HAITI UPDATES

February 21, 2010

Debt Cancellation for Haiti

On February 5, the Treasury Department announced U.S. government support for complete Haitian debt cancellation. On February 6, seven of the world’s most powerful countries announced a commitment to complete debt cancellation for Haiti, as a result of a petition delivery at the G7 meeting of finance ministers in Iqaluit, Canada. (www.one.org) Those countries are Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, all agreeing to forgive Haiti’s one billion dollar international debt.

Report from World Relief (WR)

♦ Airport congestion is still significant: 80-90 flights per day versus the peak of 150.

♦ 1.2 million people displaced.

♦ 4 wells dug on February 6.

♦  80,000 gallons of water distributed last week, serving 16,000 households.

WR staff member, Joanne Mayhew, is in Haiti. Follow her blog, http://scatteredink.wordpress.com.  “Driving in, we passed the largest IDP camp in the city – blocks of sprawling tenets of temporary food stands. It is hard to believe that the individuals living in those conditions are some of the lucky ones.”

Pastor Jean Baptiste Bataille, WR partner

“I pray, Lord, it is the time for change in Haiti? We’ve known so much sorrow, so much pain…but I believe this is the time for a big change in our country.”

Altona, mother of 3 in a IDP camp

“We feel there’s no way we can resolve our problems on our own.  But the Church is our hope…we believe God and His people will help us in the situation.  We have no choice but to pray.”

Update from Alec Bersch

“I have started putting plants at the new Wings’ house and continuing other gardening.  I will be making a chapel and maybe in a few days, I’ll be able to sleep in a real bed for the first time in a month.”  A doctor came to Wings to give check ups.  Conversation revealed that she lives in Baltimore, less than 5 minutes from Alec’s home. 

CPC Story from Ann Hutson

The very first Sunday after the earthquake, Peter Grogan brought his entire piggy bank accumulation and poured it into the offering basket at Children’s Worship.  The coins were in a large, plastic Gatorade bottle. The very first Sunday after the earthquake, when Pastor Laura Crihfield dismissed the children, a pre-schooler pressed $2.10 into her hand.

 Update from Ian, the Finches’ Grandson

“I traveled with a medical team to a village in the mountains. The villagers were incredibly patient. The team saw 300 - 400 patients. As always there are children who make you laugh and smile and those that break your heart. There was one hypertonic two-year-old girl, who only weighed ten pounds. In the United States her situation would have been fixed immediately but here, at this late stage, there is nothing we could do.

January 31, 2010 

Heart Felt Responses to Haitian Crisis from Central People

♦  Central's’s 4th grade Sunday School class is collecting money to send to Haiti.  Lots of coins came in on the 24th.

♦  A York Road beauty salon has a jar for donations to Wings of Hope.

♦  Reading about KC in the newspaper prompted the Sisters of Notre Dame to gather funds ($2000 so far).  They remembered teaching KC at IND.

♦  Encouraging Facebook messages were written to Lee, such as, “You are doing amazing things that will be talked about within the Kingdom of God for eternity.”

♦  World Relief staff in Rwanda and Cambodian have taken up offerings for the staff in Haiti. Stephan writes, “This small is really big.  The widow’s mite!”

♦  A 4th grade class mother at Lutherville Elementary has created a campaign for donations to Wings now through Valentine’s Day.

Pray for Ian Gallo, the Finches’ grandson, who arrived in Haiti yesterday.  He will be ministering in LaCroix, a community not damaged by the earthquake and with whom his Pittsburgh church has a 13 year relationship.  This area anticipates receiving refugees with a variety of medical needs.  Ian will be supporting the 6 doctors on his team from the US.

From Haiti’s Episcopal bishop, Zache Duracin,

“We have to look for opportunities from the disaster.  We have to mourn.  We have to suffer.  But we have to get up, because life has to continue.”  100 of the 140 Episcopal churches were demolished.

Updates from Haiti

Update from World Relief

Supplies getting through due to well developed networks; feeding 10,000 daily

King’s Hospital treating 100’s each day

Pray for children to find supportive family structures, avoiding exploitation

Update from KC Bersch

“I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.”  Psalm 27:13.

