January - March 2010 Updates only       

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At the OB/Prenatal clinic today, women received baby blankets that were made by donors in the US.  The women also received cook pots with "Kids Against Hunger" food in them.  The pots came on a shipment given to Lifeline and we are handing them out to people everywhere who suffered in the earthquake.  This upcoming Monday we'll be handing out about 600 of them to the families/students at our Leogane Christian School where we had to totally rebuild the school due to the devastation of the earthquake.  We will have a dedication there and Pierre Garcon of the Indianapolis Colts is coming to be part of that dedication.  He gave a financial grant to Lifeline for part of the construction and is coming to visit.  His mother is from Leogane and he wants to see his family there and visit them too.  Leogane has suffered horrific destruction.

 

There is so much to tell you that we don't know where to start.  First of all, we thank you for your continued and faithful prayers and gifts.  Amazing!!  And every single day we feel those prayers.
 
This past week I was able to talk with Esdras Avril, one of our translators and I asked him about where he was when the quake hit.  He reminded me that he was in Lifeline's clinic waiting room where the Americans had just been when the quake hit.  It threw him around and to the ground and he said that he kept praying for the blood of Christ to cover him. And he said he knew then that he was not going to die.  He also told another one of our team members that after the quake occurred he was worried about his wife and children in Port au Prince and the Lord just gave him a peace about it and he realized they were going to be fine.  When he finally was able to go to Port to find them he felt the Holy Spirit leading him to where he would find them.  Since their home collapsed he knew they would not be there and he found them where he was led!
 

 

Aerial view of a Haitian tent city

Tent Cities
It is hot in Haiti right now and very, very dry.  Even though some areas have had rain, it's not hit full force yet.  We pity those in the tents because many will not be rainproof.  As we were touring through the tent city on the back of our property with a very special visitor, we asked one of the Haitian men living with his family in the tents if they will get wet when it rains and he said yes.  But we haven't had the test yet.  Many of the people have taken Bob's advice and invitation to use the broken cement blocks and rubble that are piled up here in places and have made floors in their tents
 

 

 

General Keen visits the Haitian children

A Special Visitor at Lifeline
On Wednesday, March 17 we had this very special visitor...Lt. General Ken Keen (3 star general) U.S. Army Rangers, who is head of the entire U.S. military operation for Haiti. He is the Deputy Commander of the U.S. Southern Command throughout the Americas.  He asked to come and visit us. This was a big day!  He is the most gracious and friendly person and he loves the children.  He was very interested in all that is happening and has visited all over Haiti.  Before coming to Grand Goave he was in Gonaives and shared with me that about 147,000 people from Port au Prince have migrated there to find a place to live and survive. This is happening all over Haiti.
 
Major Betsy Ross under his command set up the visit for him and when she contacted me about a week or so ago she emailed and told me that her mother, Joan Ross had been here with me on a women's work team a few years back. Well of course I remembered Joan...we had a great trip together! It was a work team filled with lots of blessings and no earthquakes. 
 
Bob is in Honduras leading a work team from Gladstone Christian Church (Oregon). So Bobby Curlee and I went to meet their helicopters.  It was so dusty there but is a large enough and flat enough site for two large choppers to land.  
 
They were able to tour the mission compound, see the school children in class, observe the clinic in operation, participate in infant nutrition, and saw the kiddies waiting for toddler nutrition, clothing and shoe distribution, dental clinic, school feeding program and even the homes we construct.  We further learned that General Keen has a home in Concord, North Carolina where Bobby and Lakey attend Concord Christian Church.  Small world as we say!  Major Betsy Ross's mother, Joan  told me that her daughter was in a building in Port au Prince when it collapsed. Major Ross was able to get out and help others out but one of her military people died in the collapse and she was given the honor of accompanying the body back to the states before returning back to her mission here in Haiti.
 

Gretchen leads the children in a song

General Keen also shared that 200,000+ people are relocating to the rural areas from Port au Prince but that in Grand Goave and Leogane there have been less migration in because the people know these areas suffered massive loss too.  That probably has kept some shady characters away too.  Then to top it all off General Keen said that he remembered being at the airport the morning our 58 ladies were flown out by U.S. military cargo plane. He remembers the Lifeline name on their t-shirts and talking to some of them!   

 

 

Feeding Haiti

KAH food is distributed

Last week as a result of a partnership between Kids Against Hunger (KAH) and the U.S. Navy Project Handclasp, a ship came in to port with 11 containers of KAH food on it.  These 11 twenty foot containers contained 1,600,000 meals and included 1,763 fifty pound bags of rice, 513 cook pots filled with KAH food, bowls and other goodies.  Thanks to Mike Lloyd and Richard Proudfit of KAH, Lifeline is receiving this food to distribute throughout Haiti.  Mission of Hope (Lex and Renee' Edme') are getting a share of it, and Lifeline is distributing the rest as far north as Cap Haitian and as far southwest as Jeremie.  The U.S. Army delivered the food this past weekend.  It took several convoys delivering over a period of 2 days to get all of it to us...about 110 pallets! 

 

Also last Saturday we received 300,000 KAH meals on the container shipped from the National Missionary Convention.  This food was packaged in November by the kids at the Teen Convention of the missionary convention.

 

And praise God that our new warehouse is about finished! When Bob returns next week they'll put the trusses on and finish it off.  Starting Monday all the various missions are coming to get the food. So although we have these warehouses/depots ready to hold everything it is our intention to get it in and give it out!!!  In addition they will receive toys, sandals and other goodies.  

 

  

Coming to Jesus
Another blessing this week as people continue to come to Christ is found in this story.  Our work team members ran in to our old landlord, Fritz.  When we first came to Haiti in 1980 and then later came to Grand Goave in 1981 we were looking  for a home to rent and Fritz is a man who had just built a new home in town, right across from the new telephone office.  We struck up a friendship with Fritz and he was willing to rent his home to us.  It had not even been finished yet and he had not lived in it.  We lived there until 1986 when we moved in to the dorm building where work teams stay. But Fritz was always a man who would just sort of laugh and make excuses for not accepting our invitation to come to church.  Fritz also owned a large bus for transporting people called a "tap tap".  One of the large, brightly painted trucks with all the bells and whistles!  We would hire him to transport work teams to Grand Goave from the airport.  This was before we had our own vehicles.  After we purchased our current campus site and moved out I would still run in to Fritz from time to time and ask him when he was going to come to church and I'd tell him that Jesus loves him and not to wait.  Well, one of our team members who is here now, Justin Bunn, who is a psychologist and is married to a pediatrician named April crossed paths with Fritz and learned that he has been suffering with tremendous fear and post traumatic stress disorder. Justin invited Fritz to come to clinic for some counseling .  Yesterday Fritz came and shared his deepest fears with Justin.  But he also ACCEPTED JESUS as his Lord and Savior.  After nearly 30 years the Lord never gave up on Fritz and he is now a fellow believer.  He will be meeting with Pastor Luc to follow up and to be baptized as soon as possible.  Pray for Fritz and his new life in Christ.  All praise to God for Fritz's decision; it's taken him over 25 years!

