Plans are to show photos Sunday Feb 7 at 10:00 AM and again at 1:00 PM

2010-02-04T10:00:00.002-05:00

Hello,

We are planning to show photos and tell of our experiences on the trip this coming Sunday, February 7 at 10:00 AM and again at 1:00 PM at the New Danville Mennonite Church. Feel free to come to either time and we will be happy to answer questions about the trip.

Thank you all for your support and please continue to pray for the YWAM Staff, other emergency responders, and the people and leadership of Haiti.

Thank You!

We are all safely home!

2010-02-01T08:43:00.003-05:00

The group of 5 that stayed longer arrived at the church on Friday night around 10:00PM. A group of us greeted them at the church and visited for a short time. Their travel went smoothly, except at the Santo Domingo airport the officials wanted to see the credit card that the tickets were purchased with. The credit card was in Pennsylvania with someone else and after some conversation and explanation they were allowed to board the plane. Everyone was tired and very glad to be home.

Linford indicated that they talked with the group from ECC in Ephrata as they passed traveling in the opposite direction. I'm sure the people from YWAM were glad they were coming.

Photos that various people have taken are being exchanged and shown in various settings. Tentative plans are for our group to share about our experience on Sunday evening, February 21 at the New Danville Mennonite Church. All are welcome to join us.

Thanks for your prayers and support, and please continue to pray for the people of Haiti.

Activity report for last Tuesday Jan 26

2010-02-01T08:40:00.002-05:00

Linford wrote:

Today Darrin, Duane, John, me, Ezra (another volunteer) and Kevin set out from the base at 6am. We got to the fifth section about an hour and a half later. It was a bumpy and dusty ride out. It is a totally different world out there, much like our country side; wide open and peaceful. I rode out with Terry and he was telling me how the valley we drove through was the biggest and most fertile valley in the country. Lots of people were tilling up or tending to rice patties that are share cropped between the land owner and individual people or families. If I had to guess I would say a few hundred acres were broken up into 20 ft by 20 ft squares, most of which was under water and green. Housing is not as much of a pretty sight. Mud huts made from rice straw and clay smeared over stick frames with ratty tin for a roof. Quite a contrast to the concrete block walls with wood rafters in the houses we are building.
Once at the work sight Kevin, Ezra, and I worked on setting poles for our team's house and the rest of the guys redid a tin roof for a house another team did incorrectly. Shirley worked over in the sports arena again today. Please pray for her; this afternoon she wasn't feeling 100 %.
Tomorrow we plan to put the roof on our house.

(Sorry for the delay getting it on the blog, travel and returning to work has challenged me in keeping this up to date - Merle)

many of the group arrive home safely

2010-01-28T10:40:00.002-05:00

We were greeted at the New Danville church last evening aroung 9:45 PM by a enthusiastic group of people. It was great to feel the support of so many people in various ways. Thank You!

The travel through Haiti and Santo Domingo went well, and there was a lot to see. Border crossings, flight arrangements, customs and immigration process's went very well.

The flight from Santo Domingo to New York was smooth and uneventful. A computer display on the seat backs showed us travelling at around 38,000 feet at over 500 mph, with an outside temperature of around -50 degrees farenheight. When we got on the bus at the airport there was a ice chest with sandwiches, drinks, fruit, and Whoopie Pies. We enjoyed that very much after two days of travelling and eating at unusual times and sometimes skipping meals. Thanks Naomi. After travelling Tuesday for 8 hours in a minivan packed with 11 people, we were very glad to travel more comfortably in McMichaels bus. Thanks Elvin and Mary and Carl!

Linford, Darren, Duane Stoner, Shirley and John are still not home. Today they are traveling, and I would guess that as I write this they have traveled through Haiti and are somewhere in the Dominican Republic and may arrive at the YWAM base in Santo Domingo between 2 and 3 PM today. Tomorrow they plan to fly from Santo Domingo at 1:35 PM and are expected in New York between 4 and 5 PM. I suspect Carl will take the Executive Coach bus to pick them up.

Please continue to pray for the people in Haiti that are residents, and for those that went to help meet the needs of the people. There is much to do and the work will not be easy. As Jesus said: "when you have done it for the least of these, you have done it for me".

Thank you

2010-01-27T16:29:00.001-05:00

We janded safely in NYC, almost home!

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Travel day for most of the group

2010-01-26T20:01:00.002-05:00

Hello,
This morning at 5:10 ten of us pulled out of the YWAM base at Saint Marc and traveled to Santo Domingo, arriving at 2:40 PM. The drive was uneventful, but long. Our driver for the portion from the border to Santo Domingo did not speak English, and so communication with him was a challenge. We crossed the border without needing to show any identification or our passports. For 20 or 30 miles after we crossed into the Dominican Republic there were military checkpoints that we were required to stop at. They simply looked in the windows at us and waived us on. This happened at least 6 or 8 times during the trip. We believe they were try to prevent Haitians from coming into Santo Domingo without authorization, but we were always a bit relieved when they motioned us to go on.

We stopped at a Burger King for lunch, and after that the driver seemed to be in a hurry, and sometimes made us uneasy with his aggressive driving. We arrived safely though, tired and ready to be finished driving.

At the YWAM base in Santo Domingo we arrived just as they were meeting for some prayer and singing time. After that we did a few projects to help them, had our evening meal, and are resting and looking forward to getting home late tomorrow evening.

John, Shirley, Linford, Darren and Duane Stoner are still in Saint Marc, and plan to travel on Thursday and Friday. Please pray for their safety in work and travel, and for our travel in the final two phases of that.

