2/27/2010 Update
Dear Friends,
Below
is a link to a new photo gallery we recently uploaded to our website.
Please click the link below to open the gallery page. On the gallery
page, click any photo to start the slide show or view individual
photos. These photos were taken when Liz Seese and Pastor Jim Owens
were in Haiti earlier this month. Your continued prayers for our
friends in Haiti is appreciated!
Photo Gallery
In Him,
Andrew Armstrong
2/16/2010 Update
Dear Friends,
I have finally found the bottom of the pile of papers
on my desk. I am however no way near caught up after our week in Atlanta,
but with Dewaine's help am making headway and that is good. I have several
things to tell you so we can all be on the same page with
information.
Now as to what is happening in Haiti...I am so proud
of our team. They spent yesterday at Jacques (the safe house) taking all
the remaining clothes and supplies and making bags to give to the people in
the tent cities that have nothing. Today all dressed up in their Voice in
the Wilderness tee shirts with bags holding clothing, medicine and other
supplies AND gospel tracts provided to us from World Missionary Press they set
out to serve Jesus by serving those who are desperately needy in the tent
cities. Joel promised he would take pictures and send them just as soon as
the power was strong enough at the cyber cafe close to where he is
staying.
God continues to bless us and with His blessing of
funds the team will be purchasing rice and other food items to make
bags to give to the people who have nothing to eat. This month
we will not be holding a traditional feeding program but A Voice in the
Wilderness will continue to feed both adults and children who are starving in
Haiti. Into each bag will go a gospel tract and we will continue with the
work to feed both spiritual and physical food to the
starving.
I have never been one to beg for money as God
continues to prompt hearts to send the funds to do His work. Even today I
received a check from one of my friend's sister who lives in Jacksonville,
Florida. What a mighty God we serve, and how awesome is it that those who
love and serve the people of Haiti are sharing our work with their families and
friends. The emergency project cost us just over $25,000 and we had the
money to make this happen. Because we could immediately ship
the 3,000 pounds of clothing, shoes, personal items and tents our
people are better off then most of the people in Haiti. Tonight they sleep
in a tent with a pillow for their head, a new sheet and blanket to keep them
warm and many other items to make starting over easier for them. We have
several containers of supplies that have been donated but have no way to send
them today. BUT who knows what God's plan for tomorrow will
be? Our prayer is always to be in the center of HIS will and to follow
as He leads and gives us wisdom to hear His voice and know
His plan. We want and have earned no glory for ourselves as each step
is just one of obedience. I told the folks at Trinity last Sunday I have
way too much fun to be considered bold or brave. I just know as I press on
God is with me.
I urge you to keep the passion for those people who
are suffering so today in Haiti. I know CNN is back home and Haiti is no
longer in the forefront of the daily news, but nothing has changed in
Haiti! The people are homeless, hungry, physically sick and have lost
everything BUT miraculously they are looking to the Christians who are
loving them and caring for them and for many for the first time are seeing our
Jesus. A desire to know the One who is
sending them help is growing in the streets and tent cities. The fields
are ready for harvest, please help us continue to give those who need
HIM..... love and food and the
word!
Enough for tonight, Dewaine and I send our love to
each of you, Liz
2/14/2010 Update
REPORT WRITTEN FEBRUARY 14, 2010
While speaking with Joel last night I
asked about the shots and inoculations that are reported to be available
free to the people of Haiti and he said they are not. He has a friend
that worked in the medical community that is trying to find out if and when
these will be available.
