Luke's Mission-serving the Lord in Haiti

 Wednesday May 26, 2010

We are returning to Haiti for the purposes of seeing with our own eyes what has happened in the last 4 months-reluectant to use the word progress here but hope something positive has happened-to evaluate the  situation of those affiliated with Luke’s Mission and help with further strategic planning for them and our projects. 

We arrived today to find that portions of the airport had been completely rebuilt with modern structures like jetways which didn’t exist prior to the earthquake.  I suspect these things happened due ot the large influx of people needing to use the airport to bring in relief workers and supplies.  We had to take a large modern bus like other airports in the US have to the transitional baggage claim area which was an old hanger which had been converted for this purpose.  The baggage claim area was as chaotic as it ever has been and customs was no problem getting through.  So some new things, some others that are temporary but all in all a workable system. 

The  traffic seemed what we expected but we didn’t even need to leave the airport to see the tent camps that are now located all over the city to house the 1.5 million displaced people in Port au Prince.  Right across the street from the airport was a large one.  As we left the airport they seemed to be in every open area that was available without rubble or buildings on it.  Many make shift tents with rudimentary wooden structures surorunded by tarps like this one–

tens of thousands of these are everywhere on Port au Prince

“Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way  and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.”  Psalms 46:2 

Earthquake Relief Advisory Board Members

Mary Lynn Vandeventer, Mike Eyster, Barb Eyster,  Matt Clawson, Sabrina Clawson

April Newsletter-Rainy Season begins in Haiti; We lost everything-interview with Sr. Carmelle in Fondwa.  click on the link below. 

http://campaign.constantcontact.com/render?v=001907B4yRClb82fN8M5HbLRrzRaaifRIXpZupnkt7VPsWIUtgYQ0_pgJL57BiLfdKTfdTaM8Y3u9SiT4lCJIDlbYDB8CgbLgydnU-w0D1iJOgFo2ePq-R22gBK4h5oidmBt4GU0D_90xA6Tu5ACKt0aOF9QRWxoMDMrvH5REzsVeqKzYibHNRkQoPv7RoWDvxriv0xNVdM7g_mZ6HtpOqXjpFNKgBxtLRpfYxpKorsveIsQFZwTQcz7pTHBmv4PAznMOO2LNoskwmAPESn_NBVzGJmgxwFY3RLZvkuSDVfwcfxLPicvnFdZCLPY-2AD5geucBwSJFqac0%3D

 EARTHQUAKE DISASTER RELIEF TRIP BLOG JANUARY 18-28, 2010

Walls Guest House BEFORE

Walls Guest House AFTER copyright Luke's Mission 2010

Walls guest house from the pool wall-copyright Luke's Mission 2010 may not be used without permission

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Pictures from Petionville Community Hospital and Ti Frere e Sere’s (Little brothers and sisters) Childrens Hospital January 18-26, 2010

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January 17, 2010

We praise God for some good news yesterday heard directly from the following people.  New info in RED
  
Dr. Romel–alive his wife Fregga and parents-located and unharmed but homeless

 Emmanuel-alive but lost loved ones and his father seriously injured Frankie and Sonel his brothers alive and well-we spoke by cell phone last night all homeless
Eddy Petit Homme-translator/friend-alive-heard via email from him-he is devastated by the loss of his best friend Body
Lex Edme-ministry partner at Mission of Hope-survived the earthquake but was seriously injured yesterday in a motorcycle accident with a head injury, severe cut to this leg and was unconscious being tended to by the UN. Please pray Ministry needs to nearly completely rebuild
Pastor Jean Revil Belbede christian church-alvie and living in Mirabalais with family now
Edmund Franz-medical student in PAP-alive with a broken leg-assume he is recieving treatment for this-school on hold for the foreseeable future

 Jule Remy-translator/friend-alive

 Boslo Suffrant-translator and friend confirmed deceased
Baby Jude-fondwa-confirmed deceased-see picture on our website
Sr. Oudel-Fondwa confirmed deceased-please read about her and the others who have lost their lives on the home page of this website:

Please continue to pray for the families of the dead that we know and other and those we still are looking for information on.  We are happy that some email and cell phone contact has been established. 
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Some reflections
 
Those of you who know me well know I am a writer.  So  I have decided this might be the time to put some of my thoughts down.  

