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HAITI RELIEF UPDATE

2-9-10

This week’s update is being written as I return from an on-site visit to Jacmel, Haiti. A small team made up of men from CC Costa Mesa, CC Ft. Lauderdale and CC Chino Hills went to Jacmel to do an on-site assessment of the proposed base camp, to negotiate a lease for the 2 ½ acre parcel, to develop a layout for the camp and a plan to actually begin relief team deployment, and to establish a relationship with the Jacmel mayor and his assistant. We were also able to develop an operating strategy for the Jacmel relief effort and a list of initial needs. The devastation is incredible and the loss of life beyond what can be imagined. But what made the most lasting impact was the courage, resiliency and smiling faces of the Haitian people in the midst of this tragedy. We believe that the fields are ripe for ministry and that the time is now to actively begin our response efforts. There is still relief effort going on but the focus is beginning to move more towards restoration activities and the doors are now open for our ministry and work.   

Efforts are continuing in other areas as well, but this update will focus primarily on the work in Jacmel as we see this as the best opportunity to establish and sustain an ongoing work. As I have stated each week, I am sure that there are many other efforts going on that we are not aware of but, to our knowledge the efforts in Jacmel and Canielle represent the best and more structured activities for Calvary Chapel response teams.

We still believe in the four prong approach that we have been presenting each week so we will update each of these four segments.  

JACMEL

Jacmel is a town of around 40,000 people south of Port-au-Prince. It is estimated that over 1000 people were killed and over 7,000 homes and businesses destroyed. There is a large refugee camp in the downtown area and several more throughout the immediate area. There is a deep water port that can receive supplies and an airport with a 3300 foot runway. The Canadian military is overseeing the area. Our Calvary base camp is about 100 yards from the airport which makes it extremely convenient for entry and exit. Our team met with the Mayor when we were there and he seems very open to working with us and to opening doors that will allow us to bypass some of the normal processes and fees. The mayor’s assistant actually owns the land that we will be leasing.

• CC Ft. Lauderdale (CCFTL) will be leading the overall effort in Jacmel assisted by CC Costa Mesa and what we hope will be several other Calvary’s. Haiti is a natural mission activity for CCFTL due its location and the on-going work that CCFTL has been doing in Haiti. CCFTL has over 500 Haitians attending their church and there is a large Haitian community near the church. They also have developed some very strategic relationships and have the ability to run shuttle flights for teams and supplies from Ft. Lauderdale to Jacmel. These are just a few of the reasons that CCFTL is best positioned to lead the base camp operations. It is a logical mission outreach for them to lead and sustain. 

• We have negotiated an 18 month lease with an 18 month option on the base camp property. We will be beginning work immediately to fence the property, establish reliable sanitation and water systems, and make the land ready to receive housing, equipment and teams. It is our hope to be ready to receive the first CC relief teams in 6-8 weeks.          

• Chet Lowe from CCFTL will be providing the pastoral oversight for the camp. The other members of the leadership team are currently being assembled from CCFTL, CC Costa Mesa and CC Chino Hills. We welcome other CC’s who would like to be an active part of the leadership and operational teams. Please contact me or Mark Davis and CCFTL if you would like to participate at this level.

• The primary needs are for funds and people. Our primary focus at Jacmel will be ministry outreach and church planting along with the required physical relief and support. We will be needing social workers, hard working laborers and medical teams for the relief team efforts. We see this as a long term ministry effort that will require the support of many Calvary’s to begin and sustain. We need your help to make this work. 

• Our initial needs are for 4,000 feet of 8 ft. chain link fencing with vinyl slats, barbed and razor wire and two 50KW Diesel Generators. Other key initial needs include:

• Hand tools (shovels, picks, ax, sledge hammer, hammers, etc.) 
• Generators
• Tents
• Tarps
• Medical Supplies (Drugs, First Aid, etc.)
• Medical Equipment
• Rice
• Beans
• Oil
• Blankets
• Used Clothes
• 4” & 6” SDR 35 pipe & fittings
• 4“ electrical conduit

If anyone has contacts or an availability to provide any of these items, please contact me or Mark Davis at CCFTL.