Dear Mommy Liz,
I can not find the words to express my gratitude
to you Mommy Liz and Pastor Jim for your huge effort to come to Haiti recently
although it was practically impossible because after the earthquake, there were
no commercial flights over Port-au-Prince. However, despite the big risk since
the aftershocks kept coming every now and then, despite the insecurity since
5000 criminals got away of the big prison of Port-au-Prince, despite the
bad smell since the bodies began to deteriorate which could be harmful to your
health, you came. By coming to
Haiti under such
circumstances you and Pastor Jim acted like two heroes who risked their lives
just to come help us since we had no cash, no food, no water, we were really
desperate. We know that you have always loved us, yet this is the biggest proof
you could have ever showed us. Moreover, I want to say a huge thank you to you
and all the wonderful people who have contributed to send us those nice tents,
blankets, clothes, medicals supplies and other basic living things , they have
made a big difference in our
lives.
As you know, after the earthquake that caused
hundreds thousands of deaths and injured and destroyed the country, everybody is
in dire needs for food, water and housing. One thing I want to mention, all those donations and millions of dollars
that have been raised in the name of Haiti, haven’t touched the majority
of the needy people because there is not a good coordination of those aids,
so everything is being done in a disorganized way. If we had to count on those
donations, we could have died of hunger. The organizations that are in charge of
the food and donations, they give cards to some personalities to distribute to
the people so that they can come get food and other things, most of those cards
are being sold or given away in a partial way, that’s to say if you don’t have
someone in a position of control, it will be quasi-impossible for you to receive
something. Last week, some people in Pétion-ville were in the streets
to demonstrate because the mayor was selling the rice cards at 100 HT
gourdes each, this is merely cruel! That’s the reason why, we are really
grateful to God for he has kept thinking of us and placed you and those generous
people on our path to help us go through these tough times.
The rainy season is about to start, so the
situation is going to be worse for the population because most of them have not
received any tents and they are still sleeping in the streets. Last week, I visited a tent city where
the living condition of the people is horrible, they make little tents with
pieces of dirty sheets and plastic that can not even protect them from the
sunshine, there are no latrines, the sanitary condition is really bad and many
children and adults have begun to get sick. This is another big reason for the
staff to be grateful to God and to you since we all have tents, clothing, and
other things that can help us live in a far better condition than those
people.
Some people of the staff and I are planning to go
share some the clothes and supplies that you had sent to those poor
desperate people next week, we are going to try to make about 100 bags for those
people, I will send you a report after we have achieved that.
Love,
Joel
2/3/2010 Update
Dear Friends,
All of the truck
load of supplies were unloaded in Fort Lauderdale this
afternoon. The only item that was missing was the gospel
tracts in Creole from World Missionary Press. Thank God they
came to my house this afternoon and within 1 hour they were at
the Pack and Ship here in Blairsville to go overnight
to Fort Lauderdale to fly out with the other cargo. In
running the numbers there were about 3,000 tracts, perhaps a few more
and of all the items we shipped these were by far the most
important. Now I think everything we needed to ship is ready
to go!
Just a side note,
we keep getting e-mails and phone calls with great intentions telling
us of free shipping and other free ways to take care of business and we
do appreciate your love and trying to help...but thus far we have
checked out all the leads and nothing has come of them to our
organization. But if you hear of something you think will
help, keep the info coming...we love free if we can find it!
Please keep
Marrily and Don Cady in your prayers as they travel home via Peachtree
City, Georgia to pick up a truck load of donated medical supplies that
Billy Estes acquired for Haiti. So many are working so hard
to be the hands and feet of Jesus. After Don and Marrily told
me today they had to unload the truck at the cargo airlines I told them
I knew God would give them baskets of stars for their crown when they
got to Heaven. So much love, so much help, we are so blessed
with friends who love the people of Haiti in this dark hour.
The people we love
in Haiti are sleeping in a tent tonight, in fact they are all
in bed by now. Madam Jacques made my bed on the street at
7:15 each evening and by 8 pm the other 1,000 people around me were
asleep (except for Jim, he and I are night owls and stayed awake to
hear the singing and praying they would do as one by one they would
wake up and begin to worship. He and I did not get much sleep
but we were blessed beyond measure listening to them sing 'BLESSED
ASSURANCE, JESUS IS MINE" . After the rooster crowed
everyone was up by four thirty or five ready for the day....it is truly
a different world.