As I write this, I am drinking coffee that I purchased at the Caribean Market in Haiti only 7 weeks ago.  I saw pictures of the CM on CNN last night completely destroyed as a search and rescue team was still trying to get someone they thought was alive out of the rubble.  I saw yesterday a reporter who said Leogane is 90% destroyed with 4300 already dead in a mass grave. That thought sickens me. We have been there many times.  These kind of things prevent me from watching the TV too much.  We know these places, we know these people. 
 
What am I feeling my pastor asked yesterday?  The best I can say is Overwhelmed–on many levels. 
 
We met with our Haiti Mission team last night for our regularly scheduled team meeting.  We showed them pictures of the BEFORE and AFTER of Mission of Hope where we will travel in September.  It was eerie that I had taken nearly identical views as Renee-our mission partner- did in some of her pictures sent to us after the earthquake.  None of their buildings are useable and everything in their compound and homewill need to be rebuilt. 
 
I found myself overwhelmed as I tried helped this team of people try their best to get an understanding of a situation that I-someone who understands Haiti very well-cannot even begin to grasp.  I remember on Wednesday morning someone asking me what the impact of this would be and my response even then was-I cannot imagine in my mind how this would play itself out.  I wasn’t just talking about the devastation, but what would this do to the future of Haiti.  To rebuild an area the size of the Triangle here in NC from ground zero is an undertaking that is enormous-even here with all of the resources and a functional government.  I couldn’t then and still can’t now imagine how this will happen in Haiti–and how long it will take.
 
I am overwhelmed as well with the outpouring of support and desire for assistance.  The love and support from my many friends at work, in my church, my hair stylist and in this community who have offered their love and prayers not just for my beloved Haitian people but for me are overwhelming.  I am truly sustained and my sense of helpness is something that I can better deal with because of their overwhelming response. 
 
I am overhwhelmed by my churches response to this crisis.  Within 24 hours, they had supported us in doing a prayer vigil, had a list of “ingredients” for hygiene packs requested from the denomination that was being sent this week for people to do if they desired, addressed peoples desires to give by providing them with the needed information on reliable NGO’s to donate to, met as a group and decided to divert funds from an upcoming fund raiser to Haiti. and posted what people could do on their website and via church email communication. 
 
I am over whelmed at our SS class who took up an offering in SS yesteday and handed Shelia $962 for relief for Luke’s Mission-spontaneously given.  One women even indicated that she didn’t have her check book with her and put an IOU in the offering basket.  I was overwhelmed as I entered church yesterday and one woman came up to me and quietly handed me a $100 bill and said no more.  I was overwhelmed as we received news of a seniors SS class at a local church who contacted us with $84 in cash wanting to give 2 water filters through the matching donation program from our Water filters vendor so that they could now give 4.  I was overwhelmed as a co-worker handed me $80 in cash collected from the CNA who cares for her elderly parents that she wanted to go to help Haiti.  I was truly overwhelmed. 
 
Yesterday’s service was truly overwhelming as our pastor told us he was being obedient to the leading of the Holy Spirit and wasn’t going to go along with what was planned in the bulletin. 
 
He moved from the liturgically correct lecturn and walked down into the congregation and stood among us–a move that while symbolic was was so moving I was overcome.  His then told us that he wanted to know how we were feeling?  It was important to him to know how we were feeling–allowing people to express that as they desired.  As he read Psalm 46 to us, he reiterated again God’s desire to be our refuge among moving earth and shaking mountains.  He spoke the words ”Fear not” and again helped us know that we have no reason to fear.  God is in control and has the Haitian people in His hands. 
 
As we closed with A mighty Fortress is our God-again vearing from the program-I found myself overwhelmed as I read the words “a bulwart never failing.”
 
As I entered church yesterday, I knew that my many Haitian friends were also assembled in worship–I have no doubt of it.  And that in the midst of this terrible catastrophy, they also were praising God for his strength and power.  I know them and I know this was occurring.   I was deeply comforted by that. 
 
I covet your prayers for them as we go forward to see hwat further difficulties we will need to face together and how the Lord will use us to build His kingdom through that. 
 
