Haiti Food Drive - Huntsville, AL donates food for Haiti

A call for Tamaka

2011-01-15T00:18:00.001-06:00

As I was spooling down this evening, the Lord once again spoke and reminded me of my recent prayers to be of use again to my colleagues and family. An brief email was followed by a call from Dr. Clint Doiron who is currently in Port au Prince setting a new pediatric cardiac surgery program in Haiti. He met today a critically ill little girl who needs... no MUST have our help to find a place for treatment and medical stabilization here in the states. She will not be here next week without it. So, at 7:30pm on a Friday night of a holiday weekend I began shaking the trees for any help we could get. The key component keeping her from getting to the US is a hospital to commit in writing to accepting her and providing her care. I do not work in the hospital much anymore and do not have political/powerful contacts at the hospital, but we will still strive to be the Lord's hands and feet. To bring a miracle to this precious child through the Lord's grace and mercies. If you know anyone with hospital affiliations/connections please pass Tamaka's story along.

January 14, 2011
By Rachel Turner
Tamaka Ecza sits on a chair with her head resting on a yellow pillow in her lap. At twelve years old, she’s too weak to sit up. According to cardiologist Dr. Clint Dorion, she will die within the week if she doesn’t get help.

Tamaka wears a red dress and a beautiful smile. Her nurses say she’s the most beautiful girl in the hospital. She and her mom, Marie Charles have lived in the University of Miami Hospital in Port-au-Prince since Tuesday after leaving the countryside when Tamaka turned for the worse. Now Mrs. Charles attempts to make her fifth child as comfortable as possible until the end.

“Tamaka is in congestive heart failure,” said Dr. Dorion. “She’s been diagnosed with rheumatic heart disease and will not live without immediate help.” Tamaka experienced untreated strep throat at age seven which affected the valves of her heart making them incompetent. That lead to an infection on the heart valve and the heart sack. She will eventually need a mitral valve replaced, but for now, she just needs to be stabilized in a US hospital that has the proper equipment to make the necessary diagnosis and treatment.

“I hope to find a way to help my daughter, but I don’t even have a house to take her to,” said Mrs. Charles. “I made a tent that we sleep in now.” Even with many dedicated non-profits working in medicine, the devastated city of Port-au-Prince has no facility or equipment for the cardiac treatment that Tamaka needs.
This week could be even more difficult for Mrs. Charles than when she and her family lost their business and house one year ago in the 2010 earthquake.
“I’ve learned that I can have the world in my hands and lose it within seconds,” said Mrs. Charles. “I don’t know how to get through this yet, but I depend on God.”

For more information or to learn how you can medically assist Tamaka, please contact Dr. Clint Dorion or Chris Keylon at:

US cell: 865-300-1922
Haiti cell: 509-3-838-9922

Email: ChrisKeylon@chadasha.org
For photos visit www.scoreinternational.org/multimedia/haiti

Democracy Now Coverage of Te Tremble

2011-01-12T22:03:00.000-06:00

http://www.democracynow.org/2011/1/12/t_trembl_remembering_the_earthquake_in

Amy Goodman spends the hour talking with Haitian writers and activist about the current state of Haiti.

How They've Spent Their Money

2011-01-07T22:10:00.000-06:00

A nicely summarized rundown of how organizations have been spending their aid money in Haiti as we approach the one year anniversary of the earthquake is provided in the Huffington Post.

Democracy Now! Haiti 6 Months Afterwards

2010-07-13T23:42:00.000-05:00

Sean Penn on Haiti Six Months After the Earthquake, Recovery Efforts and Why He Decided to Manage a Tent Camp of 55,000 Displaced Haitians

Two-time Academy Award-winning actor and director Sean Penn was honored by the Haitian government on Monday at a ceremony marking the six-month anniversary of the earthquake that killed 300,000 people and left more than 1.5 million homeless. Penn first came to Haiti after the earthquake struck to help with immediate relief efforts. He decided to stay to finish what he started. He co-founded the J/P Haitian Relief Organization and is managing a tent camp on the Petionville golf-course that now shelters some 55,000 people. On Sunday night, we went to visit Sean Penn’s camp. We walked in and asked to speak to him. We were ushered in to a large tent and ended up sitting down with the Hollywood star for more than an hour talking about Haiti, recovery efforts and the lack of them, his life and what inspired him to do what he is doing.

http://www.democracynow.org/2010/7/13/sean_penn_on_haiti_six_months

Container out of customs

2010-04-24T20:47:00.000-05:00

It finally happened....our shipping container made it out of customs!!!

After weeks of effort, Ricot got it out this morning. Knowing how much it is needed he got the container unloaded into two large box trucks and drove it up to Camatin. Harvest Field now has all the supplies!

Frontline's The Quake: Now available online

2010-04-01T12:55:00.000-05:00

Please check this out if you missed the broadcast.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/haiti/view/

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Haitian-American Poet Lenelle Moise

2010-03-30T22:49:00.000-05:00

Quaking Conversation

I want to talk about Haiti.
How the earth had to break
the island's spine to wake
the world up to her screaming.

How this post-earthquake crisis
is not natural
or supernatural.
I want to talk about disasters.

How men make them
with embargoes, exploitation,
stigma, sabotage, scalding
debt & cold shoulders.

Talk centuries
of political corruption
so commonplace
it's lukewarm, tap.

Talk January 1, 1804
& how it shed Life.
Talk 1937
& how it bled Death.

Talk 1964. 1986. 1991. 2004. 2008.
How history is the word
that makes today
uneven, possible.

Talk New Orleans,
Palestine, Sri Lanka,
the Bronx & other points
of connection.

Talk resilience & miracles.
How Haitian elders sing in time
to their grumbling bellies
& stubborn hearts.

How after weeks under the rubble
a baby is pulled out
awake, dehydrated, adorable, telling
stories with old soul eyes.

How many more are still
buried, breathing, praying & waiting?
Intact despite the veil of fear & dust
coating their bruised faces?

I want to talk about our irreversible dead.
The artists, the activists, the spiritual leaders,
the family members, the friends, the merchants,
the outcasts, the cons.

All of them, my newest ancestors.
All of them, hovering now,
watching our collective response,
keeping score, making bets.

I want to talk about money.
How one man's recession might be
another man's unachievable reality.
How unfair that is.

How I see a Haitian woman's face
every time I look down at a hot meal,
slip into my bed, take a sip of water
& show mercy to a mirror.

How if my parents had made different
decisions three decades ago,
it could have been my arm
sticking out of a mass grave.

I want to talk about gratitude.
I want to talk about compassion.
I want to talk about respect.
How even the desperate deserve it.

How Haitians sometimes greet each other
with the two words, "Honor"
& "Respect."
How we all should follow suit.

Try every time you hear the word "Victim,"
you think "Honor."
Try every time you hear the tag "John Doe,"
you shout "Respect!"

Because my people have names.
Because my people have nerve.
Because my people are
your people in disguise.

I want to talk about Haiti.
I always talk about Haiti.
My mouth quaking with her love,
complexity, honor & respect.

Come sit, come stand, come
cry with me. Talk.
There's much to say.
Walk. Much more to do.

© 2010 by Lenelle Moïse

Frontline Documentary: "The Quake" airing tomorrow night

2010-03-29T10:01:00.000-05:00

We received an email from Reggie, a production Assistant for Rain Media, in response to Troy's post about President Clinton's plea to help Haiti toward self sufficiency rather than continuing the cycle of abuse and dependence. Reggie wanted us to know that PBS will broadcast a Frontline documentary on the current situation (and some history) in Haiti tomorrow night at 9pm Eastern (check your local listings in other time zones).

Please check it out. Set your DVR. Tell your friends. Post it on your blog. You can watch a preview here and feel free to use the poster image above.

Here's most of Reggie's email, which includes a summary as well as some other links:

"I wanted to make sure you knew about the upcoming PBS FRONTLINE documentary about Haiti called “The Quake” airing Tuesday, March 30th at 9 pm Eastern.

"The Quake" is a thoughtful, exhaustive exploration of the unnaturally deadly disaster and spiraling humanitarian crisis that threatens to confound the largest global relief effort in modern memory. It features an exclusive interview with Clinton among others where he states:

"The Haitians have been abused by outsiders, neglected by outsiders, helped, but in a paternalistic, ineffective way by outsiders. They've engaged in self-abuse. They've had all kinds of problems. And they wanted finally to seize control of their own destiny."

Paul Farmer, the UN Dep. Special Envoy, "This is an opportunity to rethink how aid works and how we, the most powerful country in this part of the world, can work with our oldest neighbor. So I think all that possibility is built into this tragedy."

You can get a sneak preview of “The Quake” at www.pbs.org/frontline/haiti where you will find embeddable videos and more information. Follow the films producers at twitter.com/rainmedia. "

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Something Lyrical To Start The Week

2010-03-28T22:48:00.000-05:00

Young Artist for Haiti 50+ Canadian Artist Sing K'naan's: Wavin' Flag

Clinton: Make Haiti Self-Sufficient

2010-03-25T22:53:00.002-05:00

Just off the AP newswire

Clinton asks groups to make Haiti self-sufficient

By SAMANTHA GROSS (AP) – 3 hours ago

NEW YORK — Former President Bill Clinton is urging the aid groups serving Haiti's devastated communities to help rebuild the country's government and ultimately put themselves out of business by fostering a self-sufficient nation.

Clinton, the United Nations special envoy to Haiti, spoke to representatives of the aid groups Thursday, ahead of a critical U.N. donors conference next week at which Haitian officials are expected to ask for $11.5 billion to rebuild.

"Every time we spend a dollar in Haiti from now on we have to ask ourselves, 'Does this have a long-term return? Are we helping them become more self-sufficient? ... Are we serious about working ourselves out of a job?'" Clinton said.

Haitian leaders have expressed frustration that billions of dollars in aid have bypassed the government and gone to U.N. agencies and to foreign non-governmental organizations, which operate independently and don't always coordinate with local authorities.

Clinton asked the groups Thursday to allocate 10 percent of their spending in Haiti for government salaries and employee training, to help the nation's agencies rebuild their decimated staffs.

He urged the aid groups to hire local staffers, consult with local authorities and structure their efforts around the Haitian government's plan, which is currently being finalized. Groups should make sure that the money they spend builds communities and infrastructure and creates local jobs, he said.

Efforts most focus outside the capital of Port-au-Prince, Clinton said, adding that Haitian President Rene Preval and others were eager to decentralize the country.

"For too long, Haiti has revolved around its capital city rather than just being supported by it," Clinton said.

The former president also urged the groups to participate in an online registry and make their expenditures transparent. And he warned that unless they take action to move refugees to higher ground, as many as 40,000 people could be killed if there are heavy rains.

Liz Blake, a senior vice president for Habitat for Humanity International, said that Clinton's words were inspiring and aid groups were willing to work with him, but what he was asking is difficult.

"Working yourself out of a job — which is working to strengthen the government of Haiti so that the support and work of a nonprofit is no longer needed — isn't a standard practice," she said.

But, she added, "All of us want to do what we can to support the Haitian people and work with the Haitian government, and do so even if we have to suspend our disbelief."

Surgery Success!

2010-03-24T21:53:00.000-05:00

Lorrette Pierre is a wonderful Haitian woman that suffered from a tumor on her lower jaw that would eventual block her breathing and ability to eat. A surgeon from Tennessee made a valent attempt to remove the tumor in the days following the earthquake. However, the facilities in Jimani did not have the equipment necessary to ensure she would make it through. It was incredibly painful to see her wake up from the surgery and realize that she was no different than before. She also was incredibly sick from the medication used to put her under.

The surgeon returned to the states with a mission: get Lorrette here for surgery as soon as possible. His efforts paid off recently. Read about the incredible actions of doctors in Florida to save this young ladies life: http://www.news-journalonline.com/news/local/east-volusia/2010/03/22/haiti-woman-brought-to-us-for-medical-rescue.html

Onward!

2010-03-23T14:00:00.000-05:00

We have an updated list of needs sent by this week's team at the clinic in Haiti. If you can help in any way, please communicate back with us so we will not duplicate efforts and take up needed space on the aircraft!

Thank you!

Multivitamins with iron
Multivitamins adult
Multivitamins for kids chewable and liquid
Silver nitrate sticks.
Malarial meds (we only have doxycycline to use in the clinic now)
Benadryl cream
Ophthalmoscope/ otoscope
Head lights, pen lights, flashlights
Zyrtec or Claritin
Saline nose drops
Ophthanine eye drops (? spelling - any brand for topical numbing)
Magnifying glasses or loupes
Pregnancy tests
Vagisil (or similar) cream

Also a microscope is still needed.

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Make CHECKS PAYABLE TO TRINITY United Methodist Church
Times: 10am - 4pm Daily
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Haiti says it needs $11.5 billion to rebuild after earthquake / The Christian Science Monitor - CSMonitor.com

2010-03-22T12:02:00.000-05:00

Haiti says it needs $11.5 billion to rebuild after earthquake / The Christian Science Monitor - CSMonitor.com

Good article from the CSM.
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Drop off your FOOD donation to HudsonAlpha
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Make CHECKS PAYABLE TO TRINITY United Methodist Church
Times: 10am - 4pm Daily
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Ministry of Touch — Reflections on Disaster Work after the Haitian Earthquake

2010-03-21T21:04:00.000-05:00

Dr. Annekathryn Goodman has written a great personal account of what she calls "touch rounds": Even without an interpreter, I can visit eachcot and touch a face, an arm, or a hand and receive a touchin return. The patients and I develop our own handshake: a fingercatch, thumb grip, fist pound, and finally the hand to the heart.This hand gesture causes general hilarity, and everyone wantsto participate.

Read her touching story here:

http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/NEJMp1002311

New England Journal of Medicine
Volume 362:337 March 18, 2010 Number 11

Update on our container shipment

2010-03-19T23:45:00.000-05:00

We last posted on March 1st that our container containing food, medicines and medical supplies had made it to the port in the Dominican Republic. We thought we'd wait until we had news of it clearing customs and being loaded onto a truck for delivery into Jimani before posting again. Well....you've just gotten a sense of how time often works in Haiti!

Here is where we are (greatly condensed to save you from having to read about the endless hours of discussion, walking from office-to-office and paperwork that's taken place over the weeks):

We were cleared for duty free import into the Dominican Republic!
Harvest Field procured a warehouse in Port au Prince, so we requested that the trucking company change the destination. It cost a bit but makes unloading and distribution soooo much easier.
Our truck was released and headed to the border earlier this week. Once there we learned that the border has really tightened up and any containers carrying medicines (ours does) are being strictly regulated. After many, many, many hours of discussion and paper shuffling the truck was headed to Haitian customs in Port au Prince.
Our bright yellow truck with Antillean down the side stood out at the border. You could see it from miles away. Once it was in the Port au Prince customs center it was one of thousands of containers, hard to pick it out in the crowd. We learned that the trucking company put the wrong name down for the receiver. This makes it really hard to pick up your trailer when the documents say it belong to someone else! We got them to change this once we figured out what had happened.
We start to work again on Monday trying to get the container cleared from customs. We've got plenty of time to figure out how to make this go smoother next time!

More as we have it....

Toward a Second Haitian Revolution

2010-03-19T22:42:00.000-05:00

Steven Stoll, associate proefssor of history at Fordham University, has an editorial in the April issue of Harper's Magazine: http://harpers.org/archive/2010/04/0082881

Summary: Haiti was the most productive plantation colony in the hemisphere. Neoliberal reforms set into motion the collapse of the agrarian system that provided little economic growth but previously supported most people's immediate needs. "Rethinking our assumptions about development, and allowing subsistence cultures to produce for exchange on their own terms, would give Haiti a chance to recover the best part of its history and to stun the world again with the genius of its freedom."

Read it. It's good food for thought.

Ashore!

2010-03-01T12:58:00.002-06:00

The container is now on the ground in the Dominican Republic and in the queue for customs inspection. Our friends on the ground there are now working diligently to assure that there are no hang-ups at this critical step, while we here in the States try to work on other things while also staring at the phone, waiting to hear that we've cleared.

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Almost there!

2010-02-28T22:37:00.004-06:00

The Erria Vietnam carries our cargo of hope.

Here's a picture of the Erria Vietnam, the ship that's carrying our container to Puerta Rio Haina, Dominican Republic. The container should be unloaded and clear customs tomorrow and then be on its way to Jimani and points in Haiti where folks are anxiously awaiting the food and supplies that have filled every cubic foot!

By the way, this is a very high-res photo from shipspotting.com, so click on the photo to get a close up view.

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Livestream Compassion International Haiti Benefit Concert

2010-02-27T19:59:00.000-06:00

Tune in here!

http://helphaitilive.com/

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Harvest Field On The News

2010-02-26T08:41:00.001-06:00

Our friend from Harvest Field Ministries, Brian Lloyd, appeared on a Knoxville news show recently. Hear what he has to say about one of the orphanages:

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Latest update from Harvest Field Ministries

2010-02-22T16:39:00.000-06:00

Update from Brian Lloyd in Haiti. News like this is why we're doing what we're doing instead of following the prevailing advice to donate money. We know the work being done by large aid organizations is absolutely critical, but how do you respond when you realize that smart, capable, and caring folks like Brian and his friend Hippolite are having such a struggle to get United Nations food aid for their communities?