 

  

A Special Reunion
Here's a story that I sent to a child sponsor this week that will just touch your heart and bring joy: About 2 ½ weeks ago Francois Badio, a young man that is one of our "Soldiers For Christ" who grew up in our Grand Goave school and church, came to me and asked if I could track down his aunt who was taken by the Navy to the U.S.S. Bataan for care after the earthquake. 

Grandma uses a cell phone for the first time!

He gave me her name and I began emailing my military contacts on the ships here (we have worked side by side with the military since they arrived less than a week after the quake).
 
When I was " tracking" her for Francois, I didn't make the connection about who she was. But it turns out she was one of our earliest patients seen by Dr. Bill Rutherford in clinic after the quake.  She had crushing injuries to her pelvis and was an "in patient" in our clinic for several weeks.  Finally the medical crew from the U.S.S. Bataan naval ship evacuated her to the ship hospital and after being there awhile she was flown to the U.S.S. Comfort, a huge hospital ship with about 500 patient beds.  During this time her family had heard nothing from her or about her.  (Typically when the military takes someone to one of the ships a family member had to accompany them.  Apparently Francois' aunt had no one with her.)
 
A couple weeks before Francois had asked me to try to find his aunt, he asked a what the U.S. military does with the people who die on the ship.  I had just learned from the Navy chaplain that when a Haitian dies on the ship they are required to transport the body to a morgue that is under the direction of the Haitian Department of Public Health.  When I told Francois this he said that is good because the people here are saying that they just dump them in the ocean!  (Haiti is a rumor mill and their lack of common knowledge adds to such rumors).

Talking phone-to-phone!

 
After nearly 2 weeks of trying to track down his aunt I was able to learn that the GMHC (Global Mobilization Health Care) department of the military handles transporting patients to the U.S.  Finally I finally reached a person that told me they take Haitian patients to one of two locations for care: Florida or Atlanta.  I tracked her to St. Petersburg, Florida where she is in Bay Front Medical Center;  she has her own room, telephone and a Case Manager. She is going through rehabilitation and therapy for the seriousness of her injuries.
 

Sunday afternoon I called Francois over to our house, along with his Grandma and cousin, and I dialed his aunt's private line in her room; for the first time in over a month they were able to talk to one another and it was wonderful!  I first talked to the aunt in Florida and then put her on the line with Francois. Francois turned the cell phone on to the speaker setting and we could all hear them talking, then his Grandma talked to her too and she hardly even knew how to hold a cell phone!  The entire scenario brought tears of joy to everyone because they were finally reunited after thinking that she was dead. Mother and daughter, cousins and brothers all got to talk to her by phone-to phone-to phone contact!  And the entire time everyone could be heard praising Jesus!

 

Note that the Navy commander of the hospital of the USS Bataan told me that eventually she will be flown back home when she is capable.  But until then she remains in Bay Front Medical Center as an in-patient in St. Petersburg, Florida. The rest of the family are doing fine and Francois now has his aunt's phone number so I'm sure they will be burning up the wires talking!

  

 

Homes for Haiti, Rebuilding & Clean up

A new home is built

The home building ministry is thriving; we've constructed 7 homes since resuming work in the middle of February and we have 3 that we are doing this week.  This continues with an average of 2 or 3 homes each week to complete all the sponsor funded homes but also to build homes for those without sponsors whom relief money is helping to build.
 
Distribution of relief money continues and in the next 3 days we'll be distributing another large amount of about $30,000.00.  Grants are to be given to staff members for helping them rebuild.  The assessments are nearly complete and the money to staff begins next week.  This will impact several hundred families. But right now the focus in Grand Goave and all the cities is clean up.  There has been a large grant of money given toward clean up. Everywhere you go there are crews of Haitians in special t-shirts sweeping, piling and then shoveling debris/rubble into dump trucks.  These crews are everywhere and working so hard!  They are proud of their new jobs and each area wears a different color/style of t-shirts. They take their jobs very seriously and trying to drive through town is like a maze....dodging piles of rubble and workers as we go.  More like an obstacle course.

 

 

Lovelink Children's Home

The Tent City at the Children's Home

Last week I visited Port au Prince and Leogane for the first time since arriving here January 3. I distributed sponsor gifts at these locations including the Lovelink Children's Home.  Several things amazed me....first of all the destruction between Grand Goave and Port au Prince is severe. But you can actually follow the path of the quake as you see the hardest hit areas and the least hit areas.  When I got to Carre Four, the area on the outskirts of the capital, I was shocked to see how little damage occurred in about a 2 mile range. The main road had little to visualize in the way of destruction.  But as we turned to go up the mountain to the Children's Home I saw more.  I drove past the school, right near the Children's Home where over 100 children were killed in the collapse of their 2 story structure. (This was where Bob stopped and prayed on his way in to Haiti that first day.)  The children at the Children's Home are living in tents and there is some serious work to do there. But the kids seem good and enjoying special programs and activities.

The kids learn how to make brooms, baskets and other crafts

There are many families living within the compound there in tents too.  So the Directors of the Home, Everne (Nay Nay) and Martine have set up for the kids to have special programs throughout the week.  The director of the school phoned me about putting up tents on the school grounds in order to begin school again.  There is major repair work to do there and it is going to take a long time.
 
On my way back to Grand Goave I distributed gifts at Leogane and going there for the first time was a shock.  David Price has been going there every day to supervise the reconstruction and the progress with the work has been great.  But the city itself is just destroyed.  As in most of the other areas where the destruction was the worst, most of the dwellings that collapsed were those two stories high or higher.   

 

 

 

The Chief Medical Officer from the USS Bataan spends time with kids at Lifeline's Tent City

Saying Farewell to the US Military
It appears that the U.S. military operations here will conclude in April.  Our friends from the U.S.S. Bataan came ashore last week to make one last visit to Grand Goave and they brought us a lot of things such as wheel barrows, shovels, clothing, and medical supplies.  They made so many friends here working side by side with Lifeline and other missions in the community and the bond that exists is just amazing. 

 

They were pleased to see so much going on in the community and at Lifeline.  With the tent dwellers having their tents completed and relocated to the back of our property they were able to go out and look at the progress made there and give some blessings to the Haitian people.  We escorted them back to the ocean where they got back on the hover craft and took off, spraying us one last time with a cloud of dust as some of us stood by a bit teary eyed. 

 

Lt Trofort (right) spends time with the little boy with the amputated arm

Lt. Trofort, the Chaplain, was also able to see our little boy with the amputated arm one last time.  (This is the little boy that I treated the night after the quake having only gauze and duct tape available at the time)  He gave him toys and lots of loving attention. Lt. Trofort is a Haitian.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prayers

Prayers are needed as we continue to hear that crime is on the increase here now.  Pray for our safety and the safety of our teams and that the government and other forces will take swift action against the criminal element and pray that the Holy Spirit will fill the people here and that they will unite for what is good in Haiti.

 

God bless and thank you again!
Gretchen

Co-founder and Administrator

Lifeline Christian Mission 

 

March 7: God moments in Haiti

Christi Dimbath and her husband Keith are some of Lifeline's newest staff members...they joined our team in November 2009 as the Laborlink Work Team Directors.  Little did they know when they made this commitment what their decision would bring their way.  
 