I will leave you with a comment that broke my heart.  When Shelia talked to our friend Sonel last night, one of the final things he said to her was “Please don’t forget us”.  The Haitian people have been through this before–people giving help at a crisis and then leaving them to make it yet again on their own.  Shelia assured him that we at Luke’s Mission are with them for the long haul and they could count on that and that Haiti was front and center in all of the news media and they are not forgetten–at least for now. 
 
Under His crushing mercy,  
April

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SATURDAY January 16, 2010

Less news today.  Below is a summary with new information in RED:

Dr. Romel–alive but unable to locate his wife Fregga and parents
Emmanuel-alive but lost loved ones and his father seriously injured

 Profaite Meveus-alive and well
Lex Edme-ministry partner at Mission of Hope-survived the earthquake but was seriously injured yesterday in a motorcycle accident with a head injury, severe cut to this leg and was unconscious being tended to by the UN. Please pray
Pastor Jean Revil Belbede christian church-status UNKNOWN
Edmund Franz-medical student in PAP-status UNKNOWN
Boslo Suffrant-translator and friend confirmed deceased
Baby Jude-fondwa-confirmed deceased-see picture attached from our visit in November
Sr. Oudel-Fondwa confirmed deceased-please read details below.
Eddie Petit Homme-translator-UNKNOWN                                             Jules Remy-translator and friend-UNKNOWN

FROM OUT PARTNERS IN GRACE HOSPITAL-devastating news

We just receive a report after inspection of Grace. This is from our Haiti Director Dr. Magloire…. “GCH is severely hit and the building cannot be used….the situation here is really catastrophic.”

Keith Mumma

 USA National Director International Child Care (USA), Inc. 3506 Lovers Lane, Suite 8 Kalamazoo, MI 49001

The outpouring of assistance and support from our end has been incredible.  My hair salon is giving free cuts for a $25 donation with two stylists for the next 10 days and contributing the money for our relief efforts. 

Waiting anxiously to hear from those above we haven’t heard from.  Please continue ot pray and contribute.  April
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FRIDAY January 15, 2010 10 PM

Dr. Romel–alive but unable to locate his wife Fregga and parents
Emmanuel-alive but lost loved ones and his father seriously injured
Lex Edme-ministry partner at Mission of Hope-survived the earthquake but was seriously injured yesterday in a motorcycle accident with a head injury, severe cut to this leg and was unconscious being tended to by the UN. Please pray
Pastor Jean Revil Belbede christian church-status unknown
Edmund Franz-medical student in PAP-status unknown
Boslo Suffrant-translator and friend confirmed deceased
Baby Jude-fondwa-confirmed deceased-see picture attached from our visit in November
Sr. Oudel-Fondwa confirmed deceased-please read details below.
Eddie Petit Homme-translator-UNKNOWN                                             Jules Remy-translator and friend-UNKNOWN

We received a report from Fondwa.  The US team that was there has been located, is safe and will be returning home in the next day or two.
 
Fondwa was severely hit with the earthquake.  The mission guest house which holds 40 people was completely destroyed as was the school for 600 kids. 
 
We are assuming that Sr. Carmelle and Sr.  Simone are OK since they weren’t specifically mentioned.  The text message did sadly report that one of the novice sisters Oudel and the 2 year old orphan that the nuns were caring for, Baby Jude, at the quest house with them died in the collapse.  He was 2 years old. 
 
I have attached a picture of him and Sr. Simone that we took in November.  You can also see it on our website. 
 
www.lukesmission.com
 
To help you pray, Sr. Carmelle was in a state of near complete exhaustion when we were there in November.  Her brother of 47 had just died of hepatitis the week before and she was very fragile.  She had her 4 yr old niece there too.  She was worried about how the family would survive now without someone who earned even a meager living.  We talked to her the week before the earthquake and she was still in a severe state of worry and depression.  She is the stalwart of that community and holds it together.  So much on her and now this. 
 
Shelia and I are very worried about how this crisis will affect her already fragile psyche.  Please pray for extrarodinary strength to get her through this.  
 
I have been contacted by the Southern Baptist Relief organization as to my availability.  Thier first team arrived yesterday.  They are putting together a second wave team which should be ready to leave within 24 hours in the next few days as the corrdinator of efforts calls them.  It will be a C130 plane with staff and supplies.  I hope we get called.  Please pray I can help my Haitian friends in this way.   