We're responding by sending the needed items straight to Brian and his partners in Haiti. And the first load is on its way. I won't pretend to understand the ins and outs of why there's such a struggle for outlying areas to get assistance, but it gives me pause. And it makes me glad that we're dodging all these politics by sending Brian and our other partners the food and supplies they desperately need. Most of all, your donations of rice, beans, and relief gear continue to make it all possible!

Brian's update below:

Planning on leaving tomorrow and this trip, like most, has flown by. I was supposed to leave today but the seat I had in a plane was given to someone else. Thankfully American Airlines is flying in and out of Port au Prince again (started yesterday) so I was able to get a flight out tomorrow (Monday). The flights/travel are still so undependable I'm telling anyone who is even considering coming to Haiti for a week to plan on being in country for a week, plus or minus a couple of weeks. Sounds like I'm being sarcastic, but really I'm not.

The last few days we've been primarily distributing rolls of plastic, heavy tarps, blankets, buckets, and hygiene items. Some of these items we purchased and some were given to us from Samaritan's Purse. From an accountability standpoint, it's been really nice being able to see the materials get directly into the hands that need it. The pastors of the churches have done a great job at coordinating this and keeping things running smoothly at distributions.

We've continued to go to the UN meetings to learn how we can get food aid for the communities we serve but so far those meetings have been fruitless.

I want spend a minute to tell you about a friend of mine who is so valuable to me. His name is Hippolite Fanfan (pronunced like eepoleet). Hippolite grew up in one of the orphanages we work with. He, his wife, and 4 month old little girl live in conditions that most would deem unlivable, yet he just constantly emits joy. He is a guy that has helped us for years when we bring mission teams down, but since the quake, he has been like my right arm. He is my GPS system (he knows how to get everywhere), he is my voice (because my creole is still just good enough to get me into trouble - he gets me out), and he is my muscle (he works like a mule). More importantly he is my teacher. He teaches me daily what real faith and generosity is (when I give him some food and I see him later privately giving it to some hungry children). He teaches me about worship (as he sings creole hymns all day long in the truck and as he dances at church). He teaches me what selfless prayer is (as I listen to him praying fervently not for himself, but for things like "blessings for my friends in America", "for the Haitian govt to love Jesus", and "for my brother Brian to have a good life"). Yes, that last one stings. Attached is a photo of Hippolite. I wish I could send you a sound clip of his laugh (which I'm lucky enough to get to hear many times each day) but for now a photo will have to do. Will you do me a favor and take just a few minutes right now and pray for my good friend Hippolite, his wife Nadine, and his little girl Ladine? Thanks for your prayers.

Keep praying,
Brian

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Make CHECKS PAYABLE TO TRINITY United Methodist Church
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We have LIFTOFF! 1st container on its way!

2010-02-22T14:03:00.004-06:00

From Haiti Relief Packing The Truck

I'm so excited to announce that our container is on its way! Loaded up at the UMC Disaster Warehouse Friday and by now arrived at the coast and ready for loading on a ship leaving out of Miami. There's a whole series of pictures from loading day in this post, but the main message is - thank you for making this possible, and this is just the beginning. Once we've successfully gotten the container all the way through to its destination we will set up to send another one.

We still have a great deal of food in the warehouse, and a brand new donation of 5000lbs of rice on the way from food importer in Illinois. Meanwhile, it's still a great time to run a food drive (or a tarp drive!) at your school, church, company or other organization.

Head here to register your drive so that we can coordinate with you and keep you posted on any changes in needs. If you're interested in volunteering or even bringing a group to the warehouse, please head here to let us know. We're also interested in volunteer drivers to bring food donations from both Trinity UMC and Hudson Alpha to the Warehouse.

To finish this post, here's a quote from an email sent from my friend Jean Thomas in Haiti. The large relief organizations are doing amazing work in Port-au-Prince under challenging conditions, but it's harder than you'd think to get help and food for outlying areas impacted by the quake.

Here's an exerpt from the email, "Believe me, that 40' sea container is going to fill quite a void! We do need more of them in varioius parts of the country. There are so many procedures to get anything from the giant relief organizations... The recipients of these supplies will find some much needed relief."

From Haiti Relief Packing The Truck

Warehouse volunteers wrap a pallet of braces and splints bound for medical facilities in Jimani DR and Port-au-Prince.

From Haiti Relief Packing The Truck

Warehouse Supervisor and my newest hero (though he'd certainly disapprove that second title) Ray Crump carrying buckets Haitian-style.

From Haiti Relief Packing The Truck

Troy guides Kim as another pallet gets loaded.

From Haiti Relief Packing The Truck

Every box contains 50-80lbs of food!

From Haiti Relief Packing The Truck

Warehouse Treasurer Estin Lovingood loads crutches.

From Haiti Relief Packing The Truck

Troy and Ray fill the last nooks and crannies.

From Haiti Relief Packing The Truck

I'd call that full.

From Haiti Relief Packing The Truck

Sealing it up.

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Operation Rainbow

2010-02-18T21:00:00.002-06:00

Operation Rainbow envisions the world’s children, free of deformities and pain, living lives filled with hope and joy.

Operation Rainbow did some fantastic work at the Jimani hospital. Their teams responded incredibly quickly with dedication and passion. Take some time and read about their organization and view some pictures they just posted from Jimani:
http://operationrainbow.org/index.html

Google LatLong: Haiti imagery layer now available

2010-02-17T18:48:00.001-06:00

For those interested in our mapping project, this blog post from the Google Earth and Google Maps team will be of interest. There is a high-res imagery layer available as a .kml (Google Earth file) with a variety of high res sources and dates.

Google Earth is free (of course) and can be downloaded here.

Once you have it, your browser should recognize that you have it and offer you a "view in Google Earth" link on your My Maps page where, for example, our Haiti Relief Map can then be uploaded straight into Earth. This way it's possible to view our own sites at the same time as the high-res images.

Google LatLong: Haiti imagery layer now available

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Rebuilding Haiti

2010-02-16T21:55:00.001-06:00

Democracy Now! & Al Jazeera (English) ran a story on the politics of rebuilding Haiti. It's a question that comes up all the time and this piece explores several of the options that exist:

“Haiti–The Politics of Rebuilding”: A Video Report from Avi Lewis of Al Jazeera

http://www.democracynow.org/2010/2/16/haiti_the_politics_of_rebuilding_a

Amy Goodman has long covered Haiti and all the articles and videos are available in the Democracy Now! archives. If you're interested in a first hand account of events in Haiti from 1996 to today spend some time here:

http://www.democracynow.org/tags/haiti

Haiti Relief Blog: Update: Harvest Field Ministries #16

2010-02-16T11:34:00.000-06:00

Update on the work in process in Haiti from Brian.

Haiti Relief Blog: Update: Harvest Field Ministries #16

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Other ways to connect

2010-02-16T09:52:00.000-06:00

We've added a "Follow me on Twitter" button to the blog, which will connect you with the Haitifooddrive Twitter feed.

I'll be adding this and our other sites on our contact page.

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Help Haiti Live - Ryman Auditorium

2010-02-15T20:38:00.001-06:00

Help Haiti February 27th - HelpHaitiLive.com from Compassion International on Vimeo.

http://helphaitilive.com/

“Help Haiti Live” is a multi-city ticketed concert event taking place on February 27th, 2010 to benefit Compassion International’s Haiti disaster relief fund. The event will also be streamed live at HelpHaitiLive.com for those who cannot attend one of the concerts in person.

100% of on-line donations through HelpHaitiLive.com will go to Compassion International’s Haiti disaster relief fund. 100% of net proceeds from ticket sales will go to Compassion International’s Haiti disaster relief fund.

“Help Haiti Live” is a production of Shaun Groves and Synergy Production Group for Compassion International.

Map in process - with post-quake satellite images

2010-02-15T17:09:00.004-06:00

I'm working on a map of relief efforts and logistics points for us and our partners, and while updating my Jimani Hospital location to match the GPS points I realized that the satellite imagery of Hispaniola has been updated. I'm not sure if anyone who's viewing this can date this image more precisely - but based on the Gatr units and what look to be Blackhawk helicopters it'd have to be sometime later than 22 January. Click on the image to see it full-size.

I believe you need the Google Earth Plugin to see the detailed imagery, but I have not tried this on a browser without the plugin, so I'm not sure. If you can't see this recent, high-res view of Jimani in Google Maps, then you need the plugin.

Below is the map itself - please make updates for places that you know. I'll ask the following in order to make sure the map stays useful:

1.) Please be as accurate as you can. Use GPS coordinates if you have them, but at least zoom in to make sure any markers are placed where the location you're labeling actually is. If you're placing an airport, please include the 3-letter IATA code if there is one (e.g. LAX, PAP).

2.) Try to use informative icons. I've used the little yellow house for people we know and houses/orphanages, the red cross for medical facilities, airplanes for airports, etc.

3.) If you have info on places that should be added (either in Haiti/DR or in the States), but updating a Google map isn't for you, please please, feel free to email me the info you have or comment on this post and I'll add it for you. I'd like to get either GPS coordinates or an address and bit of background on the site, but as long as I get sufficient data to find it at all, that's probably enough.

IMPORTANT UPDATE: Apparently just because a map is "public" doesn't mean anyone who wants to can modify it. So if you'd like to make additions to the map, send your email address to haitifooddrive@gmail.com and I'll send you a collaboration invite.

Thanks for any help!
View Haiti Food Drive in a larger map
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Drop off your FOOD donation to HudsonAlpha
6900 Moquin Drive, Huntsville, AL, 35806
Make CHECKS PAYABLE TO TRINITY United Methodist Church
Times: 10am - 4pm Daily
Questions? Email haitifooddrive@gmail.com
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Scales Donated!

2010-02-13T08:44:00.000-06:00

I'm excited to report that Health-o-meter Products, Inc. has donated four brand new professional scales (two pediatric and two adult) which are being shipped to us on Monday. This is straight off the needs list generated with input from the returning medical team.

Health-o-meter is already committed to earthquake relief in Haiti, and we're very excited that they're also teaming up with us in this way!

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Drop off your FOOD donation to HudsonAlpha
6900 Moquin Drive, Huntsville, AL, 35806
Make CHECKS PAYABLE TO TRINITY United Methodist Church
Times: 10am - 4pm Daily
Questions? Email haitifooddrive@gmail.com
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Haiti: The emergency phase is not over - news - MSF UK

2010-02-12T11:28:00.000-06:00

You have seen and possibly even experienced disasters before. This disaster is different.

Even here in the States we have recent experience with tragic national catastrophe. But to understand the current situation in Haiti, we have to let go of our assumptions about what happens afterwards. The disaster after the disaster.

Imagine the process of recovering from a national catastrophe if there were no military, police, or other government agencies to provide some semblance of order. Imagine if there were no well-equipped local hospitals to which injured victims could be evacuated. Imagine trying to mount a disaster recovery effort in an area that is not only densely populated, but which also has no power, communication, or transportation infrastructure.

For example, I reached Brian Lloyd (Harvest Field Ministries) in Haiti this morning by cell to ask about donated solar power equipment that we are shipping for him. I learned that before the quake, residents of urban PaP who were actually connected to the grid were lucky to have power for 2-3 hours each day. Today, in this city of over 2 million, the electrical grid is still shut down one month after the earthquake because it is in shambles and completely unsafe. We kept the conversation short to conserve Brian's battery.

Imagine being a survivor. No home. No news. No phone. No way to get or give information about what's going on. No emergency services. No services of any kind. Unreliable access to food or water at best. For a week. Two weeks. A month?

This post is already longer than I intended, and I still need you to read the article linked below. It conveys with more authority than I can how desperate the situation still is. After you've read the article, head over to our Equipment and Supply Needs page or our Volunteer page and think about how you can help. Join in. We are in this for the long haul. Please share this info and the article link.

Haiti: The emergency phase is not over - news - MSF UK

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Drop off your FOOD donation to HudsonAlpha
6900 Moquin Drive, Huntsville, AL, 35806
Make CHECKS PAYABLE TO TRINITY United Methodist Church
Times: 10am - 4pm Daily
Questions? Email haitifooddrive@gmail.com
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Haiti quake opens road to transformation, Paul Farmer tells Harvard - The Boston Globe

2010-02-12T09:47:00.002-06:00

Interesting perspective from Dr. Paul Farmer, founder of Partners in Health.

Haiti quake opens road to transformation, Paul Farmer tells Harvard - The Boston Globe

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Drop off your FOOD donation to HudsonAlpha
6900 Moquin Drive, Huntsville, AL, 35806
Make CHECKS PAYABLE TO TRINITY United Methodist Church
Times: 10am - 4pm Daily
Questions? Email haitifooddrive@gmail.com
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Looking for hand trucks

2010-02-10T20:51:00.000-06:00

We intend to send 2-3 hand trucks on our container shipment to facilitate unloading. They don't need to be new, but in solid working condition and fairly heavy duty. Email if you have one, Thanks!

Donations Can Now Be Made Here!

2010-02-10T11:19:00.003-06:00

We've added a PayPal link to the blog so you can make monetary donations directly. There is a notes section in the checkout process that will allow you to let us know if there is a special project that you'd like your funds to be utilized. For example, if you want your donation to be used for purchasing tents for Harvest Field Ministry orphanages.

Try it out and let us know what you think!

Updated list of medical equipment needs

2010-02-09T17:03:00.001-06:00

This is a list of needed equipment from the current team at the PaP clinic.

There are plans in the works for launching additional clinics - we'll keep you posted on developments there. Meantime, here's the list as it stands today. I also created a separate page as well where we can keep the list current.

If you have or can obtain any of these items to donate, please email me so that we can update the list.

Thank you!

Equipment:
Microscope (for outpatient clinic use)
Autoclave
OB Equipment (equip a delivery room)
Blood Pressure Cuffs
Gyn exam equipment
Infant scales
Adult scales
Nebulizers
in-ear thermometers
vision charts
medical droppers

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Drop off your FOOD donation to HudsonAlpha
6900 Moquin Drive, Huntsville, AL, 35806
Make CHECKS PAYABLE TO TRINITY United Methodist Church
Times: 10am - 4pm Daily
Questions? Email haitifooddrive@gmail.com
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Warehouse volunteers needed

2010-02-09T10:24:00.000-06:00

From Warehouse

We'll need some help over the next few weeks and months with processing, cataloging, and packing food donations for shipment at the disaster warehouse in Decatur. We also need some drivers who can be available during business hours to pick up food donations at some local schools and businesses and transport them to the warehouse.

This isn't glamorous work, but don't think it goes unnoticed! Our teams on the ground have expressed some serious gratitude and relief at the well-boxed and clearly labeled supplies and food they've received from us, and that work was done right here in town. You can help.

And we need your help - please sign up here so that we can let you know when the opportunities are.

Thank you!

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Drop off your FOOD donation to HudsonAlpha
6900 Moquin Drive, Huntsville, AL, 35806
Make CHECKS PAYABLE TO TRINITY United Methodist Church
Times: 10am - 4pm Daily
Questions? Email haitifooddrive@gmail.com
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Tents Needed!

2010-02-05T15:12:00.007-06:00

Our friends at Harvest Field Ministries are asking if folks out there can help them house their orphans. Specifically, they need 4 large durable tents that the children can sleep in at night and have school in during the day. We've found an organization that supplies rugged 9m x 18m tents that are made for these situations for $4,000. That's less than $25 per sqr meter! Quite a bargin compared to the military tents we've found at over $38 per sqr meter. The problem is that's still $4,000 per tent. Can you help? Donating to Trinity United Methodist Church is the easiest way. In the memo section just note Haiti Relief: Tents.

Here is Brian Lloyd from Harvest Field Ministries introducing you to the people your tents will house:

PaP Clinic startup - Moving the generator on about a week ago

2010-02-03T15:13:00.001-06:00

Video from Troy's trip - Moving the generator into place at the PaP clinic.

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Drop off your FOOD donation to HudsonAlpha
6900 Moquin Drive, Huntsville, AL, 35806
Make CHECKS PAYABLE TO TRINITY United Methodist Church
Times: 10am - 4pm Daily
Questions? Email haitifooddrive@gmail.com
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Great News! New medical team and critical equipment arrives with help from Abbott and Regions Bank

2010-02-03T14:05:00.001-06:00

We have a new team on the ground now, ready to head for the PaP clinic and begin providing care.

From the Provision post, here are the team members:
Charlie Barnett, M.D. Summit Medical, Knoxville, TN

Charlie Bozeman, M.D. Summit Medical, Knoxville, TN

Jeff Robinson, M.D. Summit Medical, Knoxville, TN

John Law, M.D. Summit Medical, Knoxville, TN

Evonne Davison, Chadasha Foundation, Nashville, TN

Becky Warren, Chadasha Foundation, Huntsville, AL

Teresa Overholt, Cedar Springs Presbyterian Church, Knoxville, TN

Connie Juranek, Summit Medical, Knoxville, TN

Last week we were amazed and deeply grateful when a conversation between Charles Gattis, Sr. Pastor at Trinity UMC of Huntsville and his friend Regions Bank CEO Dowd Ritter led Regions Bank to contribute to our medical mission by transporting our medical team bound for Jimani and the PaP clinic on a Regions Bank company aircraft.