We plan to go to the airport around 11:00 AM tomorrow, the flight is scheduled to leave around 1:25 PM, arrive in NYC around 5:00 and then we still have a four hour drive home to Lancaster. We are looking forward to getting back to the comforts of home, and are more appreciative of the many blessings we have in our homes and communities.

Again, as we wrap up the later stages of our trip, we really appreciate all of the support everyone has given us in preparing for the trip, making arrangements, fund raising, prayer, and all of the other details. May God bless you for that.

We look forward to seeing you and sharing about our experience. I've joked that I've taken so many photos that I'll be able to inflict pain on people for hours at a time. Hopefully our sharing is only painful in that you will have a better understanding of the needs of the people of Haiti.

See you soon.

2010-01-26T17:55:00.001-05:00

We are safely resting in Santo Domingo since 2:40PM

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Last day of work (for most of us)

2010-01-25T20:45:00.002-05:00

Today was the last day of work for most of us and we continued with projects similarly to other days. Most of the guys were back to work at the hospital, painting, plumbing, and electrical work. Terry Snow reported tonight that the community is hoping to begin using part of the hospital on Thursday. The ladies are seeing the patients in the arena make good progress in their healing.

Terry reported tonight that the nation and community is transitioning from crisis mode to more of a rebuiling mode. The pace for the YWAM people has been very hectic for the last two weeks, and they are looking forward to resuming normal routines. Last night we had special prayer for the recovery people since they have been so involved in the front line recovery work, and their families have not seen much of them during the time since the quake. He also mentioned that here in Haiti people do not have insurance, and so if their home or business building collapsed they have lost probably everything. There will be a lot of need here for a long time. He also reported that Port Au Prince is trying to get over 100,000 people resettled in other areas, and that Saint Mark (which may have 100,000 people now) will get a sizeable portion of them.

Tomorrow 10 of us plan to travel the 8 hours it takes to get to Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. We need to be on the bus at 5:00 AM and expect to get to the YWAM base in Santo Domingo in the afternoon sometime. Then on Wednesday we plan to get on the plane around 1:25 PM to fly to New York City.

John and Shirley, Linford, Duane Stoner, and Darren all plan to remain here in Haiti for two extra days to work on the home we were scheduled to build in the 5th Section of the area. It is about an hour and a half of driving time to get there, and tomorrow they expect to repair a roof on a house and then do some of the preparation work for the construction of the house we were planning to build. Those people plan to make the trip to Dominican Republic on Thursday and fly home Friday. We will arrange to pick them up at the airport in NYC around 6:00 on Friday.

It's been a great experience and the team has gotten along wonderfully in spite of lack of sleep, physically and emotionally demanding work, challenges in getting organized for the day, and changes in plans.

We learned tonight that the group from Ephrata has decided to follow through with their plans to come to Haiti. The YWAM people seem very pleased and grateful that this is happening. The group will see and experience things that they will remember for a long time.

Haiti will be recovering from this earthquake for a while, both physically and emotionally, as well as spiritually and economically. There will continue to be much need and many opportunities for people to come to Haiti to serve God and his people here. Please keep the people serving here on the YWAM base in your prayers as they work in often difficult conditions to help people. Also, the staff here will also be glad for your sponsorships or other financial support. Everyone here needs to raise their own support of around $250 (I think that is the number mentioned) per person per month. Considering their impact on the community, our group feels very good about the money going to where it is needed.

Many Haitians belive that this earthquake is God's judgement for their 200 years of a pact with the devil. Please pray for the people of Haiti that they may turn their worship to God and follow him.

Day of rest for the group

2010-01-24T21:42:00.002-05:00

Today instead of working we had a day at the beach with many of the YWAM staff. It was great relaxing at the beach, swimming and snorkelling in the Carribbean, reading, playing volleyball, and we had a nice lunch. We purchased some souveniers and then headed back to Saint Marc and went to a local market for some snacks and then to a place to get some vanilla concentrate to bring home. We also went to the town square to see the Ten Commandments monument that the YWAM people gave the town in 2004.

Tonight was the worship service in the base, and we experienced a lively worship service and pray and a message. It was a meaningful experience.

After that our group met to see who is interested in staying until Friday or Saturday. Six people are interested in staying if the airline tickets can be changed. We all are doing well and having a powerful experience, but are OK with heading home soon. If some stay longer, it is likely they will be home on Saturday.

We have seen many interesting things, but our hearts are heavy for the people of Haiti. The YWAM vision is that this disaster is a great opportunity for the nation to turn to God. Please pray that people respond to God's call.

Today's blog

2010-01-23T18:50:00.002-05:00

We had another fine day in Saint Marc, Haiti. Darren, Josh and Linford worked on upgrading the rear entrance driveway to the base. They drove a skid loader South a mile or so to a quarry and loaded a dump truck hired by the base. The ladies were back to helping the medical needs of the refugees in the arena beside the cafeteria. Most of the guys were back to working on the the hospital. Much of the painting is complete and we have wiring and lighting completed in a bit more than one-half of the builidng.

The flow of refugees to be registered continued and Ron helped with that again this morning. There are over 1,200 people that registered in the last three days. These people are staying in the Saint Marc area in churches, schools, and with family or friends. Saint Marc seemed to be densly populated already, and this will stress the community more. Remember, there is not public sewer and water here, and the roads were paved years ago and not maintained much since. There are open sewers along the streets.

Tomorrow a group of doctors is expected to fly in and land in the bay at Saint Marc, bringing medical supplies and at least two surgeons. We hear there is some resistance to this from the local doctors and hospital administration, which we don't understand. People are needing treatment, and have been waiting for a long time. The hospital in Saint Marc is overwhelmed and is sending patients to the YWAM base for treatment, even though they need x-rays and other care that requires much more than the "Angels of Mercy" have access to. Another nurse, Lori, arrived yesterday from California and is being very helpful to Audrey Martin and our crew.