• We are developing a DVD that will show you the Jacmel area and base camp site. Hopefully this will provide you with a sense of the need and the area we are seeking support from by many CC’s to acquire, develop and operate. This may also be a good tool for you to show to your congregation. For those of you who would like to discuss how to participate and receive a DVD, please contact me.

CANIELLE

This is the latest update we have received from Bastia, the CC Appleton missionaries in Canielle.

Hi Pastor Dwight,

I really want to thank you for all your help and support.  I am so happy to be able to get the tents tomorrow.  They will be such a big help for us.

Now we have another need that I want to talk to you about.  It is a need for lights for security at the camp. We can do that with solar panels and batteries. We need about 16 batteries and some solar panels.  It would be great if we could have a rechargeable inverter. These are the cost:

Batteries $140 x 16 =                 $2,240

                        Solar Panels           =                 $2,400

                        Rechargeable Inverter =             $1,300

                        Total for all =                             $5,940 in US dollars

The mayor was here this week and said we were doing the best job he seen in the Central Plateau. He asked about what we have for security because of our location in the mountain.   World Vision came also to ask many questions about what we are doing. They wanted to know how we are taking care of the people, getting them water, feeding them, if they have any health problems, and they also asked about security. World Vision was happy to see we are taking good care of the people.

Now that we will have the tents, I want to quickly move on getting the electricity for the camp for the security of the people. Pastor Dwight,, could you please check if any funds have come in that we can use for the batteries and solar?  I would like to start on that right away if I can find funds in hand.

If anyone has contacts or an availability to support these needs, please contact Dwight Douville at CCAPPLETON@aol.com

SAMARITAN’S PURSE

CC FTL had been working with Samaritan’s Purse but there are no actual relief efforts underway yet that we were aware of. It appears that Samaritan’s Purse may also provide some level of assistance in the Jacmel area but this would likely be in cooperation with our efforts rather than as a direct part of it. But this is to be determined. There is the potential to have some of Samaritan’s Purse efforts to be done alongside our work in Jacmel.

ADOPTION

Foster care and adoption are areas of continuing need but both took a significant setback when a Baptist group of 10 people was charged with attempting to kidnap 30 Haitian children. These 10 are now in a Haitian jail and have been charged with kidnapping. This resulted in all new adoptions being placed on hold. CCFTL’s adoption ministry and the work through CC Downey in partnership with Olive Crest are continuing there preparation efforts so they are able to respond when the doors again open. The work currently however is still preparatory with application and screening activities.

RECOMMENDATIONS

There has been substantial progress since last week.

• We are looking to start sending teams to Jacmel in 6-8 weeks so now is the time to begin plans to sign-up your teams. We need people and teams who can go to Jacmel to spend 7-10 days in a number of relief and restoration activities. We will be communicating more specific details over the next week or two. CCFTL is working on developing a website for Jacmel and you can get current information at www.parakletosinternational.org.

• The most current need is for 4,000 feet of 8 ft. chain link fencing with vinyl slats, barbed and razor wire and two 50KW Diesel Generators.. We will begin storing equipment and material at the base camp after we secure it. CCFTL has a warehouse that will store other materials awaiting air or sea delivery to Jacmel. There is large need for funds that can be used to buy what is needed immediately or that aren’t being donated. So, if you are looking at investing in this effort, please contact me or Mark Davis.

• Continue to prepare teams with some basic disaster relief and outreach evangelism training. Teams will need to be trained on debris removal issues such as what to do when you encounter a dead body or body parts, trauma counseling and evangelism. We will be communicating specific skill needs over the next couple of weeks. But start getting your teams signed up so we can begin scheduling them as soon as the camp is ready to accept them.  

• If people inquire about adoption, just take names at this point and we will try to communicate the next steps once a plan is in place.