I have spoken with
Joel several times today. He was able to get our money out of
Fonkoze and into a locked box at the safe house behind locked
gates. That is a relief as it means we actually have the
February 25th payroll in hand and also the money for transporting the
plane full of items to Port au Prince to give them away to our
people. Today I began to tell him how to plan for the
transporting of the cargo and he informed me "no problem" those plans
have been taken care of and for me not to worry!
I send to each of
you my deepest love, your e-mails, calls and letters have sustained me
through this stressful and exhausting time. I have never felt
so loved and cared for in my life.
Please join
with us in praying for supernatural healing of the water in
Haiti and that God would stop the spread of the diseases that are now
taking hold in the crowded city areas and tent cities. Please
pray that the cargo plan carrying the supplies for our people will fly
quickly and safely and our family in Haiti can soon have a change of
clothing and a sheet and pillow to sleep on at night.
Love Liz
2/2/2010 Update
THIS MORNING AT 4 AM MY DEAR
FRIENDS DON AND MARRILY CADY LEFT DRIVING A TRUCK CARRYING A
CARGO PLANE LOAD OF EMERGENCY SUPPLIES. IT LEFT BLAIRSVILLE
GEORGIA VIA LAKELAND FLORIDA TO GO TO FORT LAUDERDALE FLORIDA
TO SHIP TO CAP HAITIAN HAITI...FROM THERE IT WILL BE TRUCKED TO PORT AU
PRINCE A TEN HOUR CROSS COUNTRY TRIP...THE COST OF THIS ENDEAVOR WILL
PROBABLY END UP COSTING US AT A MINIMUM $25,000.....BUT THESE ARE THE
EMERGENCY SUPPLIES FOR OUR PEOPLE AND THEIR FAMILIES...
I KNOW YOU HAVE BEEN WORKING
HARD TO COLLECT SUPPLIES BUT JUST TODAY WE HAVE RECEIVED WORD THAT
THERE IS A GOOD POSSIBILITY THAT HAITI WILL EXPERIENCE ANOTHER STRONG
EARTHQUAKE IN THE NEAR FUTURE, SO I SUGGEST YOU THANK
PEOPLE FOR ALL THEIR DONATED ITEMS AND ASK
FOR MONEY DONATIONS FROM NOW ON, OUR BANK
FONKOZE IS UP AND RUNNING AND WE CAN GET MONEY TO OUR ADMINISTRATIVE
STAFF WHO ARE LOCATED AT THE EDGE OF TOWN IN WHAT THEY TELL ME IS A
SAFE PLACE! ....THEY CONTINUE TO WORK EACH DAY. HOWEVER
I HAVE NO IDEA HOW OR WHEN THE SUPPLIES THAT HAVE BEEN
COLLECTED WILL REACH HAITI...THE DOCKS ARE BROKEN AND REPAIR ON THEM
HAS NOT BEGUN AND COULD TAKE SIX MONTHS TO A YEAR TO BE FINISHED AND
THAT IS IF WE DO NOT HAVE ANOTHER SHOCK IN THE NEAR FUTURE....AT THIS
TIME WE SIMPLY DO NOT KNOW HOW, WHEN OR IF WE WILL BE ABLE TO GET THE
SUPPLIES TO HAITI...IN THE PAST EACH CONTAINER COST US A MINIMUM OF
$15,000 TO SHIP...AS OF TODAY WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED THE KIND OF
FUNDS THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO SHIP EVEN IF THE PORT WAS OPERATIONAL...SO
MY BEST SUGGESTION IS
THANK EVERYONE AND CEASE
COLLECTING SUPPLIES BUT CONTINUE TO PLACE WHAT YOU HAVE COLLECTED IN
STORAGE FOR EVENTUAL SHIPPING...EVERY ITEM IS GREATLY NEEDED....