As a Work Team Director, it was important for Christi to experience a Women's Work Crusade/Mission Trip, since it is one of our larger events of the year with a high attendance of women.  Christi was still in learning mode when the quake hit, but as her husband Keith expressed, God has given her a lot of talents and gifts, and being level-headed and able to make good decisions are part of those gifts.
 
She was truly put to the test and she passed with flying colors!  She ministered to the women in Haiti, and after returning home, she guided them to seek evaluation and counseling for post traumatic stress disorder. 
 
Christi has a loving heart, a level head, and a light-hearted sense of humor that makes her more fun to be around than a barrel of monkeys!  One of her phrases that we love was the time she told a work team about to depart Haiti that if they ate their cereal the night before, then they could sleep in longer the next morning! 
 
Those of you who have not yet experienced Keith and Christi on a Lifeline work team are in for great blessings and fun.  Here is Christi's article on "God Moments" as she saw God at work: 

 

 

God Moments

by Christi Dimbath 

 

On January 3, 2010, I came to Haiti to help prepare for the annual Women's Trip.  Although I have led work teams for Lifeline as a Coordinator, this was my first Women's Trip.  The first half of the trip went as planned: we shared in Ladies Day with over 500 Haitian women, attended the Lifeline church in Grand Goave, and spent two days distributing gifts to school children.  Everything was going as planned until late afternoon on Tuesday, January 12, when a 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti.  Our 'plan' changed from distributing gifts to providing comfort to those coming to the Lifeline compound. 

 

Almost immediately, we began to notice "God moments," moments when God intervened in a powerful way in caring for his people.  One such moment directly impacted the ladies' trip home.

 

Gretchen DeVoe, here in Haiti, and those in the Lifeline office in Westerville, Ohio worked diligently to find a way to get the ladies home.  After exhausting every possible mode of transportation, it was decided that the only alternative was to go to the Port au Prince airport, take our chances and hopefully be transported out of Haiti via the U.S. military.

 

The night before we left, Gretchen's last minute instructions to me were to do whatever I needed to do to get the ladies home.  She said she really didn't know what else to tell me except that she would be praying for us. I must admit, I was hoping for a little more than that!  I wanted something more tangible.

 

We began our trek to the airport at 3:30 A.M.  After traveling over damaged bridges and broken roads we finally arrived in Port au Prince.  As we approached the airport I began to get a little nervous.  I wondered, "Will we be able to get into the airport?  What then?"  I continued to pray.

 

We pulled up in front of the terminal.  There was no one in sight except for 6-8 U.S. soldiers.  As we came to a stop one of the ladies shouted, "Let's pray for Christi."  I exited the bus and told them I had 58 American women that needed to get to the U.S.  He said to have them line up single file and have passports ready.  That was easy!  The ladies lined up and filed through the terminal onto the tarmac. 
We waited there on the tarmac for several hours before we were safely transported to the United States. 

 

During our wait, one of the soldiers asked how we got into the airport. We told him how we were instructed to walk through the terminal.   He said, "No, how did you get through all of the people outside the airport?"  We explained to him that there was no one outside except the few U.S. military men.  Unconvinced, he again asked how we were able to get past all of the Haitians outside the airport.  Once again, we told him we saw absolutely no Haitians in front of the terminal.  He went on to explain that he was surprised because since the earthquake, day and night, there had been thousands of people outside the airport.  I knew then we had experienced a God moment.

 

Just recently I learned there was even more to the story.  Bobby Curlee, who accompanied us to the airport, said that after dropping the ladies off they waited until we were inside the airport.  As they were turning to leave they saw a curtain of people coming toward the airport, suitcases in hand.  It seems that just as God parted the Red Sea to allow the Israelites to escape the pursuit of the Egyptians, he "parted" the crowds long enough to permit safe passage to begin our journey home.  Thank you, Gretchen, for your prayers.  God, in turn, gave us an amazing God moment.

 

The God moments are continuing in Haiti.  People continue to come to Christ.  The earthquake has stirred a desire in the hearts of people to seek God's comfort and help in their time of need.  This desire has even reached those in the highest levels of the Haitian government.

 

Please continue to pray that the God moments will continue through the ministry of Lifeline Christian Mission.

 

March 3: Updates from Haiti

Lifeline's ministries in Haiti have been reaching out and ministering to thousands of Haitians in the Grand Goave and surrounding areas.  Basic needs are being met - food, water and shelter - while sharing the love of Jesus Christ with each person. Gretchen, Lifeline's co-founder serving in Haiti, shares these updates from Grand Goave.
 
Gretchen writes: 

 

 

Well friends, it's been over a week since we sent an update...but no slow down in activity here!  Just entering a new phase of priorities.
 
Haiti is resilient to say the least...the people here never give up hope, and for those who have jobs, like the 300+ Lifeline Haitian staff, there remains even more hope. The people have fully engaged in their responsibilities and routines and it is amazing to see people all around town cleaning and working.  Although they lost so many loved ones, they persevere!  In fact, there is an expression I've heard them use among themselves: when someone asks what church they attend, the question is literally "At what church do you persevere?"
 
We obtained an unofficial count that Grand Goave lost about 144 people, many of whom were in Port au Prince; a large number (about 60-70) were up in a particular area where the mountain caved in on them.  Grand Goave "proper" lost about 17, but the total death count for Haiti is now estimated at over 300,000 souls.
 
This last week, as the work team went with me to Deuxieme Plaine (literally translated "The 2nd Plain") to deliver the sponsor Christmas gifts, we again went over the mountain where rock slides are scary and the road literally split down the middle in several locations.  At the school we learned of several people who had serious injuries and we sent them to the Lifeline clinic for more care.  We learned that one young lady lost her father in the quake.  And one man came with his 4 daughters; his wife died and she had just given birth a couple months earlier to a child. This faithful father is now the sole care-giver for these precious young girls.  We further learned that one girl in the Leogane school who suffered severe fractures also lost her mother in the quake.  Deuxieme Plaine Christian Church is where we've had nearly 200 come to Christ and be baptized in the past 2 months....Pastor Stuart told me (when Jason Rew and I went there for church a couple weeks ago) that "I need more communion trays".  I'll bet he does!
 
We just said goodbye to a wonderful work team from Concord Christian Church (Concord, North Carolina led by Charlie and Sharon White), J.D. Hite and his wife (Powell, Ohio), and also 5 people from Red Bluff, California who are veterans with Lifeline on work teams. You may recall J.D. was here as part of the first wave of relief workers; he is a fantastic servant for Christ and we were glad to have him back with his wife Kim, who is a nurse. This work team consisted of 3 medical people.  Margaret Franklin, R.N. who is a veteran volunteer with Lifeline, stayed on today...waving goodbye to her hubby as they mounted the bus.  Margaret's nursing background is in obstetrics/delivering babies and as I type this she is out in Pre-Natal Clinic caring for the 40 or so women on the schedule to return today.  Although we delivered over 30 babies during the immediate post-quake invasion, we are not expecting to deliver any babies today. But who knows?
 
