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Haiti Update

Cornwall Church has a medical mission team in Haiti July 9-20, 2010. Here are their daily updates as reported by team co-leader Jeff Larson.

July 17, 2010

Talked with Jeff last night. They were back to Kaliko and happy to be there. The team did well camping overnight with no major complications. Jeff sounded tired, but, doing well. They had another outstanding time of devotions on the point.

Today, they will return to Maranatha for the final time of this mission trip attend church and spend time after saying their goodbyes.

They will be spending tonight at Kaliko as well.

July 16, 2010

Jeff called an left a message late this afternoon from Maranatha. The team had just finished eating dinner in the new pavilion and they are all doing well. He said it was really comfortable in the pavilion after a hot day. They planned to show the Jesus Film to the kids tonight. (This is a wonderful presentation of the Gospel based upon the Book of Luke. The film was originally done thru Campus Crusade for Christ back in the 70s. It has been translated into many languages including Haitian Creole.)

Jeff said that they plan to set up the tents in the pavilion. Praise God the orphans will soon be up off the ground with their tents in the pavilion! It will be dry and much cleaner for them there until the new orphanage building is finished later this year.

So, that was all for his message. He sounded tired, but, very content. I could hear the kids in the background.

They plan to visit the other Maranatha villages tomorrow.

July 15, 2010

Just talked with Jeff from Hotel Jeffell in St. Marc. The team is all settled in there for the night. They enjoyed a good dinner of chicken, beans, rice, and spaghetti.

Today was the final day of clinic for the children. 180 orphans and Maranatha school kids now have had physicals and all have medical charts. They saw a few adults too. Jeff plans to do some limited vision screening of the orphans tomorrow.

Now that the clinic portion of the mission trip is over, they plan to start the vacation bible school tomorrow. This was a big hit with the kids last summer! They may go visit one of the other Maranatha villages tomorrow as well.

Work on the dinning pavilion continues. The roof is now 99% done. Jeff said he left the church where the clinic was being held today and walked down to the pavilionon at about 3pm. He said it was much cooler in the open sided pavilion with a nice breeze blowing through.

Prayer Requests:

-That everyone stay healthy after their first meal at Hotel Jeffell.

-That the team has stamina tomorrow as they stay in the heat all day and camp overnight at Maranatha.

-And, that they offer grace to one another when they are hot and tired.

-There is a little baby who has come for treatment with his/her mom. This baby was very listless. Everyone is concerned. Please pray for God's healing hand to allow this child to bounce back.

We had a pretty bad cell phone connection tonight, so, I missed some details. But, its Haiti!

Only 4 more days to go, please continue to keep them and their outreach in your prayers. It's making a big difference!

July 14, 2010

Today offered the team a chance to catch their breath. Morning devotions were "great" lasting 1 1/2 hours. Jeff said there was lots of transparency and sharing amongst the team.

Team members then had the option of staying at Kaliko to rest, relax, swim, or whatever they wanted. Or, they could head for the prison in St. Marc where they would minister to those in jail. 13 went to the jail. They distributed water, 500 fresh bread rolls, and about 150 bars of soap. There were opportunities to talk and pray with those behind bars which now total about 307 meaning there were 30-31 in each cell.

They stopped at Hotel Jeffell in St. Marc and talked with the owner. He apologized for not being able to accommodate the team on Monday and said that they now have a new generator. Praise God, as Kaliko was sold out for tomorrow night! So, the team plans to spend tomorrow night at Hotel Jeffell and Friday night camping at Maranatha.

Answered Prayers: LaWanda's backpack was found! Jeff asked team members to check just one more time and it was found in a room that 4 are sharing. They all thought that the bag belonged to someone else staying in the room!

Joseph, one of the clinic interpreters had been out of touch with a very closed friend, more like his brother, for 2 years and feared that he had died in the earthquake. Out of the blue today, he called. Joseph was overjoyed and praised God.

Bill's back is much better today!

Accommodations provided for tomorrow night!

Prayer requests:

Please pray that the accommodations and food are good for the team at Hotel Jeffell so that they can all continue to stay healthy.

