Thursday, February 18, 2010
Faith and Love in Action 2/17 update
2/17 from Marlaine:
Once again, our trip was a great success and we want so much to thank all our friends that stand with us in this difficult moment with your fervent prayers and your financial support! All the children at the homes are doing fine, except 3 girls with a kind of skin infection, especially for Natacha. But, we are so blessed to have a Sri Lankan medical doctor helping to check up on our kids on site. The kids are happy, keeping their strong faith and are so positive for their future even in a crisis like this. Everyone is still staying outside and a couple of more tents are still needed. Compared to the extreme damages in Leogane, Port-au-Prince, and other places, I can say that Jacmel was so blessed. There are many that have been killed or injured, houses and buildings leveled (in places like “Bord de Mer” and downtown) and so many are sleeping on the streets. In the remote villages and communities, so many people died from landslides and falling rocks. Despite this, Jacmel is fortunate and there are so many more survivors!
We were in Marbial on Saturday and distributed about 12,000 lbs of food with the help of a Sri Lankan military battalion based in Jacmel. There are still places further north of Marbial where help will never arrive unless we do something. I know where these villages are very well and just need the opportunity to help them. Daniel also went up to St. Rock with a truckload of food for the communities up there. Part of the school we have up there collapsed and many families have moved into the front and back yards since their homes are gone. As you all know, it is not an easy situation and it is not something that will be solved rapidly. We continue to rely on your support to continue food distribution to the city of Jacmel, to the remote area of Marbial and the surrounding villages, in St Rock, and in Cayes Jacmel. Over the past week, we have been able to reach people that had had no access to any help at all since the earthquake. We distributed what we could but people are hungry and need medical attention. Some places with no means of transportation will need to be reached via helicopter.
I am back in FL preparing for the next trip to Haiti and trying to make sure Daniel and others on the ground are receiving supplies to distribute and help more people. We have so many pictures and there will be dozens posted on the website over the next few days! Daniel and the boys have traveled to Jacmel, Port-au-Prince, Carrefour, Delmas, Petionville, St. Rock, La Plaine and many other cities to locate friends and family as well as give out what they could load into the truck. I’ve attached a few pictures to this email but there is no space for all of them!
I ask that you continue to keep Haiti in your prayers. I have never seen things as bad as they are now and the people’s suffering is more than ever. I know God has a plan and I pray He continues to use us to help these people.
God Bless,
Marlaine
Once again, our trip was a great success and we want so much to thank all our friends that stand with us in this difficult moment with your fervent prayers and your financial support! All the children at the homes are doing fine, except 3 girls with a kind of skin infection, especially for Natacha. But, we are so blessed to have a Sri Lankan medical doctor helping to check up on our kids on site. The kids are happy, keeping their strong faith and are so positive for their future even in a crisis like this. Everyone is still staying outside and a couple of more tents are still needed. Compared to the extreme damages in Leogane, Port-au-Prince, and other places, I can say that Jacmel was so blessed. There are many that have been killed or injured, houses and buildings leveled (in places like “Bord de Mer” and downtown) and so many are sleeping on the streets. In the remote villages and communities, so many people died from landslides and falling rocks. Despite this, Jacmel is fortunate and there are so many more survivors!
We were in Marbial on Saturday and distributed about 12,000 lbs of food with the help of a Sri Lankan military battalion based in Jacmel. There are still places further north of Marbial where help will never arrive unless we do something. I know where these villages are very well and just need the opportunity to help them. Daniel also went up to St. Rock with a truckload of food for the communities up there. Part of the school we have up there collapsed and many families have moved into the front and back yards since their homes are gone. As you all know, it is not an easy situation and it is not something that will be solved rapidly. We continue to rely on your support to continue food distribution to the city of Jacmel, to the remote area of Marbial and the surrounding villages, in St Rock, and in Cayes Jacmel. Over the past week, we have been able to reach people that had had no access to any help at all since the earthquake. We distributed what we could but people are hungry and need medical attention. Some places with no means of transportation will need to be reached via helicopter.