When this team first arrived, people started getting sick; mostly the men.  As we were trying to assess what might have caused the gastro-intestinal type sickness, we learned that many of the U.S. navy and marines were suffering from the same thing.  Throughout the week the virus went through the entire camp and I got it last!  Bob is still well...pray for him. Keith and Christi (Work Team Directors) have had it but seem to be okay now.
 
Remaining here with us are Keith & Christi Dimbath, Bobby & Michael Curlee, Jeff Langley, David Price, and Margaret Franklin.  Another team joins us tomorrow from Valley Christian Church (Harrisonburg, VA) and Alton Christian Church (Lawrenceburg, KY).
 
Today, Bobby and David Price went to Port au Prince for the semi tractor used for pulling the trailers/containers being shipped in. The chassis (rail) is still in route through the Dominican Republic and it is past due to arrive.  Once we get these 2 pieces together we'll do our own pick up of containers and our own deliveries.  This should save us some money!
 
Highlight of the week:  Lifeline now has a new/second water well on our property! Thanks to the well drilling crew from Blue Ridge (a Mennonite mission group who has a well drilling ministry throughout Haiti, who also drilled our other wells).  We hit water and the new well is located behind the clinic.  So now the clinic will have its own source of water and so will the tent communities.
 
You may recall that the priorities we had established initially were to provide a haven for the Haitians, shelter, food, water, latrines and spiritual guidance.  

 

Here is where we are now in the process:

1. Tent dwellers have all been relocated to the back property into their new plastic tents in time for the rainy season.

2. Latrines were constructed early-on.

3. Many nights the singing and preaching continue in the community.

4. Work teams have resumed on a regular basis and part of their ministry is to visit the people in their new/temporary tent homes and pray with them. Future work teams will even visit other camps/tents.

5. Relocated storage depots so that the older/larger/existing buildings are empty and ready for the containers of food and relief goods that are on their way to Haiti now.  These buildings are now solely dedicated to in-flowing foods and supplies - we call them "Pass-Through Depots" since the goal is to get the food and needed supplies out to the people as soon as possible.  Much of this food will go to other missions whom Lifeline partners with in food distribution, even prior to the quake. The food is delivered as swiftly as possible to where it is needed.  Note: we had already had a generous gift donated to build a new warehouse.  The earthquake made the need more urgent and that facility is nearing completion. It is a "real warehouse" and will have racks for pallets and will allow us to receive more containers at one time. These containers are 40 foot long and filled with 40,000 pounds of goods/mostly food. The Kids Against Hunger, Meals From The Heartland, and Impact Lives food is all in quantities of about 280,000 meals.

6. The Jeanty Church has almost been totally rebuilt; worshippers can now worship inside again.

7. Leogane Church and School are under construction with David Price having oversight of this project too.  Everything there had to be rebuilt except the kitchen but it was on the drawing board for renovation plan anyway so that got moved up a notch on the schedule.

8. Next the Vieux Cayes Church and School will need repaired and the rooms at the back of the church re-built.

9. Staff homes have all been evaluated, photos taken, and a priority list for construction order has been established...Lifeline will be building homes for years to come!  The need is immense.  Praise God for the funds that have come in for relief; homes are the greatest need now as food and water are taken care of for the most part.

10. The number of souls coming to Christ has never been greater.  Hundreds that we know of in Lifeline churches alone.

11. The new well has been drilled and is functioning.

12. Home building has resumed full force.

13. Dozens of health care workers have come to serve in our clinic and the people are getting their health needs met.

 

As we prepare to host work teams the next couple months, we'll resume of some of our "regular" ministries which will allow team members to have even more interaction with the displaced Haitians.
 
Please continue to remember Haiti in your prayers and giving.  The tasks set before us remain large and looming but we know that our God is all powerful, and daily we continue to praise Him for His protection and for His guidance.

 

 

An update on the call for prayer & fasting in Haiti:

 

On February 12th, Haitian President Preval cancelled the annual Mardi Gras celebration and called his nation for 3 days of fasting and prayer.  Over 1 million gathered in Port au Prince for this event.  (watch a video about this)  Gretchen writes about the 3 days of fasting and prayers in the Grand Goave area:

 

On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, the church began each day at 6 a.m. with praise, prayer, and fasting and they concluded each evening at 6 p.m.  It was so peaceful and awesome hearing their voices waft up into the dorm building from the church below.  This is not something new for the Haitian Christians, but what made it so amazing was how wide-spread it was...people in Port au Prince submitting to the sovereignty of God and turning to Him!  Something we've never seen before in such massive numbers. 
 
As I was sharing with Margaret Franklin tonight, over the past few years the Holy Spirit has put the idea in my heart and caused me to pray that the work going on here for Christ by the missions would result in the entire nation turning to God, and being a witness to the world.  I've prayed this now off and on, and I must confess not diligently, but it has been in my thoughts and prayers.  Then to see the results of the quake and how God is being glorified gives me pause.  Many other missionaries have certainly prayed in the same fashion, but just the idea of a country like Haiti, where it is so easy to see the spiritual warfare, and then have them come to their knees before our Lord is historical and earth shattering and certainly answering our prayers.  I continue to pray that Haiti would become a light for Christ and dispel the darkness that has permeated this forsaken nation for so long!

February 26: One Haitian Crutch

Dr. Joni Scott, a member of Lifeline's Board of Directors and a recent volunteer in Haiti following the earthquake, has made numerous trips to Haiti with Lifeline.  She is a beautiful Christian woman who loves the people of Haiti and, more importantly, loves our Lord and is a walking witness for Christ; she shares her faith boldly with the patients in the clinic.
 
During her trip to Haiti in February, she did a lot of follow up on many patients that had came to Lifeline's clinic for care immediately following the earthquake.  And due to the local village hospital not being open right now, she was able fill the gap delivering babies and performing other surgeries.  She also supervised the surgical team (from Minnesota) in the clinic. 
 
Dr. Joni has a servant's heart and so much God-given energy.  She is able to see God at work in every circumstance, as you can see from her poem below about the crutch she was trying to find for a patient.
 
Enjoy this poem! 

 

 

One Haitian Crutch
by Dr Joni Scott
 
"I just need a crutch.  I broke mine, you see.   I need it to walk; I'm an amputee"
The one-legged man had a hopeful gaze and an old pair of crutches that had seen better days.
With the arm rest covered with wires and tape to hold it in place and maintain its shape,
one crutch was a mess,  it just would not do.  To walk, this man really needed two.
The days had been long, the clinic was packed, but I looked for new crutches among supplies ransacked.
After the earthquake, treating many a broken bone,  we gave away many in this tragedy zone.
I looked, but found only a child-sized pair.  I extended them fully, and he took them with care.
But even full-length, it wasn't enough,  it was still way too short...now the going got tough.
Tears filled my eyes as I told this young man, "That's all I could find, but....I'll look again."
I whispered a prayer, "Dear God, help me see ...something to help this one, this is my plea."
I returned once again to the room of supplies, and opened the door.  Right in front of my eyes
was a wooden crutch, much like the one with the broken arm rest that was wired on.
It had no leg, but the arm was intact,  and appeared to be functional other than that.
I eagerly returned with a joyful heart, then began diligently taking the other apart.
We salvaged the leg from the broken one, then the handpiece, then adjustments, and then we were done.
When finished we had in our hands a matched pair!  Who would have thought that the Lord could care
about only one in this grief-stricken land,  when there are thousands injured; much business at hand.
The joy in his face revealed it to me...and I prayed and thanked God for answering my plea.
I've seen many miracles, maybe more than my share;  revealing a Father's tender, loving care.
The Good Shepherd went looking for a lost lamb that day-and unblinded the eyes of a doctor, I'd say.