Continue to praise God for provision and answered prayers.

Tomorrow, they plan to offer the third day of clinics for the children.

July 13, 2010

I called Jeff tonight just as the team was finishing devotions on the point. They had another great day.

The clinic, which all team members are helping with, saw 66 school kids and their brothers and sisters today. In order to see that many children, it is "an all hands on deck" effort as the kids rotate thru the various health screening stations. Today was the second day of clinic hosted at Maranatha Terre Noire. What an amazing blessing this team has already been to the children!

The orphanage rebuild project continues. Jeff reported that the roof over the dinning pavillion is now 1/2 complete. He is hoping that it will be finished before the team leaves. Work to the new orphanage building continues as well.

Eight team members rode back to Kaliko in their hired Haitian Tap Tap. The rest rode in their (2) rented suvs. Jeff said there was a downpour and everyone in the Tap Tap enjoyed an early shower. It felt great as it was very hot again today and the team worked right into the heat of the day finishing the clinic at 5pm. Everyone is drinking lots of water and remaining healthy. Praise God! There have been a couple cases of travelers illness (Haitian Happiness), but, they have bounced right back the next day.

Prayer Requests:

Bill's back is bothering him. Please pray for it to heal.

One team member thought she put her back pack into the suv before boarding the tap tap for the ride home. It is currently missing. Please pray that it can be located as it contains her passport.

Answered Prayers:

Despite their rooms being unavailable at Hotel Jeffell yesterday, God provided rooms until Thursday morning at Kaliko. They plan to stop at Hotel Jeffell tomorrow to see if the generator has been fixed yet.

Devotions have been very meaningful as everyone is engaged and fully participating.

So, another encouraging, important day of outreach for this team and all that they came into contact with. Please continue to keep them in your prayers.

July 12, 2010

I talked with Jeff tonight. All is well and the team is fine.

They had their first really challenging day when they checked out of Kaliko and traveled to Hotel Jeffell in St Marc. They were told there would be no rooms for them there as the hotel's generator was not working. The team accepted this in stride and moved on to Maranatha. God had another plan for the team and they were able to call Cornwall's friends at Kaliko and return there tonight. They plan to stay there until Thursday morning.

The clinic for the orphans was very sucessful. They were all given physicals and watched the Jesus Film (children's version) while they were waiting. The kids ask about many old friends from past mission teams. One team member who first visited Maranatha 6 years ago was taken by the good health and growth of the teen-age orphans. She said the sponsorship program has been such a blessing to these children.

One team member had her birthday today. Joselin, a staff member at Kaliko sang happy birthday to her. Another missionary group staying at Kaliko soon joined in. It was a very special birthday for her.

Again, the team is doing well. Despite the challenges today, they were all finding peace in different situations.

Pray requests:

For the team to continue to stay healthy. It was 100-101deg today with a heat index of 112deg.

For God to continue to work in each team member.

For the clinic to be able to see and serve all who need care and physicals tomorrow.

They plan to continue doing the children's physicals tomorrow starting with the Maranatha Terre Noire school children.

Please continue to keep the team in your prayers.

July 11, 2010

Just got off the phone with Jeff. They had a good first day at Maranatha arriving for church this morning and staying until about 3pm. The kids, Esther, and Pastor Roger are all well and were very happy to see the team!

It is hot there and they are making sure everyone drinks lots of water.

Jeff said there was a thunderstorm just after singing "Open the Eyes of My Heart" at devotions this evening. They moved under the cabana on the point to finish devotions.

They worked on setting up for the first day of clinic which will be held in the church tomorrow. The 44 Maranatha orphans will receive their physicals from the medical team.

Prayer requests:

Good health for all team members.

Start of the clinic tomorrow

And, the team will move from the Kaliko to Hotel Jeffell tomorrow which is in St. Marc and only about 20 minutes away from Maranatha. They will be staying there for the next four nights.

