Pastor Lloyd

Haiti Relief Effort - Update 1/21 10:30 PM

The situation in Haiti continues to develop day-to-day, even hour to hour.
Among the reports coming in from our team this evening:

*  Aid is beginning to reach areas like Jacmel that were not receiving assistance early this week.  However, there are widespread reports (and firsthand observations by our team) that much of the food and medicine being trucked in is being “diverted” and is not reaching everyone in need.  Our team had resources it arranged to be brought to one location “secured” in a warehouse and only after much effort were they able to obtain their own supplies.

*  The team’s mobility has been greatly enhanced by relationships formed with pilots helping them get around in small planes.  However, the number of people flying into small airports in Haiti from other countries has led to a crackdown at several airports including one our team was using that is now under the control of the Canadian army.

*  Prayer changes things!  One of our teams spent much of the day attempting to obtain and deliver surgical equipment and pain medication so a team of doctors could perform urgent amputations on more than forty patients.  From communication breakdowns, mechanical problems, misdirection, aftershocks, and attempts to confiscate the supplies, it seemed that the supplies would never arrive and the doctors would be forced to perform amputations with no pain medication and improvised tools.  With people around the world praying, however, the resources ultimately arrived just in time.

*  Attempts to identify a suitable location for a large-scale “basecamp” are progressing slowly.  Many buildings are obviously destroyed, and continuing aftershocks make the use of many remaining buildings unwise.  We may be looking at a “tent city” scenario.

*  Doctors and nurses are showing up throughout the country in increasing numbers, but most medical personnel our team has encountered are underutilized due to lack of logistical support and profound lack of surgical equipment and medicine.  ”Don’t send any more tylenol” was a comment made by more than one team member as they searched frantically for stronger pain medicine.

WHAT’S NEXT:
*  Over the next 72 hours we will be rotating personnel in and out of the country.  Two CCOB elders arrived today to get a download on contacts, resources, and other information from our first responders.  They will be joined by a team of eight people from three different CC’s on Saturday, including a surgeon and two combat medics.

The medical team will deploy to Jimani to assist at the refugee hospital there.  The rest of the team will is planning to focus on establishing a staging area for long-term ministry in Jacmel and the surrounding region.  We are in contact with a variety of CC-related ministries that are eager to come alongside once better infrastructure is established.

*  Nine of our eleven first responders will rotate back to the US on Saturday.  The remaining to (one from CCOB and one from Cornerstone CC) plan to remain for a week, continuing to minister and assisting with the transition.

*  As soon as we are able to expand our basecamp near Jimani we will be sending additional medical personnel; we are soliciting donations of surgical equipment, antibiotics, etc. to send with each person going down.

PRAYER:
Every conversation with our teams emphasized how clearly they see prayer playing a role in the ministry happening in Haiti.  From bringing dead radios back online to connections with planes and pilots to opening doors for supplies and in many many other ways, prayer is directly and dramatically fueling the ministry that is happening on the island.  Please continue to pray for open doors, for safety, for necessary supplies, for secure staging areas and basecamps, for travel mercy, for additional contacts w/ planes and pilots, and for the many other needs implicit in this update!