Tomorrow it is planned that we go to the beach for the day, at a place not too far from here. We will all be glad for the break from the emotional and physical activity of the week. Tomorrow evening we have a worship time planned.

Everyone is doing well, and some of the group is still thinking about staying a few extra days. Monday we will need to make arrangements if some of us decide to stay. Monday we may be going to the Fifth Section to work on the project that we originally planned to work on. There are other projects that are closer to the base, but all are important and we will decide with YWAM staff. We'd like to see more of the country since some of the group has not been off of the base since we arrived on Monday at 1:30 PM.

Please continue to pray for the people of Haiti, specifically those being cared for in the arena on the base. They are sleeping on thin mattresses which are on reed mats on the concrete floor, for over a week now. There are some tarps hung along the sides to shield them from the later day sun, but other than that they are in open air. These people are probably much more comfortable than those living in the tent cities in Port Au Prince, so please pray for the people in Port Au Prince as well.

Thanks for your prayers and we look forward to sharing our stories when we return home.

Observations from the group

2010-01-22T19:58:00.003-05:00

Today was like the others in that it was very unique. Many of us worked in ways that were similar to other days. However, there were some differences that stand out and make the day unique. We had another night with many interruptions of sleep. Cells phones going off for the YWAM staff, dog's barking, people getting up to leave the base at 4:45 AM, Josh getting sick at 4:00 AM (He was feeling much better this afternoon), some one's radio playing for an hour in the middle of the night. We ALL look forward to the comforts of our own homes.

Instead of just reporting on who did what today, I asked each to share something that stood out to them since the beginning of the trip. This gives some of our groups thoughts.

Josh - We were there at the hospital after working all day, and the children suddenly surrounded us and wanted attention. They didn't speak English, we didn't speak Creole, but the energy and enthusiasm was there.

Michael - The children wanting attention, and, visiting with the DTS people here.

Tom - You can smile at anyone and they always smile back.

Shirley - I will never complain about the health care system and the competent doctors we have at home. At home there is talk of health care reform, but we still have it SO much better than here in Haiti. It was also great to see people accepting Jesus and the healing power of prayer.

Sue - Also, so very thankful for the medical care we have at home. What we see here in Haiti is primitive at best. Watching these orphan children get their wounds dressed and stitches without anesthetic is hard to watch.

Ron - Today was part of registering 500 (Five HUNDRED) refugees that came to the base for processing to receive medical aid and food in the community. Prayer time this morning with injured people staying in the arena on the base was powerful.

Duane Charles - Over the last couple days, several people showed up at the hospital we were working on, claiming they owned it. Three of them were there at the one time, arguing they owned it. Ultimately they backed off on their claim to the property for the good of the community.

Linford - It's very clear how much the YWAM Base is trying to do in the crisis. It's chaos for the YWAM people, but the money given to this organization is going to where the need is tremendous.

John - Expected to see and hear of violence and uprisings, pleased to not see it happening. Surprised with how clean the people appear in spite of the dirt and trash in the community.

Darren - Amazed with how poor the people are and how much they jump in to help us work at the hospital.

Matthew- Amazed with how much people jump and help as we work at the hospital.

Duane Stoner - Learning to trust God more, and is seeing God at work here.

Paul - Extreme poverty and dirtiness and trash everywhere, yet people are still generally happy, friendly and caring.

Michelle - Being here opens your eyes to how privileged we are at home. People here are living without sewer, running water, medical care, and other services we take for granted.

Merle - I am so glad to be where I am for right now. This group has such a great attitude as they come to the tasks at hand. The ladies are very stretched emotionally while caring for the medical needs of refugee people on the base. The guys are working physically in the hot sun for hours, coming back very dirty and tired. The YWAM staff on the base is working in a chaotic environment and is a GREAT asset to the local community and the Haiti nation.

Tomorrow we plan to continue to work on the school and take care of the refugees. Sunday we plan to rest and relax. Monday it's back to work, Tuesday we plan to travel the 8 or 9 hours back to Santo Domingo in the Domincan Republic, Wednesday we plan to fly home (unless some the group stays longer) There was a team of people scheduled to come in early February to work, but Terry Snow learned today that they may not be coming. They WILL loose out on a very powerful experience. I hope and pray that they forget about any danger they perceive and come. We've not felt threatened at all in our activities, but rather blessed by our experience.

Please pray for workers, the harvest is plentiful and the workers are few. Some of our group may decide to stay a bit longer, to help with the need. Please pray for us as they consider this. There will be travel issues to figure out, people doing things at home that we would otherwise need to do, and extra expenses.

We are very grateful for the prayer support you have all given us while we are here. We will have much to share when we return.

Another interesting day in Saint Marc Haiti

2010-01-21T20:18:00.006-05:00

Today was hot and humid for us. The dog barked most of the night and we are all getting a bit weary. The need in the community compels us to be strong, and the YWAM people are so eager to be helpful in the community and the broader country that it is inspiring, but even they are feeling the effects of over a week of chaos. Today the victims from Port Au Prince began arriving in the arena for registration to stay in Saint Marc. I understand there may be 175 people that arrived, and we don't know how many may come yet. Terry Snow anticipates there could be many more come, but one fctor may be that some may not come because of jobs they may still have in Port Au Prince.