ENCOURAGE EVERYONE THAT MONEY IS
NEEDED TO PURCHASE FOOD AND WATER FOR THOSE ON THE GROUND IN
HAITI...FOOD AND WATER IS AVAILABLE BUT IT COST MONEY....
ALSO BE IN CONTINUED PRAYER AS
THE DISEASES ARE BEGINNING TO CAUSE SERIOUS TROUBLE ESPECIALLY AMONG
THE PEOPLE IN THE TENTS IN THE HEART OF PORT AU PRINCE...MOST OF OUR
PEOPLE HAVE NOW GONE INTO THE MOUNTAINSIDE FOR SAFETY FROM DISEASE....
THE FIRST SHIPMENT FROM US HAS
NOW ARRIVED BY TRUCK IN PORT AU PRINCE AND IS BEING COLLECTED BY OUR
PEOPLE TODAY, TONIGHT THEY WILL HAVE A TENT ROOF OVER THEIR
HEADS...PRAISE GOD FOR THAT....THE SHIPMENT IN
ROUTE WILL BE THE LAST THAT WE WILL SHIP FOR NOW....IT
CONTAINS ALL THAT WE COULD POSSIBLY SEND IN THE WAY OF EMERGENCY
SUPPLIES....
I HAVE NEVER ASK FOR MONEY, BUT
NOW MONEY IS WHAT WE NEED TO HELP THOSE THAT ARE STARVING
TODAY IN HAITI...
LOVE LIZ
1/31/2010 Update
ALL IS WELL TODAY WITH OUR PEOPLE, THE SUPPLIES ARE
ON THE GROUND IN CAP HAITIAN AND JOEL WITH FOUR OTHER STAFF
MEMBERS WILL BE TAKING THEM TO PORT AU PRINCE TOMORROW...ONCE AGAIN I
HAVE URGED EVERYONE TO LEAVE THE CITY AND GO TO THE SMALL MOUNTAIN
VILLAGES FOR MORE SANITARY CONDITIONS....
WE DID LEARN THAT GINA'S BABY JAMES WEIGHED
7 LBS. 6 OUNCES AT BIRTH AND IS DOING WELL...
WE WERE CONTACTED TODAY BY CNN, NBC AND ASSOCIATED
PRESS REGARDING A STORY OF MISSIONARIES TRYING TO TAKE CHILDREN FROM
HAITI INTO THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC...APPARENTLY OUR WEB NAME SHARING
JESUS HAD BEEN GIVEN TO THE MISSIONARIES AS AN ORPHANAGE WHERE THE
CHILDREN CAME FROM....THIS IS JUST SUPPOSITION AS NO ONE KNOWS OF ANY
ORPHANAGE IN CARRE FOUR FEUILLES CALLED SHARING JESUS....ONLY TIME AND
MANY REPORTERS WORKING ON THIS STORY WILL TELL.....
LOVE, LIZ
1/30/2010 Update 2
DEAR FRIENDS,
I HAVE RECEIVED
MANY E-MAILS ASKING ABOUT SUPPLIES AND THIS IS THE BEST INFORMATION I
CAN GIVE;
WE HAVE TWO
PROJECTS ONE FOR RIGHT NOW AND ONE FOR LATER WHEN WE CAN SHIP
CONTAINERS WHICH MAY BE THE END OF THE SUMMER....
WE CAN SHIP BOXES
AND THIS IS WHAT THEY SHOULD HOLD...
IF YOU POSSIBLY
CAN THE CONTENTS OF THESE BOXES SHOULD BE NEW...or
at the very least freshly laundered
ONE BLANKET
ONE PILLOW
ONE FLAT SHEET
TWO BATH CLOTHS
ONE LARGE
BATH TOWEL
THREE CANDLES
ONE BOX OF MATCHES
ONE BODY POWDER (I
AM SHIPPING EQUATE (WAL MART) ALOE BABY POWDER)
TWO BARS OF SOAP
2 TOOTH BRUSHES
1 LARGE TOOTH PASTE
A SMALL BOTTLE OF
TYLENOL no
larger than 24 tablets, capsules whatever
2 HEAVY BLACK
GARBAGE BAGS
Dewaine
and I are shipping our supplies in a rubbermaid tub so they
will have a dry place to store their things....