Orphanage Rebuild Update, May 13, 2010

Following the incredible Easter offering, an Orphanage Rebuild Team has been formed to expediantly work toward having an orphanage that meets the needs of Maranatha, Cornwall's partner ministry in Haiti. Five members of that team are in Haiti from May 12-18, 2010 to meet with our ministry partners and potential construction contractor(s). The team's goal is to clearly communicate a design and desired timetable so an accurate bid can be made.

The hope is to have an opportunity for Cornwall to be directly involved with the construction of the orphanage. The team in Haiti is looking into that possibility and will return with information about the viability and what that might look like.

In the meantime, a structure has been started that will provide an interim housing solution. The structure might best be described as a pavillion - a covered area built atop the old orphanage slab enclosed by a short wall around the perimeter. This open air pavillion will ultimately serve as a dining location for the hundreds of children who attend school on site. The pavillion is being outfitted with cooking / kitchen facilities and storage. In addition to being a viable interim housing solution for the orphans, it will be a great addition to the Maranatha ministry for years to come as the hub for cooking and dining. While in Haiti, the team will be able to assess the progress of this structure.

Robin Wilson

On Easter 2010, in spite of the economic downturn, and in great faith, CornwallChurch again chose to give it all away for a good cause. Every dollar given that weekend will be used to rebuild Maranatha Orphanage!

Cornwall intentionally chose to give all of its Easter offering away because Easter is one of the highest attended services of the year. Simply put: more people means more money for the cause (not the church). The outpouring of compassion and generosity from Cornwall’s staff and attendees was tremendous. Over the course of six days $148,821.33 was collected! This amount will go a long way toward giving the orphans a new home.

A huge thanks to everyone who gave on Easter weekend, and to CornwallChurch for donating it all to Maranatha!

Robin Wilson

It’s 8:30 AM. Morning devotions have just been completed. The 350 primary school students at Maranatha settle into their respective classrooms. Some move into the pole building, and others into two smaller classrooms. Four classes remain in the church. Every building on the property, with the exception of Esther’s office and a couple of storage rooms, is now filled to capacity. School begins.

But there are some who are not inside the classrooms. Ezechiel, Cassandra, Sergilles, and several other orphans are secondary school students. For these kids, class doesn’t start until noon.

While the younger kids are in school, these older ones do their morning grooming and work on their chores. They also do their homework.

But where can they go to get out of the sun? During the day the tents are too hot. The orphanage building that used to provide a cool retreat on the inside and a few feet of shade on the outside is no longer there. Can Ezechiel perhaps find some filtered shade under a tree? Where will Cassandra go if it rains? How will Sergilles keep his school work dry?

Laura Martin

Are our brothers and sisters in Christ living at Maranatha with dignity? What does living with dignity look like? I left Haiti being challenged to answer these questions.

After a full day of travel from Haiti to WashingtonState, I returned home to a house safely secured with locking windows and doors that protected my precious loved ones as they slept soundly, each in his own warm bed. I returned to a kitchen with a stocked pantry and refrigerator. With the flick of a switch I had light to find my way safely through the house to a full bathroom stocked with toilet paper and soap. The next morning each member of my family had his own bowl and spoon to eat with, soap and hot water to wash with, and a selection of untattered, well-fitting clothes and shoes to choose from.

Then my heart broke. Clifode, Ashlet, Querene, Shedly, Sergilles, Ezechial, Fanise, Krystal, Marielle…What were they waking up to? These precious children, created by God and loved by Him; children who are relationally or economically orphaned; children who are living on a compound in the Terre Noire Valley in Haiti at an orphanage called Maranatha; children who depend upon Cornwall Church to fulfill the God-given purpose of its ministry partnership with Maranatha: to love, care for and provide a better future for orphans: What were they experiencing? These and the other orphans woke up at 5 am to begin getting ready for the day. They searched through piles of clothes and shoes to find something that fit. Then they had to pack up and move out, so they could reset the classrooms for school classes that started at 7 am. When they sat down for breakfast, this family of 39 orphans ate in shifts because there wasn’t enough room for all at the one table they have, nor enough plates/bowls and eating utensils for everyone. Their meal was cooked humbly by two cooks over a charcoal fire behind the pole building.