I am back in FL preparing for the next trip to Haiti and trying to make sure Daniel and others on the ground are receiving supplies to distribute and help more people. We have so many pictures and there will be dozens posted on the website over the next few days! Daniel and the boys have traveled to Jacmel, Port-au-Prince, Carrefour, Delmas, Petionville, St. Rock, La Plaine and many other cities to locate friends and family as well as give out what they could load into the truck. I’ve attached a few pictures to this email but there is no space for all of them!
I ask that you continue to keep Haiti in your prayers. I have never seen things as bad as they are now and the people’s suffering is more than ever. I know God has a plan and I pray He continues to use us to help these people.
God Bless,
Marlaine
Monday, February 15, 2010
Friday Feb 12 update from Marlaine
Friday: Today is the beginning of the 3 days of national prayer that the government announced a month after the earthquake. In every corner of the country, people consecrated themselves to pray according to their faith.
UN personnel (from the Sri Lankan base) came with us early this morning to test the road to Marbial before they transport the food for us to distribute to the people. We made it as far as we could in the river bed with their truck and our truck. We were supposed to return as soon we had shown them the road and they had figured out which trucks would be able to make the trip. But instead of turning back, the commander asked to accompany us on foot to go to see the damage of the communities in the mountains and our school. The soldiers were so touched as they saw the needs of the people and they were amazed to see the number of people in such an isolated place. On our hike, we found more than 200 people all over the road. There were many more gathered at what was left of the school. They were waiting to get food, but unfortunately the food will get there tomorrow and not today. A lot of people died in Marbial because of landslides, the rocks coming from the mountains killed some people and injured many. The people have not been visited since the earthquake and have had no access to help. They are hungry and had lost hope.
The military has also agreed to provide security as we travel with the truckloads of food from Jacmel to the mountains of Marbial.
We thank all our friends that keep Marbial in their prayers and we are so grateful for your financial support that enable us to purchase so much food in the Dominican Republic to provide relief to many people, families, churches and orphanages in Haiti. Below are some pictures that we took today in Marbial. I will send another update about how distribution goes tomorrow. Please keep us all in your prayers!
Sunday, February 7, 2010
From a friend and teacher at an international school in Port au Prince)
"Last time I wrote to you I asked you to pray about an orphan situation....I literally stopped writing an update to check out what was going on. I do not want to kick anyone when they are down but it involved the lady who has been on the news for child trafficking. Long story short we gave her some advice for about 3 days. I want the people (children) who need help to get it but there are correct paths that people must follow. I am glad for the wisdom God gave me and some others here at the school. I am saddened because the parents and workers who have followed the correct procedures now have a tougher road. I still know that God loves each orphan and cares for each one personally. I would ask you to continue to pray that each child gets the love and care (while still following the appropriate steps) they deserve.
I just returned from a 4 day medical trip to Jeremie Haiti. Jeremie is a remote town on the far west of the southern peninsula. It is a city of about 80,000 and has had 20,000 more people move there since the quake. Many are taking a tough 12 hour truck ride and others are going by overcrowded boats. The team of doctors were able to see many cases that would not have gotten care. There were a few "life-saving" operations as well. One lady had a compound femur fracture in her right leg and fractures in her left tibia and fibula. She had gotten to Jeremie on a board in the back of a truck. The doctors were able to set her bones correctly and give her the hope of walking correctly again.
One of the growing needs in Haiti is going to be getting needed medical attention where the people are. While there I was able to visit 4 other small hospitals...There are many people in those regions that need care as well but are staying at home. The hospitals are just not able to give much care. We are working now to figure out ways to get aid and supplies to the necessary locations. The trip was productive in meeting doctors and the main hospital in Jeremie for future trips.
God continues to be at work here. There are so many questions that have no answers but I know He is here. I can see Him at work in so many ways each day. One of the most humbling things has been the Haitian people continuing to praise God each night. I am not a singer. Each night in both Port-au-Prince and Jeremie people join together to sing and praise God...people who lost their homes, their jobs and possibly loved ones. It is such a lesson to me that these people have not allowed their current surroundings to change their passion and love for God.