I KNOW HOW
GENEROUS YOU ARE BUT REMEMBER THEY HAVE NO HOME AND ONLY A TENT TO
STORE THESE THINGS IN SO FOR NOW THIS IS WHAT THEY NEED THE MOST
AFTER YOU PACK
YOUR BOX YOU SHOULD WEIGH IT AND WRITE A CHECK FOR $3.00 A POUND TO
COVER SHIPPING.....MAKE IT TO A VOICE IN THE WILDERNESS, 99 CYPRESS
EDGE DRIVE, BLAIRSVILLE, GEORGIA 30512
In the greater Atlanta Area, my sister NANCY
HEMPHILL will be your contact for getting things to storage at 770 436 8763 OR CELL 770 605 8545, In the
North Georgia Mountain area the contact is DAVIA GORDON at Radio
Shack 706 745 7832 and in the Oconee County area PASTOR JEFF
WILKES at cell 706 206 5062 or Antioch Christian Church 706
769 6884
NOW FOR ALL YOUR
OTHER DONATED ITEMS WE NEED CLEAN, GOOD ITEMS BOXED
AND LABELED CHILDREN, MEN OR WOMEN CLOTHING SHOES
ETC. HOUSEHOLD GOODS, MEDICINE, HYGIENE
ITEMS ETC...THESE WILL BE SHIPPED ON A CONTAINER
LATER WHEN THE PORT IS REPAIRED....
You can also
contact Nancy Hemphill if you are in the greater Atlanta Area,
and Dewaine Seese at 706 781 2865 if you are in the North Georgia area
I am always
availabe to answer your questions at 706 781 2865 but will be in
Atlanta for most of next week so
if you need immediate info call my sister Nancy and she will be glad to
help.....
1/30/2010 Update
Dear
Friends,
Please forgive me for not
writing yesterday. I spoke with Haiti and we know the bank
(Fonkoze) was operational in a courtyard on Ave John Paul 11
and Joel was in line around 4:00 am to withdraw funds so we can ship
additional supplies this coming week. We have to have money
to pay customs and hire transportation to get what we ship back to Port
au Prince. The tents we had carried to Fort
Lauderdale and were unable to ship and the supplies Jim bought
when he hit the ground in Fort Lauderdale were going into Cap Haitian
yesterday on a cargo run and we thank God for that. One of
the frustrations is not being able to snap our fingers and get the much
needed supplies there immediately (Americans and their impatience
again!). I admit I am frantic to get the help there but as I
was told on my first trip to Haiti, "You are in Haiti now and you
must be patience".
My
friend Davia Gordon whose husband owns the local Radio Shack put an
article in the Blairsville newspaper and the donations
are coming in by truckloads. Pastor Jim's church in
Florida and many other churches and organizations are blessed with the
things our people need and as I already said we are shipping
emergency supplies this coming week. Please know that the
things you send will be shipped as soon as possible, BUT ALSO REMEMBER
THE COST OF SHIPPING IS PROHIBITIVE AND SO REMEMBER WE NEED YOUR
DONATIONS OF FINANCIAL AID TO BE ABLE TO SHIP THE SUPPLIES.
I received a phone call from
Zacherie (one of our interpreters) yesterday saying he had to go to the
countryside because a family member had died), life goes on in Haiti.
After
arriving home and taking a deep breath we have a plan to implement
getting the supplies to our people. Right now we have 20
families we are focusing on as they have worked for us for the past 15
years.
HALLELUJAH JUST
RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM JOEL.....
The
tents are on the ground at Cap Haitian and Joel and three of the bigger
guys are headed that way (about a ten hour
journey) this included all the supplies I referenced
above that Jim sent.......