The disparities are numerous between life in America and life in Haiti. Our friends at Maranatha are waiting patiently upon the Lord for a better life, a life of dignity with purpose. What will we do to help them attain it?

Robin Wilson

Tents, tents, and more tents. Not spread out as they’d be in a campground, but butted end to end. In all colors and in all shapes and sizes. They fill the parks and courtyards in Port-au-Prince and dot the landscape in the remote countryside. One can even spot an occasional tent in the streets. Sadly, refugees yet to receive donated tents try to find privacy and protection from the sun in make-shift shelters made of cardboard, bed sheets, tarps, or tin.

Regardless of the relative sturdiness of their shelters, the residents of these tent cities endure many hardships. They live among strangers and are dependent upon others to provide for their most basic needs. They make do with limited water and with donated food. They live in the dirt and have little access to proper sanitation. When the weather is dry, they choke on the dust from the ground or the powdered remnants of earthquake-damaged buildings. When it rains, their tents will likely offer them little protection from the rain and mud.

The tents at Maranatha are now large, white; canvas ones, crowded together, their ropes overlapping. They are occupied by the orphans and also by strangers from Port-au-Prince who have sought refuge on the grounds. Everyone is living together in the dirt, choking together on the dust from the demolished orphanage building, cooking and eating outside. Clean water is in short supply. Hand washing facilities are non-existent, and toilet facilities are inadequate. What will life be like for them when it rains?

Laura Martin

The scene in Haiti two months after the 7.0 earthquake: Demolished building

s, piles of debris, and rubble abound. Haitians walk the city streets with unexpected calm although they have no place to call home. Their temporary dwellings are tents, or else make-shift shelters made up of bed sheets, tarps, tin, plastic, or cardboard scraps that have been draped over limbs from trees or bushes. The ground they live on is raw, and the tropical climate is harsh.

Humanitarian efforts are accomplishing much as it pertains to food, water and medicine. But who will help the people rebuild what they’ve lost: their shelters from the storm, the places their hearts called home, where they and their families served the Lord? And when will Maranatha’s orphans again have a building to call home?

Jeff Larson

Several of the younger kids had been fighting 24hour fevers the first few days of our trip to Maranatha. This day it was Edline who was ill. I saw her standing under the trees behind the orphanage. Alone and hurting. Not the smiling, wide eyed little girl who had latched on to me a year before. I picked her up and held her for several minutes. When she fell asleep, I looked for someone to take her to a place of rest until it was time for another dose of Tylenol. Last summer, that would have been on a bed in the orphanage. Complete with a mattress and frame, with a door to close and a quiet place to sleep. Now, after the earthquake, most of the kids were sleeping in the 2 small classrooms behind Esther’s office. Thirty-five refugees were sleeping in the church building, so that was not an option. Fortunately, it was the time between primary and secondary classes, so Edline’s “bedroom” was available. While I held her, Shedly made a “bed” for Edline to rest on. The bed? Two pieces of cardboard on the floor with wadded up clothing for a pillow. This was the reality post earthquake. Every school day started with the orphans converting their bedrooms to classrooms, the bed frames from the orphanage building sit outside under the basketball hoop, unused. You can see video of the daily setup on Maranatha’s facebook page, Heart for Haiti.

Thanks be to God, several tents were donated to Maranatha for shelter! Art and Cyndy Berry delivered them from Port au Prince. Several tents were erected before we left Haiti, allowing the orphans and several of the refugees to have a “home” they could sleep in without having to pack up daily. And 30 mattresses were donated as well, allowing the kids to sleep on something other than the ground or cardboard. The joy on the faces of the kids was obvious as they helped put up the tents they would soon call home. This also can be seen on the facebook page.

But the questions still remained as we returned to the states. What happens when the rainy season begins? Will the tents hold up? Will the kids have to return to using the classrooms as bedrooms? Will a temporary building be erected that can serve as dorm rooms until permanent structures can be built? Keep the kids in your prayers.