The first flight left yesterday morning with a team of eight doctors and nurses from Knoxville, TN (and one nurse from Huntsville) as well as the two i-STAT blood analyzers on loan from Abbott POC! The plane returned from the DR to Knoxville with medical folks who had been in Haiti for weeks.

The medical work in Haiti is absolutely overwhelming. Quality medical care was scarce even before the earthquake, and the ability to keep our medical teams fresh and provide trouble-free transportation is a huge boost to our medical mission. We're so grateful to the team that's stepping into the fray right now, to Abbott for the i-STATS, and that Regions stepped in to provide transport.

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Drop off your FOOD donation to HudsonAlpha
6900 Moquin Drive, Huntsville, AL, 35806
Make CHECKS PAYABLE TO TRINITY United Methodist Church
Times: 10am - 4pm Daily
Questions? Email haitifooddrive@gmail.com
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Yesterday's WAAY TV Interview with Troy

2010-02-03T13:55:00.000-06:00

Update - video link to the WAAY TV Interview with Troy

Jump to the WAAY site here.

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Drop off your FOOD donation to HudsonAlpha
6900 Moquin Drive, Huntsville, AL, 35806
Make CHECKS PAYABLE TO TRINITY United Methodist Church
Times: 10am - 4pm Daily
Questions? Email haitifooddrive@gmail.com
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Haiti Relief Effort Changes Huntsville Man's Life - WAAYTV.com - Huntsville, Alabama - News Weather, Sports |

2010-02-03T10:32:00.000-06:00

Link here to a text synopsis of WAAY TV's follow-up story and interview on Troy's trip to Haiti - this story ran on last night's 10pm newscast, and I'll post back again when they post the video link to the story.

Haiti Relief Effort Changes Huntsville Man's Life - WAAYTV.com - Huntsville, Alabama - News Weather, Sports |

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Drop off your FOOD donation to HudsonAlpha
6900 Moquin Drive, Huntsville, AL, 35806
Make CHECKS PAYABLE TO TRINITY United Methodist Church
Times: 10am - 4pm Daily
Questions? Email haitifooddrive@gmail.com
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Volunteer and Medical In-country Volunteer Registration now LIVE!

2010-02-02T14:46:00.000-06:00

In addition to the FAQ tab, we now have a Volunteer page where you can sign up to let us know about your desire to pitch in, availability, and special skills.

We'll also use that page as a place to post about specific needs.

This is a response to many folks who have expressed a desire to help, so thank you, and please sign up!

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Drop off your FOOD donation to HudsonAlpha
6900 Moquin Drive, Huntsville, AL, 35806
Make CHECKS PAYABLE TO TRINITY United Methodist Church
Times: 10am - 4pm Daily
Questions? Email haitifooddrive@gmail.com
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Haiti Food Drive: Frequently Asked Questions

2010-02-02T10:41:00.000-06:00

A FAQ has now been added to the blog site. If you're in the Tennesee Valley and looking for ways to help the people of Haiti, then we're on the same team! Head to the FAQ for an overview of who we are and what we're doing.

Haiti Food Drive: Frequently Asked Questions

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Drop off your FOOD donation to HudsonAlpha
6900 Moquin Drive, Huntsville, AL, 35806
Make CHECKS PAYABLE TO TRINITY United Methodist Church
Times: 10am - 4pm Daily
Questions? Email haitifooddrive@gmail.com
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Google Translate adds Haitian Creole amid earthquake aftermath | VentureBeat

2010-02-02T09:48:00.001-06:00

Haitian Creole has now been added to Google's automatic translation services. This is a very cool effort and a great idea by Google. Haiti is the only place in the world where this language is spoken, and lack of translators has been a real problem on the ground.

Here's a link to the article:

Google Translate adds Haitian Creole amid earthquake aftermath | VentureBeat

If you'd like to read this blog in Haitian Creole, click here
Si w ta renmen li Blog sa a nan kreyòl ayisyen, klike isit
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Drop off your FOOD donation to HudsonAlpha
6900 Moquin Drive, Huntsville, AL, 35806
Make CHECKS PAYABLE TO TRINITY United Methodist Church
Times: 10am - 4pm Daily
Questions? Email haitifooddrive@gmail.com
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Haiti Benefit Concert

2010-01-29T15:19:00.006-06:00

The local artist community at Lowe Mill held a benefit concert and silent art auction where they raised over $11,000! It was all recorded live and the first session is posted on YouTube. Check it out, enjoy the incredible talents of Ken Waters on trumpet and keep the folks in need in your thoughts!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egRbJN6UWq8

We'll post the additional sessions as they are made available.

UPDATE: Sorry about the broken link - I'll try to find out what happened to the video and update the link.
UPDATE: New link in effect.

2010-01-28T14:10:00.000-06:00

Good article written by a Baptist Standard reporter on-site at Bon Samaritan.

I had thought about the language barrier, but didn't have a sense of what percentage spoke English well enough to communicate with a Doctor. Any Creole-speaking medical folks out there that have not already been recruited?

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Drop off your FOOD donation to HudsonAlpha
6900 Moquin Drive, Huntsville, AL, 35806
Make CHECKS PAYABLE TO TRINITY United Methodist Church
Times: 10am - 4pm Daily
Questions? Email haitifooddrive@gmail.com
------------------------------------------------------

Troy is back!

2010-01-28T12:04:00.000-06:00

Troy landed in Huntsville late last night and was here at Hudson Alpha this morning somewhat glazed and seemingly uncertain what to make of the easy availability of food and bathrooms, but otherwise ready to debrief and start downloading the rest of the intelligence that he gathered in Jimani and PaP.

First impressions -

Troy reports that Jimani Hospital (also being referred to as Bon Samaritan) is running and running as well as it can thanks to strong leadership from Dorothy Davidson FNP along with her husband Dr. Dale Betterton through IMA. And while running the hospital is working Dorothy nearly round the clock, they do seem to be fairly well supplied and staffed and have taken excellent steps to better control and inventory on-site supplies, which was much needed.

His initial assessment is for the Huntsville/Chadasha team to continue to supply Jimani as needed, but shift our focus to the out-patient facility that was established inside PaP just before he left. The facility (located in a walled-in church) has proven to be workable and relatively secure, and it is providing much needed medical care to over 250 new patients each day and planning to increase that number as word gets out. The idea is to continue to use Jimani as a physical staging point for supplying the PaP clinic directly.

More from Troy soon.

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Drop off your FOOD donation to HudsonAlpha
6900 Moquin Drive, Huntsville, AL, 35806
Make CHECKS PAYABLE TO TRINITY United Methodist Church
Times: 10am - 4pm Daily
Questions? Email haitifooddrive@gmail.com
------------------------------------------------------

Food distribution challenges in PaP for internation relief orgs

2010-01-28T08:50:00.000-06:00

This is a difficult and sobering reality. Near riots and stronger survivors forcing their way to the food while weaker people get nothing. I'm tempted to judge the people who are fighting and scrambling over others to get anything they can, but the flip side of the equation is that I've never known desperation. At this point providing order and protecting the weakest of the many victims is our responsibility.

We are continuing to work with people and organizations in Haiti who already have organized people on the ground, specific populations of people to serve, and the means to provide some security and order. In particular, Brian Lloyd's Harvest Field Ministries is the focus of our food efforts, as his communities are very heavy with children and the elderly, who will need special protection from being trampled in the rush to survive. Our medical mission continues to focus on Jimani and on the effort to establish "forward area" clinics in PaP.

Josh

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Drop off your FOOD donation to HudsonAlpha
6900 Moquin Drive, Huntsville, AL, 35806
Make CHECKS PAYABLE TO TRINITY United Methodist Church
Times: 10am - 4pm Daily
Questions? Email haitifooddrive@gmail.com
------------------------------------------------------

Critical equipment help from Abbott Point-of-Care!

2010-01-27T08:52:00.000-06:00

We're thrilled that Abbott Point of Care has donated the use of TWO i-STAT portable blood analyzers and a supply of cartridges. From Abbott's web site the i-STAT system is "an advanced, handheld blood analyzer that provides real-time, lab-quality results within minutes to accelerate the patient care decision-making process."

For our medical team in Jimani and Port-au-Prince it's like having an on-call lab in the palm of their hand, and gives the doctors critical data for making treatment decisions. This is a really important tool, and a really expensive one, and we're grateful to Abbott Point-of-Care for entrusting them to our team for the duration of the medical mission in Haiti.

As an aside, here's the donation statement from Abbott Point-of-Care, it basically says 'no strings attached': "Abbott’s agreement to provide product as a charitable donation is not provided to you in exchange for any explicit or implicit agreement or understanding that you or anyone else prescribe, recommend, use or purchase any products of Abbott or otherwise arrange therefore."

Josh

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Drop off your FOOD donation to HudsonAlpha
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Make CHECKS PAYABLE TO TRINITY United Methodist Church
Times: 10am - 4pm Daily
Questions? Email haitifooddrive@gmail.com
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32 Hours: The Church in Haiti

2010-01-27T06:56:00.002-06:00

Mark Driscoll just got back from a 32 hour trip to Haiti to assess damage and check on the state of the churches in Haiti. Here he discusses his trip to Haiti. Must watch.

Drop off your FOOD donation to HudsonAlpha
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Make CHECKS PAYABLE TO TRINITY United Methodist Church
Times: 10am - 4pm Daily
Questions: email us at haitifooddrive@gmail.com
---

Huntsville Soccer-heads helping Haiti!

2010-01-26T14:07:00.000-06:00

This being the south, it may be news to some of you to realize that there's more than one kind of football in the world, and that Hatians, for the most part, play the other kind. For anyone still confused, I'm talking about soccer.

Ryan Harbaugh writes for and about the Huntsville soccer community at his Perfectly Weighted Through Blog. Someone with more soccer knowledge than me can explain what that blog title means, but Ryan has a couple of really interesting posts here and here about the crisis in Haiti, connections to the global soccer community, and ways to help out including food donations here at Hudson Alpha and Trinity UMC.

If you play or watch soccer (or know someone who plays or watches soccer) head on over to Ryan's blog and ask how you can help partner with him and us on a future shipment of soccer equipment to help those kids begin, in Ryan's words, a "return to normalcy" in the coming months.

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Drop off your FOOD donation to HudsonAlpha
6900 Moquin Drive, Huntsville, AL, 35806
Make CHECKS PAYABLE TO TRINITY United Methodist Church
Times: 10am - 4pm Daily
Questions: email us at haitifooddrive@gmail.com
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Updated needs list for Huntsville/Madison Area donations

2010-01-26T11:51:00.000-06:00

There is still an urgent need for food (especially rice, dry beans, and powdered milk) and we're adding to the list durable plastic tarps, plastic sheeting, nylon rope (for making tents out of tarps), and lightweight military-style folding cots.

At $34 we feel like this model available from Walmart represents a good value and a good example of the kind of thing the Doctors are looking for to get their patients up off the ground.

Our sincere thanks to those who have already made donations of desperately needed food and supplies for the people of Haiti. Please keep giving!

Josh

Drop off your FOOD donation to HudsonAlpha
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Make CHECKS PAYABLE TO TRINITY United Methodist Church
Times: 10am - 4pm Daily
Questions: email us at haitifooddrive@gmail.com
---

CitiHope Update from Jimani: excellent partners serving Haiti

2010-01-25T20:40:00.002-06:00

Medical Relief a Success - Next is FOOD
January 25, 2010
Dear Luke,

Thank you for bringing hope to Haitian earthquake victims through your support of CitiHope. This update showcases the impact your donations and prayers are having - we are grateful.

CitiHope's overall response has grown to include a significant food security dimension, and considerable on-the-ground coordination support. Paul II and his team are still in the field, and I hope you take a moment to read about their experiences as they proudly represents both CitiHope and you.

In our relief work, CitiHope purposes to obtain the maximum strategic resources, at the minimum cost, in the shortest period of time, to give health and hope to the greatest number of people possible. 'Hope for Haiti' is truly exceeding that goal, thanks to you.

God's best,
Rev. Paul Moore and the CitiHope Team
www.citihope.org

Urgent Request for Food Help
Hope for Haiti Phase II Launching
As reported in our last email, Le Bon Samaritan Hospital is normally a 23-bed facility. Since the earthquake, they are caring for over 800 patients daily, with constant helicopters arriving and departing with Haitians needing treatment. Seen at right, a 'displaced patients camp' of sorts now exists right outside of the hospital. Conditions are reminiscent of military field hospitals many of us have seen in TV shows such as MASH.

CitiHope delivered 4,000 meals on one of our Saturday flights, which is just enough for two days. Unfortunately, the food aid being delivered by other agencies to Port au Prince still has not made it north to Jilmani, and CitiHope has been asked for further help.

A three-week-supply of food is urgently needed for the 800+ patients plus their caregivers. In the last two days CitiHope has secured 21,000 meals (roughly 3,000lbs) of a vitamin-fortified, nutritious and culturally palatable dehydrated soup mix from Stop Hunger Now/Operation Sharehouse. (The soup contains long grain rice, soy protein, vitamins, and dehydrated celery, carrot, cabbage, tomato, pepper, and is easily adaptable to several local favorite recipes.)

Paul II and his team have already begun construction of an outdoor kitchen, and ample volunteers are on hand to prepare and serve the meals.

The field team is gathering all available pots for cooking, bowls for serving and utensils, but we anticipate having to purchase some items.

Our challenge today is securing funding to move the food to our US airport staging location, fuel and fly a DC-3 airplane to Barahona, and then on to Jilmani for distribution. After receiving word today of a significant second donation by partners World Children's Fund and Medical Missions International, we're now estimating that we just need to raise an additional $36,000 to execute Hope for Haiti's Phase II, Food Security.

Together we are making a world of difference for good, for Haitians at risk... and you're help is essential. Please consider supporting Phase II with your most generous financial gift, and pass this urgent opportunity along to a friend who might also assist this impactful work. Most of all, please keep Hope for Haiti in your thoughts and prayers.
Hope for Haiti, Phase I Huge Success
Medical Relief and More!
In the Jilmani region, CitiHope is one of the principle relief agencies on the scene thanks to our rapid medical response, and Paul II and his team have become known as the 'go to' people when needs arise. In addition to our medical relief being delivered, here are highlights of what has occurred in just a week:
CitiHope was the first agency to figure out that bringing relief flights through Dominican Republic's Barahona Airport was the most strategic option. The US Air Force moved in over the weekend, and now their personnel and CitiHope staff are the only ones allowed on the tarmac!
Our DR Country Director Tim Tuccelli was given favor with the airport authorities, customs, and Governor of the region, and CitiHope has since become their partner of record.
We now have two trucks driving back and forth to Jilmani, not only with our own aid, but essentials coming in from other organizations who don't have their on the ground coordinates in place.
At Le Bon Samaritan hospital, CitiHope has provided a variety of essential needs. Here are a few highlights:
* The doctors needed additional exam tables, so CHI built and delivered them within 24 hours.
* The doctors desperately needed an autoclave to sterilize their instruments - it was delivered over the weekend.
* The hospital needed telecommunications and water purification systems, and they were on our first flight in.
* On Friday the hospital administrators requested long-range walkie-talkies, so Mike DiBenedetto and his St. Simons Island, GA team shipped them via flight #4 on Saturday.
* This morning Paul II asked for help getting 20 Gerber tool kits and multi-tools for his new friends in the ground crew. CitiHope is already procuring them from local stores in GA for the next air delivery tomorrow.
* A storage warehouse was lacking, so CitiHope dropped a 40 ft sea container in 48 hours, and are in the process of obtaining a local secure building as a permanent facility, to be operational by tomorrow/Wednesday.
* A kitchen capable of feeding the influx of patients is needed, so Paul II and his team have begun construction of an outdoor, open-air kitchen which will be finished this week.
CitiHope continues to respond to daily medical needs in Jilmani. Paul II is coordinating requests for help directly with hospital staff, whose focus continues to be patient care. Dr. Pinard and his team of staff and volunteers are extraordinary heroes.

Even Blankets Matter
Reported by Paul Moore II - Saturday, Jan 23. Last night at around 3am tremors woke the refugees here at camp. They rushed from the orphanage and sought shelter in the field. It gets cold here at night so men, women, and children were shivering in the cold.

Then someone remembered the CitiHope manifest and ran to our 'temporary warehouse' container. There they found enough thermal blankets for everyone. The camp stood still as doctors and nurses began to lovingly place these warm blankets on people in need.

When dealing with such a large-scale human disaster it is easy to become overwhelmed with the massive needs. Personally, I was grateful for the reminder that even 'simple' thermal blankets matter.

Quick Links
CitiHope Home

Hope for Haiti, Issue 1, Jan 18

Hope for Haiti, Issue 1, Jan 21

More About Us

One of the many Haitian children at the Le Bon Samaritan Hospital in Jilmani given hope, medical attention and nutrition through your caring support.

Together with her, and thousands like her, we say Thank You!

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Drop off your FOOD donation to HudsonAlpha
6900 Moquin Drive, Huntsville, AL, 35806
Make CHECKS PAYABLE TO TRINITY United Methodist Church
Times: 10am - 4pm Daily
Questions: email us at haitifooddrive@gmail.com
---

Medical Update from Troy

2010-01-25T10:35:00.000-06:00

Jenny-

We got a generator, fuel and a water purification system set up in the PAP house yesterday.