The ladies helped again with the medical needs of the people staying in the arena on the base. There was a different doctor there today that had a much better attitude toward the victims and after caring for many needs on-site sent several orphan boys to a medical facility for stitches and x-rays. It is nine days after the earthquake and only now some people are getting needed medical attention. Some of the YWAM staff are becoming much more a part of the care process than was originally planned. However with the lack of local infrastructure in almost every way that we take for granted at home, people do not get cared for as is necessary. One YWAM woman's role in particular is heavy for her since she cares much for the people and is treating their wounds, and the local doctor seems to have an attitude of indifference.

Most of the guys were back working at the building that is to become a hospital. Today we worked again on getting it ready for installing doors and windows, and painting the interior. When we ran out of materials we picked up on another project at the YWAM base, mixing cement for a project on the base. Later in the day we learned that someone showed up at the hospital today, claiming they own the property and wanting to charge YWAM rent for using it. That happened yesterday also, and then it was a different person. This facility has sat unused for several years, and was known locally as the place people go to die. The vision with the YWAM people is that it gets known as a place of healing instead.

Tonight after supper we met as a group and considered the idea of several of the group remaining here for as much as an additional 7 days. We talked about the logistics of that and will decide tomorrow if any of our team stays longer, and if so, how much longer. Many are ready to head home as planned, others are willing to stay longer since the needs here are great and they could be helpful.

Thank you for your prayers, we are certain God is at work here. Please continue to pray as we work with the Haitian people and the YWAM people as they serve the community. Haiti is a nation in need, and God can use us in supplying resources to minister to those needs.

Daily report for the group on the Haiti Trip

2010-01-20T20:12:00.002-05:00

Hello,

Today we woke at 6:00 AM to a tremor. The dog had barked again from 10:30 PM until 4:00 AM, so we didn't get a great night of sleep. I was just waking up and it wasn't quite registering that we were experiencing a tremor until I realized that guys in the dorm were running to get out of the building. Later we learned it was a 5.9 aftershock with an epicenter near where it was last week. In a few seconds it was over, but when I went outside later it seemed like I could hear many people talking in the community. Can you imaging all of the people in the tent cities experiencing this after last week. I'm sure they are very uneasy.

Today the ladies helped get the refugees that are staying on the base ready to be moved to another facility. They got them ready and on the bus and a couple hours later learned that the refugees were coming back soon. The place they were headed is in the mountains and the bus could not get through on the roads. The people are back in the arena here at the YWAM base tonight and I haven't heard where or when they may be going anywhere.

Tomorrow is when the YWAM staff were planning to use the arena as a registration area for the people coming from Port Au Prince. There could be hundreds of people coming tomorrow, and Terry Snow (the YWAM Director) also learned today that the local Civil Patrol who is expected to feed the people hasn't gotten prepared yet. Another challenge is that the school they were to go to is a two-story building and it is expected that many people will be fearful of going into a place like that due to their fears from the earthquake.

Today most of the guys worked at the building that is planned to be set up as a hospital. Linford and Josh were running skid loaders most of the day, reshaping the terrain of the hospital grounds and digging a pit for an outhouse. John, Tom, and Merle went with some Haitian fellows to buy wood at a place in Saint Marc. Others took water and tools to the masons at the school and began painting the interior and gathered tools for us to start framing out the openings in the concrete walls for windows. The guys got many of the Haitian people who were there involved in painting and moving stuff. Imagine trying to saw lumber and fasten it to the window openings with a room full of 40 (Tom counted them at one point) curious teenagers and children. Also at the same time there were masons working on adding several partition walls inside and patching up the exterior.

Terry Snow mentioned again today that although the United Nations and other organizations are serving people in the wake of the disaster, the Christian organizations are the ones that are most proactive and doing the most to minister to all aspects of peoples lives.

Terry shared today about the history of Haiti, including a part about in 1794 that a few Haitians used Voodoo and a pig sacrifice ceremony to create a pact with the Devil for 200 years in exchange from their freedom from France. Voodoo has played a large part of the culture of Haiti for many years, but now many Haitians are believing that the Earthquake is God's judgement on them for Voodoo activities over the years. The Presidential palace collapsing is a strong image of the collapse of the government leadership, and with the palace containing many Voodoo activities over the years is also a sign the the people that God is sending his judgement.

All of our group is healthy and doing well, and very keenly aware of the needs in this area of the world. We thank you for your prayers for us, but ask for your continued prayers for the people of Haiti.

2010-01-20T08:11:00.001-05:00

At 6AM we felt a tremor. Everyone fine,
No damage here.

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It was an active day for the group

2010-01-19T20:38:00.002-05:00

We learned today that our group is the first group here since the earthquake. The YWAM people are very glad we are here.

Today went very well for us. Our group was divided and performed several different functions. Michelle, Shirley and Sue helped provide medical assistance to the people in the compound that were injured in the quake. (Many of the injured asked for them to pray as they were being treated.) Paul and Matt were traveling with some YWAM people gathering supplies for the building projects. Darren, Mike, Matt, Duane Stoner, John and Ron worked at power washing a building that is intended to be a local hospital. Linford, Josh, and Duane Charles worked on the skid loaders and got them working better and then moved some piles of dirt to prepare for pouring concrete for a loading dock. Merle working on cleaning out and organizing a storage trailer and the parts depot. Tom and Merle got pulled into meetings with Terry Snow, helping to strategize about how to get several thousand people from Port Au Prince to Saint Marc to stay with family or near by in local schools. We received and unloaded a truck loaded with supplies for various projects.

It has been amazing and sad, seeing how needy many people are. It has also been great to watch God at work through people. For the projects there are many needs. Needs for people, materials, prayer, and safety. The plans for moving many people from Port Au Prince involve a significant amount of resources and community involvement. The Haitian government is so weak that they are unable to adequately respond. It seems that the Christian aid organizations are the ones that are stepping up to the plate and organizing the relief efforts.