BELOW ARE UPDATES FROM POST EARTHQUAKE:

Saturday, February 6, 2010

As of Monday, February 1st, contributions to Cornwall’s Haiti earthquake relief fund totaled $31,949.58! Thanks so much for your generosity! Some of those funds have already been distributed to help meet immediate needs such as food, water, and clothing in our ministry areas and even beyond. Decisions are still being made as to how best to use the balance. At least some of the funds will likely be directed toward long-term recovery efforts, such as replacing the damaged orphanage building, as it has become clear that it is unsafe for the children. If you have would like to have a part in these relief efforts but have not yet contributed, it’s not too late!

In a previous report we mentioned that plans were in the works to get emergency cash and supplies to Maranatha. On Sunday, January 24th, Jason Torgeson (Cornwall's Go and Be Director) and Doug Weibe (veteran Cornwall mission trip leader) flew to the Dominican Republic, where they were able to purchase approximately $8000 worth of supplies. They loaded these supplies, along with other items they had brought from the US, into a large truck and set out on a 17 hour journey across the border into Haiti and then north to Maranatha. These supplies included rice, beans, cooking oil, pasta and sauce, bottled water, clothing, blankets, water purification tablets, diesel fuel, medicines, and tents. Most of the supplies were left at Maranatha for the orphans, the school children in the 4 villages in Cornwall’s ministry area, and the 25 refugees still living in the church in Terre Noire. Esther was also given some cash to cover other expenses. This food and cash should be sufficient to provide for the immediate needs in our ministry areas at least through the month of February.

In addition to the supplies left at Maranatha, a small portion of the food and medicine was donated to a pastor in the city of Gonaives to help the needy in his church. Another portion was given to Buteau to feed and care for the refugees at a camp he has set up near his home in Lenzak. Buteau was also given some rice and beans for his own family, as he had been donating such food as he had been able to obtain to the refugees rather than taking any for his own needs.

The food and other supplies were both greatly needed and gratefully received. But now that the Haitian banking system, shut down for several weeks by the earthquake, is operating again, we anticipate being able to send additional funds by wire.

Friday, January 22, 2010

God is answering our prayers! Glow Ministries, another missions agency in Haiti, was able to deliver 10 cases of meal packets to Maranatha yesterday! This is enough food for about 2000 meals. They were also able to deliver a modest amount of cash with which Esther, the director of the orphanage, was able to purchase rice and beans.

A second contact may be able to deliver water and some additional food this afternoon. Other potential plans are in the works to get cash and supplies to Maranatha for the longer term. Please continue to pray for the success of these plans, as doors continue to open and close from one minute to the next.

We were able to speak with both our interpreter (Buteau) and Esther this morning. The kids are all fine. They could be heard laughing and playing in the background. Buteau and Esther were greatly encouraged by the arrival of this initial relief. Buteau sends his greetings to everyone at Cornwall.

Update on the status at Terre Noire: The orphanage building has been emptied of everything, as it is not safe for use for any purpose. The church/school building in Terre Noire received only a few minor cracks in the walls. It continues to house 35 refugees from Port-au-Prince. Roger’s and Esther’s offices were not damaged. The well continues to yield only about 50 gallons of drinking water each day.

Update on the status of the villages: Everyone in Bertrand, Pont Sonde, and Timonet is okay. Some houses did come down in Bertrand and Pont Sonde, but we do not know if they belonged to the families of any of our Maranatha school children. The church/school in Pont Sonde is fine, but the condition of the school buildings in Bertrand and Timonet is unknown at this point. Esther is hoping to deliver some food to Bertrand, Timonet, and Pont Sonde, so perhaps we will be able to get a clearer picture of the conditions in the villages soon.

Please pray:

-For wisdom for Esther as she balances the needs of the children, the refugees, the neighbors, and the rest of the community.

-For the general situation in Haiti.

-For successful delivery of cash and/or supplies for Maranatha.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Praise God! $7694.44 was collected for Haiti at last weekend’s services! Donations are still being accepted.

There was a 6.1 magnitude aftershock early this morning, but, thanks to God, we were able to speak to Buteau, and everyone at Maranatha is okay!