• We have established a Haiti Relief Donation system through CCOF and CC Costa Mesa if people would like to give on-line and you do not yet have the ability to offer this. You can direct people to www.calvarychapel.com or www.calvarychapelcostamesa.com.

• It is likely that several inoculations will be required for people traveling to Haiti. You may want to check with the Health Agency to determine what is recommended. Some of these may be a series of shots given over a period of a week or two so you may want to start that process now. Even if inoculations are not required, it may be prudent to get them. You can access the CDC site at www.cdc.gov

   

• Make sure that your passports are up to date.
• Check with your Property & Casualty insurance companies to determine any coverage issues for employees and volunteers that you may want to consider for travel and relief efforts in a foreign country. What happens if one of your relief team members gets injured while serving in Haiti? Your insurance company may also be able to help you with additional Medical & Liability Release Forms which each team member should sign.    

The need is great, but so is the opportunity to share the Gospel. But we need your help. This is a great opportunity for Calvary Chapel’s to work together to make a lasting impact on a nation. A few of us have taken the first step to beginning the process and establishing a location to do the work, but now we need you to make it all work. We need money, people, equipment, donations and, most of all, prayer. We believe that this effort has truly been led of the Spirit as we have seen the Lord open doors and direct us each step of the way. Be praying about how you would like to be involved and pray for the people and nation of Haiti. 

HAITI RELIEF UPDATE

                              1-31-10

Things are starting to become clearer as we hear from Calvary Chapel groups and others that are actually on the ground providing relief care to various areas of Haiti. But the point that is clearest of all is that things are still in a great state of confusion. This requires us to be focused in providing well defined specific relief response efforts. As was indicated last week, there are several independent efforts by Calvary Chapels going on that we don’t have information about. However, we are receiving continual updates from the more major efforts being undertaken by Calvary groups. This update will just address those that we are aware of and who are communicating with us on a regular basis. Our focus is still on providing more of a longer term approach that will allow us to provide ministry and relief for an extended period of time as the devastation will take years of support and ministry. Our primary objective is spiritual so that will continual to be our focus as we minister to both spiritual and physical needs.  

It appears that doors are now opening for relief teams to come in but they are required to provide for their own needs. The current need is still for doctors, anesthesiologists, and emergency medical personnel. With the limited food and housing issues they want to focus on the medical needs. We can see improvement every day in terms of supplies and aid being provided but, for now, we are still primarily in the preparation and donation acceptance mode as we get prepared to fully deploy teams and resources once we get some infrastructure established.  

As I stated last week, our West Coast team has developed a four prong approach focused on a long term relief effort. We are currently in the analysis and preparation stage in at least three of these areas while the team in Canielle seems to be currently providing direct relief support.  

• Jacmel – A small team led by Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa arrived in Haiti last Saturday and made there way to Jacmel during the week where they met up with two other CC teams from CC Ft. Lauderdale and CC Old Bridge. The team is arriving back today and we will be debriefing next week, Jacmel appears to be a strategic location for us and the plan is to establish a base camp in the area that will allow us to schedule relief teams, house and feed workers, and store supplies needed to provide aid. It appears that we have some strategic advantages here in that a local CC pastor is married to the daughter of the leader of the Hands and Feet Mission at Jacmel and we also have some key relationships with the mayor and city government. Jacmel provides a deep water port that appears to be open to receive supplies. However, we will wait for the debriefing to confirm this and to identify what will actually be required to establish the base camp and begin a secure and effective relief response effort that would allow for housing and deployment of relief teams. You can refer to last week’s e-mail for some of the specifics of what this involves.  

• Dwight Douville (CC Appleton) has a work in Caneille and Brian Bell (CC Murrieta) in Hinche. Both are inland areas and are very close to one another. We have had an ongoing communication with Dwight and Canielle work but have not heard form the Hinche team this week. There is a large and continual migration of refuges from Port-au-Prince and the coastal areas that were hardest hit. There are rumors that Port-au-Prince will not be rebuilt and will remain in ruins as the city has been almost completely leveled, but time will tell. The work in Canielle appears to be active and effective and is the only effort that we are aware of at this time with a base camp and that is providing actual ongoing support.  