 

February 22: A special visitor & update from Haiti

On Sunday, Bob & Gretchen DeVoe, Lifeline's founders, were blessed to receive a special visitor at Lifeline's Grand Goave campus.  They share us this exciting visit along with some ministry updates from Haiti.  Gretchen sent this update late Sunday evening: 

  

Today was a very special day for us (again).  Not only did we hear the Word of God preached in a mighty way, and not only were there 27 more baptisms at Deuxieme Plaine Christian Church (and Pastor Luc informed us there will be baptisms this coming Wednesday here in Grand Goave), but we also received a phone call this morning from Lt. Stewart of the U.S. Marines, who we've had much interaction with and co-ministry.  He informed us that the Deputy Chief of Mission from the U.S. Embassy, serving directly with the U.S. Ambassador to Haiti, was coming to visit us. Well, needless to say we were excited!  
 
David Price, Jason Rew and Jeff Langley had gone to Laregal to worship there this morning...it is a sister church of Deuxieme Plaine and David had overseen the construction of a new church building there about 7 years ago.  They drove to the region and then had to hike about 25 minutes up the mountain to worship. Bob, Bobby Curlee and I stayed back for church here in Grand Goave.
 
Around 12:40 p.m. David E. Lindwall, U.S. Deputy Chief of Ministry to Haiti, arrived and was accompanied by Colonel Fulford and other marines.  They came just as I was finishing lunch preparations and they joined us for chicken mushroom soup and grilled cheese sandwiches!  We were so honored to have them visit and share lunch with us. Deputy Chief Lindwall's position is essentially coordination of all activities of the United States government that are coordinated out of the embassy.
 
Our discussion over lunch lasted until 2:00 p.m.  He had many questions for us, as well as shared what the U.S. focus is here in Haiti and where it is going in the immediate future.  He was interested in our home building ministry.  He also told us that his parents are retired Baptist missionaries to Guatemala.  He was also in Haiti when the quake hit and we had interesting stories to compare. Bob was able to tell him about the ministries of Lifeline and what God is doing through this work.   It was good to be able to tell him about our pre-quake nutrition programs and our feeding partnerships (with IDES, Kids Against Hunger, Outreach International and Impact Lives) providing food to over 35,000 children.
 
We discussed the food and housing needs of the Haitian people and the need for people to be able to return to some sense of normalcy in their lives and to get back to their jobs, as well as continuation of the growing and harvesting of their own foods in the Artibonite' River Valley (which is called the Breadbasket of Haiti), from which the bulk of the Haitian grown produce comes.  He shared that the Embassy and the Ambassador's Residence did not suffer serious damage in the quake.  It was a good and encouraging time of sharing. And hopefully he will return another time.
 

Other news from Haiti: 

Jason Rew leaves us tomorrow (Monday)...he's been here over a month and has to return to work. He has been a huge blessing to the food distribution ministry and the tent building too.  He's so talented, extremely spiritual and easy to work with.  Pray for Jason as he returns home and readjusts to the American way of life.
 
Yesterday Bob and Jason went to visit some other communities where the people there still don't have decent living conditions and are in desperate need of tents.  Looks like our tent building is going to expand.
 
We did learn that 2 of the homes we constructed suffered some cracks and so we are repairing those homes this coming week.  
 
Another work team arrives Monday, accompanied by Keith and Christi Dimbath, Lifeline's Laborlink (Work Team) Directors.  The teams include people from Concord Christian Church (Concord, North Carolina) and Powell Christian Church (Powell, Ohio). J.D. Hite, the minister from Powell, was here for over 2 weeks during the initial peak of our crisis and relief work and is coming back tomorrow. 
 
The work before us remains is clear: Food distribution; tent construction; repairs; rebuilding our churches, schools and orphanage; home building; clinic/health care; and much more.  But in everything we continue to focus on sharing Christ with the people of Haiti who are hungry for Him in their lives.
 
God bless you,
Bob and Gretchen & Team Lifeline
Grand Goave, Haiti
 

Gretchen DeVoe, Lifeline's co-founder, shares this story "from the eyes of a Haitian" of their experience on January 12 and some brief updates from the mission field.

 

Gretchen writes: 

 

One morning this week I got up early to go over to the main dorm dining hall to start breakfast and as I opened our front door to go out there were two little black pigs on our front doorstep!  Of course, they were startled and quickly turned and waddled away...cute as can be!  Now I don't know how many of you wake to pigs on your front porch, but even here in Haiti, up until the earthquake, that didn't happen on our property!  From time to time I'd chase chickens out of the field because they leave little "remembrances" everywhere they go.  But with Tent City here, even though the living policy is "no animals," they wandered in....I had to laugh at the humor in the situation. 
 
Yesterday I asked Marie Ange (one of Therese's daughters who also works with us; Lifeline provides jobs to over 300 Haitians) to tell me where she was and what she experienced on January 12.  She said she was in her mother-in-laws' home, which is made of boards, stick and mud.  (They call these "mason houses" but they resemble an adobe home with boards; they are some of the most modest housing in Haiti.  The name is deceiving because they are not masonry homes nor do they have blocks in them.)  
 
Anyway, Marie Ange said she was in the house when she felt the house begin to shake violently and that she immediately ran out of the house, into the yard and looked up in the sky because she said "I thought Jesus was coming back!"  This reminded me immediately of how the early church expected Christ's return every day, probably every hour of every day. 
 
Marie Ange is a young Christian; about 2 years ago she turned to Jesus.  (Her husband has not yet made that step.)  She's married and has a little girl about 5 years old.  She and her husband lost a little boy when he was just 2 years of age; he just dropped dead suddenly.  Marie Ange was raised in a Christian orphanage.  Her mom, Therese, had placed Marie Ange and her baby brother in an orphanage simply because they could not afford to take care of them. Therese and her husband were so poor and they were not yet employed with Lifeline so they couldn't feed Marie Ange and her new baby brother.  But once she grew up, Marie Ange and her brother returned to Grand Goave. She was hired at Lifeline when we needed someone to do laundry for the large work teams coming here.  Now she no longer works in the dorm doing laundry but works with me distributing Lovelink gifts and helps by cleaning our home here in Haiti. She is an excellent worker and loves her job.
 
But what is so important to share in all this is that she has the faith and hope of the first century Christians!  How many times do we think about Christ's return as being "imminent"?  I must confess I do not think of it that way.  In my mind it is something that will happen "some day".  But I really need to ask Christ to give me a renewed certainty of His returning so that I can have that same sense of anticipation that Marie Ange has.