The word at Maranatha yesterday was that in order to provide some separation from the refugees, the kids were being moved out of the church building and into tents stored there for use by Cornwall teams. They continue to be in good health.

We continue to look for a way to get much-needed funds and supplies to the orphanage, as the bank in St. Marc still has not opened. Please continue to pray for ALL the needs there. Buteau says that while they appreciate the money, the most important thing that we can all do as a church family is pray. There are many things that money cannot buy there now.

Monday, January 18, 2010

We were able to reach Buteau, our interpreter, again this morning and learned that he visited Maranatha yesterday. Here’s what he was able to share regarding conditions there:

As previously reported, everyone at the orphanage is safe and healthy. However, the orphanage building was damaged in the earthquake. There are significant cracks in all the walls, and Esther does not consider it safe for the children to sleep there. They have been sleeping in the church building, instead. As of yesterday there were also 25 refugees from Port-au-Prince staying in the church. Ten more were added to that number this morning. Food supplies at the orphanage are very low, and our well has been producing only 10 buckets/day of drinking water (50 gallons) since the quake. At present they do have some water remaining in the cistern that they can use for washing and cooking.

In spite of the difficulties, Esther is doing her best to feed the kids and those who have come to Maranatha for refuge and help. With the banks still closed and Esther without cash to buy food, we are currently working on a way to get her some much-needed funds. Please pray that we’ll be successful in this!

Cornwall and those who sponsor children through Cornwall are the sole supporters of Maranatha Orphanage in Terre Noire and the Maranatha Schools in our partnering villages of Pont Sonde, Bertrand, and Timonet. We have not yet received word regarding the status in the villages, but please pray for the funds needed to help these communities, as well as to help the orphanage.
Praise God for a piece of good news: Pastor Roger’s kids are out of Port-au-Prince and doing okay. The leg injuries sustained by his son was not a major one!

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Praise God that this morning we were finally able to get in contact with Buteau, our Haitian interpreter at Maranatha (Cornwall's partner church in Haiti)! He had spoken with Esther, Maranatha’s Orphanage Director, on Wednesday, and found there were no injuries at Maranatha. Buteau, his wife, Gertrude, and son, Wedsen, are also OK. However, Buteau himself was distraught. He went to Port-au-Prince immediately following the Tuesday earthquake to find that he had lost 6 relatives, maybe more. Pastor Roger of Maranatha Church had 3 children attending school in Port-au-Prince. Buteau has heard that they are okay, although he believes one is in the hospital with injuries.

Conditions at Maranatha and in the nearby city of St. Marc have become very difficult. The price of rice, the main staple of the Haitian diet, has risen by 50% already. Gas, where it is available, is $12-$20/gallon (US). There are few tap-taps (the Haitian transportation system) operating, but those that are running are overflowing with people fleeing Port-au-Prince. Banks are closed, making cash unavailable. And communication is still an issue. This is more than likely presenting some huge challenges for Maranatha, as the orphanage was said to already be low on food.

Our Maranatha Leadership Team is in constant communication with one another assessing the very latest information. The team is discussing and praying together about ways we can be helping our partner church. Many hurdles still exist that make aid very challenging, but our Maranatha team is thinking very creatively and is in constant pursuit of ways to help.

Here is an updated prayer list based on today’s conversation with Buteau.
- For those affiliated with Maranatha who have lost loved ones or who are trying to get help for injured relatives or friends
- For a current and ongoing updates from Maranatha
- For Maranatha’s needs for food, fuel, and transportation
- For a means to get much-needed cash to the orphanage (with banks being closed it’s tough to get funds on hand to Maranatha)

Friday, January 15, 2010

Cornwall continues to make efforts to get a direct report on how our partner ministry in Haiti, Marantha is doing. Still no direct contact has been made. Contact has been made with friends we’ve met over the years while serving in Haiti and a young man is willing to make efforts to go check on Maranatha. Please be praying for Jude as he tries to help Cornwall be in touch with Maranatha. We can also be praying for possible food shortages as food comes to the northern part of Haiti (where Maranatha is located) via Port-au-Prince. Certainly initial relief efforts are fully aware of this. Adding our prayers to the quick re-establishment of flow of resources to the Maranatha area are most definately in order.