We
have found two rooms in Port to rent to store the supplies we will be
shipping this coming week so they will be safe and can be distributed
one at a time...please say a thank you prayer for my friends Don and
Marrily Cady who will be driving a load to Fort
Lauderdale this coming Tuesday.....we are so blessed to
have Don who is a retired truck driver and loves to drive to
help us.
Dewaine
and I shopped yesterday and will finish today to get the 20 Rubbermaid
tubs filled with blankets, towels, sheets, soap, candles...etc ready to
go on Tuesday am....
Maltide
one of our cleaners who was dug out of the rubble and had an injured
led is going to the doctor today and another injured one Maudeline is
in the countryside at Fond des Blanc with her father and that
is good news.
If
this report feels disjointed it is because the phone does not stop
ringing and I am in a hurry to get going.
Thanks
for your prayers, I got a really good nights sleep last night and feel
good this morning.
Will
send you an update # 2 in a minute...I love you all so much!
Love Liz
Praise
the Lord for He is Good, His mercy is everlasting and His truth endures
forever!!!!!!!
1/27/2010
Update
DEAR FRIENDS,
I AM AT HOME, ARRIVED HOME LAST
NIGHT VIA THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, MIAMI AND MY BROTHER IN LAW RICHARD
HEMPHILL WHO DROVE ME THE LAST 100 MILES....GOD COVERED US WITH
MIRACLES ALL THE WAY, I WILL WRITE MANY A REPORT BUT LATER...A FEW
THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
I WAS ABLE TO PAY ALL THE
STAFF AND PERSONALLY SAW ALL BUT TWO WHO HAD ALREADY LEFT THE CITY TO
GO TO THE COUNTRYSIDE...WE SENT THEIR MONEY VIA ANOTHER STAFF MEMBER....
WE WILL NEVER, EVER BE ABLE TO DO
MINISTRY AT CARRE FOUR FEUILLES OR PORT AU PRINCE...THOSE CITIES AND
MANY MORE ARE GONE....
WE KNOW WHERE WE WILL GO PROVIDING
GOD SENDS THE MONEY WE WILL NEED.....
GOD HAS TOLD ME FOUR TIME THE
NUMBER $250,000....I TRIED TO ARGUE AND SAY THAT WOULD NOT BE ENOUGH
BUT HE KEEPS TELLING ME THAT NUMBER AND SO WE WAIT.....
I ASSURED THE STAFF WE
WOULD CONTINUE TO PAY THEIR SALARIES AND GAVE THEM SOME SMALL
ASSIGNMENTS SO THEY COULD FEEL PRODUCTIVE......
THEY ASSURED ME THAT WHERE EVER WE
WOULD GO THEY WOULD FOLLOW .......
THEY ARE SURVIVING WITH THE CLOTHES
THEY WERE WEARING WHEN THE EARTHQUAKE HIT....THEY ARE SLEEPING ON THE
STREETS AS THE BUILDING ARE DESTROYED AND UNSAFE...THEIR GREATEST FEAR
NOW IS ONCE THE RAIN COMES THE WATER WILL BE CONTAMINATED SO BAD IT
CANNOT BE USED.....
I ADVISED THEM TO TAKE THEIR
FAMILIES AND GO TO THE COUNTRYSIDE AND SOME ARE GOING TO DO THAT AND
SOME SAY THEY JUST CANNOT .....
I HAVE ENOUGH MATERIAL TO WRITE
FOUR BOOKS AND HUNDREDS OF REPORTS BUT AM JUST TOO TIRED TO DO ANYTHING
ELSE TODAY.....
LOVE TO ALL...NEVER DOUBT THAT OUR
GOD IS GOOD AND CLOSE TO US EACH MINUTE EACH DAY.......LIZ
1/26/2010
Update
Dear
Friends and Family,
Jim
and his mother left Santo Domingo at 6:00 a.m. this morning.
They flew to Miami where Liz made a connection to Atlanta.