In the strategy meeting today we needed to think about:
1. How to get the people here. (Buses)
2. How to process those who come to be sure they have relatives or friends in Saint Marc that can help them. (YWAM is preparing a computer system)
3. Where they will stay in the community, (at a school or church or relative)
4. How they will be cared for with medical needs.
5. How to involve the local community leaders and enable their leadership in the project.
6. How to share the word of Jesus love to the people.

Please pray for the people of Haiti, the people of YWAM as they work on these projects, and our team as we work to support the leadership of YWAM this week.

One thought, we see and experience this community this few days, but then we plan to go home. The local people will be dealing with the impact of so many homes being destoyed one week ago today. That process will take a long time. We are glad we came and can serve the people of Haiti. We have been blessed with our experience.

Today was an experience we will remember

2010-01-18T18:39:00.003-05:00

We began our day with getting up at 1:00 AM in Santo Domingo after spending the night at the YWAM Base there. We started traveling at 3:30 AM in a supply caravan with World Vision. There was a container truck with supplies, and several other vehicles. We reached the border crossing around 8:30 AM and spent time moving our things from one bus to another for the rest of the trip. It was interesting seeing the flow of people and vehicles going both ways across the border. It seemed like mass confusion, but went smoothly. We expected to go directly to Saint Marc, but our driver had misunderstood instructions and instead of turning to go to Saint Marc, followed the caravan into Port Au Prince. We saw many collapsed buildings, tent cities at several areas, the collapsed Presidential Palace, and many people. When our driver received correct instructions we headed for Saint Marc, arriving at the YWAM base around 1:30 PM. At the base we met Terry Snow the director, his wife Ingvild, their sons, and several of the staff. Our group settled into the dorms and quickly started on some projects around the base. Later some of the group toured the base and then went to see a building that YWAM plans to turn into a medical clinic.
We enjoyed a supper of rice, beans and stew. Tonight we look forward to getting some rest and tomorrow working on various projects.
We are very thankful for the safe and eneventful travel.

It was an impactful experience today, seeing parts of the Dominican Republic and Haiti as we travelled for eight hours. Many people are living in homes that most of us wouldn't go camping in. Many others are living in tents, with no place to go home to and no idea how to rebuild their home that was damaged. Arriving at the base in Saint Marc, we see people staying on the football field receiving medical attention and hospitality from the YWAM Staff here in Saint Marc.

Please pray for the people of Haiti. There are many needs.

2010-01-18T13:22:00.001-05:00

We safely arrived at YWAM base!

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2010-01-18T10:55:00.001-05:00

We are in PAP now seeing damage & tent cities, WOW

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2010-01-18T09:21:00.001-05:00

We have crossed boarder into Haiti. That went well.

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2010-01-18T02:43:00.001-05:00

We started bus ride. Today WILL be an experience!
Pray for safety.

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2010-01-18T01:18:00.001-05:00

We are packed and ready to travel to border. Pray for smooth trip.

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We are resting at the YWAM base in Santo Domingo

2010-01-17T14:43:00.003-05:00

We arrived in Santo Domingo around noon today. Everything went well through airport security, customs, and the flight. We are now resting at the YWAM base in Santo Domingo and plan to begin traveling tomorrow morning at 3:00AM and expect a 6 hour drive to the Haiti border, an hour or two to cross the border, and then another 3 hours drive to Saint Marc.

At the airport in New York we met a man who lost 3 of his brothers and sisters in the earthquake. He is a pastor in Brooklyn now for a congregation of 50 people, and was traveling home for the services and time with the family.

Also on our flight was a group of people traveling with 5 search and rescue dogs. They were from Holland and headed to Haiti.

Traveling through Santo Domingo was interesting, seeing the buildings and vehicles. It's clearly not a wealthy area, and we are told we will see even more poverty as we head to Haiti.

Please continue to pray for Haiti and us as we proceed with our work.

Thank you for your prayers and support.

(p.s. a man from Holland loaned me his laptop to prepare this post. Hopefully we will be able to communicate when we get to Haiti.)

2010-01-17T10:42:00.001-05:00

We landed safely in Santo Domingo

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2010-01-17T06:54:00.001-05:00

As we boarded the plane we met a pastor who lost 3 siblings in earthquake and 3 rescue dogs got on but needed to get ba

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2010-01-17T06:22:00.001-05:00

We are packed and ready to get on plane

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Jan 15 E-mail from YWAM Director in Haiti

2010-01-16T08:43:00.002-05:00

If you have anything that may be helpful to send to Haiti (Cash, Medicine, etc-) please get it to one of our group members before we depart from New Danville Mennonite Church at 11:30 PM Saturday January 16. We will make significant effort to get it to Haiti.

Thank You all for your support! Keep Praying! God is in control!

------- Original Message --------
Subject:
[YWAM-Haiti] PRAY HARD!
Date:
Fri, 15 Jan 2010 21:50:14 -0500
From:
Terry

Today we bought 15 25lb bags of rice in St. Marc. To our knowledge it was the last available rice in all of St. Marc city and province! This is getting serious friends. What the UN and Government people may not be taking into thought is the mass number of people that are evacuating PAP. This is devasting the supplies in the province. One of the largest wholesalers in St. Marc has empty depots tonight with no word on when he might be able to get more bulk food!

Victims of PAP are now beginning to fill churches in St. Marc and we are looking at potentially staging two additional camps here in this city as well as our staging points in PAP.

FUEL is gone, vehicles are being parked! We have to have fuel if we are going to survive, much less help the victims!