Seeing situations like this, watching news coverage, certainly births a call to action. We want to be there working, helping and being the hands and feet of Christ. What we have to remember is, at this point, our prayers really are the best way to respond. As more information is gathered and as the a conduit for relief is created, our church body will better know how we can help in ways additional to our prayers. The question is not if we will help, but when and how.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

The heart of our mission team scheduled to leave Saturday, January 16 (and commissioned at this past weekend's worship service) is to serve in Haiti right now. For now, the team's trip needs to be postponed. It is a tough decision since so much is needed in Haiti right now. It takes lots of supplies to support a team and at this point those are in short supply. Access to vehicles, gas, water and food are needed for the team to minister effectively. As of now, those are scarce commodities. Additionally, the safety of teams going to any destination from Cornwall is paramont. Part of the uncertainty in Haiti surrounds issues of safety as well, and this is presently a factor. The heart to serve will prevail in the end, this is only a delay. Specifically when the team will go is yet unknown. Please continue to pray for the people in Haiti (specific prayer ideas are listed below). We have still not been able to speak directly with Maranatha, our partner church in the northern part of Haiti. As soon as we do, an updated will be posted here.

Today's Bellingham Herald has an article on Whatcom County's response to Haiti, including the story of our medical team. Check it out at: http://m.apnews.com/ap/db_15980/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=urE9elOV

If you have been on a Cornwall Haiti mission trip before, you no doubt have questions about the people and places you experienced on your trip. Our relational connection as a church is most directly with Maranatha, but we benefit from a community of ministries working together in service with Haitians. Listed below are updates that we have received about some of those people and places you may know if you have been on a Cornwall trip to Haiti. If you haven’t been on a trip, this will serve to give you a picture of things that may not be on the news stations. Praise God, there is some good news coming from Haiti!

We received word yesterday that the kids at New Life Children’s Home are fine! (This is the orphanage next to the airport in Port-au-Prince where our teams often stay at the beginning or end of a trip, also referred to as “Sam’s” or “World Harvest.”) Most of the walls surrounding the complex are down, and ¼ or the roof of the church building has fallen in. Everyone, including a visiting team, slept on mattresses outside in the courtyard on Tuesday night.

Tom Osbeck’s neighborhood on the north side of Port-au-Prince is devastated. Tom, himself, is fine. Tom’s son, Roger, was inside a school building when it collapsed, and he was injured, but he made it home safely. At last report, Tom’s sons Jony, Manel and Claismay were still unaccounted for. Tom’s houses are standing, but he and the boys have been sleeping outside since the quake. Tom is aware of some loss of life in his ministry areas, although he has not yet been able to visit all of them. In one of “his” villages (Source Matles) virtually 100% of the people have been left homeless. The garbage dump people of Merjay, however, are doing fine. No injuries or structural damage there.

The Kaliko Hotel (where teams stay for part of their trip) and the surrounding neighborhood are reportedly okay.

Chris Rollings (of Clean Water for Haiti) and family are fine, as is their home near Pierre Payen.

According to Terry Snow at YWAM in St. Marc, things in that city look good. Damage at the YWAM complex seemed to be limited to a bit of plaster shaking loose from a wall.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

You are likely aware that Cornwall Church has a partner church in Haiti called Maranatha. The ministry includes an orphanage, school and feeding program. Yesterday’s earthquake raises all kinds of questions. Our Maranatha team has been working diligently to get through to contacts in Haiti, but the phones are either down or over extended. Reports from areas north of Port-au-Prince (Maranatha is north as well) indicate that those areas incurred less significant damage than what has been seen in Port-au-Prince. However, until we receive confirmation that is the case, we need to keep praying.