From Troy 25JAN10

Today a 7 truck caravan left from Jimani brining food, water, medications, 3 nurses, 1 doctor and a host of support persons. This team will begin clinics in PAP this afternoon. This is a test to see if we can maintain order/safety while performing the clinics. I think the church we will be working out of will serve quite well and I'm not expecting any issues. The Jimani hospital team is working with a US physician to have a step down facility set up in his clinic. The idea there is to send non-critical patients there and build up the site to serve as an ongoing minor surgery center.

From Troy 25JAN10

In the PAP clinics, I would expect to see infections, cuts, abrasions, malnutrition, etc. Any serious injuries (i.e. fractures) will be directed back to Jimani. I think the current needs list would be for items that meet these issues in addition to preparing for the infection issues that are inevitably going to arise.

Troy

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Drop off your FOOD donation to HudsonAlpha
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---

Ed: Back in the USA

2010-01-25T08:35:00.003-06:00

Dear Family and Friends,

Back in the USA!

From Landry/Haiti

I have waited a day to send this final note about my time in Jimani. Kelley and Luke helped me get the photos arranged so I can share them with any interested. I must warn you that some are gruesome so please use your best judgment in viewing them.

We left the Jimani Project Saturday, January 23 about 9 AM for the airport in Barahona. Before boarding the bus, each of our group had last minute desires. Check on this patient, get a photo of that, where’s Dr. XZY, etc. Bill Ragon and Mike Cobb had special concern for a burn patient they’d spent hours with earlier in the week. He was loaded up and set for transfer to one of the Navy hospital ships, with a helicopter due in shortly after our departure. I never did see it happen, but I do believe it did, thanks to Clint’s persistence and Caleb’s satellite link which enabled communication with the ships.

When we got to the airport in Barahona, we met a large group of firefighters from CA, “Firefighters for Christ” their shirts said, from multiple locations. They were mesmerized by Dave Vanderpool’s stories of his trips into PAP. I think that’s where they were headed, but I don’t know if they knew themselves where they’d be sleeping Saturday night. We also found the US Air Force setting up a base at the runway’s edge, for coordination of incoming flights with supplies. Sounds like the Barahona airport will be a staging area for what needs to go by road into Haiti in the coming weeks. Chuck Sutherland’s plane came in loaded with meds, etc. to put on our now empty bus for the return trip to Jimani. We found Mike Cobb’s name on some of the boxes, those had been left in Knoxville on our trip down for lack of space. So you can imagine just how hard it is to get a box of this or that from the US to Haiti. Mike’s supplies had been in the Knoxville airport since January 18.

So we had to stop in Atlanta for customs and Chuck left us for his grandchildren with the pilots to fly us on to Tennessee. I did not actually kiss the asphalt in front of his hangar, but I admit to some jumping up and down!

Now we’re all back home with thoughts of patients we left behind. Mike’s worried about a woman whose arm was amputated to free her from rubble. He had to revise the amputation twice due to skin loss and infection. Bill worries about the burn victim he got thru the longest operation done while we were there. John Williamson left his patient post emergency hysterectomy with fever, though it was declining. Neil Barry had so many patients I can’t tell who he was the most concerned for. Dave left thinking he could have gotten more injured out of PAP if he just had a bigger vehicle. Chuck, Mr. Fix-It to the end, left wondering if the broken pump for the water supply he’d correctly diagnosed as shorted out would get fixed quickly (we lost all running water at 2 AM, Saturday morning because of the fried pump). And I left worrying about I month old Annika (I had her name wrong earlier). I gave her over to Dr. Ben from Boston, and feel sure he’ll do whatever it takes to save her arm.

I am left, naturally, with some striking images from this experience. Our group shared some of these with each other Friday night over dinner. Everyone had incredible moments of unbounding joy. My own personal moment came Wednesday, January 20. I found 2 huge boxes of new sheets lying on the grass outside the hospital, a gift from only God knows who. I carried as many as I could hold, and grabbed a young volunteer to do the same. We then gave all the patients in recovery, who had been on bare mattresses only (some blood stained), clean, new white sheets. I wish I could describe the look on the faces of patients and family members. I felt like Santa Claus!

There were, of course, many episodes less than joyous. Mike Cobb explaining through an interpreter to a dying woman’s family that her only hope of survival was amputation of 3 extremities. He did the absolute best anyone could possibly have done to answer all their questions and fears. She refused and did die 24 hours later. For me, it was having to remove the burned skin from baby Annika’s forearm. It’s just a nightmare.

This last story is about Clint Doiron and faith. The Jimani project was Clint’s dream. Now, as one of the Knoxville crew pointed out, it is Clint’s Noah’s ark. He built it, and finished just in time to take on those sent there.

From Landry/Haiti

So when Clint went into PAP on Wednesday, he came across 2 Catholic nuns in a vehicle with injured Haitians. One was a 7 year old boy with a facial injury. Clint was sure there was a fracture and told them to come to the Jimani Project hospital. So the nuns did just that. When they arrived, the nonmedical person in charge of signing in patients told them they couldn’t leave the patients there. He basically said “there’s no room in the inn and you’ve got a van, take them on elsewhere, besides we have no one who can handle this head injury”. When Clint got back later, he was asking for the young boy’s location. I told him what I had heard had happened (I was not there, but was in the OR). He would not accept the possibility that patients he had personally promised care to had been turned away. He anxiously searched the orphanage (remember it is 2 stories with probably 400 patients and family) until he found the boy. Now I know the nuns were shunned by the “gatekeeper”, but then again I’ve had some small, personal experience with Catholic nuns in the course of my life (beginning at age 6 with the School Sisters of Notre Dame), and I know damn well you cannot tell one NO! (if you do….straight to Hell!). The nuns had essentially ignored the gatekeeper, found a nurse, and parked the patients exactly where they needed to be. Next Clint wants me to look at the boy, well it’s a bone and it is broken, right? The plastics guys looked too. Clearly there was nothing we could do at Jimani for him. But you see, Clint had promised because he had faith that doing the right thing would lead to the child’s getting the right care. By Friday, some of the volunteers (I am not sure who) had taken the child back to PAP, to the airport where the U of Miami had a field trauma hospital. They felt he needed a neurosurgeon, the one specialty they did not have available! So what did they do? Well they violated several international laws, probably dissolved our treaties with the rest of the Caribbean and Central American nations and flew the child back to their neuro pals in Miami! So I learned that it’s not just doing what’s right, but it is having the faith that when you do God is your back-up. Thanks Clint.

Last word, remember a few of my photos are from in the OR, and may be difficult for some. Here's the link to the album.

Love,

Dad/Ed

List

2010-01-24T19:39:00.001-06:00

Microwave

SIFAT(Servants in Faith and Technology): HUGE BOOST!

2010-01-23T18:36:00.002-06:00

HUGE THANKS TO TOM CORSON and TREY REED!

SIFAT (www.sifat.org) showed up today and began the process of deploying their MUCH NEEDED water purification systems into Haiti. They have integrated themselves into the teams in Jimani and begun training. They expect to have all 10 systems deployed by next week. This is half of the story...

The OTHER HALF IS THIS... late last night around 2am the Jimani facility ran out of water. With close to 1,000 people relying on their water system, this was a huge problem. Well Tom and Trey jumped right in and have been working non-stop and have REESTABLISHED water at Jimani. I am told this was an incredibly harrowing experience and one that we will have more information about on the blog soon.

THANKS TO SIFAT WE ARE STILL DISTRIBUTING PURE WATER.

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Devastation in Haiti video - Mark Driscoll

2010-01-23T10:37:00.001-06:00

Pictures from Jimani

2010-01-23T09:03:00.002-06:00

a few photos from jimani giving our readers a glimpse into the controlled chaos!

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Brian Lloyd Update #10

2010-01-23T08:59:00.001-06:00

Update #10
Hey guys, this one is from me, Rachel. Brian has been overwhelmed with the task at hand the last few days and has not been able to send us an e-mail update. So, I will try to summarize what I know to the best of my ability.

It has been a hard few days on the ground in Haiti. The work to procure food, water, and necessities has been difficult. Since Brian has been working by himself trying to get enough supplies to care for many, many people in these three communities, it is harder to do. Making contacts in this situation is near impossible because everybody is in need and tensions are high, even among relief workers. Pray that people there, especially among relief workers and other ministries will remember that we are all called to help and we are all apart of the same kingdom... His Kingdom. There is a job to be done and we must lock arms, regardless of faith and culture, and complete it together. Differences in culture, hunger, stress, lack of a home, lack of anything causes fuses to be short, but our God is bigger than that and we believe He will pull us through! I know I've said it before, but just keep praying!!

Some good news is that a team from our home church, Whitestone Church, arrived in Jacmel yesterday with 6 men and some supplies. There were 3 doctors, 1 EMT, a really cool former military guy (Tamara, that's your guy!!), and a pastor. The things they were able to take will take care of some immediate needs in the community. The docs say that the Coq Chante community is okay medically so today they will be trying to go closer to Leogande to see if there is a need at the hospital there. There has been very little medical help in this area as of yet so we are hoping that they will be able to get to work and do some good.

About the girls... the first thing is that Brian says they are so resilient! He said they wake up in the morning and pray, sing worship songs and then play, read, run, laugh, tease, and do hair... what a beautiful picture. They are continuing to sleep in a little house or shack that is close to the orphanage. I'll attach a picture. Remember as you see this picture that there are 17 girls, 1 helper (Madame Gaspard), and her two youngest sons. They will not go into any concrete building, and Brian says he doesn't blame them a bit after the 6.1 "aftershock" they had yesterday. Which leads me to ask, what in the world distinguishes an actual earthquake from an aftershock, good Lord 6.1.

We also have good news on the adoption front. Through a government program called Humanitarian Parole, we are going to be able to get the children who are already in the process of adoption here. Thank you God! This includes, Wousami Bates, Islande Stout, Odette Coleman, Benita Rudd, Jayla Fitzpatrick, and Valencia Zimmerman. Be praying for these kids and their families to make a smooth transition. We are also hopeful that will be able to get the rest of the girls here through the same program. We have had an overwhelming response from our Whitestone Church family to take the girls into their homes and love them, take care of them, and make sure they get what they need. Thanks Whitestone family!

As for Brian, he is doing well. He is exhausted emotionally probably more than physically. He has a strong love for the people of Haiti and seeing them in this situation tears at his heart. We are hoping that he will be able to come home in the next few days to rest, pray, refuel, pray, shower : ), and pray some more. There are lots of decisions to be made and they are larger than any one man. Pray for clarity and discernment. Pray that God continue to guard his heart and to give Brian a peace that surpasses all understanding.

Thanks to all of you who have given financially to Harvest Field Ministries or just to help Haiti in general. More than that, I would like to say thank you to everyone who has lifted Brian, our family, and mostly the Haitian people up in prayer.

If anyone would like more information on Harvest Field Ministries and the work we do in Haiti please visit www.harvestfieldhaiti.org.

Blessings,

Rachel Lloyd, Brian's wife

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Jimani Update: 1.22.10

2010-01-23T08:45:00.001-06:00

Dear Family and Friends,

First of all, I deeply appreciate all the love, prayers and support you are sending my way. I feel very honored to receive such grace.

So today from chaos, some order. We got up with roosters making noise just before sun-up. Mike Cobb and I were in the OR by 7:30 AM and worked together until about 6PM. We made up for yesterday’s frustration thanks to my new hero, Dr. Ben an ortho/hand surgeon from Boston (last names hard to come by here). Looks like Harry Connick, Jr. so Ben Hollywood could do. He arrived yesterday, and was stymied by the lack of an OR for him to use. Within hours he happily accepted his new calling in life to run the OR schedule for 5 operating rooms, 11 orthpaedists, 2 plastic surgeons and an unknown number of pending patients. Without picking up a scalpel he did more than enough to credit him with the gold star of the day. We sent our #1 OR ortho nurse, Danya from Omaha/Creighton , to the orphanage/hospital to line up surgeries since she understood our capabilities. Patients have to be moved by ambulance the 200 yards from orphanage to hospital. Lots of bumps, dust and heat. Lots of lifting up and down, carrying stretchers. No one complains. Ben said we did 58 surgeries (still without Xray) with only one cranky surgeon from CA giving him a hard time. So do we feel well accomplished? I just don’t know how to even measure progress here.

As we worked along thru the day we heard various reports. Some are checking in with CNN, some have family sending odd news reports asking if we can confirm. Luke, I saw your note about US support. I hope your “tree shaking” reaches the right person. So from “rumor” the USS Comfort is either full or not doing anything. The U of Miami has a field trauma unit at the airport in PAP, and may take some critical patients from us, but the critical probably can’t handle the car/truck ride. Clint/Dave Vanderpool/Luke are all pushing for help to get patients moved out of here, we all wonder which agency is going to step up to the plate.

We still saw patients today who had no significant care since their injuries. I honestly don’t know how they are getting here. One was a 70 year old lady for whom Mike did external fixation for a femur fracture, completely by feel, since no Xray. We are all amazed by the strength they show. They have tolerated so much pain, and frankly we sometimes just look at each other in the OR wondering HOW DID THIS PERSON SURVIVE THE LAST 10 DAYS? The Haitians look after each other quietly and with dignity in the most bare of surroundings. We had one woman today whose right arm was cut off to get her out of the rubble. Mike revised the amputation and has her lined up with plastic surgeons from Gainesville for skin grafts on Sunday. She never stopped smiling, never complained, yet I am sure she is in pain. And there are far more just like her.

I have so many stories, I may not be able to keep them straight. Some are just too terrible to put to writing. This is a small part of one, with a lot omitted that goes into the too terrible category. Our OB-GYN professor from Lincoln Memorial Medical School in TN saved a young woman’s life early today. Dr. John Williamson has been coming to Jimani with Clint for years. A nurse came looking for him late last night. The patient was about 20 weeks pregnant when she was crushed in the quake. The baby died and she appeared here out of nowhere with high fever. I really don’t want to go into the medical issues, but when John told her husband emergency surgery was needed at 2AM, he agreed without question. When John said, “Do you understand how serious this is?”, he replied “Because you are doing it now at 2AM I know it is very serious and you are doing the right thing because no one in my country would ever have an operation at this time”. Clint was there for the whole surgery, and I know he will have much more to say about it.

There was a very minor tremor here about dark, none of us felt it but the patients and their families lying on mattresses on concrete floors did and ran out of the orphanage into the parking lot area. I did not see this, but 2 patients with IV’s jumped from the second floor. 3 docs went to check them out. Danya was just getting things in order again, putting people back to bed, when we felt another, bigger jolt. This is the first thing I have noticed so I am now in our bus typing away for awhile. I’ll go check on my post-op patients in a little bit.

When we occasionally stop and look beyond the Jimani Project at the surrounding views, this is a beautiful spot. There is a large lake with vistas to green cliffs in the distance. Hawaii is the only place I can compare this to. But, it is much hotter than Hawaii! Must have been 100 degrees in the sun at midday and 90 in the OR. I consumed well over a gallon of fluid today. I can’t imagine how this adds to the stress on our patients, we keep pushing fluids and using antibiotics far more easily than I ever would at Twin Rivers. Thank God we have all of that we need.

The CRNA’s (nurse anesthetists) working with me have kept my patients magnificently pain free with little of our usual 21st century devices. We can’t even monitor oxygen levels appropriately. Bill Ragon who came with us from Jackson, TN “trained in” 2 new arrivals from Knoxville today during surgeries Mike and I were doing. There we are in a OR with screens covering open windows, doing surgery, while Bill quietly gave his replacements (I do believe it will take 2 to replace him) his advice given our resources. By the way, I have not heard a patient crying in pain in the recovery area immediately post-op. The anesthesiologists and nurses running the recovery/post-op areas are just incredible. We keep pushing them to discharge patients so we can bring in more. They have 6-8 patients on cots in small, hot rooms plus patients in the hallways, the laundry room, and every alcove available. They have never said a sour word doing the toughest of jobs.

Speaking of jobs, I really love what I do. My Dad said he enjoyed 20% of what he did in dentistry, and that made up for the other 80%. I have always felt fortunate to enjoy 80% of what I do, more than making up for the other less enjoyable 20%. And come to think of it, at this moment, I don’t know what the 20% I thought I didn’t enjoy is anymore!

The volunteers here are just amazing. Not just the docs and nurses, but everyone. I just met Caleb Pal from Huntsville. Luke, he is the man (I swear he looks 13 and has never shaved) Troy Moore got to come down to hook up the satellite link. I decided his IQ is too high for me to count to. He put a blow up bubble on the roof with the dish inside and is working on a second. He brought a black box smaller than a carry on suitcase that will be a cell tower giving a mile radius for our phones to connect to it. We can then call US through any cell provider one would have just as if in US. He says we are a “cell service provider”. He’s working on how to call in to Jimani right now, next to me here in my dorm room. I am sure he hasn’t had any time to think about why he got into this. I think 99% of volunteers are here because they felt called by God. This is one of our usual discussion topics over power bars and bottled water. I met a young surgeon yesterday on his arrival. He was so arrogant the nurses told me they wouldn’t work with him. But today he was crying along with the rest of us, his eyes the “Jimani red”. And he started asking for advice in the OR, which I guarantee never happened before. And he does great work! He did a “free flap” of skin from the abdomen to a calf wound for one of my 11 year old patients to cover a huge, painful open wound in record time. And within minutes had figured out how to use orthopaedic hardware to fix a 7 year old’s jaw, that was broken in 2 places. So I guess he just didn’t know where the phone call that got him here originated from until today. We are all being changed by our time here, but it was incredible to see this man become so different so fast.