I have worked most of the day on the opening of the port of St. Marc. US Coast Guard has come and inspected the port. I have spoken to the person in charge of security and we are close to having green lights from the customs office to open the port to allow aid supplies to pass through for little to no charge!

If you have a container of food or building supplies that is ready to send, please contact us or Bill Colman at cartrans@myacc.net. Bill has done much shipping into the port of St. Marc and is assembling three small vessels that can quickly load and offload at the port of St. Marc. However we need 40 containers to fill the ship for it to be able to leave. The ships are located in the Miami / Everglades Florida area. 888-763-2999.

We need Rice, Beans, Cooking oil, Tomato paste, spagetti, soap, tarps, tents, wood, tin roofing, foam matress of sleep cots etc. Please contact us for an updated list!

We still have no communication worth mentioning with cell phones.

As I prayed today I felt God speak that a new beginning is coming to Haiti. Decisons for their future hang in the balance. Let's pray that the Haitian people will respond to God's love and make the right choices that will bring them healing and blessing!

Taking the High Places!

Terry W. Snow
National Director
YWAM Haiti

For contributions in the US you may mail your tax deductible gift payable to YWAM Haiti marked "Relief" and mail to;

YWAM Haiti
PO Box 236
Akron, PA 17501

or you may also make a contribution online at this link https://www.ywam.org/secure/donations/donate.asp?project=10

Thank you for your gift!

Haiti group and others meet for prayer and to review changes to plans

2010-01-15T21:37:00.004-05:00

We gathered at the New Danville Mennonite Church to review plan changes that were required due to the earthquake in Haiti. Several other congregation members joined us for a time of encouragement, reviewing final details, prayer and planning. Several people expressed some feelings of anxiety due to the situation in Haiti after the earthquake. Others expressed feelings of conviction that we are needed there now more than ever. Linford described the sense of urgency that the YWAM people in Haiti expressed for our group to go there and work at constructing homes. Others described the outpouring of support that we have experienced in communicating with others about our plans. Overall I sensed a real unity in the group and agreement that we are called to go and we can trust God for guidance, safety, effectiveness, and an adventure.

Our current plans are to board Delta flight 493 at 7:05 AM on Sunday, January 17, in John F Kennedy airport in NYC, and arrive at Santo Domingo at 12:25 PM. People from the YWAM base in Santo Domingo are planning to pick us up at the airport and host us for the night in their base. In the morning on Monday they plan to drive us to the Haiti/Dominican Republic border, and assist our crossing and meeting someone from the Saint Marc YWAM base who will take us to Saint Marc. Tuesday through Saturday we plan to work on constructing homes in the Saint Marc area. Sunday we look forward to worship and enjoying some time at the beach. Monday it's back to work, Tuesday we plan to travel back to the Dominican Republic, Wednesday we plan to fly home. That flight is Delta number 494 and departs Santo Domingo at 1:25 PM and arrives in NYC at 5:00 PM. If all goes well we may arrive in Lancaster very late on the 27th.
(Sue commented that I used the word "plan" a lot in that paragraph, but reality is that we make plans and sometimes they need to be changed. We've already seen that in this project)

We learned tonight that cell phone and internet service in Haiti is failing, which may limit our ability to communicate with home during the trip. We hope to update this blog on a daily basis, but may not be able to so if services are unavailable.

The change of flight arrangements cost an extra $2,700 for the group, but seemed important to do in light of the need that exists in Haiti. We are taking some limited supplies to the YWAM base, and are happy to accept cash donations that will be used to buy supplies that will benefit the people of Haiti. Feel free to call us if you would like to donate. The phone number for the church is 717-872-8111.

Please continue to pray for the people of Haiti who have lost loved ones, have been injured, lost their home, and been traumatized with all that has gone on around them. We in America have been so blessed, and we can share with others now.

an e-mail message from the YWAM base in Haiti

2010-01-15T09:24:00.001-05:00

-------- Original Message --------
Subject:
[YWAM-Haiti] Relief Update
Date:
Thu, 14 Jan 2010 21:43:31 -0500
From:
Terry

Message
Just a quick update,

We have been very busy and have made great headway in developing a plan to begin assistance. We would like to begin preparing food and passing out sacks of purified water very soon! Instead of doing this today we focused on staging points to host teams, connect with the US Embassy and develop the infrustructure needed to assist in a positve way! We have located two potential staging points and we are appreciative to our very large Youth With A Mission family world wide.

Saturday we will see a YWAM team from D.R. (Boardering nation) drive in with supplies. We have two other teams, one from YWAM Tyler Mercy Works and the other from Lancaster PA, New Danville Mennonite, that will be here Sunday. One team will be building a home in the St.Marc area the other will be setting up for medical relief.

We have begun to make arrangements for getting a hold of finances. Please understand that all the banking systems have collapsed due to communications and the main offices destroyed in the capital. Hopefully tomorrow we will see our Haitian bank begin to open or release some funds for our use. We are finding other ways to obtain funds as well. YWAM International is recieving funds from around the world at a internet link https://www.ywam.org/secure/donations/donate.asp?project=10. Others are responding through email making commitments and sending funds to our YWAM Haiti, PO Box 236, Akron, PA 17501.

The Haitian government is not funtioning and we have a team working to try and find a way to get the port of St. Marc opened for humanitarian supplies. Our YWAM base has 3 acres of land that we could make available to park containers for unloading, organizing and then shipping on to PAP.

We have placed a call to YWAM Volunteers to come and assist in administrative ways to help in organization of the many teams that have already written ready to come. As mentioned we have currently found two staging points that could provide housing for these teams. We have a possibility of up to 10 additional places as well.

Airplanes were seen flying in and the US Embassy was still very packed with people trying to leave. The smell of dead bodies is growing stronger and there seemed to be a spirit of dispair crying out through out the city.