      Here is an update on the work in Canielle directly from Dwight Douville.

Caneille is located 45 northeast of PAP and 8 miles SE of Hinche. We currently have missionaries at an established Calvary Chapel Church/School there. The   pastor there is a Haitian, Huguener Bastia, who is a graduate of CC Bible College Murietta and who faithfully attended Calvary Chapel of Appleton for a couple of years prior to that. Bastia married a gal from Calvary Chapel of Appleton and is also a registered nurse. We are part of the relief efforts currently taking place, allowing refugees to flee Port-au-Prince and find food, water, and shelter in the outlying areas.

Because of the land and resources we have, the Lord has given us a relief camp to oversee. We recently purchased land adjacent to where the church and parsonage are located, had it graded and leveled, and added gravel for protection during the upcoming rainy season. We already have 60 people, including families with children, who are looking to us for subsistence living. They arrived because they heard of this camp, and more show up daily. We have stockpiled food, rice, beans, oil and a minimal water supply. We had a well but it is nowhere near sufficient for daily needs (drinking, cooking, laundry, bathing) for even 1 family, let alone a relief camp. Our assets include a large dump truck and other transportation options, and today we purchased as many tents as we could with the resources we have. Twenty-five disaster relief tents will be shipped to Florida today, and as we are affiliated with MFI who have the resources to get them into Haiti

Our main need at this time is additional tents, and a water purification system.  The water system we need is solar powered with a backup generator option, which we can make use of, but which costs more and more to run due to the skyrocketing price of fuel, making solar the most reliable and efficient power source available to us. This unit will purify river water as much as 1000 gallons per day. The cost of this unit is $10,000.

We also have a radio station that is 95% completed. Our hope is to purchase 150 hand crank radios for distribution, which also have a built-in flashlight, much needed for a camp situation. The price for one of these radios is $21 and would enable us to bring the Gospel to so many via the airwaves, as well as any type of news updates critical to the Haitian people and their situation.

       CC Appleton has set up a fund, “Haiti Quake Relief”, for ongoing contributions to meet these needs http://blog.ccappleton.org/.

• CC Ft. Lauderdale is working alongside Samaritan’s Purse. Chet Lowe was in Haiti this past week so we are waiting for a report from him as a part of our debriefing meeting next week. We are still planning to possibly come alongside CC FTL and Samaritan’s Purse in their relief efforts by sending people and money once they have an operational plan in place.

• Foster care and adoption are areas of continuing need. Although the need is immediate the solutions are not that easy. CC Ft. Lauderdale seems to be a little further ahead in this area than the West Coast team but both are moving forward. CC FTL and their Florida4Kids ministry indicated that they are focusing on receiving and transporting Haitian children coming into S. Florida to the needed medical facilities for care. They have also started the required adoption interviews. The House of Ruth is working with Olive Crest to structure the needed full adoption capability. Although we read of some people completing adoptions, these are adoptions that were already in progress. We have been told that new adoptions have not yet started.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Not much has changed in this area since last week.

• It appears that the best approach is still to wait awhile before sending people or teams to Haiti. We have seen some good progress since last week to provide some stability in Haiti but the situation is still far from being secure and sustainable for relief teams. Over the next week or two we hope to see continued progress and a lot of efforts implemented to maintain control and establish some infrastructure. It appears that the only area capable of accepting some support may be Canielle but the camp is still small and the focus is centered on aid to the Haitians rather than supporting relief workers. It is still recommended that you wait until we establish a base camp of operations and some additional security before teams are sent.

• Until the base camp is established we will continue in the preparation mode. The focus will be on collecting funds and not supplies, as there is no place yet established to house supplies. If this does open up we will notify you of what is needed and where to send it. The funds can be used to buy what is needed when the real needs are determined and when the ability for direct response opens up.