Several of us rode our bus into the town of Jimani tonight. The local hospital looks more like a bus depot to me. 40 people milling around outside, tiny windows, little light. Would not pass for anything medical in the US except a warehouse. We just gawked, speechless. I have truly led a sheltered and charmed life, and assure you all of my pals here feel exactly the same.

So we now have enough orthpaedic surgeons here that I feel comfortable leaving. I had always planned to return 1/23, but with the reservation that I couldn’t if I was needed. Mike Cobb came planning to stay for 2 weeks. We both feel comfortable about going since we have more than enough colleagues to hand off to. The humanitarian crisis may be more apparent on CNN, but so far we all agreed the many (over 100, 58 the last 2 days I think) patients we put external fixators on have to stay here. Where can we send them with pins and bars on their legs? They can’t walk on these and many have both legs injured and can’t even use crutches, which we actually do have. And some need further surgery.

So far we’ve had by one count 500 patients here at one time. We just have no next place to send them, so many will stay and limit the input of more. Clint won’t turn anyone away, he has faith that his pleadings will hit the right ears soon.

Everyone is heading back into the buildings now, but our bus driver, Francisco, is keeping me under protective custody on the bus for a while longer. I don’t think I can get off!

If you look at a map of Haiti and the Dominican Republic, Jimani can be found due east of PAP, just inside the DR. I am told evacuees can’t go south to Jacmel on the coast because the roads are impassable and the same to the west. Most will head east? We all wonder, another topic of usual discussion.

This is disjointed due to several interruptions to check patients in recovery, plan a last minute surgery for someone else to do in AM, try to convince Clint to go to bed (took 3 of us on that one), and calm a young journalist shaken by the jolt we got. Francisco finally allowed me off the bus and we’ll let her sleep there. I actually have a bed tonight for the first time! With a nurse anesthetist waiting to take over in the morning when I leave.

So tomorrow I get back on Chuck Strickland’s jet for our trip back to Knoxville. I have hugely mixed feelings about leaving but I know this was only Phase 1, I can’t imagine not coming back some day, especially since Clint has learned I know how to get here.

Again, thanks for your thoughts and prayers,

Love,
Dad/Ed

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Jimani Update: 1.21.10

2010-01-23T08:44:00.001-06:00

Dear all,
8:20 PM
Another day of highs and lows. We had multiple communication breaks today. The patients that need surgery are more stable and less emergent. We have identified quite a few still lying at the orphanage with fractures that need repair. Unfortunately the volunteers fed them breakfast and lunch, so we (OR teams) decided not to do surgery on these and delay until tomorrow. There is less risk of anesthesia complications if one hasn’t had food or drink for 8 hours pre-op. Less likely to vomit and choke when awakening. Given our limited safely equipment, and that the patients seem stable, we chose the lesser
risk of waiting for tomorrow. I had some lined up for surgery tonight but powers that be decided to close the OR’s at 9PM. A group from Boston came in today ready to go, don’t understand the decision process. Overall very frustrating combination of events. Harvard sent a 5 member disaster management team and they are coordinating the overall flow. We do hope to make contact with the Navy tonight and arrange to transfer the sickest to the USS Comfort in PAP. I will believe it when I see the helicopters.

So we did several surgeries today, but had a lot of down time in the OR. This allowed us (the ortho guys) to take stock of the post-op patients and we did find several that need surgery tomorrow. I found Dr. Tom Rivers from Sugarland, TX in his OR down time unloading an ultrasound machine at the orphanage so the OB guys can check out pregnancies. Just one example of so many. And we discovered several patients in need of surgery for lower leg fractures that we didn’t know about. We will have a lot more help tomorrow, but as of now we don’t have nurses to take care of 22 post-ops thru the night. I feel sure that will get covered soon, we expect the Puerto Rican group soon.

I operated on my first patient from 1/19 again today. One month old Amica. She has an aunt here caring for her. Father is definitely dead and Mother unknown. Her pediatrician, Kurt from Omaha, is threatening to take her home to Nebraska. I had to remove burned and dead skin from the top of her forearm. I have an orthopaedic hand surgeon from the Boston group lined up to take over her care for me when I leave (Saturday). I just don’t know if her hand will survive.

Now we have very many people on site, doctors, nurses, EMT’s,lots of people….which requires the bureaucracy to become involved. In the long run it will help. In the short run, we still have over 300 patients here that need a lot of care.

Several new states represented today. We had anesthiologists and OR nurses from New Hampshire and South Dakota arrive with a lot of equipment. Craig Greene from Baton Rouge got in a lot of orthopaedic fixation hardware we needed. We are still short of Xray in order to do more advanced procedures.

From what I hear talking to the folks in the administration end, we are the best functioning facility next to the Navy ships in the area. We had Dominican media in and out last 24 hrs and they agreed. I understand many small places are trying to treat patients inside the Haitian border without any resources. Our biggest problem is where to send the patients as they improve. 30 have been moved down the road to a Church.

We had a man come in today with 40% body burns. He is about 30 and was in his car when the quake hit, a building fell onto his car, and it exploded. I have no idea how he has survived until today, or how he got here. Mike Cobb and 3 general surgeons worked on him for 2 hours. He is our first priority to fly out if the Navy connection works.

Clint has been all over the place today. Trying to get help from the Dominican Republic. Trying to get us Xray stuff. Worrying about little kids here, there and everywhere. Kristine, he did sleep in a bed last night and I promise he will again tonight.
Troy Moore is doing a good job as Clint’s “handler” or as Kelley said, “wrangler”.

I am not much for commercial hype, but that TV ad for AT&T wireless internet is the honest truth, as I have found the internet in Jimani, DR. I enjoy the chance to send out this information and hear back. It is slow, so no pictures until I get home.

Computer battery is going out so guess that’s it for now.

Hey Luke!!! Tech guys with Troy Moore say WIFI will be up any minute. Thanks!!!!! Pictures at 10 o’clock if I can recharge the laptop.

Thanks EVERYONE for the love, prayers and support. I promise I can feel each of you out there,
Love
Dad/Ed

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Jimani Update: 1.20.10, Part 2

2010-01-23T08:43:00.002-06:00

Dear Family and Friends, Part 2

It is almost midnight here and seems much quieter. The volunteers here are from everywhere. California, Texas, Nebraska, NY, Louisiana, Tennessee, Brazil, huge group from Puerto Rico who come at night in starched white coats (haven’t asked yet how they manage that), and of course Missouri.

It is heart breaking to see the suffering of these Haitians. We feel about cried out, and then another situation comes up and one can find 4 gray haired orhtopaedic surgeons with tears we can’t control. The Haitians sing together in the night, unbelievable. They want to comfort their hurt. I operated on a 14 weeks pregnant, 20ish woman today and through the haze of medication she was trying to sing. Dr. Mike Cobb (Jackson, TN) and I both were red eyed with that. He believes she was singing a religious song of praise to God.

We usually never know how they come to be here at Jimani. We had a young man come to us at the pre-op area with an X-ray of his grandmother’s hip. She was in a van, if you can call it that. This is the only X-ray I have seen here, and was obtained in a nearby town where he told to bring her here. She has a partial pelvic dislocation. Craig Greene, a trauma specialist from Baton Rouge put our last external fixator on her 2 hours ago. We hope to get more from the Domican Republic tomorrow. The Puerto Rican in charge of their group, a pediatrician, promised to help us get more. Luke, thanks for all your efforts on the procurement and money raising side. I will send you a separate email with special requests.

Turns out the helicopter guys who are helping us try to get Xray equipment are Mormons from Utah. They are flying 6 orphans to Miami tomorrow and have the adopted parents waiting! I am very impressed by the energy of these young men and how fast they make things happen.

It is hot here, like August in Houma. No mosquitoes, thank God. The one real OR room is air conditioned and we’re letting the orthopaedic team from California use it. Don’t know how that happened! The other ortho teams are using dental and exam rooms for OR’s. These are not air conditioned, have screens over open windows and flies at times. Like I told Kit, we are doing battlefield aid station surgeries. At one point today, we had 3 teams putting on external fixators at the same time with doors open in between each room so we can consult with each other, share drills and 2 orthopaedic residents from NY and the one OR nurse. Can’t send the pix because internet connection won’t support that. Luke, that may change when your satellite tech shows up tomorrow and hooks up our dishes. We are all taking pictures, it is the only way folks will ever believe this.

Two babies have been born here in the last 24 hours, one by emergency C-section early today. I can’t imagine what their lives are going to be like.

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Jimani Update: 1.20.10

2010-01-23T08:43:00.001-06:00

Dear Family and Friends,

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

The wounded keep on coming. I was in the OR all day until 8PM when we ran out of recovery room space, RN’s, and external fixation devices. While operating this AM I heard about the 2nd earthquake from Caroline’s text just as our nurse anesthetist Bill Ragon (Jackson, TN) got a message from his son. Turns out Clint Doiron was in PAP at that time, on the ground, and told me there wasn’t much to feel. Have no idea what this means in terms of more injured.

We are in controlled chaos, but Clint describes PAP as the worst possible of everything. Wounded certainly can’t make it out on their own and roads in city other than the main road are mostly impassable.

Sisters of Mercy came in with a van of multiple injuries. Nuns are teachers and didn’t know what to do for medical services. Clint and I are off to check on their people in a few minutes.

Injuries are 90%+ lower extremities, most with open wounds. We have antibiotics and are giving them freely.

We have clean water, plenty of food and many people who want to help. We have docs doing nursing care, because we have more of us than nurses.

More later,

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Jimani Docs interviewed on PBS

2010-01-23T08:35:00.001-06:00

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/latin_america/jan-june10/haiti2_01-22.html

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IMPORTANT REQUEST - Drop Off and Current Needs Update

2010-01-20T18:03:00.002-06:00

To everyone helping support the Haiti Relief Efforts,

First, thank you for helping the people of Haiti. As you can imagine, North Alabama remains an incredibly generous community. With the outpouring of support, our ability to come by every drop off point that has been established by many volunteers is difficult. We are asking that each of the collection sites bring their donations to one of the primary collection points listed below. This will allow for volunteers to spend their time sorting and packing material for transportation to Haiti.

Our request is that all contributions be taken directly to one of the Primary Collection Points:

UMC Disaster Relief Warehouse
(Location: Decatur, AL - Must follow instructions to get there. Online maps take you to the wrong location.)
Directions:
Take I-565 to I-65 South
Exit 334 West (Priceville) off I-65
Go 3.2 Miles turn left on Highway 31 South
Go 1.0 mile turn left between the Ford dealerships two car lots (Joe Sartain Ford)
Behind Joe Sartain Ford, go past the first warehouse and turn right.
Go around the building and the UMC Disaster Relief Warehouse is in building R.
Phone: (256) 642-1759
Hours for drop off: 9am-4pm CT

Trinity United Methodist Church
607 Airport Road Southwest
Huntsville, AL 35802-1310
(256) 883-3200

Good Shepherd UMC
1418 Old Railroad Bed Rd.
Madison, AL 35757
(256) 232-3331‎

HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology
601 Genome Way
Huntsville, AL 35806-2908
(256) 327-0400

Medical supplies still remain the highest priority items and through donations and discounted purchasing agreements we are able to fulfill these requests, so your cash contributions help directly in purchasing the physicians’ and nurses’ requests. Trinity United Methodist Church has provided the management of these donations. Please make checks payable to Trinity UMC and mark these donations for Haiti Relief.

These challenging times that the Haitian people face, and the logistics of getting resources into the country are ever changing. Troy Moore and our first flight from Huntsville arrived in country today. The next flights are being lined up currently to get the highest priority items out in the coming days.

You thoughts, prayers and understanding as we get these flights arranged are appreciated. We will continue to update the http://haitifooddrive.blogspot.com website with our activities. If there is not a post for a few hours, please know that is because we are running as hard as we can to line up these shipments.

Finally, I wanted to specifically state what our current needs are:

Items currently needed:
Medical supplies that are being requested.
Dry food goods – beans, rice and anything that is light and can be reconstituted with water.
Items NOT needed at this time:
Bottled water – water needs are being met through water purification systems (First flight today carried ten of these units).
Canned goods
Clothing

All of the items that have been donated will be shipped, but our collective mission is to focus on what they relief workers need on the ground. These priorities will continue to change over time and we will do our best to keep these request updated. All food shipments are being coordinated through a group that we have had great success with, and enjoyed working with previously, called Food For The Poor, http://www.foodforthepoor.org.

Sincerely,
Brian and Luke

Questions: email us at haitifooddrive@gmail.com
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Update from Jimani - last night

2010-01-20T12:09:00.001-06:00

Dear Family and Friends,

Today found me traveling from Knoxville with friend and fellow grandfather (Kelley’s father-in-law) Clint Doiron to the Dominican Republic town of Jimani near the Haitian border. This is home to Clint’s hospital/medical clinic/orphanage, the Jimani Project. The Chadasha (ancient Hebrew for “new song”) Foundation from Knoxville is the umbrella group over this. We had the gift of a private jet ride in a Sabreliner 65 for those who know what that is. The plane owner from Atlanta, Chuck Strickland, has stayed with us to help. The pilots flew back to Ft. Lauderdale and will return Saturday PM or early Sunday AM. No gas for refueling here. We rode up from the airport in Barahona in a very nice bus, think airport mini-bus, through countryside reminiscent of the leeward side of Hawaiian islands. Kit, reminds me of Waimanalo on Oahu.

Then tough stuff. Arriving here with patients and their families all over the grounds of the clinic and the orphanage which is 200 yards away. The first patient I was asked to see was a 1 month old. The doc on duty was a nephrologist, Ross Isaacs. He carried her himself the 200 yds to the hospital and into the OR. She had a crushed/burned/fractured forearm with blackened finger tips and a hugely swollen hand. A wonderful nurse anesthetist, Tim from Omaha, put her to sleep and I basically opened up her wrist where burn tissue was a tourniquet. We’ll see her in the OR again Thursday. Her mother didn’t survive multiple injuries.

It was then one fractured leg after another. We have 3 other orthopaedic surgeons here. One is professor from hospital for special surgery in NY and brought 2 residents. I helped them thru several procedures and they helped me some more.

Luke, your Dad and I then talked a promise for $125,000 C-arm fluoroscopic x-ray from a young group of guys. They bought 2 helicopters here and are flying in and out of Port-Au-Prince (PAP) for supplies and the occasional wounded. We are still working on how to make that happen fully. We may have a portable X-ray tomorrow. So far, we are going by our judgement since we have no Xray.

A lot of amputations were done here in the last 3 days. The helicopter guys tell us there are wounded in small clinics that have only nurses. Dr. Dave Vanderpool from Nashville is going to PAP tomorrow to survey that more. He’s a vascular surgeon and has been here since Friday.

There are multiple family practice docs, internists, pediatricians, a OB-GYN, all doing pre-op and post-op care. Definitely need more nurses though. Can’t keep up with all the IV’s and med needs.

Kristine, Clint sends his love. We are off to do Midnight rounds.

Love,
Dad/Ed

Clyde, feel free to send this on to all at Twin Rivers..hey you guys thanks for your support!!!

Edmund C. Landry, M.D.
Kennett Orthopaedic Center
402 Recovery Road
Kennett, MO 63857
573-888-2831
573-888-5408 (fax)

Drop off your FOOD donation to HudsonAlpha
6900 Moquin Drive, Huntsville, AL, 35806
Make CHECKS PAYABLE TO TRINITY United Methodist Church
Times: 10am - 4pm Daily
Questions: email us at haitifooddrive@gmail.com
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Huntsville Compounding Pharmacy (HCP)

2010-01-20T11:26:00.001-06:00

A huge thank you to Huntsville Compounding Pharmacy (HCP)! Last night, HCP dropped off antibiotics, gloves, disposable lab coats and dressings, sterile water for irrigation, and other supplies needed for surgery and treatment of crush injuries.

Drop off your FOOD donation to HudsonAlpha
6900 Moquin Drive, Huntsville, AL, 35806
Make CHECKS PAYABLE TO TRINITY United Methodist Church
Times: 10am - 4pm Daily
Questions: email us at haitifooddrive@gmail.com
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Local businessman donates use of plane to take medical supplies, water treatment systems to Haiti

2010-01-20T11:12:00.001-06:00

Local businessman donates use of plane to take medical supplies, water treatment systems to Haiti
By Patricia C. McCarter
January 20, 2010, 8:38AM
Michael Mercier
Pilot John Besheres tells passenger Troy Moore where to find a seat in the plane. They are flying medical supplies to the Dominican Republic. The supplies will travel by truck from there to earthquake-ravaged Haiti.
HUNTSVILLE, AL -- A plane that flew out of the Madison County Executive Airport Tuesday morning and headed toward Haiti will deliver equipment to provide 100,000 gallons of clean water a day and a satellite imaging system that will allow local doctors to treat earthquake victims from afar.