Jim had to catch a taxi from Miami to the Ft. Lauderdale airport where
his truck was parked. In Ft. Lauderdale he purchased
10 blankets for the ladies who are sleeping on the
streets. He took 20 tents to Ft. Lauderdale at the beginning
of the trip and was not able to take those to Haiti because of weight
restrictions, so today he shipped them to Cap Haitian, where Joel will
pick them up when they arrive. He
also purchased a camera for Joel so he can continue to give
updates. The camera he had was destroyed in the
earthquake. He also sent powerstrips so they can charge their
phones on the generator recovered from Hope. He sent flash
drives so they can send updates from the cyber cafes (some outside of
Port-au-Prince are still open).
Liz
arrived home around 5:30 and Jim arrived at 7:30, exhausted .
I don't think he'll need to be rocked to sleep
tonight. They've had about 8 hours of sleep in the
last 4 days.
He
said to tell you he'll have some incredible stories.
Thank
you all for your continued prayers and support.
Love,
Cindy
1/25/2010
Update 2
My
dear Friends,
Good
afternoon, good news! I just talked to Elizabeth from the
airport in Dominican! They will fly from DR to Miami,
Liz then to Atlanta. Her sister will bring her on
home and should get here about 5:PM. She joked that other
passengers are keeping as far away from them as
possible.
Elizabeth
tried to describe to me how horrible it is there. All
the homes have been destroyed and the few
buildings that are still standing are
cracked and people cannot go in because the tremors are still causing
them to fall. In fact Jacques house moved
during the tremors and they had to run out and sleep in the
street. Our people have lost everything
and are sleeping on the street with no blanket or shelter of any kind,
so the first thing we have to do is ship the tents and send
blankets and some clothes as soon as possible. Her
son Jim will ship the tents as soon as he can get to Ft. Lauderdale but
we will have to accumulate the blankets and clothes. They
have taken a thousand pictures but said they
just can't show the story, you have to be there and see it all
around you in 3-D.
We'll
write again after she gets home.
Love
and again thanks for all your prayers.
Dewaine
1/25/2010
Update
Dear
Friends
Not
much to update you on at this time.
Jim
called me about 4;00 AM this morning to tell me they were setting off for the
airport in Santo Domingo Dominican R. It's about an eight
hour ride so they should have been there about 1:00.
They have yet to make flight arrangements to somewhere in
Florida. Once on the ground they have to get Jim's truck in
Ft. Lauderdale and then they will ship the tents they had to leave as
well as blankets and other much needed items via Lynx Air.
Said it has been a good trip, God's hand has been it all the way and
they are A O K!
Thanks
so much for all your prayers.
Dewaine
1/24/2010 Update
Dear
Friends,
Good
morning! Elizabeth was finally able to
get through to me this morning around 7:AM. Phone was very
scratchy but we could communicate with difficulty.
Praise
God our staff have all survived and they were able to meet with them
and give them the supplies and money they
took. The people have virtually nothing,
only the clothes on their backs but food and water is
now coming in from the Dominican so they can begin to buy
it. As soon as they are able to get back to the States they
are going to ship the tents and blankets and other much needed supplies
to them from Ft. Lauderdale. From what I was able to
understand they have seen some aid trucks but not enough
but the people there are calm.
Most
of the bodies in the streets have been picked up but
there are still bodies buried in the rubble that will never be
recovered and you can still smell them. The devastation is
unimaginable and far worse than you can see on CNN.
They are sleeping in the streets because tremors shake the house but
Madame Jacque is feed them well with her rice and
beans. She said when the house began to shake it took her and
Jim about two seconds to get out of there. Joel our
administrator and interpreter was in class at college when the
earthquake struck. Most of the school collapsed but Joel's
class was spared and he survived, however Pastor Jerome's son
Joshue was in the collapsed part and his body has not been
recovered.