Update from Alec Bersch

Wings is renting a quite new, 3 story vacant house with no earthquake damage.  “Haitians are an amazingly resilient people, a nation of people who are suffering, but still truly proud of who they are.  Haitians know how to band together to survive.  A greater, improved country can rise out of the rubble.”

Update from Lee Daugherty

On her sixth Day:  “More sleep last night, fewer tremors! A team of Spanish engineers approved the hospital as safe.  A new team of doctors leaped into action today.  We were able to make rounds on everyone and get a lot done in the OR.” (Lee returned to the US on January 26.)

Donation Information

Checks to Central  (memo line Haiti Relief)

Checks to World Relief, 7 E. Baltimore St, Baltimore, MD 21202

Checks to Hearts with Haiti, 11503 Springfield Pike, Cincinnati, OH 45246

Funds to KC & Alec Bersch – Checks to Cross Over Full Gospel Church, P.O. Box 1785, Moncks Corner, SC, 29461; memo: KC Bersch, Haiti

Fund raiser for Haiti Earthquake Relief

Spaghetti Dinner & Bake Sale, 1 - 4 pm, Sunday, January 31, 2010. It will be held at the Backus House of  the First and Franklin St. Presbyterian Church, 210 West Madison St. Baltimore (Near the corner of Park Ave, and Madison St). $10 per person.  All proceeds will benefit the Haiti Relief Fund. For additional information please call The First and Franklin St. Presbyterian Church at 410-353-3456.

One Minute 4 Haiti

World Relief has launched One Minute 4 Haiti, every Tuesday, designating one minute at 4:53 pm, exactly when the quake happened--to pray for Haiti. Encourage your friends, family members, integral partners and churches to participate. Encourage them to visit www.worldrelief.org/1minute to find more information and sign up for up-to-date prayer requests for Tuesday.

If you have other updates to share, please contact Phyllis DeSmit (missions@centralpc.org).

January 24, 2010

It is clear that places in Indonesia are much improved since relief work began there 5 years ago after the Tsunami.  It is clear that relief work will be a long term process in response to the destruction of  the January 12 earthquake in Haiti.

The present need is primarily for medical attention and the accompanying supplies like diesel fuel, antibiotics, clean water and trained people to treat wounds and complete surgeries.  Those keeping friends in the US posted on what is happening plead, “Don’t try to contact me back.  Just pray!”

If you are considering a financial donation, you may offer funds through Central Presbyterian Church with the check memo, Haiti relief.  We will be continually in a discernment process to identify the most effective way to direct funds.  This may change each week as needs change.  Our primary focus will be Wings of Hope and World Relief, both with existing relationships in Haiti, both with Central family at work there.

In addition to the usual residents (staff and 40 mentally and physically challenged children) Wings of Hope Home is housing the staff and  20 residents from St. Joseph’s Home for Boys, a building destroyed.  St. Joseph’s family ministry has been in existence since 1985.  If you wish to donate directly, send a check to Hearts with Haiti, 11503 Springfield Pike, Cincinnati, OH 45246.  www.heartswithhaiti.org. For direct support of Alec  Bersch, donations go to Cross Over Full Gospel Church, P.O. Box 1785, Moncks Corner, SC 29461; memo: KC Bersch, Haiti.

World Relief, which has been ministering in Haiti for 15 years is currently operating 3 feeding centers (more to open soon), distributing tarps for emergency shelter, and staffing Kings Hospital, a building approved as structurally sound.  Plans are in place to drill a bore hole there to provide clean water for patients and staff.  To donate directly, send a check to World Relief, Attn: Connie Fairchild, 7 E. Baltimore St., Baltimore MD, 21202.  You can follow daily progress through WR on Twitter and Facebook and the web site, www.worldrelief.org.

Both of these organizations have been featured repeatedly by local newspapers and in radio and TV news reports.  We must each spread the word of the practical ministry that is in action because of the love of Jesus Christ.  PRAY!!

Psalm 27:13.

“I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” 

Wings is renting a quite new, 3 story vacant house with no earthquake damage.  “Haitians are an amazingly resilient people, a nation of people who are suffering, but still truly proud of who they are.  Haitians know how to band together to survive.  A greater, improved country can rise out of the rubble.”