Updates From Our Haiti Team

Thursday, February 2nd, 11:15am

       To continue to receive updates from the ground in Haiti please follow Scott Long on Twitter. His twitter name is Scott_Lng.

Sunday, January 17th, 2:00pm

All of our team members have been reunited with their families, and our plan is underway for delivering relief aid to the families of Haiti. Please donate to our Haiti Disaster Relief Fund, and check back with us soon for other ways you can serve the people of Haiti (or call us at 978-820-1190). Thanks for your desire to help.

 

Saturday, January 16th, 11:35pm

We're glad to report that our short-term team of volunteers is now safely back on U.S. soil! We were able to get the team boarded onto two Missionary Flights International planes leaving Haiti this morning. By 6:30pm, the entire team had landed in Florida and begun wending their way through various airports toward home. By noon-time tomorrow, everyone will be reunited with their families. Thank the Lord for the amazing team-work among mission organizations which made this possible.

Thank you, too, for your continuing prayer and support. Though our team has safely returned, the people of Haiti critically need assistance on a massive scale. Mission E4 is collecting funds for immediate disaster relief, construction of refuge camps with food, water and medical aid. More information will be forthcoming re: how to make a difference in this epic disaster that has struck our neighboring country. Please check back & click on "Disaster Relief in Haiti!" for that update.

 

January 15th, 8:53am

Text Message from Scott:

Haiti needs surgeons, doctors, and orthopedics. Amputations are needed on a massive scale in order to save lives. Another big need now is tents. Most of the population in the affected region is sleeping outdoors. If people cannot find an aid organization that is flying in aid at the moment, we will start collecting supplies to ship to Haiti as soon as possible.

People need to make some noise to get more government relief aid (& coordination with local mission agencies on the ground who know how to get the supplies to the locations where they are most needed). Every hour people are dying by the thousands. Maybe people could start calling congressmen and senators to get the aid that is needed for effective disaster relief in Haiti.

Mission E4 is collecting funds for immediate disaster relief, construction of refuge camps with food, water and medical aid.

 

Thursday, January 14, 2010 - 10:00pm

Everyone is still safe!

We believe the Lord has us here for such a time as this to help those in the most desperate need. We want to thank you all for praying. The southern half of Haiti is in total destruction. Our team spent yesterday and today tending to individuals whose bodies have been torn apart and broken from entire buildings falling on and around them. Yesterday we worked in a crowd of thousands waiting to receive medical care with no hope but a few of us with first aid kits and sheets torn into bandages. Today we worked in Leogane out of our clinic. We were so blessed to have a doctor working with us. The death toll is astronomical. 

Another part of our team worked to recover whatever we could from our Leogane school which had toppled to the ground killing two Haitians. The walls around our orphanage are down and the orphanage itself is not safe to reside in. Everyone is sleeping in the yard. We were able to put up tents today for them and begin the first stages of a temporary wall around the property made of wood and tin. In the midst of the trauma, salvage, and construction, we had team members who were also able to hold and play with the children that were there. All of the girls in our orphanage and the Bazile's family are alive. Pastor Minois is still missing his oldest son, who was in school in PAP. Pastor Mark is alive and well.

We have not even begun to be able to check on our school children yet. I am going to have to come back in a few weeks for that. Flights for our team are currently delayed until January 21-24. Our Mission E4 office has the exact information for each person. We are still going to try and get the team out earlier. We have three team members we are sending to Cape Haitian in the morning in attempt to get them out of the country sooner due to medical concerns.

We have water and food for our team; however, the expenses are adding up very quickly. Under normal conditions a team of this size costs us $1000 per day for food, transport and lodging. Yesterday it cost me $100 just to get a taxi from Leogane to the guest house by myself.

The emotional strain is trying on us all right now. We have all seen things this week no one should have to see in their lifetime. However, everyone has fixed their eyes first on Jesus and second on helping others. You would be proud of each member of our team. I know I am! They have already saved many lives who would not have made it, if not for our team. Hospitals in this country are virtually non-operational, all pharmacies are closed. In Leogane 90% of the buildings are down.

Please keep praying and please send financial aid. Tina from our office can direct you more in how to do this. Please call her at 978-820-1190 or give here, online.

In Christ,

Scott Long

 

Thursday, January 14, 2010 - 7:00am

We are pleased to report that our team in Haiti has survived Tuesday's earthquake. They are all well, and all together at the "Villa Ormiso" guest house operated by the mission agency OMS.

Regarding our Haitian pastors & the children we serve: In Leogane--Pastor & Madame Bazille and their orphan girls are all alive. The orphanage building, however, has sustained heavy damage. No word has been heard yet regarding Pastor Minois or Pastor Mark. Scott and team members hope to get out to Leogane today to assess the situation, make connections with those unreachable by phone, and assist in any way possible.

Though the team's anticipated Saturday flights have been cancelled, efforts are underway--both from Haiti and at our U.S. office--to arrange for their safe and soon return.

In the mean time, the team is aware that they are in Haiti "for such a time as this." They have been lending their help to all those in need around them, and estimate that at least 50 lives have been saved through their direct work.

Please keep them in prayer. Pray for their provision and for their strength. Pray for the peace of their families.

And please join them in their request that we "Just pray for the people (of Haiti) in the city."