Under His crushing mercy,
  
April
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Friday January 16, 2010 3:30 PM

We just got this information on the pastor of Mission of Hope which is the ministry that our team will be going to in September.  Please pray for Lex for healing and his wife Renee. 
“Keep Lex in your prayers.  He got hit by a motorcycle and cut up his head and leg pretty bad.  He was knocked out and taken to the UN hospital. No other word on how he is. ”  

April

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Thursday January 14, 10 PM

Dear Friends:
 
We are slowly recieving information-some good some very sad.  We confirmed the loss of a very close friend Boslo Souffrant yesterday.  We wept-literally- in anguish at this. 
 
Romel is still looking for his wife and parents.  The longer is goes, the more worried we get. 
 
Emmanuel is safe and will return from the DR where he has a job and has been translating-tomorrow.  His father is seriously injured and two cousins ae confirmed dead.  His brother, Frankie,  was working with the UN soldiers and we don’t know his status
 
We cannot establish contact with two ministry partners, Edmund Franz and Pastor Jean Revil.  We are deeply concerned for their safety. 
 
Sam Dixon from the United Methodist church was found alive this AM.  He was in the MOntana Hotel.  NO other word than this.
 
We heard from David Williams last night.  His wife took a team to Fondwa with Sr. Carmelle late last week and they have not been heard from.  David expressed mixed feelings but felt hopeful still as to their safety.  No word from Sr. Carmelle at all either. 
 
We have been asked to speak to reporters from both TV and newspapers many times in the last few days.  I will be on a radio show tomorrow.  When these oportunies arise, I have asked the Lord to help me to try to help what I say raise awareness of the great needs that exist in Haiti on a good day and to try to let people understand how desparate the situation is now. Also that these are real people, people we know and love and not just a slide show on Yahoo or a story on CNN.  We know people who have died there and others we love who we don’t know their status just yet.   
 
We organized a prayer vigil with our church last night.  Here is the really great story on it.  They put Bosie’ s last name wrong but that is OK.  Again, his photo is attached. 
 
http://www.heraldsun.com/pages/full_story/push?article-Emotional+aftershocks+run+deep%20&id=5562191&instance=main_article
  
We were on the 6 and 11 PM  and 8:30 news last night and this AM trying to help people personalize this situation by giving them specific names of people we know there.  Our pastor spoke to them as well.  Here is a link to that news segment.
 
http://chatham.mync.com/site/Chatham/news/story/46890/local-church-waits-for-word-on-hatain-missionary-partners/
 
At the prayer vigil we passed out the names of people and asked them to pray.  One of my friends said she heard the news TV camera man doing the responsive reading with us.  What a blessing that was. 
 
Here are two email’s which is is representative of the outpouring of support that we have recieved from friends and family as we try to cope with this horrible tragedy and deal with our own helplessness.  The first one references the prayer card they recieved in the vigil last night.  
 
“Please let me tell you how saddened Mary, my disciple class,JMT, and I are about the disasters in Haiti! I will continue to pray for the safety and health of sister Carmelle, the Fondwa orphanage, school administrators and all the children. Please let me know when you hear of there whereabouts!  If we can come up with some money for relief can you help with the dispersal so that the people that need it receive it?”~~~~~~~~~~~~

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“I don’t know what to write. We were in tears when we heard (of the death of our friend). Hard though it is to hear news, thank you for sending it. We are praying for
you. I feel helpless. “

We are so grateful for your love and support.  It will sustain us through the difficult times that we have been through in the past two days and those that lie ahead. 

Prayers are what you can do most at this point.  Below are several of the people we know personally and their status that you can lift up by name as you seek the father in prayer.

Romel and Fregga Dorsaint- 

Obed and Anita Dorsaint-Dr. Romel’s parents 

Sr. Carmelle, Sr. Simone and the Fondwa orphanes/novices/community

Franz Edmund-medical student Luke’s Mission supports-

Jean Revil-pastor of the Belbede christian church, lives in PAP with his family- 

I was already registered with the Samaritian’s Purse and  Southern Baptist disater relief groups before this happened and have made contact with both who have already sent scouting teams there.  They are awaiting reports from those teams and a sense of some order prior to sending others.  I also registered with Partners in Health yesterday.  I would like very much to go to be of service and with my experience in providing medical care and knowledge of the language, I feel sure I could be of use at the right time. 