And it's all being done by volunteers and benefactors who, quite simply, hurt at the thought of all the hurting going on in Haiti.

"I'm honored to help," said biotechnology entrepreneur Troy Moore shortly before he boarded the Pilatus PC12 Tuesday. "I just talked to guys on the other end, and we're good to go."

Fuel and use of the plane was donated by Huntsville businessman Alan Jenkins, who owns a third of the Pilatus. He got drawn into the relief effort by an e-mail plea sent out by the National Business Aviation Association.

"This is our maiden voyage in this capacity," Jenkins said. "Our hope is to do this again and again, as long as help is needed. Right now I was wishing the plane was 10 times bigger so that we could send 10 times as much stuff."

Initially, Jenkins believed he'd be loaning his plane to a crew from Doctors Without Borders or other nationally known relief groups. But because his plane was undergoing scheduled maintenance on Tuesday, those agencies traveled by other means.

Then CitiHope, a Haitian charity, contacted him and asked if he'd bring down some medical equipment and supplies collected in - of all places - Huntsville.

A collaboration of local professionals - many who own or run companies located in the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology - have worked for years to ease the plight of Haitians. Luke Doiron, along with Marshall Schreeder Jr., founded Conversant Healthcare Systems three years ago.

Dorion's father, a cardiologist in Knoxville, has performed countless hours of work with the Jimani Project, which is in the Dominican Republic about seven miles from the border with Haiti. He's brought his son with him there for numerous medical mission trips, as well as other troubled spots around the world.

"Our group supports 20 orphanages in Haiti, and at least half of them have collapsed," Doiron said.

Side by side, they've helped build the Bon Samaritan Hospital and orphanage in the Dominican village of Jimani. When they learned that the U.S. government had transported more than 100 doctors to the hospital to tend to Haitians injured in last week's devastating earthquake, they knew they had to go.

Dr. Clint Doiron is in Haiti now, performing operations on the victims.

Officials estimate 200,000 have been killed, and that number is sure to rise if medical help isn't delivered soon.

Some of the supplies on the plane include 10 water purifying systems, donated by Servants in Faith and Technology out of Lineville, and each of those systems can sanitize 10,000 gallons of water a day.

A Cisco TelePresence imaging system being sent over will allow doctors and radiologists in Huntsville to read X-rays and "visit" with Haitian patients and then recommend treatment.

Also, boxes of braces, scalpels, IV medications and splints were part of the cargo. Though plenty of volunteers would have been happy to go on the trip, only two pilots and Moore were on the plane. The rest of the space was used for equipment. Others hope to make the trip in coming weeks.

On future trips, the volunteers want to bring food - dried beans, rice, powdered milk - with them. Donations can be dropped off at HudsonAlpha at 6900 Moquin Drive in Cummings Research Park.

Donations made to Trinity United Methodist Church on Airport Drive, Good Shepherd United Methodist Church in Madison and Madison Academy will be passed along to the group.

The progress of the group can be tracked at haitifooddrive.blogspot.com

Drop off your FOOD donation to HudsonAlpha
6900 Moquin Drive, Huntsville, AL, 35806
Make CHECKS PAYABLE TO TRINITY United Methodist Church
Times: 10am - 4pm Daily
Questions: email us at haitifooddrive@gmail.com
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UPDATE: From our Jimani clinic

2010-01-19T13:31:00.000-06:00

The next team has arrived in Jimani!!!
Terry Douglass just let us know that he and Drs. Neal Barry, Clint Doiron, Mike Cobb, Bill Ragon, Ed Landry, and John Williamson landed in Barahona, DR and have made the trip to Jimani. Chuck Sutherland is also with the team and has provided the plane. They are about to jump in to the 150 surgeries that await them.

Troy Moore is in the air now on his way right with a plane full of supplies for both Jimani and Harvest Field Ministries.

stay tuned for more updates...

Drop off your FOOD donation to HudsonAlpha
6900 Moquin Drive, Huntsville, AL, 35806
Make CHECKS PAYABLE TO TRINITY United Methodist Church
Times: 10am - 4pm Daily
Questions: email us at haitifooddrive@gmail.com
---

Update from Harvest Field Ministries

2010-01-18T00:03:00.000-06:00

Just received this from Brian at midnight, January 18th. Again, please be aware that some of the content is graphic, but these are Brian's experiences.

Wow...Where to begin...last couple of days have been filled with heartache, death, and sadness but also scattered with pockets of joy and hope.

Yesterday (Saturday)...checked on a couple more places in pap and saw more horror. Had to drive through the political district where the White House, courts, and govt buildings are and much of this area is flattened. Filled with thousands of refugees living in tent cities (not real tents; just sheets and table cloths stretched over a couple sticks). Unbelievable how many bodies still on the street and sidewalk in this area. Piles of bodies stacked five feet high. Some of them naked where people had stolen the clothes off the corpses. Unimaginable horrors.

We were low on gas and all the stations are closed, destroyed, out of gas, or a 3-4 hr wait. We had to buy some from guys along the side of the road and it cost me almost $200 to fill up our forerunner.

Driving through Carrefour more of the same destruction. Many, many buildings collapsed. Corpses laying in the median of the road. A lot more tent cities and refugees no longer with homes.

Stopped at Merje to see our church and school there... a complete loss too. The pastor explained that they had a special service planned to start just before the quake hit, but at the last minute they had to cancel. Praise the Lord because if he had not canceled it there would have been over 125 people in the building when the quake hit.

Next stopped in downtown Leogande to check on an acquaintance working out of St Croix hospital. The hospital was still standing and appeared to have no damage. But downtown Leogande was completely leveled. The 2 or 3 blocks surrounding St Croix is rubble. Talked to some people there and they said they were expecting American medical teams soon but the entire place was empty when I was there. (Jonathan I checked on Kara with the nutritional program but they said she was in the states).

After Leogande, we began our climb up the mountain road. This is the only road to get to Belloc, Coq Chante, and Camatin where we have churches, schools, and an orphanage. We could only make it about 15 minutes before we encountered the first rock slide that covered the road, making it impossible to pass by car or truck. Me and Hippolite loaded as much bottled water as we could carry and climbed on a motorcycle taxi (yes all 3 of us on one motorcycle). The road was blocked in at least 5 places where rock slides or retaining wall collapses exist. I expect it will be months before cars can pass on this road again. Several places we had to get off and walk and let the moto driver go by himself because driving over the rock/dirt slides was so treacherous. Several of the rock slides had "Haitian toll booths" - where the path to pass was only a few feet wide, guys standing there with machetes and had a tree branch blocking the path and they don't remove it unless you pay their toll. As you can imagine the toll for the white guy is much more expensive.

We finally made it to Belloc. As we had been told, both the orphanage building (no kids were in there) and the church/school building are a complete loss. The small home between the buildings where one of the deacons of the church lives, was crushed and their 7 yr old daughter was killed. It took them 3 days with many men in the community digging through rubble to find her tiny body. They were digging the hole to bury her when I arrived. Pastor Beauillere and his family escaped unhurt.

Get ready for this...immediately after the quake Pastor Beaulliere went to the field across from the church and started preaching. People just started showing up to listen and 21 people accepted Christ!!! When I arrived yesterday he was carrying buckets of water to fill up a neighbor's cistern so they could baptize all 21 of them.

Next made our way to Coq Chante to the orphanage. What a horror to see the building in pieces. Basically the front part of the building was sheared off from the back part of the building which is still standing but major cracks everywhere and appears very unstable. You can see directly into 2 of the girls bedrooms...scattered baby dolls, school uniforms, and beds all strewn about and visible from the ground outside.

After several minutes of hugs and kisses and crying, they took me and showed me where our precious Atanie had been struck and killed. They wept as they explained to me that she had actually made it out of the building safely but in the confusion they think she went back towards the front door to look for someone or something, and that is when the entire front of the building sheared off and came down. She was immediately with Jesus.

The girls were totally out of water because the cisterns broke and all the water ran out. They'd been drinking shadack (like a grapefruit) juice for 3 days. They were sleeping on the back of our flatbed truck with the caretakers sleeping on the ground around the truck. We planned to do the same again but at about 6:00 as it was getting dark it started pouring the rain. There was an empty "house" near the orphanage (a 10' x 12' shack with wooden slats for walls and a rusty tin roof speckled with holes). I don't know whose house it is but I made an executive decision and moved the girls and one caretaker into this shack and they slept on the floor. Not great but somewhat dry. Their resiliency amazes me - they were still full of joy and sang songs and giggled and braided each others hair for several hours before they went to sleep. It's as if they thought it was just a fun slumber party. They find joy even in the most desperate situations - I have so much to learn from them.

This morning (Sunday) we got up and had church. Lots of singing hymns and praise songs, reading several psalms, and we talked about what scripture says the church is - people; not a building. This hits home when your building is in pieces 10' behind where you are standing.
After that we drove to Jacmel because we had received word a plane was coming in with some supplies for us. Driving through Jacmel is pretty bad, several big buildings down, most stores closed, some streets blocked, but in my opinion not as hard hit as pap (at least not the part of Jacmel we drove through). We were almost out of gas in the truck, but we couldn't get the truck anywhere near the station because of the approx 150 people already in line. We left Hippolite with a small gas can and a couple of 5 gallon buckets and he risked life and limb to battle the chaos of getting us enough gas for a couple days. Next we went to the airport (it's just a runway with a small building next to it). The UN had a few troops there but were not overseeing the coming and going of planes. There were a couple of guys there who have orphanages and feeding programs in Jacmel and the mayor of Jacmel had put them in charge. Was a little like herding cats, but ultimately we received our shipment marked for us which was 3 backpacks, 1 with rice and 2 filled with bottles of water.

We were ready to leave but a UN truck had us blocked so I started talking to some guy and it turned out to be Mark Stuart, the lead singer of the Christian band Audio Adrenaline. They have a orphanage in Jacmel called The Hands and Feet Project. Mark shared with me how the quake had not damaged their facility but people had still sent them several loads of supplies so he offered me some of their extra. We drove to their place a few minutes from the airport and loaded up 8 boxes of bottled water, a couple boxes of fortified rice, and several boxes of formula! God is so good and I'm so unbelievably appreciative of kingdom minded people like this.

After that we spent some more time driving through Jacmel looking for tarps so we could make tents if it rains again but no luck. Most stores are closed or sold out of everything. Bought a few vegetables at the public market and the prices were already triple the normal price. This will just get worse in coming days/weeks because everything in Jacmel has to come via trucks from pap and the (only) road in is covered by all the rock/dirt slides.

Next went to Camatin to assess damage. The building is all still standing except the back cisterns (3 stories high) have partially collapsed and are leaning against the building. The rest of the building has a few cracks in the walls but appears okay. I just don't know how to make the decision if it is safe to inhabit or not so for now we are keeping everyone out. If anyone knows a structural engineer that wants to come to Haiti and check it out for safety and give their opinion/recommendations then email swarwick@tds.net.

Spent some time talking, praying, and crying with Pastor Moises the pastor at Camatin. His brother died in the quake when his small concrete home collapsed on him. They buried him Thursday. It was about 6:00 pm when we went by so Pastor Moises was doing what he always does on Sunday evenings - he was having a church service. They were worshiping outside.

Returned back to Coq Chante and boy were the orphans happy to see the water. I think they were getting tired of only drinking grapefruit juice. I think we have enough water now to last us about about 4 days.

Sleeping arrangements are same as last night but no tarp is needed. Thank you Lord for no rain.

For tomorrow...praying phone/email signal works better so I can have good conversations with all the awesome people working so hard to get supplies and teams mobilized. Will probably go to the airport again and pray some blankets and tarps come in that no other ministries have claimed. Also want to talk with a guy who has an empty building (used to be a store to sell rice, beans, cooking oil, etc but it sits empty now) that is near the orphanage and appears to have no damage from the outside, but I haven't seen the inside.

Almost midnight and tomorrow looks to be another long day. I'll leave you with a psalm that a sweet lady in Indiana emailed me a couple days ago and I've reread it several times to get strength whenever I felt like just curling up in a fetal position and hiding.
Please keep praying,
Brian

Psalm 16

Preserve me, O God, for I take refuge in You. I said to the Lord, "You are my Lord; I have no good besides You." As for the saints who are in the earth, They are the majestic ones in whom is all my delight. The sorrows of those who have bartered for another god will be multiplied; I shall not pour out their drink offerings of blood, Nor will I take their names upon my lips. The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You support my lot. The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me. I will bless the Lord who has counseled me; Indeed, my mind instructs me in the night. I have set the Lord continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, and I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; my flesh also will dwell securely. For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay. You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.

Update from Harvest Field Ministries

2010-01-17T23:12:00.005-06:00

Some Good News from Brian in Coq Chante!

This shows how incredibly strong the Haitian people are!

I received this e-mail from Brian this morning before church. I cannot tell you how good it was to know that we were all worshiping such and great God together even if we're hundreds of miles away.

Although the girls are doing well and everyone seems to be okay, the situation is very dangerous. There is not much food and even less water. Supplies to the area are needed desperately. I would love to go and buy cases and cases of water to send, but getting it there is near impossible. Please pray that logistics are worked out to get some supplies in. Continue to pray for that hedge of protection around Brian and all that are with him. Pray that God shower them with an abundance of peace and even more hope.

Thank you all for all the messages of support. We are feeling the love! Keep it coming!

Anyone who would like to know more about Harvest Field Ministries visit www.harvestfieldhaiti.org.

Got here about 2 hrs ago. Digicell not working. And my iPhone was out of charge but...u ready fir this? The solar panels still work at Coq Chante. So I could charge my phone!
All girls are good. Odette and her parents actually walked the whole way from City of God (in Port au Prince) to Coq Chante. Left Tuesday night and got home Wednesday afternoon. She is staying with her parents. Jayla and Christianie and Madestine are staying with their parents too, but they came by to visit and looked well.

All the rest are being themselves acting silly and playing and giving each other a hard time. They are reading books and singing. Islande is sick with a headache and fever, but not too bad, she is still playing some.

I e-mailed the earlier photos Coq Chante because I just can't explain the damage. The majority of Coq Chante is still standing but it will have to come all the way down and start all over because not safe. The kitchen is okay but that's it. No one would go inside so they had nothing except what they were wearing. Me and Jean Luc went in and quickly got a few of the hospital mattresses a bunch of sheets and blankets and a couple armfuls of clothes. The store building next door seems okay and they'll go in it during day but won't sleep in it because they are scared. Even the people living in shacks are sleeping outside because they are afraid and there are STILL aftershocks, even just a few minutes ago. It feels like your on a cruise ship. I can't fathom what the real thing was like.

Agathe is holding up well. She is a strong woman. If she wasn't here I think we would have lost many more than Atanie. She said she got everyone out fast but Marie Michille, Saintemon (we know her as Ya-Ya), Merline, and Christianie were still in the kitchen standing at the doorway at the top of stairs screaming. Agathe said "the whole house was jumping up and down and knocking them down". She said she screamed "please God make it stop" and it immediatel

y did, she got them down the stairs, then it started again for about another 20 seconds. That is the time when the front of the building collapsed. Agathe was screaming for them all to get away and she started counting and couldn't find Atanie and all the others immediately started looking and they found her right where the front door would be. Agathe saw her come down so she says she must have gotten confused or thinks she went back for something maybe. They buried her the next day... and now she is with Jesus.

If we can't get the girls out somewhere else, then first order is to get a huge tent, like a revival tent. And we need more hospital mattresses. And lots of tarps. I'm still praying the building at Camatin isn't as bad as they say. We'll see.

Wousami is good but didn't see them. His grandmother was hit by a block so they took her to a Dr. somewhere but Beualljere said they were all fine and the house looked fime no damage except maybe some damage to the slab.

We brought enough water for a day or 2 when we walked into Coq Chante. They have been drinking lots of strait shaddock juice so they are all happy about that (kind of like when you are out of milk so you let the kids drink coke). The cisterns are all empty. Tomorrow after church well go to Camatin and Jacmel and survey things there.

The road from Leogande is a nightmare. Forget coming in that way by truck for at least 3 months. Major, major rock and dirt slides. It was bad. Lots of people buried in it. The only way in will probably be Jacmel. I'll let you know tomorrow afternoon what the road is like once I've traveled it and surveyed Jacmel.

.....Okay, sorry had to take an hour break as I was typing it started pouring rain. Original plan was for the kids to sleep in the back of the truck and adults around the outside of the truck. When it started raining I tried to get them all in the building next door and they ALL looked at me like I was crazy. With what they experienced, it's understandable they don't want to sleep in a building made of concrete. I asked if the lady next door was home and they said she Port au Prince so I said "good, we'll sleep there. They're not afraid of shacks; only scared of concrete buildings, walls, and mausoleums. So now all the girls and Gaspards are sleep in that shack. They are happy and laughing. They act like it's a slumber party. Me, Lozama, Hippolite, Jean Luc, and Alfred are in the back of the truck; it is cozy and we all stink and it is raining. Agathe is in front of the truck. Edwing is sleeping at at some old ladies house nearby.

I'm spent so I'm going to sleep now. It's only 7:30 but I feel like it's midnight. Not much sleep last few nights. Plus, I have to wake early to prepare to preach. I asked Pastor Gaspard what time church started and he looked at me like I was crazy and said "you want to have church?" And I told him "Heck, yeah, I want to have church."