• Start to prepare teams with some basic disaster relief and outreach evangelism training. Teams will need to be trained on debris removal issues such as what to do when you encounter a dead body or body parts. This is similar in some ways to what we encountered in NY after 9/11. But the added risk of disease will be present.

• If people inquire about adoption, just take names at this point and we will try to communicate the next steps once a plan is in place. Since CC FTL is better prepared at this point to address foster care and adoptions, this may be the best contact point currently but we don’t want to overwhelm them with calls and limit their ability to meet the immediate needs.

• We have established a Haiti Relief Donation system through CCOF and CC Costa Mesa if people would like to give on-line and you do not yet have the ability to offer this. You can direct people to www.calvarychapel.com or www.calvarychapelcostamesa.com.

• It is likely that several inoculations will be required for people traveling to Haiti. You may want to check with the Health Agency to determine what is recommended. Some of these may be a series of shots given over a period of a week or two so you may want to start that process now. Even if inoculations are not required, it may be prudent to get them. You can access the CDC site at www.cdc.gov

• Make sure that your passports are up to date.

• Check with your Property & Casualty insurance companies to determine any coverage issues for employees and volunteers that you may want to consider for travel and relief efforts in a foreign country. What happens if one of your relief team members gets injured while serving in Haiti? Your insurance company may also be able to help you with additional Medical & Liability Release Forms which each team member should sign.    

• You can access the Parakletos Ministry website at www.parakletosinternational.com for periodic updates.

And above all, PRAY!

HAITI RELIEF UPDATE

                              1-23-10

Since our last update last week a lot of activity has occurred relative to actual relief efforts and preparation for a more dedicated and focused response effort. There are several independent efforts by Calvary Chapels going on but this update will just address those that we are aware of and who are communicating with us on a regular basis. Currently, the work going on is more of a “shotgun” emergency triage approach providing relief as the Lord opens the doors. It is very difficult to get into Haiti and the road transportation is difficult or impassable along with the safety/security risks. Our focus is more on providing a longer term approach that will allow us to provide ministry and relief for an extended period of time once the doors are opened. 

We have been told that relief teams are not yet being invited in as the current need is for doctors, anesthesiologists, and emergency medical personnel. With the limited food and housing issues they want to focus on the medical needs. We have been hearing of honorific situations with amputations being conducted with Motrin and a hacksaw. We can see improvement every day in terms of supplies and aid being provided but, for now, we are still in the preparation and donation acceptance mode as we get ready to fully deploy teams and resources once the doors are open to relief teams.

I apologize for the length of this e-mail but there is much going on. I receive about 20-25 e-mails a day from the various teams so this is really just a summary that hopefully will provide you with current information concerning Calvary Chapel’s efforts and that will allow you to communicate with your congregations about what they can do and be praying for.

Our West Coast team has developed a four prong approach focused on a long term relief effort. We are currently in the analysis and preparation stage in each of these areas. 

• Jacmel – This is the approach that was put forth at our first task force meeting and was communicated to you last week. It appears that we have some strategic advantages here in that a local CC pastor is married to the daughter of the leader of the Hands and Feet Mission at Jacmel and we also have some key relationships with the mayor and city government. Jacmel provides a deep water port but it is not clear as to what the access capability is through the port or over land from the DR at this time. The Hands and Feet Mission appears to have a large walled facility with some infrastructure in place that could prove to be an effective location for a base camp that would allow for housing and deployment of relief teams.

A team from CC Old Bridge has arrived in Jacmel. They report that they have established an open door with the Dominican Navy to ferry supplies from Cabo Roja to Jacmel. The acute need for food and water has been met as international aid organizations have made their way into Jacmel, but assistance to outlying villages 10-12 miles away is scarce or nonexistent.  