 

Other News & Updates: 
We mentioned in our last update that hundreds are coming to Christ...we have learned of many more in our Lifeline churches who are giving their lives to Jesus. Over 150 have been baptized in 4 churches in the past few weeks...and 10 churches haven't given updated reports yet.
 
This past week we met with our staff to begin the process of helping them rebuild and repair their homes.  The next week will be spent making inspections and determining extent of damage.  Relief funds will be granted to staff, as well as others throughout the affected communities, to help them rebuild or rent new homes.  
 
We began construction of homes again this week.  It is our goal to build a minimum of three a week; maybe more.  There are 15 staff members who will get the first homes constructed.  We hope that by getting them in to their homes that other Haitians will follow suit.  Too many are residing in the Tent Cities/camps who COULD return to their homes, but the fear remains great and about once or twice a day we have the smaller quakes that just rekindle that fear! 

 

Today in our staff meeting we talked about the quakes and what the future holds.  Many of you know that the possibility of another large or larger quake east of Port au Prince looms before us...the main fault area in Haiti did not erupt in the quake and so the epicenter in Leogane was not the worst fault.  It is felt by experts that there is a 90% chance of a quake of equal or greater magnitude occurring east of Port au Prince within the next 2 years.  People are reluctant to "settle in" to their homes.  Many go to their homes throughout the day, keeping security and cleaning up, but then return to the tents/camps in the evenings where they can sleep in peace.  We are not trying to rush them but some of them truly have homes that are safe and secure.  I do not fault them for their fear.  Just in the 10 minutes I've been writing this update we've had 2 tremors and this morning we had one that was probably about a 4.0 on the Richter scale.  What can we say except that we have to trust in Christ and believe that His protection will continue AND that He is returning soon!
 
Thank you for reading, writing, praying and giving.
 
You are loved and we are grateful!
Gretchen DeVoe

Gretchen sends us this news from Haiti:

Today the rains hit Haiti.  It is pouring down right now as I type.  My heart goes out to the people in the tents.  Many of them are getting soaked, even though they have tried to keep dry.
 
So far Lifeline has constructed (with the help of the U.S. Navy, our own staff, residents living in the tents, and volunteers from the U.S.) plastic tarp tents for 350 of the 450 families residing on site here now.  But even those are not totally water proof.  There is concern that the water is seeping in around the bottom of the tents because the tents don't have built-in floors. The people had to put gravel and rubble in the bottom of their tents to help leach the rain.
 
Please pray because the rainy season is going to be upon us for over a month or so and this will lead to other problems, such as illness.
 
On a more positive note, Pastor Stuart Lismat of our Deuxieme Plaine Christian Church came by yesterday while I was distributing sponsor gifts (the balance of the Christmas gifts for Grand Goave sponsor kiddies) and  brought me a list of 156 people who have come to Christ and been baptized since the last week in December (even prior to the quake)!  In addition to this list, we've had hundreds at other locations.  Pray that more souls will seek Jesus.
 
Thank you for continuing to care.

February 11: Haiti earthquake  update

Just one month ago, Haiti was changed when the earthquake struck.  Loved ones lost.  Devastation everywhere.  Possessions gone.  Everything was lost...except for hope.  For 30 years, Bob & Gretchen DeVoe (Lifeline's founders), Lifeline staff, and work team members have tirelessly ministered to the Haitian people in Grand Goave and shared God's love and hope with all.  Read below for an update from Gretchen, who is in Grand Goave, on relief progress, blessings and more!

 

Gretchen writes:

 

 

Although the initial quake has come and gone, leaving a devastation beyond belief, we continue to feel the aftershocks.  Last Thursday morning we had one at 12:01 a.m. that was about a 4 on the Richter scale.  Woke us up and startled our newcomers quite a bit! Some of the team members asked me to relate to them what happened here at the time of the initial quake and so reliving it was necessary.  Much of that has already been shared, but one thing I had not shared was how, immediately after the quake, each time we would have an aftershock the earth trembled horribly and the people who were sleeping out on the ground on sheets with their heads covered would simultaneously cry out in a crescendo of fear that was akin to a crowd reaction when a soccer goal is made by their home team.  You could hear them call out to Jesus.
 
Each morning brings new challenges but also new blessings and we see God at work everywhere.   There are 450 families living on Lifeline's campus. Thanks to the U.S. Navy, the new plastic Quonset hut style 2-family tents are going up and people are being relocated from their make-shift tents to these more water-proof dwellings.
 
Some of the highlights of the past few days:

• 16 Baptisms at Grand Goave last Saturday and the team of 21 here in Haiti were able to go witness the baptisms in the ocean

• 52 Baptisms at Deuxieme Plaine on Sunday; some of our team members went to the service

• Sunday morning 13 more went forward for baptism and some to accept Christ.

• The first latrines have been installed.

• The water bladders were filled for people to have plenty of water.

• More babies have been born in clinic; a set of twins are doing fine but the mother had to be taken to another hospital because she developed eclampsia.

• Now we are providing food to 9,000 families in Grand Goave (about 47,000 people)

• Home construction resumes Monday with many, many more slated to be constructed.

• Next week we resume Christmas Gift Distribution to the sponsored children. 

• This weekend the Haitian President, Preval has declared Friday through Sunday days for prayer and fasting. This is amazing and we are so encouraged to see that people here continue to turn to our Lord for their needs.  They have asked everyone to stay home and pray.

• Yesterday we were visited by Joe Luttrell from IDES.  Joe is in Haiti assessing the damage sustained by all the Christian church missions. He and Wayne Herget, of Christianville, joined us for supper last evening and we were able to learn from Joe first-hand how other missions fared.  We also discussed the continuing and escalating distribution of food through Lifeline's distribution ministry of the Kids Against Hunger, Meals From the Heartland, and Impact Lives sources (just to mention a few).

• Our water well has been taxed to the limit and we are in communication with a well drilling organization to drill a 2nd well for us here in Grand Goave, in the back portion of our property where the Tent City has been located.  Our pump is running constantly and we are afraid it will fail at any time; pray that it does not. We are one of the few pure water sources in the community. Our water was tested 2 weeks ago by the U.S. military, Public Health branch and it is good, safe water.

• Tuesday we were doing a live video interview with Jason Freeman, the photographer who has been with us the past several weeks.  He is a professional photographer and we had already scheduled him to come here (he was here 5 years ago with Heritage Christian School on a work team) and to Honduras and El Salvador with us before the quake hit.  Then the plans changed and he's been chronicling everything since he arrived.  Well, during the live interview we were hit was a 4.0 quake and Jason got it on video!  Bob and I felt it and recognized what it was and of course our immediate reaction is to be in "run mode"  so we started to get up from our chairs and then realized it had passed and we sat back down. But we were all 3 amazed of the timing on capturing this on the video!  No major damage but just a little unnerving.  Something we will never quite get over!  We will hopefully have it available on our web site in the near-future.

• Back at our offices in Ohio things are hopping.  Sponsor gifts are being processed and prepared for shipping to Honduras and also Haiti; volunteers are coming regularly to sort, box and inventory the large numbers of relief goods coming in; and all over the country we have donors orchestrating collections and shipments. 