This is our time to demonstrate the power of the love of God. There is a deep stirring within many Haitians. Especially amongst our staff. Our Haitian staff are proclaiming it is time for change!

Taking the High Places!

Terry W. Snow
National Director
YWAM Haiti

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This message was sent by a staff member of YWAM - St. Marc, Haiti.

Travel plan changes

2010-01-14T21:46:00.003-05:00

Current thinking is that we fly to Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic and then travel overland to Saint Marc, Haiti. It looks like we will travel on Sunday, leaving John F Kennedy airport at 7:00 AM and arriving at the Dominican Republic in the afternoon. We will possibly spend the night at the YWAM base in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic and then travel to the border on Monday, meet the people there from the Haiti YWAM base for transportation to Saint Marc.

The key challenge may be crossing the border from the Dominican Republic to Haiti.

Please pray for God's leading and wisdom in our planning, preparation, and travel.

Email from YWAM Base in Saint Marc Haiti

2010-01-14T14:44:00.002-05:00

From: Terry
Date: Thu, Jan 14, 2010 at 9:32 AM
Subject: [YWAM-Haiti] Earthquake update 1/14/10
To: news@ywamhaiti.org
Dead lay in the streets, possibilities of mass burial sites talked about on the radio. People wandering the streets, city parks now filled with people camping out in them. The situation is worse than dreamed!

Yesterday we sent an investigative team to Port-au-Prince (PAP) to take a first hand look at the situation. I will not easily forget what Rodney Gephart and Wayne Snow said when they had returned; "The situation is worse than it has appeared on TV!" My heart sank and instead of crying I felt a numbness come over me as they began telling me of the dead, the buildings that had collapsed and then to hear that they could not find any information on who is doing what as far as coordinating efforts for immediate response and long term recovery.

Our Leadership Team went late into the night trying to assemble all the data and strategies on how to begin with assisting the victims of the earthquake of 1/12/10. Praying for strength and wisdom from God!
We know He has a plan. We have seen him take us through many floods and other situations that were greater than we could bare in the past and by God's grace, mercy and power we will see this through! How unmeasurable is His love! Nothing is impossible concerning Him!

Today's goals are;

-Establish Communication Hub- Focus (Connect with US Embassy, coordinate with any known relief teams, communicate with volunteer teams and individuals that are emailing)
-Establish routes to receive and send aid (Money, Supplies and Volunteers)
-Check out and establish staging points to House and feed Volunteers (Probably need portable housing)
-Immediate Response - Look for opportunities to run street soup kitchens (Use street vendors to make hot meals to give to anyone who needs them, buy purified water for distribution)
-Prepare for Security concerns (Yesterday the people were stunned, today they will be starving!)

The ground underneath me just trembled once more as I close this email and I am 60 miles away! Many people have asked how they can help. We need funds to kick in quickly. Until the shipments of additional relief supplies get open money is all we can work with. We have connections to food wholesalers in St. Marc that can assist us, but we also need to purchase vehicles to get mobile. Many vehicles were destroyed so we need to find and purchase quickly!

If you would like to get involved you may make a contribution over the internet and the following link https://www.ywam.org/secure/donations/donate.asp?project=10. If you would like to send a USA Check you may make it payable to YWAM Haiti, designate it to "Haiti Relief" and mail to;

YWAM Haiti
PO Box 236
Akron, PA 17501

If you are sending in a contribution we would like to hear from you immediately so we can put those funds into affect before they arrive. Please reply to this email with the amount you are sending.

Thank you!

Taking the High Places!

Terry W. Snow
National Director
YWAM Haiti

We are exploring possible alternate travel plans

2010-01-14T14:25:00.002-05:00

With the devastation in Port Au Prince Haiti, we have begun exploring the possibility of shifting our plans to fly to the Dominican Republic and then drive to Saint Marc in Haiti to serve at the YWAM base. Current understanding is that we might fly a day later (Jan 17) to get there and depart for home a day later (Jan 27) than originally planned. This will require a longer drive than we were originally planning, and will include a border crossing as well.

Please continue to pray for the people of Haiti, the emergency responders, and others that are helping.

Please pray for guidance as we consider travel options, and that we are precisely tuned in to God's will in what we do.

Thank You!

We are still planning on travelling to Haiti on Saturday

2010-01-13T12:16:00.003-05:00

Linford Hershey talked with the director of the YWAM base today, and learned that they believe they can still plan to pick our group up at the airport on Saturday if we can get our flight to Port Au Prince. The YWAM people are traveling the roads today and plan to confirm tonight or tomorrow that it is possible.

With the international outpouring of aid to Haiti focusing on the capital city, the remote areas will likely not be assisted, and the YWAM base will be glad for our work in that area.

Message from Terry Snow - Director of YWAM Base in Haiti

2010-01-13T10:52:00.001-05:00

This e-mail came recently: it is from Terry Snow, Director at YWAM Base in Haiti.

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Every 30 minutes to an hour the house rumbled and shook from the after shocks of the earthquake that has divested the capital, Port-au-Prince. It was hard to sleep wondering if you should run, wait or ignore it. All I could think about was the thousands that had no where to sleep in Port-au-Prince 60 miles away from our city, St. Marc.

We were up early to see the video footage and pictures of the Presidential Palace destroyed and so many other buildings we once knew. We feel in some ways as helpless as the victims in Port-au-Prince in the since of shock and not knowing what to do or where to start. Communications are still down, airport is closed for today so we have decided to send in a observation team to see what connections they could make.

Haiti has no infrastructure much less a crisis management team. I suspect that PAP is crying even louder this morning as the reality of their situation tumbles on them.