The next step is to determine if we can establish a secure base camp in Jacmel that can serve as a staging area for ministry both in Jacmel and to surrounding areas. This would also open the door to multiple teams being able to meet up and work together.  Our goal is to build the Gospel into the DNA of the relief efforts there before the UN and other organizations get entrenched.

The key question that we believe needs to be addressed is whether Jacmel has the true potential to be a base camp for relief operations. An infrastructure would need to be set-up to accommodate relief teams, allow for supplies and equipment to be stored, and provide an effective distribution channel. This would require land, electric power, housing and a secure environment. We need to assess this potential to answer the “WHERE” question as to whether Jacmel will work or not. To address this issue a small specialized team led by Tim Wylie from CC Costa Mesa will be leaving tomorrow for Jacmel. They will link up with the Old Bridge team and evaluate the Jacmel situation. Once the “WHERE” question is answered we can then address the “WHEN” and “HOW” questions. The objective is to establish a Bay St. Louis type of operation that proved so effective for Katrina. Once in Jacmel we hope to meet with city officials and local missionaries. If the Hands and Feet Mission, our first contact, doesn’t work we will try to find another site to serve as a base camp. We have worked with CC Ft. Lauderdale (CC FTL) to secure a freight line that will ship containers to the port of Jacmel.  Our vision is to build a base of operation as quickly as we can and begin moving supplies and workers into Haiti.  The Lord has opened a numbers of doors and a number of Calvary Chapels are partnering in this outreach. 

Dwight Douville (CC Appleton) has a work in Caneille and Brian Bell (CC Murrieta) in Hinche. Both are inland areas and are very close to one another. We have been told that the refuges are migrating to this area to escape Port-au-Prince and the devastation of the coastal areas. This may provide a great opportunity to provide refugee aid in terms of medical, housing, food, etc. along with spiritual support and evangelism. Dwight has a group in Caneille now and Brian Bell is currently on the way to Hinche. This location has the added benefit of being a more secure area and in an area that has not had its infrastructure hit as severely as the coastal areas.

Dwight Douville provided an update today indicating that they currently have buildings in Hinche that they are renting to stockpile rice, water, beans and oil. The other asset they have is a Calvary pastor, a graduate of our Bible College, who has a tent-making job there who works with the UN in Hinche. About a half hour or so outside of Hinche they have a church, school, and land with a well and a large dump truck. This is being considered for a base camp in this area. We are waiting to hear from Brian Bell once he is able to get to Hinche.  

CC Ft. Lauderdale is working under Samaritan’s Purse. It is our understanding that Samaritan’s Purse has not sent teams in yet and that they are in the preparation mode. We are planning to come alongside CC FTL and Samaritan’s Purse in their relief efforts by sending people and money once they have an operational plan in place.

Foster care and adoption are key immediate needs. CC FTL and House of Ruth out of CC Downey are the leaders here. Karen Johnson of House of Ruth is partnering with Olive Crest, a local S. California well established adoption organization, and will be leading the West Coast efforts while CC FTL will be handling the East Coast efforts. The immediate need is temporary foster care rather than adoption, but full adoption will follow. Haiti just wants to make sure that the parents are dead before they allow the children’s adoption. This area needs to be defined and structured but the team of House of Ruth and Olive Crest are well positioned in this area to do that and CC FTL has a strong adoption ministry.   

• CC FTL estimates that there are about 350,000 new orphans and displaced children that need care. They are gearing up to handle the projected influx of children and are working on transportation for the children to medical facilities where they can receive the proper medical care and for foster care.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Not much has changed in this area since last week.

• It appears that the best approach is still to wait awhile before sending people or teams to Haiti. We have seen some good process since last week to provide some stability in Haiti but the situation is still far from being secure and sustainable for relief teams. Over the next week or two we hope to see continued progress and a lot of efforts implemented to maintain control and establish some infrastructure. At this point it still seems that sending teams may create more of a problem for the country rather than offering a solution. It is still recommended that you wait until we establish a base camp of operations and some additional security before teams are sent.