Later
Brian

96 PR health workers to aid Haitian quake victims

2010-01-17T07:38:00.001-06:00

http://www.prdailysun.com/index.php?page=news.article&id=1263614304

Some 96 doctors, nurses and University of Puerto Rico medical students left for the Dominican Republic Friday to set up a camp next to a hospital in Jimani, a town on the border with Haiti, to provide medical care to thousands of Haitians injured in the earthquake that devastated the country earlier this week, Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz said Friday.
The effort was coordinated by Rivera Schatz and Dominican Republic authorities and the site was chosen because of the difficulties entering chaotic Port-au-Prince. Rivera Schatz said the hospital in Jimaní is a 45-minute drive from the Haitian capital and that the facility has been swamped by injured victims since the earthquake. The doctors brought medical supplies and medications donated by local companies.
The health professionals, including three native Haitians, will be in the Dominican Republic until Tuesday, when they will be replaced by a contingent of 30 doctors who have volunteered to support the Senate’s aid efforts. This second group will include three island mayors who are doctors. They are Ponce Mayor María “Mayita” Melèndez, who is a dentist and will work trying to identify bodies, Salinas Mayor Carlos Rodríguez Mateo and Aguada Mayor Luis Alberto Echevarría.
Rivera Schatz said he and a group of senators will also be visiting Haiti next week to deliver supplies. The Senate has set up a collection center in front of the Capitol to deliver food, clothing and medicine to Haitians and the House has set up collection centers in all district offices. The goods will be delivered in coordination with the U.S. Southern Command since the government in Haiti has effectively broken down.
“The [Haitian] president [Rene Preval] does not have a home, and he is working from the Dominican Republic,” Rivera Schatz said at a news conference in the Capitol.
Rivera Schatz said the doctors will have translators to help them out. He said Max Antoine, the executive director of the Border Development Authority in Haiti, will serve as liaison with the Haitian government. Ricardo Jacobo, executive director of the Dominican Government Institute, will be helping doctors and the Dominican Senate president.
The Dominican airline PAWA agreed to transport the doctors free of charge. Fred Sosa, PAWA manager, said the Haitians desperately need humanitarian aid, especially doctors.
“Besides their services, the health experts will take with them all of the surgical materials and instruments donated by Johnson and Johnson, UMECO, Glaxo, the Health Department and the Dr. Center Hospital,” said Rivera Schatz, who was accompanied by first lady Lucé Vela.
“This is a time when we have grown as a people,” Vela said.
Rivera Schatz said that Transporte Sonnell, Reliable, Agua de la Montana, Campo Fresco, Copa Airlines, Margaritas Restaurant, the Ports Authority and Ferries del Caribe also contributed to the effort. Ferries del Caribe will transport two ambulances donated to the Haitian government and Copa Airlines has agreed to provide transportation.
The Senate leader said his counterpart in Haiti, Kelly Bastien, is very ill and is undergoing medical care in the Dominican Republic. “The Haitian government has collapsed. This could happen here. We live in a seismic area,” he said.
Although Rivera Schatz called for unity, he did not invite the Popular Democratic Party minority delegation to the activity. PDP Sen. Alejandro García Padilla said the Senate leader did ask for their help in the effort “but we really do not mind if we were not there. The important thing is to help out.”

Drop off your FOOD donation to HudsonAlpha
6900 Moquin Drive, Huntsville, AL, 35806
Make CHECKS PAYABLE TO TRINITY United Methodist Church
Times: 10am - 4pm Daily
Questions: email us at haitifooddrive@gmail.com
---

Update from Harvest Field Ministries

2010-01-16T22:24:00.006-06:00

Hello everyone. I haven't been able to speak to Brian myself today, but I am still hopeful that he will be able to make contact soon. We have had some spotty contact and this is what we do know about the things he was able to accomplish today:

Brian, Hippolite, and Lozama were able to make it in to the community of Belloc and confirm that the church, school, and orphanage facility are all completely destroyed. Pastor Buellier and his family did survive. Wousami Bates, adoptive son of our friends, and his family are also okay. Most of the homes in the Belloc Community were lost.

Brian and the guys then made the long trek(usually a 20 or more minute drive on a good day) to the Village of Coq Chante. They were able see the surviving 17 girls who resided in the orphanage and make sure they are okay. And, yes, they are okay, as well as, our friends, their caretakers. Confirmed was the significant damage to the church, school, and orphanage. There are before earthquake pictures and after earthquake pictures attached.

We also know that Brian, Jean-Luc, Lozama, and Alfred (some of our friends that help us out in Haiti) were able to use the "big truck" we use for transporting food and for mission teams. The road to Jacmel was passable which is a major blessing. This will make it easier to get supplies to these communities that are closed off from any possible aide coming into Port au Prince.

This is all I know for now, but hopefully I will have new information soon and I will pass it along. Please continue to pray for the people of Haiti and also for the protection and hearts of all those trying to provide relief.

Anyone who like to know more about Harvest Field Ministries and the work we do in Haiti can go to www.harvestfieldhaiti.org.

Blessings,

Rachel Lloyd, Brian's wife

MIRACLE! READ THIS! Puerto Rico to the rescue!

2010-01-16T20:44:00.002-06:00

Everyone:

This is amazing. Here is what Schoonover and I just heard from Dr. Vanderpool and Chris Keylon.

The U.S. government has been looking for good, close, safe sites to setup large scale medical treatment efforts for Haiti. Long story short, they chose our facility in Jimani... in large part due to the tireless work of Dr. Victor Atallah and his connections within the Dominican and U.S. government.

So, here is what just happened over the past 2 hours:

- The U.S. just deployed a team of 100 puerto rican MDs plus their staff to Jimani
- They arrived in 3 buses + a tractor trailer
- They have taken over the 10 acre field and setup a tent hospital with 7 operating rooms
- They cleared out and reconfigured the entire Jimani medical clinic for high-thruput surgeries
- They reconfigured the entire orphanage for high-thruput surgeries
- At this point, helicopters are now bringing in large numbers of wounded and surgeries are already taking place

This has been broadcast on CNBC and other media outlets, but I haven't seen it yet.

More soon...

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---

URGENT MEDS: FOUND! Update from Jimani

2010-01-16T19:36:00.001-06:00

From Paul of CitiHope International: http://www.citihope.org/

Luke...CHI is targeting Jimani. It's our primary focus. We'll use your
feedback to choose what we prioritize. Today we'll have the first 8
pallets/64 CHI boxes ready. We do have a large amount of casting
supplies and will try to include them w/plaster. If not now, then on
next shipment. We have a significant shipment of antibiotics coming
from Teva but not until next Wed. So for sure we'll need to stage
another shipment following the first. If you can help us firm up
coordinates at the Barahona airport, 50-60 miles east of Jimani it'd
be a big help. We can have a truck from POP DR come down with our team
to meet the plane, and bring things on to Jimani. We'll shoot to have
a manifest of the 1st. shipment ready by Monday for you to forward to
Jimani so they know what's coming. We've asked our docs here to
prioritize what they think would meet the needs best, but the more
specific intel we get from the field the better we'll be able to
serve. Thanks. God's best, Paul

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---

URGENT MEDS NEEDED: Update from Jimani

2010-01-16T12:39:00.002-06:00

Dr. Vanderpool just got finished with a leg amputation and has 12 additional cases lined up in Jimani. His report as of this moment is as that meds are running very low. He needs the following ASAP in order of urgency:

1) First Generation Cephalosporins
2) Any Antibiotics
3) Morphine, Demerol, and Propofol
4) Plaster of Paris casting materials

Troy - can you try Propst again? Rod - can you try your network?
Emily, can you get? Adam, can you get?

Thanks, please advise asap.

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---

Update from Port au Prince

2010-01-16T09:01:00.000-06:00

Hey Guys, it was a really long night last night, in Haiti and here. Please keep praying for that hedge of protection around my sweet husband and all of out family in Haiti. I am confident that Brian is exactly where he is supposed to be and, therefore, God will lead him and shelter him on his way. Thank you all. ~Rachel

Long night - lots of gunfire and yelling all around us where we slept in Delmas 75. Things settled down about 4 AM.

Late last night we learned that merje church and school are destroyed too. Pastor villas and his family are okay.

Petit Harpon (pronunced ti-apo) church and school are destroyed. Pastor Avandre and his family are okay.

So out of our 22 locations we work in we have visited or confirmed 7 of the 9 we've seen are destroyed. Trying to stay positive but it's obviously discouraging. I'm glad my God is a God of miracles

We learned that pastor serge, the head pastor at city of god, his home was destroyed. He is living in a makeshift refugee camp downtown at the Champ de Mars Park.

Now for some good news...we just heard a report that the road from Coq Chante to Jacmel has been repaired. IF this is true we can take our big flatbed (which was stranded at Coq Chante) to Jacmel and get supplies. Me, Hippolite, and Lozama are about to leave to make our way up. My plan is once we get there, well check on immediate condition of orphans, then take the truck to Jacmel and pray we can find someplace to purchase some water and blankets. IF we confirm this road is passable by truck and IF we confirm Jacmel airstrip is open and usable then that will be a huge blessing because we can let the relief supplies and people start rolling into Jacmel asap. I'll update as soon as we know.

Keep praying,
Brian
---

Update from Port au Prince #2

2010-01-16T00:34:00.000-06:00

Brian sent some new information from the girl's orphanage at Coq Chante...

A couple of items to update:

I just got off the phone with Agathe, the head caretaker for the Coq Chante girls orphanage. I told her that me and Ricot and Hippolite would be hiking in to them tomorrow (unless god gives us a helicopter) and asked what she needs and she said blankets and pants because they are all cold at night. And water because the cisterns are totally destroyed so they don't have anything to drink.
She said there is still part of the building standing but it is "only hanging in the air so we can't go in to get our clothes or blankets".
I asked Agathe if she needed anything for herself and she just said "please come and help these little girls".
Please pray for god to keep these girls warm and to quench their thirst til we can get to them.

Also Bebe, one of our workers (and Ricot's cousin) was in the same school collapse that killed Beremy Valme. Bebe survived but had serious injuries to both her legs. Ricot can't find her; he is praying someone took her to a hospital.

Keep praying,
Brian
www.harvestfieldhaiti.org

PS while I was talking to Agathe I could hear the orphans singing in the background...

Update from Port au Prince #1

2010-01-16T00:29:00.001-06:00

*Please be aware that some of the information in this update is graphic*

OK here is update. Gotta type quick bc low battery and signal may leave again

This morning helped for a while with Jimani clinic. Then crossed border with Chris, Greg, Jemps, and Grant. They took me to Ricots house. House has some pretty severe damage. I experienced my first aftershock today. Can't believe small ones are still happening.

Struck out on choppers to Camatin/Jacmel.

Me and Ricot visited many places in city:
Nicoles store - rubble.
Church and school and elderly housing at Savane Pistache - rubble. At least 2 children were in bldg and dead but can't get to bodies yet.
Church and school and clinic and elderly housing at City of God - rubble. We think only one girl dead there but again, impossible to get to body.

Visited Pastor Ronnigues house got there as they were removing body. Dear God help me. I can't explain the horror. Me and his sons could only stand and weep together as they took the horrible corpses of Ronnigue and his wife out from the rubble. Can't explain in words how horrible it was. Trying to find solace for now in God sparing my friend from having to see his people suffer like they are.

Visited Menes. He needs his insulin. Whitestone team needs to bring all his meds next week. Rachel has the list.

Throughout City of God, Savane Pistache, Petionville, downtown airport road, everywhere decaying bodies along the road. Some have sheets over them others a piece of cardboard. Thousands more still trapped in the rubble. A Haitian looking for his dad today in a heap of rubble and I asked how he knew to dig and he answered because this is where all the flies are going. The stench in the city is unexplainable. Everyone wearing bandanas or rubbing mentholyptus under nose because of stench of death.

Good news is that the school and church at Ti Marche are okay. It has been reported, but not confirmed that school and church at Fonde Parisian are okay.

Pastor Beaullire at Belloc we THINK is ok through 4th hand info.

David our translator is okay.

Pastor Evans (Mary Flos husband) is missing and presuming the worst.

Pastor Ernst and his mom and dad are okay.

Ricot trying to get Mona and his kids out through Dom Rep tomorrow or Saturday so he can focus on relief.

Ricot and I will travel as close as we can to Coq Chante/Belloc tomorrow then walk or ride motorcycles from there so we can get to orphans at Coq Chante.

More reports are Camatin is not safe and damage worse than initially thought. Not sure where we'll take orphans when we get to them.

As relief people coming in it's just getting crazier and busier and tensions getting high. People getting hungrier and more frustrated. I just can't explain what PaP is like. Will try to send some photos and video later if I can find a functioning computer.

Keep praying,
Brian

Partners Blog Is Live

2010-01-15T23:23:00.002-06:00

Our Huntsville team is closely partnered with teams in the Knoxville, TN area. They now have their blog up and running! Check it out now & often:

http://haitireliefblog.blogspot.com/

Jimani Project To Be Networked

2010-01-15T23:22:00.000-06:00

GATR Technologies, a local manufacturer of inflatable satellite communications terminals, has donated communications gear to our efforts in Haiti. They are sending down a technician with our team next week to set up a wireless network capable of allowing phone, email, and internet communications in Jimani!

Look for us to have real-time updates on the efforts in Haiti & Jimani next week.

Merrimack Hall Performing Arts Center

2010-01-15T11:03:00.002-06:00

The wonderful folks at Merrimack Hall are asking all of their patrons to assist with our efforts. Thanks for the support!

Are you a member of a local organization that can help? Challenge the membership to meet (or beat!) your contributions!

Kimberly Clarke Donates Gloves

2010-01-15T11:00:00.002-06:00

Employees at Kimberly Clarke, Inc. (Atlanta, GA) heard about our relief efforts and are donating a truckload of surgical gloves! These are used in high volumes at the clinic and are in short supply. The donation from Kimberly Clarke is most appreciated!

Clearview Cancer Institute Donates Medical Supplies

2010-01-15T10:55:00.002-06:00

We just received a donation of much needed medical supplies from Clearview Cancer Institute! Items included gauze, bandages, antiseptics and gloves. With teams of physicians at the Jimani Project now they are in critical need of supplies. Thank You Clearview!

UPDATE: Jovina, alive in Jimani thanks to our medical teams

2010-01-15T08:17:00.002-06:00

FROM BRIAN LLOYD
---
Luke, I haven't been able to cross border yet so still at jimani just helping translate or help change dressings or whatever the med team needs. here is a photo you requested. This little girls name is jovina. Her tiny home collapsed with her, her father & mother in it. Her father is at a different hospital but they said his injuries were so severe doubtful he made it. They don't know where her mom is. She has crushed fingers, abdomen lacerations, broken leg, and dislocated shoulder. Fairly typical injuries of the hundreds of people they are treating here at jimani.
Keep praying,
Brian

www.harvestfieldhaiti.org

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---

BIG UPDATE: from Chris Keylon in Jimani

2010-01-15T07:15:00.003-06:00

Chadasha Foundation – Haiti Relief Efforts

Jimani, DR Hospital and Orphanage

Updates for Thursday, January 14:

Chris and Greg arrived in the Dominican Republic; I’ve gotten to talk to Chris three or four times since he got there. Helicopters were landing people with medical needs from Port-Au-Prince. Over thirty-seven doctors were operating in shifts.
Clint arranged for two important pieces of medical equipment to go on the RAM airplane to the clinic tommorrow
Luke Doiron and Troy Moore have organized a huge campaign in Huntsville, AL for the Haiti relief effort with the support of HudsonAlpha Institute and Trinity United Methodist Church.
Numerous individuals have said they are sending monies to us and to the foundation.
Aaron should have the website up and operating tomorrow, and we should be linked to paypal for donations at that time.
Mallory Ellis has volunteered to do accounting for the ministry in regards to all this relief work.
Several members of the Twenty-somethings Sunday School class at Calvary Baptist Church have volunteered to act as runners, letter writers, general gophers, etc.
A Knoxville radio station has run announcements soliciting funds for our relief effort.
RAM has made its DC-3 airplane to take hospital supplies and doctors to the Dominican Republic. The plane will make its trip tomorrow.
Victor Atallah, a Dominican Republic heart surgeon and big supporter of our work, is getting us one hundred hospital beds, a generator, and other supplies to convert the orphanage into a hospital. Victor will be at the site tomorrow, and many of the supplies began arriving already.
We were contacted today by Project HOPE. See them at www.projecthope.org. The text of their email is as follows.

Project HOPE is responding to the earthquake in Haiti and is interested in working with your facility during this effort. We have a network of medical volunteers ready to serve in areas of need and we also are able to provide humanitarian assistance (medical supplies and equipment) to facilities. Are you currently at the facility in Jimani? When do you anticipate arriving? We are sending several of our staff down to DR/Haiti in the coming days to assess how Project HOPE can best respond to the emergency. We would like to know if your facility and orphanage have a need for medical supplies and/or equipment in anticipation for those you will serve in the coming months. We would appreciate a obtaining a list from you as soon as possible. Also, please let us know the condition of the road from Sto Dgo to Jimani. You’ve indicated that the facility can hold 30 staff/volunteers easily. Is there lodging nearby for volunteers?
Vision Trust International is partnering with us to raise money for the relief effort. Visit www.visiontrust.org for more details. Text concerning us follows and can be found front and center on their website.