• This week 2 containers (40 foot) of Impact Lives' rice based packaged food are heading to Haiti via the Dominican Republic. Pray that they will not get way-laid and that they will arrive soon.

• The Haitian banks are now open and the bank we use began cashing checks for our staff this week.  Up until now we really had a problem with getting money to pay for the relief materials but the banks finally lifted the limit on how much each person could withdraw.  Now our staff have now been able to cash their paychecks and we know they feel good about that. And we've been able to wire the funds needed to do the relief work.

• In a nutshell we are: Building tents, latrines, showers, and houses; transporting and distributing meals; reconstructing our own damaged properties; rebuilding churches and schools; meeting with community leaders for planning; holding clinics; and next week construction of homes begins.  Also, assessment of damaged homes has to take place.

• The large contingents of volunteers have returned to the U.S. after having had a huge impact on the immediate needs here.  A special thank you to everyone who sacrificed and came here to serve with us!  Those remaining are Bob, Gretchen, Bobby Curlee, David Price, Jason Rew, and Jeff Langley.

• Work Teams resume February 22.  We had to change some procedures and modify qualifications for coming here, including raising age limit and scrutinizing health issues of team members, but for the most part the teams will be involved in much of the same activities in the past, but more!  The work will be hard and emotionally draining.  Those coming can't be faint of heart and will need to be girded about with the power and strength of the Holy Spirit.

• Our Children's Home has been chosen by the U.S. military as a distribution point in Carre Four (Port au Prince suburb). Everne Auxilas, Director of the Home, is the chosen community representative because he is known and respected there.  Food distribution there will start this coming week.  A lot is happening in Port au Prince to get food to the people.

• Yesterday we received an email from our friend Nury Janania in Honduras and she sent a weblink where Lifeline was mentioned on their Spanish television news station!  It was about our collaboration with the U.S. Navy in getting patients to their hospital from our clinic.  The little boy in the photo was the one I treated with the amputated right arm (taped with duct tape).  His name is Wodmykien Celestin and he is 18 months old. Praise God that he is recovering so well.  Guess that duct tape (and a LOT OF PRAYERS) brought this little guy through it all!  Here's the link, even if you do NOT read Spanish; catch it while it's still there!

• Pray that the port will be fully operational soon and that we can begin shipping directly here ASAP. 

 

Thank you again dear friends for being there for us; for the donations, prayers, and encouraging notes. Although Haiti continues to resemble a worse-than war zone, the people are bouncing back and turning to God in record numbers. 
 
Don't forget us here in Haiti, please!

Gretchen DeVoe

Lifeline Christian Mission 

 

 

Update from the Lifeline U.S. Office:

Thanks to the work of many volunteers, approximately 90 fire stations around Ohio, including all  Columbus fire stations, are now collecting relief supplies.  You can find a complete list of drop off locations around the U.S.A. on Lifeline's website.  And be watching for details on the "Haiti Relief Tour" in the near future; these special food bagging events will be held around Ohio and the Midwest with the goal to collectively package several million meals for Haiti.  More details coming soon!

 

  
Again, thank you for your continued prayers for relief efforts in Haiti and your ongoing prayers for all of Lifeline's ministries in Haiti, Honduras, El Salvador, Cuba and the United States.  Your prayers and partnership in disaster relief assistance, donated relief items and financial donations have encouraged and blessed us! 

 

February 10: Brief update from Haiti

Bob & Gretchen DeVoe, Lifeline's founders, continue to tirelessly serve the Haitian people and orchestrate relief efforts in Grand Goave, while sharing Christ's love in all they do.  Gretchen sent us this brief update last night.  Gretchen writes:

 

 

Today was another glorious day in the service of the King here in Haiti...we had 5 more containers of relief food come today (40 foot containers).  The food is being distributed by Jason Rew and Frantzy Desir who are now overseeing the distribution since J.D. Hite and Nick Lamatrice left.  Jason said we are now feeding over 9,000 families in the Grand Goave area, through our distribution process and most of what they are receiving right now is through the U.S. military and other relief organizations such as PAM ( a world food relief organization). 
 
Yesterday we received a phone call from a staff sergeant based in Carre Four, not far from the Lovelink Children's Home. They have 250 pallets of donated food through the relief agencies and he called Bob because he heard we are skilled at distribution of food effectively and efficiently.  Made us feel like our hard work has paid off!  But we give our Lord all the credit for guiding us in the organization process.   Anyway, they want to use our Children's Home for food storage and our school across the alley from it for distributing to the families of the community there.  So it is our plan now to have the 2000 students come class by class and get a portion for their families.  This will saturate a good part of the immediate community, including some of our church people. And hopefully we'll be able to keep it flowing as long as the Lord and generous organizations provide!
 

Tomorrow we also have 16 people leave; the team from Minnesota of all medical workers, Dr. Joni Scott, Dee Williams, Jase Freeman, Dan Price and Doug Pogue.  Please pray for them that they'll find a flight out of here.

 

God gave us a special "personal" blessing today...just sort of as a reminder that we have needs too.  I went to the freezer to begin planning some meals for tomorrow and the following days (after this group of 16 leaves); at that point there will be 6 of us here and so our cooking quantities will scale back. But here's the fun part...I looked in the freezer and what did my wandering eyes behold?  Instead of pork chops or beef roasts, Nay Nay or someone bought T-BONE STEAKS!!!  And they only cost about $3.00 each!  So Bobby is going to crank up the grill tomorrow night and we are going to deviate from our routine menu and treat ourselves (courtesy of our Lord) to some nice steaks.  
 
Bless you everyone and thank you for continuing to care for Haiti and all of us here.
 
We love you all,
 
Gretchen L. DeVoe

Lifeline Christian Mission

  
Thank you for your continued prayers for relief efforts in Haiti and your ongoing prayers for all of Lifeline's ministries in Haiti, Honduras, El Salvador, Cuba and the United States.  Your prayers and partnership in disaster relief assistance, donated relief items and financial donations have encouraged and blessed us!

 

February 8: Rebuilding the wall - paralleling Nehemiah

Each morning and evening in Haiti, the work team members and Bob & Gretchen (Lifeline's founders) gather together for prayer and devotions.  Dr Joni, one of the medical team members in Haiti, gave a wonderful devotion that parallels Nehemiah's rebuilding of the wall to what is happening in Haiti now.  She has graciously agreed to share her devotion with us...  

 

 

Notes from Nehemiah and the Haitian Heartbreak
devotion by Dr. Joni Scott

 
As I travelled the road from the airport in Port au Prince to Grand Goave, it was dusk, and I could see silhouettes of piles of rubble outlined by the multiple bonfires lining the streets.  I could see that the city was in ruins, as were the towns and communities all along the drive. As I reflected on the degree of devastation in Haiti, I was reminded of Nehemiah.  I read through the book of Nehemiah over the next two days and was impacted by the number of parallels I found with the situation we face today in Haiti!

 

• Jerusalem was in ruins. Much of Haiti is in ruins.

• Nehemiah was sad, and wanted to do something about it.  We were all saddened by the news and sought ways to help.

• Nehemiah shared his sadness with the king, and requested to do something about it.  Those of us who came shared our desire to do something with our loved ones.