Here are a few prayer requests/concerns I want to share:
1) Nurses are needed. If you know of nurse teams or individuals interested in coming please let me know. Most operations, etc have been done....good follow up care is needed to help the people heal.
2) Please pray for the many people without homes. Tent cities have been set up. The rainy season is coming and there will be other health concerns as the rain comes.
3) Good organization of the aid and supplies coming. I know so many people in the States want to help in many ways and all want that help to get where it needs to go.
Thanks again for your prayers, support and all sorts of emails that make me smile.
From Vanessa (Faith and Love in Action)
February 6, 2010
Hello!
Quick update: Marlaine left for the Dominican Republic late last night and arrived in Santo Domingo at 4am. She met up with Bob Jones and they headed to Pedernales, the port city in the southwest of the DR. There, they purchased close to 30,000lbs of food and supplies to load on the navy vessel heading to Jacmel. The ship is not yet full so they were unable to sail for Jacmel tonight. Pray that more organizations get supplies to the ship or that we are able to purchase more to load on the ship! As of now, the ship can take on an additional 25,000lbs.
Once in Haiti, the plan is for Marlaine to stay a few days to oversee distribution and assess current and longterm needs. Bob Jones will also be remaining in Haiti for some time. And as you know, Daniel has been in Haiti for the past week and will be staying for a few more weeks. He has been able to travel to Port-au-Prince and different areas in the country, so he will have much to share when he gets back!
Please keep their travels and activities in your prayers! Pray that the ship is able to leave for Jacmel as soon as possible.
God bless!
Hello!
Quick update: Marlaine left for the Dominican Republic late last night and arrived in Santo Domingo at 4am. She met up with Bob Jones and they headed to Pedernales, the port city in the southwest of the DR. There, they purchased close to 30,000lbs of food and supplies to load on the navy vessel heading to Jacmel. The ship is not yet full so they were unable to sail for Jacmel tonight. Pray that more organizations get supplies to the ship or that we are able to purchase more to load on the ship! As of now, the ship can take on an additional 25,000lbs.
Please keep their travels and activities in your prayers! Pray that the ship is able to leave for Jacmel as soon as possible.
God bless!
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
If you'd like to volunteer in Haiti...
The following organizations are either current partners of Merck or are members of Partnership for Quality Medical Donations (PQMD) and are seeking medical volunteers for their relief efforts in Haiti. However, if you know of other organizations that you think may qualify, please forward us information and we will let you know about their eligibility.
Partners In Health
+1 617-432-5256
http://standwithhaiti.org/
Project HOPE
Contact: M. Miriam Wardak540-837-9471
mwardak@projecthope.org
Catholic Medical Mission Board
http://www.cmmb.org/
Heart to Heart International
http://www.hearttoheart.org/
International Medical Corp
http://www.imcworldwide.org/
Be The Change International
Contact: Emily Riegel at emily@
http://www.
Monday, February 1, 2010
From Marlaine 2-1-10
2.1.10
Hello,
We pray this note finds you well! The past few days our hands have been really full and we are sorry that we were behind on the updates. Thank you so much for your patience! Daniel left for Jacmel on Friday and made it there safely . We were so blessed to find a private charter flight that to take him with supplies to Jacmel for free. His presence is a great comfort to everyone on the compound and he is trying his best to manage the difficult situation they all face. As you know, the needs are very intense and people feel hopeless. I am planning this week again to return to the DR to purchase more food and supplies. Our goal is to ship 200 bags of rice (110 lbs each) with the navy ship as well as other supplies like tarp and propane. More people are coming to the compound for food and supplies everyday and we want to meet those needs. I spoke with Edese yesterday (one boy in the homes) and he spoke about his one fear: that he will not be able to continue his education and make the difference he had wanted to make. Like some of our older kids, he had been in his first year of nursing school and we will need to figure out what the next step will be. Please keep Edese and the thousands of students whose schools have all collapsed!
Four kids from the homes: Judeline, Kenlove, Ermiline, and Aulain were on adoption process and flown to Canada on Saturday and united with their new families! Praise the Lord!
Thank you so much for your continued support and prayers!
God Bless,
Marlaine
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