All of us here at VisionTrust are praying for the people of Haiti affected by the earthquake. We have a partner that works with orphans in Haiti and is operating one of the few functioning hospitals at this time. We have been told that several of the orphan homes have been severely damaged (no report yet on casualties). We also estimate that by the end of today [Jan 14], nearly 5,000 people may be waiting for medical assistance at this facility located on the border of the Dominican Republic. Unfortunately, we believe that hundreds of children in this group of 5,000 will be either newly orphaned or displaced.

We have two critical needs now: 1) Funding for the high demand of hospital services; and 2) Funding to care for the hundreds of newly orphaned or displaced children.

To help now, please click DONATE. VisionTrust will make sure that the money donated will be used effectively.

Please remember to pray for the Haitian leadership, the international relief agencies and the people of Haiti. THANK YOU

GATR Technologies, a local manufacturer of inflatable satellite communications terminals, has donated communications gear to our efforts in Haiti. They are sending down a technician with our team next week to set up a wireless network capable of allowing phone, email, and internet communications in Jimani and Port-Au-Prince. This is a HUGE blessing. Many, many thanks to GATR.
We contacted Compassion Coalition, an organization linking Knoxville’s churches and ministries together, which made a plea for medical supplies to go with RAM to Haiti. The response was very positive and they received numerous supplies. Compassion sent out the following email: “Compassion Coalition tries to limit the number of emails we send out, but there is an immediate opportunity for the body of Christ to respond to the desperate situation in Haiti through a reputable and trustworthy local organization. We want you to know that you can help TODAY. RAM (Remote Area Medical) is using their transport plane to send much-needed medical supplies to Haiti. The plane is leaving TOMORROW, Friday, January 15th. If you would like to help make sure the plane is full of medical supplies, please purchase some things from the list at the end of this email and deliver them to RAM at 1834 Beech St Knoxville, TN 37920-2602 in south Knoxville.
Radiance Technologies has come through with satellite phones that will enable our team going to Haiti next week to have two phones with us. This will be critical as the team will be larger and more communication to manage the supply movement and treatment centers will be critical.

Churches taking offerings:
New Vision Baptist Church, Murfreesboro, TN

Ashland Grace Brethren Church, Ashland, OH

Cedar Springs Presbyterian Church, Knoxville, TN

United Methodist Church, Alcoa, TN

Calvary Baptist Church, Knoxville, TN

Manly Baptist Church, Morristown, TN

Sunday School at First Baptist Church, Morristown, TN

Sunday School at McGregor Baptist Church, Ft. Myers, FL

Many people have requested contact information.

My contact information is Brant Enderle, cell phone: 865-919-4019, email bajmenderle@mac.com
The official 501 C 3 is as follows:

Chadasha Foundation

2095 Lakeside Centre Way

Suite 101

Knoxville, TN 37922

Please make checks out to Chadasha Foundation.

Bobbie Corden is the office manager and is located at Provision Foundation.

telephone: 865-244-3201 fax: 865-691-6758

Aaron Mathews is doing the website and updates. Pictures can be sent to him at amatthewsutk@gmail.com
Please email me all updates so that I can include them in a daily correspondance for everyone.
We have raised about $200,000 in the last 48-72 hours and have received $40-50,000 worth of equipment and supplies, etc., not counting the heroic efforts going on in Huntsville.
You can remind people that 100% our our donations go to Haiti for the efforts of the ministry

Drop off your FOOD donation to HudsonAlpha
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---

UPDATE: From our Jimani clinic

2010-01-15T07:01:00.001-06:00

From Brian Lloyd of Harvest Field Ministries

Paul
I just arrived shortly ago at the jimani hospiltal Luke is talking about. I won't make it a long story but simply stated, if you can get them supplies soon to jimani, then do it! They have about 30 docs and rn's here are doing a great job. The recently comPleted orphanage next door to the hospital (kids not living there yet) is currently being turned into a hospital that can take at least 100-200 people. They have more beds comIng and more drs coming. DR govt choppers are landing in their courtyard and continue bringing a steady flow of badly injured people in to be treated. I can vouch for luke and the rest of the jimani project ministry (the guys who built and run this hospital and orphanage). They do great work and they are already set up, functioning, and doing a quality job to treat men, women, and children with horrific injuries. I'm not a military guy but it looks likewhat I'd guess a battlefield hospital looks like around here.

Maybe we can still look at working together for camatin/jacmel area but that is days awAy at best and this hospital is treating and needs supplies NOW. Chris Keylon I'm copying on this contact him for coordination. He is here with me and is director of jimani group and oversaw all construction of the facilities. He may put you in touch with someone else who is running the medical show here but chris is the ace to start.
I haven't made it into Haiti yet but I think it's fairly safe to say this facility and docs are providing the best level of care possible under the circumstances. Let's help them serve more of these suffering people.

I'll still stay in touch as I learn more about camatin/jacmel.

Keep praying,
Brian

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---

Jimani Project To Be Networked

2010-01-15T00:00:00.004-06:00

Look for us to have real-time updates on the efforts in Haiti & Jimani next week.

FAQ: Where Is My Donation Going?

2010-01-14T22:38:00.004-06:00

We've been receiving a lot of questions from you about the flow of our aid into Haiti. We'll be posting a series of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) that will answer these questions.

The first questions is: Where are our donations going?

We are working with the Chandasha Foundation that has built a 10 acre compound that houses

an orphanage, school, mission house and two operating rooms. We refer to this as the 'Jimani Project' due to it's location in Jimani, Dominican Republic. This is our teams base camp. The image here is the operating room that was taken last year. It serves as a staging area for U.S. and also as a constant service site for the local Haitian & Dominican communities.

The compound has been opened up to the Dominican and Haitian governments and over 1,800 people with traumatic injuries are now living here.

All of the monetary and medical donations received will be going to supporting the work based out of this facility. This includes those housed in the compound and importantly our team will be reaching into the surrounding Haitian communities to provide aid. With most of the aid agencies

A map that will show you where the Jimani Project is located: Jimani Project Location

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---

Boots on the Ground

2010-01-14T22:26:00.002-06:00

Three of our friends flew into Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic today and made it out to the clinic in Jimani! The Jimani clinic & orphanage is currently providing refuge for over 1,800 people. We'll be getting reports from these guys giving us clear information on what is needed there and the surrounding areas.

100% of your donations are going to assist those at the clinic and surrounding areas!

Chris, Brian & Rob - Our hearts and thoughts are with you!

Satellite Phones

2010-01-13T22:53:00.003-06:00

Radiance Technologies has come through with satellite phones that will enable our team going to Haiti next week to have two phones with us! This will be critical as the team will be larger and more communication to manage the supply movement and treatment centers will be critical!

Thanks Radiance!

Satellite Phones

2010-01-13T22:51:00.003-06:00

Many thanks to Quantum Technologies for supplying us with a satellite phone on extremely short notice! These guys got us a phone so that our team going to Haiti tomorrow will have a way to communicate while in country.

WHNT 19: Haiti Earth Quake Coverage

2010-01-13T20:25:00.000-06:00

http://www.whnt.com/news/whnt-haiti-food-drive-011310,0,747190.story

Locals Collect Canned Food For Haitians
Rikki KlausVideojournalist January 13, 2010

HUNTSVILLE, AL - Huntsville-based organizations are doing what they can to help Haitians now in dire need. Local philanthropic groups and churches, as well as individuals, are joining forces to do whatever they can to help the relief effort. Some are collecting canned food. Others are sending locals to provide medical needs and fresh water.

"It hasn't sunk in yet ... ooh .. you know, the loss of life, it's beyond words, to tell you the truth," Simeon Nerelus reflected.

He's a native Haitian, with friends and colleagues he hasn't heard from since the earthquake devastated the small country that now has some pretty big problems. He's also in charge of HERO, or Haiti Emergency Relief Organization. Since the quake, he's gotten calls from the United Kingdom, Canada, and all over the United States. People want to know what they can do to help.

"We are a very philanthropic community, and I know that we're going to come through to help them in Haiti, the whole country, the United States. God bless us, and God bless them in Haiti who need it so much," Nerelus said.

Nerelus has teamed up with a couple Huntsvillians who are collecting food at HudsonAlpha Institute. Last time they collected canned food for Haiti was when a hurricane struck there more than a year ago. They filled two 18 wheelers with the donations.

One of the organizers, Troy Moore, is going next Thursday to help out in Haiti.

"When you go to Haiti, it's universally bad there," he said. "There's very poor infrastructure. People are struggling to eat. You have something like this, where it destroys what little infrastructure is there, I expect it to be just chaotic and people fearing for their very lives."

With a small local group, Moore will visit orphanages and schools, delivering fresh water and food. He says his team will also visit the small communities that are sometimes neglected in times like this. The men are accepting canned food donations like beans and rice at the HudsonAlpha Institute. They say all the food will go directly to the hungry in Haiti who desperately need it. To learn more about how to help, visit their website here.

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---

WAAY 31: Haiti Earth Quake Coverage

2010-01-13T20:04:00.001-06:00

http://www.waaytv.com/Global/story.asp?S=11817040

Haiti Relief Efforts - Local Outreach
Posted: Jan 13, 2010 03:02 PM
There are several ways you can help support relief efforts in Haiti.

Trinity United Methodist Church and Hudson Alpha Institute in Huntsville are launching a first responder drive. They are asking for both food and money that will all be donated to relief efforts. All non-perishable food items and medical supplies will be accepted.

To donate, stop by either Trinity United Methodist Church on Airport Road, or Hudson Alpha Institute on Moquin Drive.

Drop off your monetary donations at Trinity. A first responder team is leaving for Haiti Thursday morning at 6AM.

www.haitifooddrive.blogspot.com

Also, an Oakwood Alum and Haitian native is organizing efforts to help his home country.

Huntsville resident Simeon Nerelus is the founder of HERO - Haitian Emergency Relief Organization and www.haiti411.org. The organization is setting up drop-off sites all across the city, for people to donate food and supplies.

He and his team will be flying to Haiti next week. We'll have much more on his reaction, and the HERO organization, tonight on WAAY 31 News at 10.

Drop off your FOOD donation to HudsonAlpha
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Make CHECKS PAYABLE TO TRINITY United Methodist Church
Times: 10am - 4pm Daily
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---

NEWS FLASH: Jimani Update: Haiti Earthquake: HudsonAlpha & Trinity Methodist

2010-01-13T19:43:00.000-06:00

Dr Marc Pinard just called and he says that over 1800 traumatized patients have arrived in Jimani....he is trying the best that he can
to treat and house them in the hospital and orphanage. Chris is going to purchase beds,stoves,and furnishings to help feed and house them. Victor is also going to ship supplies to the site. Warmest, Clint

Drop off your FOOD donation to HudsonAlpha
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Make CHECKS PAYABLE TO TRINITY United Methodist Church
Times: 10am - 4pm Daily
Questions: email us at haitifooddrive@gmail.com
---

Satellite Communications: Donated by local GATR

2010-01-13T17:39:00.002-06:00

GATR Technologies, a local manufacturer of inflatable satellite communications terminals, has donated communications gear to our efforts in Haiti. They are sending down a technician with our team next week to setup a wireless network capable of allowing phone, email, and internet communications in Jimani and Port-Au-Prince.

This is a HUGE blessing. Many, many thanks to GATR.

More about GATR:
Enabling Communications Around the World

Incorporated in 2004, GATR Technologies manufactures the inflatable satellite communications terminals. GATR’s patented, unique design enables deployment of large aperture satellite terminals in two airline checkable cases, making it ideal for first-in deployments, remote applications and contingency scenarios where transportation and space are limited (includes Military, Broadcast, and Public Safety markets). GATR also provides custom engineering services in these markets.

Our team specializes in the design, integration, and implementation of large-scale, high-performance, portable telecommunications systems in support of end-to-end multimedia applications. GATR Technologies has also been awarded a Research contract in Advanced Optics for Sensor and Scene Generation.

If you are interested in partnering with GATR, please contact us at info@GATR.com.

Drop off your FOOD donation to HudsonAlpha
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Make CHECKS PAYABLE TO TRINITY United Methodist Church
Times: 10am - 4pm Daily
Questions: email us at haitifooddrive@gmail.com
---

WAFF 48: Haiti Earth Quake Coverage

2010-01-13T17:25:00.001-06:00

FULL ARTICLE HERE: http://www.waff.com/Global/story.asp?S=11815740

Local organization rallies to bring relief efforts to Haiti
Posted: Jan 13, 2010 12:02 PM
By Monica Rix

HUNTSVILLE, AL (WAFF) - Relief efforts have begun in Haiti, after the island was leveled by a massive earthquake on January 12th.

Even here in Northern Alabama, folks are rallying to find a way to help, and plan on bringing as much aid to the island as possible.

"It is not over. But even in the midst of it all, I thank God because it could have been worse," said Simeon Nerelus, who was shocked when he heard about the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that rocked his home island of Haiti.

"It's very scary and I can't imagine the hopelessness of the people. The victims, they must be frightened right now," he added.

Nerelus is taking action.

He founded the Haiti Emergency Relief Organization, or HERO, that helps underprivileged people, mostly children, with medical care on the island.

The group was just in Haiti last December and were supposed to go back next week.

"The main purpose of this organization is to run these orphanages and take care of dozens of kids. We got word early this morning that two of the orphanages had completely collapsed. Most of them got out, but there are a few that remain missing and did not get out," said Troy Moore, who works with HERO.

And the danger on the island isn't over.

"I think the aftershocks are probably the biggest threat. The way things are built there, there's no building codes, the buildings are stacked on top of each other, so when one falls it's like a domino effect," said Moore.

The group will still make the trip, but Moore says they're now shifting their focus.

"Part of their effort next week is to see how we can get in there and what kind of supplies we can get in over there," he said.

"It's time to come together as one to help our brothers, our neighbors, in Haiti right now because we can not even start to imagine the horror that people are going through," said Nerelus.

HERO organizers will be leaving for Haiti next week, but want your help in providing aid to those who need it on the island.

Food, clothes, even financial contributions are welcome.

Donations can be dropped off at Trinity United Methodist Church, off of Airport Road, and at Hudson Alpha Institute, off of Moquin Drive, in Huntsville.

For more information on HERO, click here or call (256)665-6151.

You can also track HERO's relief efforts on the island by clicking here.

©2010 WAFF. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Drop off your FOOD donation to HudsonAlpha
6900 Moquin Drive, Huntsville, AL, 35806
Make CHECKS PAYABLE TO TRINITY United Methodist Church
Times: 10am - 4pm Daily
Questions: email us at haitifooddrive@gmail.com
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2 Satellite Phones Needed : Haiti Earthquake

2010-01-13T11:45:00.002-06:00

URGENT:

2 Satellite Phones are needed TODAY (1.13.09) to send with a first responder team to Haiti. Please post if you know anyone who has one or can get one today. Team leaves tomorrow at 6am.

Drop off your FOOD donation to HudsonAlpha
6900 Moquin Drive, Huntsville, AL, 35806
Make CHECKS PAYABLE TO TRINITY United Methodist Church
Times: 10am - 4pm Daily
Questions: email us at haitifooddrive@gmail.com
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NEWS FLASH: Haiti Earthquake: Orphanage Update: HudsonAlpha & Trinity Methodist

2010-01-13T09:49:00.002-06:00

EMAIL FROM A DEAR FRIEND BRIAN LLOYD, names removed out of respect for those passed.
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All,
As we hear more about the devastation of the earthquake, “catastrophic” doesn’t do justice to the horrors we are learning.
There is much I do not know at this point but what I do know is very bad.

The coq chante orphanage, where we have 18 little girls, collapsed in the quake. All the girls made it out except for our youngest age 5. The building collapsed on her as she was making her way down the stairs. They recovered her body this morning at dawn. She is in the arms of Jesus now. One girl who is being adopted by my best friend, was in pap for an appointment with her birth parents, and we can not locate her. The remaining 16 girls made it out with only minor injuries. The building is a loss.

Belloc, another mountain village near coq chante, is said to have completely collapsed but we do not have first hand reports of this. We have not been able to contact Pastor who lives in the church with his wife, 3 daughters, and 1 son.

We have not been able to contact anyone at camatin or any of the other churches/villages we work with.

Ricot Louis-Juste, and his family who is the head of the orphanages and schools made it out okay, but their home in Delmas was severely damaged and not safe to go back in.

Pastor is okay, but his daughter was in school and there are reports of that school collapsing and he can not find her or make contact with her so he is extremely worried.

We had second hand word that pastor “had big problems” but we have not made any contact with them.

Eddy Juene, who helps with the schools and orphanages family is okay and their rental home suffered only minor damage.

The rest of our friends, pastors, helpers we have not made contact with yet as communications continue to be a struggle.

As the light breaks this morning, I believe we will continue to see even worse devastation.
Please pray for miracles.
Brian Lloyd
Harvest Field Ministries

Drop off your donation to HudsonAlpha
6900 Moquin Drive, Huntsville, AL, 35806
Times: 10am - 4pm Daily
Questions: email us at haitifooddrive@gmail.com
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