• Until the base camp is established we will continue in the preparation mode. The focus will be on collecting funds and not supplies, as there is no place yet established to house supplies. If this does open up we will notify you of what is needed and where to send it. The funds can be used to buy what is needed when the real needs are determined.

• Start to prepare teams with some basic disaster relief and outreach evangelism training. Teams will need to be trained on debris removal issues such as what to do when you encounter a dead body or body parts. This is similar in some ways to what we encountered in NY after 9/11. But the added risk of disease will be present.

• If people inquire about adoption, just take names at this point and we will try to communicate the next steps once a plan is in place.

• We have established a Haiti Relief Donation system through CCOF and CC Costa Mesa if people would like to give on-line and you do not yet have the ability to offer this. You can direct people to www.calvarychapel.com or www.calvarychapelcostamesa.com.

• If you are interested in going to Hait to help, here are a couple of things for you to do.
  • It is likely that several inoculations will be required for people traveling to Haiti. You may want to check with the Health Agency to determine what is recommended. Some of these may be a series of shots given over a period of a week or two so you may want to start that process now. Even if inoculations are not required, it may be prudent to get them. You can access the CDC site at www.cdc.gov

• Make sure that your passports are up to date.

• Check with your Property & Casualty insurance companies to determine any coverage issues for employees and volunteers that you may want to consider for travel and relief efforts in a foreign country. What happens if one of your relief team members gets injured while serving in Haiti? Your insurance company may also be able to help you with additional Medical & Liability Release Forms which each team member should sign.    

You can access the Parakletos Ministry website at www.parakletosinternational.com for periodic updates.

And above all, PRAY!

Update on 1-17-10

The situation in Haiti has captured all of our attention and we have received numerous calls at CC Costa Mesa and CCOF concerning what is being done and how Calvary’s can get involved. We thought it might be good to communicate what we have been able to determine up to this point and provide some suggestions as to what you might be able to do. We have established a working group in S. California of about 25 pastors and leaders experienced in disaster relief representing about 10 CC’s. We have also established an active communication with several pastors who have active works in Haiti as well as several disaster response groups who are actively involved in the relief efforts. Our recommendations are based on input from each of these groups.

The following are presented as ideas for your prayerful consideration. We do not attempt to come across as experts related to this as we clearly are not. The objective is to share what we have learned.The situation is continually changing and we will try to keep you updated on what we are learning and what is going on from our position.

ASSESSMENT

First of all, you all can see through the news reports just how devastated the country is. The major issues at the moment appear to include the following. Many of you may have received other input from independent sources, but we would encourage you to consider the following issues as you prayerfully consider your response plan.

• It appears that the military has closed down all major access routes to the country. There have been some groups that have tried to gain access from the Dominican Republic but have been turned back. The airport at Port-au-Prince appears to be closed to all non-military flights. The bottom line is that access is almost impossible to aid groups at the moment so traveling to the area does not appear to be a prudent approach.

• If you were able to gain entrance, there are several problems that would need to be navigated:

• The looting and rioting are increasing significantly and present a major risk to any aid workers.

• The risk of disease is a major concern due to the dead bodies, heat, lack of facilities and limited medical supplies and personnel.

• There are no resources available to aid workers so you need to be able to provide your own shelter, water, food, gas, diesel, equipment, etc

• Ship access through the Port-au-Prince Harbor may be difficult as it appears that the harbor contains a lot of debris that would need to be cleared before a safe access could be gained

• CC Ft. Lauderdale appears to be strategically positioned for any relief effort. I have been speaking with them and have been told that Samaritan’s Purse has established its’ relief headquarters at the church. They have indicated that they do not expect to gain any major access to Haiti for another week or two. The focus currently is on collecting money and preparedness training so they are ready to respond quickly when the door opens for access.