Our medical team (commissioned last weekend), scheduled to leave Saturday, January 16 will not know if they will be still going until 24-48 hours before departure. There are many factors that go into that decision. Until we get concrete word from our partners in Haiti specific response is tough to plan. As information about Maranatha and Cornwall’s response becomes available, it will be posted to the Cornwall Church web site, just click Haiti Response. Based on current information, here are answers to the most common questions…

What can we do right now?

· Stop what you are doing at 6:30pm today and wherever you are, pray for a Haiti. This is called fixed hour prayer. Each of us in our own locations praying for Haiti and Maranatha will be a tremendous and appropriate response.

· Invite your small group to pray as you meet.

· Pray at your dinner table as a family.

How can I pray?

· Wisdom for Pastor Roger and Orphanage Director Esther at Maranatha

· Peace for the Maranatha orphans who may be scared and worried about what has happened

· Physical strength for first responders and medical providers

· Christ to triumph in a culture that is filled with voodoo and other cultic activity

· Clear direction from God on how Cornwall can best respond to the needs in Haiti

· Ministries, nonprofits and orphanages in Port-au-Prince, where the most devastating impact has been reported.

Can I contribute to a relief fund?

Specific information about financial contributions for Haiti will be shared at this weekend’s worship service.

Will future relief mission trips be planned?

Fortunately the team scheduled for Saturday has been poised and ready to go for months. Additional trips geared toward relief are possible as well. First we need to discover if a team is able to get into Haiti and move around in Haiti. Our current team will be invaluable in paving the way for future relief.

Thanks for your prayers and concern. The Cornwall web site will have additional postings as information becomes available.

Monday, January 18, 2010

We were able to reach Buteau, our interpreter, again this morning and learned that he visited Maranatha yesterday. Here’s what he was able to share regarding conditions there:

As previously reported, everyone at the orphanage is safe and healthy. However, the orphanage building was damaged in the earthquake. There are significant cracks in all the walls, and Esther does not consider it safe for the children to sleep there. They have been sleeping in the church building, instead. As of yesterday there were also 25 refugees from Port-au-Prince staying in the church. Ten more were added to that number this morning. Food supplies at the orphanage are very low, and our well has been producing only 10 buckets/day of drinking water (50 gallons) since the quake. At present they do have some water remaining in the cistern that they can use for washing and cooking.

In spite of the difficulties, Esther is doing her best to feed the kids and those who have come to Maranatha for refuge and help. With the banks still closed and Esther without cash to buy food, we are currently working on a way to get her some much-needed funds. Please pray that we’ll be successful in this!

Cornwall and those who sponsor children through Cornwall are the sole supporters of Maranatha Orphanage in Terre Noire and the Maranatha Schools in our partnering villages of Pont Sonde, Bertrand, and Timonet. We have not yet received word regarding the status in the villages, but please pray for the funds needed to help these communities, as well as to help the orphanage.

Praise God for a piece of good news: Pastor Roger’s kids are out of Port-au-Prince and doing okay. The leg injuries sustained by his son was not a major one!

Are our brothers and sisters in Christ living at Maranatha with dignity? What does living with dignity look like? I left Haiti being challenged to answer these questions.

After a full day of travel from Haiti to Washington State, I returned home to a house safely secured with locking windows and doors that protected my precious loved ones as they slept soundly, each in his own warm bed. I returned to a kitchen with a stocked pantry and refrigerator. With the flick of a switch I had light to find my way safely through the house to a full bathroom stocked with toilet paper and soap. The next morning each member of my family had his own bowl and spoon to eat with, soap and hot water to wash with, and a selection of untattered, well-fitting clothes and shoes to choose from.

Cornwall’s Maranatha team takes a trip to Haiti annually to visit the orphanage. Below are some of their observations during the trip to give you an idea of the current situation in Haiti post earthquake. We will be updating this as we receive more information, so be sure to check back.

Laura Martin

But there are some who are not inside the classrooms. Ezechiel, Cassandra, Sergilles, and several other orphans are secondary school students. For these kids, class doesn’t start until noon.

While the younger kids are in school, these older ones do their morning grooming and work on their chores. They also do their homework.

A huge thanks to everyone who gave on Easter weekend, and to CornwallChurch for donating it all to Maranatha!