We are thinking through how this impact will affect St. Marc and the population here. Fuel, electric communications, food and construction supplies all route through PAP. Today we are ok, but what about in a few days or week. Where are the refugees going to be going since there is little living space in PAP?

Pray for us and our observation team!

Terry W. Snow
National Director
YWAM Haiti

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This message was sent by a staff member of YWAM - St. Marc, Haiti.

US Department of State report on travel to Haiti

2010-01-13T10:37:00.002-05:00

Travel Alert (this is at www.state.gov/travel)
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Bureau of Consular Affairs
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This information is current as of today, Wed Jan 13 10:37:00 2010.

Haiti

January 13, 2010

The Department of State alerts U.S. citizens to the situation in Haiti and urges them to avoid travel to Haiti in the aftermath of a powerful earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12. An earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale struck near Port Au Prince, followed by multiple aftershocks. The U.S. Embassy is working to ascertain the extent of the damage and check on the status of U.S. citizens around the island. This Travel Alert expires on March 13, 2010.

There are reports of extensive damage, and communications remain extremely difficult. Additional aftershocks remain a possibility. A Tsunami Watch for Haiti and neighboring islands issued by the Pacific Tsunami Alert Center has expired.

U.S. citizens in Haiti should remain in shelter. If exposed when an aftershock hits, take steps to avoid falling debris by getting to as open a space as possible, away from walls, windows, buildings and other structures. If indoors, take shelter under a heavy table or desk, or in a doorway. Avoid damaged buildings, and obey all instructions from local authorities. Do not use matches, lighters, candles or other flame in case of disrupted gas lines. Avoid downed power lines.

If possible, U.S. citizens in Haiti should contact friends and relatives outside of Haiti to inform them of their welfare.

The U.S. Embassy in Port Au Prince has set up a task force at the Embassy which is taking calls as conditions permit. The Embassy is working to identify U.S. citizens in Haiti who need urgent assistance and to identify sources of emergency help.

U.S. citizens are urged to contact the Embassy via email to request assistance. U.S. citizens in Haiti can call the Embassy’s Consular Task Force at 509-2229-8942, 509-2229-8089, 509-2229-8322, or 509-2229-8672. The State Department has also created a task force to monitor the emergency. People in the U.S. or Canada with information or inquiries about U.S. citizens in Haiti may reach the Haiti Task Force at 888-407-4747. Outside of the U.S. and Canada, call 202-501-4444. For further information and updates, please see the State Department’s Consular Affairs website.

e-mail from the YWAM Base about Earthquake today

2010-01-12T22:12:00.003-05:00

Carl Hess passed this to us:

The following report was emailed from the YWAM base in St Marc today about their earthquake:

_________________________________
At 5:05pm I was sitting with our leadership team when the room began to tremble. EARTHQUAKE! We quickly realized that this was an abnormal rumbling. We have experienced minor trembles in times past but not like this one. We all bolted to the exit. Soon we saw everyone out in the center of our campus field as the earth continued to tremble. One of our walls had some plaster begin to shack loose, but then it stopped. Thank God!

The city erupted with screams and shouts! Most of our cell companies were down, electric went off, but then one of our new DTS student’s cell phone rings. People are telling him that many buildings have fallen. There is much destruction in the capital Port-au-Prince!

Due to phone communication we are unable to reach our YWAM Center in Gonaives north of us, but we feel they are most likely ok as the earthquake’s center was 10 miles south south west of Port-au-Prince.

Our survey teams we sent through St. Marc have reported back in with the good report that all looks safe in our city, St. Marc!

Let’s pray for the many people in the capital. We have received word that many housing units have collapsed and government buildings as well, but still no clear reports. Everyone only had 45 minutes before the sun set and now they are pretty well in the darkness.

Terry W. Snow
National Director
YWAM Haiti

Earthquake hits Haiti January 12 at 2:00 PM

2010-01-12T21:43:00.003-05:00

News reports indicate an earthquake struck Haiti today, significantly damaging buildings and infrastructure and creating fear in the residents. As of 9:45 PM today, our group has not heard anything that changes our plans to travel to Haiti. Considering what we've heard about how extensive the damage is, our plans to travel there on Saturday may change.

Please pray for the Haitian people, government, and emergency responders as they deal with the devastation, loss of family and loved ones. Please pray for guidance for our team as we plan our trip.

Our group originally planned to work at constructing homes in the area of Saint Marc. This event may shift our mission from constructing homes to something more emergency response related. I talked with 2 other team members this evening and both indicate willingness to follow through with going to Haiti, but shifting our focus to assisting in the earthquake response and assistance.

Group meets in final preparation to travel

2010-01-11T08:55:00.000-05:00

Sunday evening we met at NDMC to review final travel plans, preparations, and lists of things to pack. Passports and plane tickets are arranged, immunizations are complete, and the anticipation is building.

We need to be AT THE CHURCH at 1:30AM on January 16 to travel to John F Kennedy Airport in New York. Our flight is scheduled to leave at 9:00 AM, Delta flight 435.

Our plans are to fly to Port A Prince Haiti, and then travel to Saint Marc to the YWAM base. During the week we expect to be involved in constructing homes for families in the community.

We plan to travel home on January 26, departing Haiti at 2:00 PM on Delta flight 436, arriving at JFK NY 6:05PM.

Please pray for:
1. Safe Travel
2. Smooth airline processing at departure and arrival
3. Health and safety in work and other activites
4. That each of us will be a blessing to the people we meet
5. That each of us will be shaped more in Jesus image, by our interactions with others

You may view a video of the YWAM base in Haiti, try Googling YWAM Haiti.