FROM THE LA GONAVE PARTNERSHIP
January 15, 2010
This came in from Sandy Chai, of the La Gonâve Partnership, and a member of St. Andrew’s Anglican Parish in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Dear Family and Friends,
The following note was prepared primarily for our church, but I am sharing this with others as well because so many have contacted me about Haiti. Thank you and bless you!!!
The outpouring of your concern, prayers and earnest desire to help our brothers and sisters in Haiti in the wake of the earthquake has been overwhelming and a huge blessing. I have been prayerfully considering how we can respond that will have the greatest impact.
First let me explain what we are not doing and why. We will notorganize a relief team or ship physical supplies to Haiti. The reason for this is that anyone who travels to Haiti now and does not have disaster relief expertise and access to appropriate supplies and a way to connect people to in-country medical assistance and ongoing relief is actually just going to be a liability in the midst of the chaos and only become more of a problem than a blessing. In medicine we say, "First, do no harm." I think that applies here, too. Same issue for shipping supplies: we don't know what is appropriate and can't be certain that, after we pay the high cost of shipping, the infrastructure is even there for the supplies to get through.
Rather, I believe that the way we can be most helpful is to donate funds through experienced aid organizations that already have their boots on the ground in Haiti, are able to work effectively and simply need the funds to continue the good and desperately needed work they have already started. Therefore, I have prayerfully assembled the following list of aid organizations. I am including several, because different needs may appeal to different people. All of these have websites (listed) where you can find a link to donate specifically for the disaster in Haiti. Many of you may know of other organizations as well; this list is not comprehensive. The important thing is that we contribute as we are able and feel led.
Following the list, you will find an update of what I have learned regarding St. Andrew's friends in Haiti.
World Vision
Christian organization that has worked in Haiti for 30 years and have 370 staff people there. We see them at work, even out on La Gonâve, every time we go.
Episcopal Relief and Development
We partner in Haiti through the Episcopal Church and much of what we have learned about the situation there has come from our Episcopal contacts. The church has lost a lot in this disaster (see below) and will have a great deal of rebuilding to do, in addition to working to meet the immediate needs of quake victims.
MAP International
Christian organization that ships medical supplies to medical relief workers who are already on site
Doctors Without Borders
Humanitarian organization that is literally on the ground in Haiti because they lost some of their facilities to the quake. These folks are truly heroic!
Partners in Health
Dr. Paul Farmer's organization that is based in Cange but has expanded throughout much of the mainland. They work in cooperation with the Haitian government and are well-connected and organized.
Samaritan's Purse
Franklin Graham's organization that focuses on medical and relief work and, of course, Operation Christmas Child. They are fast relief responders and are well organized. Their first shipment of aid arrived the day after the quake.
Hosean International Ministries
Organization led by Pastor Caleb Lucien. A large ministry based in Pignon in the central plateau, but when disaster strikes, HIM moves quickly to help however possible. Caleb is well connected and works in cooperation with groups in Haiti and internationally. He and his people worked tirelessly when Gonaives was struck by the hurricanes of 2008.
Water Missions International
Christian organization that responds to disasters by bringing in portable water treatment equipment. These are the folks that the Rt. Rev. TJ Johnston is traveling with to Haiti.
Food for the Hungry
Christian organization that partners with 150 churches in Haiti. While they do have an emergency response unit, their ultimate focus is more long term.
St. Andrew's Church
8300 Kanis Rd.
Little Rock, AR 72204
I have deliberately put us at the bottom of the list, not because we don't welcome relief donations, but because we can't mobilize the funds as quickly as the organizations above. There is still a need for relief support through St. Andrew's, but it will address a different but related need (see The Future, below).
Update on St. Andrew's friends in Haiti:
1. La Gonâve Island: Reports are a bit conflicting. Some say no buildings fell; others report some damage. I have not heard of any structural damage to the Episcopal Church compound. There is a La Gonâve Partnership mission team (from Atlanta) there now--temporarily stranded but otherwise okay. They have mentioned no significant damage. No information about our sister church, but it is on the western end of the island and so was farther from the epicenter of the quake and is hopefully (prayerfully) okay. As for Beatitudes, the women's vocational program is based at the main Episcopal compound, where the above-mentioned mission team was staying. I am taking no mention of damage at the compound as being good news.
2. Père Soner, Priest-in-Charge of La Gonâve: was in Port-au-Prince with his wife and young kids when the quake struck but they are okay. They have made it out to La Gonâve, which is encouraging in terms of travel conditions (apparently not impossible). No word on the condition of their home.
3. Père Val, former Priest-in-Charge at La Gonâve and now stationed at Croix des Bouquets, just northeast of Port-au-Prince: He and his family are okay. Home is intact.
4. Episcopal Church on the mainland did not fare as well. The beautiful and historic Holy Trinity Cathedral in P-au-P was destroyed, along with its surrounding compound, including a large school and convent. I have not heard specifically about Holy Trinity Trade School but fear the worst. St. Vincent Hospital and School for Handicapped Children was lost. This is an unspeakable tragedy because it was a boarding school for these kids. No word on casualties, but there must have been many. Lord, have mercy. Holy Cross Hospital (large Episcopal hospital in Leogane, southwest of P-au-P) was destroyed. There were several others: College St. Pierre (Episcopal school that was the best school in P-au-P) was destroyed. The Episcopal Church at Grand Colline was lost. This must be the one associated with Frances Landers' ministry, Haiti Education Foundation, based in El Dorado, AR. If you wish to donate to the foundation, its website is www.haitifoundation.org. The bishop of Haiti, the Rt. Rev. Jean-Zache Duracin, is okay. His wife suffered an injured foot. Their home was destroyed.
The Future
Although La Gonâve was relatively spared by the quake, praise God, I am certain that the island will feel the economic "after shocks," as it does after any disaster on the mainland. Food and necessities will become scarce and even more expensive, and our brothers and sisters there may well need our help in the relatively near future. I have not requested that funds be specifically sent to St. Andrew's for acute relief because we can't get them there to in time to deal with the acute crisis. However, we would welcome them as a love offering to send to La Gonâve in the near future, when the need arises there. Just write Haiti Relief on the memo line.
As for our March mission trip, that is up in the air now. Given the situation, guttering in that time frame will be impossible. We await word from Père Soner regarding whether he believes we should still try to come and help in some other way, or if we should wait. We just want to be obedient to the Lord's will in this.
Again, thank you for all your prayers, e-mails, phone calls and concern. Please continue to keep Haiti in your prayers. Long after the media shifts its fleeting attention to other events, Haiti will need our help and prayers. The survivors will need water, food and shelter. The injured will need wound care and antibiotics for their dirty, infected wounds. The dead will need to be buried. Thousands will still be homeless. Supplies will remain scarce. Roads will remain broken. Rubble will remain unmoved. Infrastructure will remain inadequate. People will continue to reel in grief, trauma and suffering. The church will need strength and resources to reach out to this dark land with the only Light that can possibly make a difference.
Se selman Bondye ki kapab ede moun yo Ayiti. Li renmen yo anpil anpil. Li pa bliye yo. Ke nou tout renmen yo ak sonje yo tou.
It is only God who can help the people of Haiti. He loves them very much. He has not forgotten them. Let us all love them and remember them, too.
Peace and blessings,
Sandy Chai
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