• Samaritan’s Purse was actively providing Survival Kits to people in Haiti but had to discontinue these efforts due to the theft and violence. It has been reported that Franklin Graham has been able to get into Haiti so more may be forthcoming shortly if he is able to open some doors. In past efforts a high percentage of Samaritan’s Purse relief workers have come from CC’s so we believe we will be able to participate with them as soon as they gain access.      

• Samaritan’s Purse/CC Ft. Lauderdale’s plan appears to be to establish a base camp in the Port-au-Prince area from which relief efforts can be coordinated, relief teams housed and supplies maintained. This is a major challenge based on the above mentioned security issues.

• One of the major needs will be adoption. It is estimated that up to 50,000 children are now orphans. CC Ft. Lauderdale is actively gearing up their adoption ministry for this need as these children will likely be coming to South Florida.

• CC Costa Mesa and the S. California group have identified a site to the south of Port-au-Prince on the southern part of the island in the city of Jacmel. The Lord has opened up some strategic relationships with the mayor and city government as well as with an orphanage in the area run by relatives of a CC pastor. We have an open dialogue in place with these people and have been invited in with an assurance of a place to establish a base camp. This may allow us to establish a base camp in a somewhat safer area that would allow the ability to house relief teams, maintain supplies and equipment and coordinate relief efforts, while still being in a reasonable distance to Port-au-Prince. We see the potential to establish the same model that we used in Bay St. Louis during Katrina that worked so effectively. Usually everyone runs to the major city, in this case Port-au-Prince, but there may be more open doors in other areas, such as was the case with Bay St. Louis.   

RECOMMENDATIONS

It appears that the best approach is to wait awhile before sending people or teams to Haiti. Over the next week or two we will see a lot of efforts implemented to maintain control and establish some infrastructure. Desperate starving people will do almost anything and it may likely place teams at significant risk if they are brought in before some additional stability is established. At this point sending teams may create more of a problem for the country rather than offering a solution. It may be better to wait until we establish a base camp of operations and some additional security before teams are sent.

So what do we do in the meantime? Spend the current time before teams are ready to be sent in a period of preparation.

1. Collect funds not supplies. There is no place yet established to house supplies. If this does open up we will notify you of what is needed and where to send it. The funds can be used to buy what is needed when the real needs are determined.

• We have established a Haiti Relief Donation system through CCOF and CC Costa Mesa.  To give online to this, you can go to www.calvarychapel.com or www.calvarychapelcostamesa.com.

 

• Prepare teams. The immediate major need will likely be for medical personnel and debris removal. ER nurses, ER doctors and other emergency personnel such as paramedics will be the best resources. Also dentists.

• Teams will need to be trained on debris removal issues such as what to do when you encounter a dead body or body parts. This is similar in some ways to what we encountered in NY after 9/11. But the added risk of disease will be present.
• It is likely that several inoculations will be required for people traveling to Haiti. You may want to check with the Health Agency to determine what is recommended. Some of these may be a series of shots given over a period of a week or two so you may want to start that process now. Even if inoculations are not required, it may be prudent to get them. You can access the CDC site at www.cdc.gov

 

• If you are interested in going to Haiti to help, Calvary Albuquerque is accepting applications for those to join a tean to go and help from our area of the country: Go here to fill out a form: Calvary Albuqueruqe

   

• Make sure that your passports are up to date.

• If people inquire about adoption, just take names at this point and we will try to communicate the next steps once a plan is in place. We are working with CC Ft. Lauderdale’s adoption ministry and House of Ruth from CC Downey to begin to prepare to meet this need.

• Please do not contact the key control points in Florida and Costa Mesa as they are being inundated with calls and inquiries. We will try to keep you updated as things develop.

 

Above all we need to pray. This nation has been hit harder than we can imagine and the death toll may be the greatest one day loss since Noah’s Flood. The Lord is speaking to us in these last days and we need to be ready to respond and share the Gospel. Let’s pray that the Lord does open the doors and that many will be saved eternally amidst those that have been lost over the last few days.

Roger Wing

Calvary Chapel Outreach Fellowships