I will send a separate email with specifics on our suggestions for help. 

Under His crushing mercy,

April

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Luke’s Mission is a 501c3 organization.
All contributions to Luke’s Mission, Inc. are tax deductible as allowe dby law.  In 2008, 4.7% of donations went to administrative costs.  The remainder of the donations went directly to the projects in Haiti. For more information on our financial accountability structure, please contact April Perry at the email address below.  Contributions to Luke’s Mission can be made by sending a check to the following address:

Luke’s Mission
1403 Mason Road
Durham, North Carolina 27712

For more information on Luke’s Mission or any of our projects, please email: aprileperry042@hotmail.com

ABOUT OUR NAME…
Luke, author of at least two books of the Bible, was a most vigorous champion of the outsider. An outsider himself, the only Gentile in an all Jewish cast of New Testament writers, he shows how Jesus includes those who typically were treated as outsiders by the religious establishment of the day: women, common laborers (shepherds), the racially different (Samaritans), the poor. He will not countenance religion as a club. (Eugene Peterson-The Message)

Luke shows us clearly how God’s love is for everyone. Jesus came in the world to be the Savior of all the people. In Luke’s gospel alone are there several stories showing how Jesus used common or outcast people to bring God’s love to the world-the good Samaritan, the lost sheep and the prodigal son. And only Luke tells how Jesus visited in the home of the hated tax collector and promised life in paradise to a dying criminal (The Promise).

An important part of Luke’s story is the way in which he shows the concern of Jesus for the poor-the good news is preached to them, they receive God’s blessing, they are invited to the great feast, the poor man Lazarus is taken to heaven by angels and Jesus commands his disciples to sell what they have and give the money to the poor.

As I have lived with and worked along side my brothers and sisters in Haiti over the last two years, I have felt much like Ezekiel when God sent him to the exiles in Tel Abib. It was there that he said “And I sat among them where they lived for seven days…overwhelmed” (Ezekiel 3:15). It was there he waited for the vision God would give him for the exiles. As I have dwelled among the Haitians for the last two years, having them minister to me, God has given me a vision for being a channel of His love to the poor by focusing on the basic human needs of food, water, sanitation and health care. Luke, known fondly as “the beloved physician” (Colossians 4:14), was also an evangelist. He served with Paul on his missionary journey and accompanied him during his martyrdom. It seemed that the mission God had given me and the work He chose to use Luke in were very similar.

Given our desire to show the gospel to the poor by helping the Haitian people have more and better access to health care while making God’s love known to those who don’t know Him, we felt that the mission of Luke-the beloved physician and evangelist-was the same as ours. Thus our name– Luke’s Mission. Our prayer is that the the Lord will be glorified through our work.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
APRIL PERRY – Chairman
April currently works as an advanced practice nurse Duke HomeCare & Hospice. She has been to Haiti many times, served on and led medical teams. She oversees the Health Care Provider project and works with on the Belbede Sanitation Project and Water Filter Project. April lives on a small farm in Durham, North Carolina.
Contact: aprileperry042@hotmail.com

SHELIA RITTGERS – Vice Chairman
Shelia currently works as a clinical social worker in the Outpatient Pediatric Clinic at Duke University Medical Center. She has served as the Chairman of the Haiti Steering Committee at her local church. Shelia has been to Haiti 4 times. She is the project coordinator of the aquaponics projects for Lukes Mission and works on the Water Filter Project. Shelia currently lives in Durham Northa Carolina on the farm where the Aquaponics prototype is set up.

JACKIE FREE – CPA Treasurer
Jackie is a Certified Pulic Accountant.  She has help set up a number of non profits.  Jackie is married with two children.  She has traveled to Haiti with us on our mission trip.  She  currently serves on our board as treasurer.

All material on the Luke’s mission website is copyrighted, 2003 and should
not be used without permission

Walls Guest house dining room building from the front copyright Luke's MIssion 2010 not to be used without permission

Walls guest house from the pool wall-copyright Luke's Mission 2010 may not be used without permission