They
have been able to catch a ride to the Dominican Republic early Monday
morning with two American brothers who are there to bury their pastor
father killed in the earthquake and from there they
hope to get a plane back to Miami or Ft.
Lauderdale. She said there has been just
one miracle after another and that God's hand has been on them
the whole trip and it couldn't have gone better.
I
can't wait until she gets home on Friday to hear
the whole story. She'll probably be able to write a book or
at the very least have plenty of material for reports until we can get
back. Probably very soon.
Keep
praying, this whole trip has ridden on your prayers.
Love
and thank you so much!
Dewaine
1/23/2010
Update 2
Hello
Friends and Family:
I
got a text message earlier from Jim that said Pete and Emmanuel are
alive. These are two of the boys from the Good Shepherd
ministry. Praise God! I just received a phone call from Jim.
They're back at Jacques's tonight. They were able to recover
the generator from Hope Academy and have brought it back to Jacques's
house so they were able to charge their phones. The angels
must have been protecting that generator because people broke in and
stole everything else, but they left the generator. WE SERVE
AN AWESOME GOD!! Jim said the roads are actually not too bad.
About like normal for Haiti. There are some buildings
covering roads, but they are actually being demolished
already. He said you can smell the death as you pass schools
and government buildings, but its not as overwhelming as you would
expect.
They have
seen all of the staff of Hope but Maudelin, but they talked to her on
the phone. She is fine except for bad brusing on her
leg. Her children are also fine. As soon
as she is able to travel, she will be going to stay with her father in
Fond des Blanc, which is in the mountains. That's also the
location of Good Shepherd II. The church building
there has some cracked walls, but is still standing. Praise
God.
They saw
Pastor Jerome and his wife Geralda today. They are obviously
shaken up and distrought about the death of Joshua. On one
occasion Jim told me someone thought they saw Joshua in the street, but
today he told me this person was just trying to comfort Jerome and
Geralda. Please be in much prayer for Jerome and
Geralda.
They found
the Bensons, who are the CSI (Christian Service International)
missionaries. Their mission house is destroyed and with each
aftershock the damage gets worse and worse. As soon as they
are able, they will be going to Croix de Bouquet, which is where the
CSI clinic and orphanage are located. The orphanage building was
destroyed, but the clinic is ok. They have decided to stay in
Haiti to help.
Jim and Liz
are hitching a ride to the DR on Monday at 4:00 a.m. with two Haitian
brothers. They both live in the States, but their father, who
was a pastor at a church around the street from Jacques's, died and
they came to Haiti to bury him. Jim also said that Jacques's
pastor died in the quake.
He asked me
to deliver a special request to our ladies of First Congregational
Church: They really need ladies clothing, which in Haiti is
light dresses or skirts and blouses. The Christian ladies in
Haiti do not wear pants. They only wear
dresses/skirts. They also need underclothing. They
are all fine, but they have nothing left and the ladies that had more
than one outfit gave those away to people who had nothing.
Talk about the widow's mites! WE SERVE AN AWESOME GOD!!!
Jim says
they have taken over 1,000 pictures so far with more to be
taken. I'm sure they'll have some incredibly sad stories when
they get back. They'll be sleeping on the street
again tonight so please pray for their protection.
Until the
next call or text.....
Love,
Cindy
1/23/2010
Update
Look
at what stands perfectly in tact among the rubble in Haiti.
1/22/2010
Update 2
Hello All:
I
just got a short text from Jim: "We sleep in the street
2nite." I texted back and asked if it was because of the
aftershock and he said yes. He said it was 6.0 and
they were inside Jacques's house when it happened. The
messages I'm getting from him are very short and I can only assume to
save battery. There is no way to charge their phones right
now.
Please
pray for their safety tonight.
Love,
Cindy
1/22/2010
Update 1
From Jim's wife Cindy. Apparently they are not calling and
and are sending her short text messages to try to keep the
phone charged. No electric so they can't charge it.
If it goes it will, be difficult to make flight home connections.