• Nehemiah requested credentials from the king.  We were required to gather credentials to enter the country with a specific purpose and plan in mind, along with a means of getting to our destination.

• Nehemiah enlisted the aid of government officials to obtain safe passage through the countries he would travel, including permits to purchase materials (timber) from surrounding countries.  Many of us have enlisted the aid of government officials for assistance in travels (military planes), seeking donations, and purchasing materials.

• Some people were disturbed about the plan (Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite) that someone would promote the welfare of the Israelites.  There are those who think it will do no good to try to improve the welfare of the Haitians.

• Nehemiah went with a few good men to survey the damages.  Bob, Bobby, David, and several good men have come here to survey all of the damages to the properties and individuals in the area.

• Nehemiah shared his plan to rebuild.  As Lifeline's rebuilding plan unfolds, it is being shared with all.

• Nehemiah recognized God's hand was with him.  Those of us working here see God's hand working in mighty and miraculous ways every day!

• Some of the named builders on the included Eliashab and fellow priests, men of Jericho, Zachur, son of Imri; the sons of Hassenaah, the men of Tekoa (except the nobles), men of Gibeon and Mizpah, goldsmiths, perfume-makers, Rephaiah (ruler of half the district of Jerusalem), Shallum and his daughters (also ruler of half the district of Jerusalem) residents of Zanoa, Malkijah (ruler of Beth Hakkerem), Shallun (ruler of Mizpah), Nehemiah (ruler of half Beth Zur), Levites, Hashabiah (ruler of half of Keilah) and their countrymen, Ezer, and Baruch son of Zabbai (who ZEALOUSLY repaired another section---oh dear Lord, may it be said of me that I worked zealously!), priests from the surrounding region, several repaired the sections in front of their own houses, temple servants, men of Tekoa (we've seen them before repairing another area!), guards, and merchants.  The list of those involved in this rebuilding is still growing...but includes individuals and groups from all over the world!

• There were nay-sayers "What they are building-if even a fox climbed up on it, he would break down their wall of stones!" Neh 4:3.  There are nay-sayers everywhere...and that's about all I have to say about that!

• When the wall was built to half of it's height, the people had to build with a weapon in one hand, and posted guards. Each of the builders wore his sword at his side...Neh 4:18.  Our armed Marines escort our Navy help and are in protection mode continuously...not to mention that our workers are well-armed with the sword of the Spirit!

• Work was done from the light of dawn until the stars came out.  No elaborate application needed on this one!

• No one took off their clothes (so they would be prepared for anything).  Right after the earthquake, the workers slept ready to run (at least most of us did and still do) when the tremors continue to hit.

• There was an outcry from the poor.  Here, everyone is poor...and hungry.  As David Price reflected, the earthquake has been the great equalizer.

• Nehemiah made provision for the poor.  Lifeline and other missions and governments and individuals are bringing in many provisions.

• Nehemiah made the officials promise not to exact usary (price gouging and exorbitant interest.)  In church here Sunday, Pastor Luke scolded those who would price gouge, and encouraged fairness in all business practices.

• Nehemiah and his men did not acquire any of the land he and his men worked on.  None of the work here is being done to own anything, but to help others.

• 150 Jews and officials ate at Nehemiah's table.  There are countless individuals who have eaten at our tables since the earthquake.  Mrs. Lakey and her kitchen crew have worked overtime to keep everyone fed, from the medical and work team members to the neighboring missionaries, and the local officials, and service men and women.

• Nehemiah was devoted to prayer.  Every encounter we have with the Haitians or with anyone we are helping includes prayer.  In addition, we have twice daily group devotions and prayer.

• Nehemiah would not run and hide from danger.  When Drs. Bill and Doug were here right after the earthquake and taking care of the injured in the clinic, the families would run when the tremors hit, but they stayed by the patient's side.  We are all focused enough on our work that we have no fear.

• The wall was completed in 52 days.  It is amazing to look out and see what has been accomplished in only 21 days, and I can't wait to see the results after 52!

• The Law of the Lord was read aloud from daybreak until noon, and they gave the meaning to the passages because the people didn't understand because God's Law was new to them.  God's Word is going forth from this place daily...throughout the day and night.

• At the completion of the wall, it was time for the feast of Tabernacles (booths) and the Israelites were told to go to the hills and bring branches and make booths.  The whole company that returned built booths and lived in them; and to complete the celebration they had an assembly.  They had never worshipped in this way before as God had instructed, and it brought them great joy.  The booths (tents) are built.   The people gathered their sticks from the hills and built.  They are living in them, and if you could see the joy of celebration in worship when the people gather, it would make your hearts sing! 

 

We have a lot to learn from Nehemiah...and God's Word tells us there is nothing new under the sun.  When this feast (Kids Against Hunger and MRE meals) of booths is over and Haiti is rebuilt, I pray that the assembly of the saved will be filled with the joy of their salvation and be renewed in Spirit to live for Jesus!
 

  
May the timeless Word of God be an encouragement to you, as it is to us!  And thank you for your continued prayers for relief efforts in Haiti and your ongoing prayers for all of Lifeline's ministries in Haiti, Honduras, El Salvador, Cuba and the United States.  Your prayers and partnership in disaster relief assistance, donated relief items and financial donations have encouraged and blessed us!

 

February 5: God is working in Haiti!

In 1980, Bob and Gretchen DeVoe began Lifeline Christian Mission to shine the hope of Jesus Christ to those who desperately needed Him.  Their ministry work began in Grand Goave, Haiti, and thirty years later, that light is still shining brightly, pointing lives to The One who gives us hope in the darkest nights.  In the update below, Bob and Gretchen share how Jesus Christ is shining brightly to all who come in contact with Lifeline's ministries.

 

Bob and Gretchen write:  

  

God is sovereign and He is doing something here in Haiti!   The spiritual presence of our Lord can be seen and felt in every bit of energy that is expended by His people.  And the eyes of the people of Haiti are on His mighty works.
 
During our morning and evening devotions, the team members seem to be focusing on what they see our Lord doing around us.  The subject of "why" comes up but no one questions God's sovereignty in all this.  It is clear that a fallen world continues to fall in more than one way!   One of our team members, Dr. Joni Scott, paraphrased the Bible when we were talking about the "Tent City" here on Lifeline's central campus (we now have over 450 tents full of people living here).  Joni said "Look out over the tents, they are white unto harvest!" 
 
Finding time to journal has gotten a bit harder for us this past week...with the work team that is here the outreach has broadened.  God has hand-picked the people who have come to serve, including the U.S. military (we have much more to tell in another update about these very special people).  There are a myriad of international organizations on the ground in Haiti and many representatives of those groups come to see what is happening: Doctors Without Borders, Red Cross, Samaritan's Purse, and the list goes on.

 

 

Humble Servants 

Although the majority of our Lifeline team members here right now are medical people (all of them veterans to Lifeline), there are some very humble, hard-working and extremely talented servants that have poured their sweat and energy into long days and short nights.  Distributing food, mapping out and preparing the new locations for tents, strategizing and organizing food distribution, cleaning and organizing our kitchen,  helping with installation of latrines and a bladder for water, tearing down fallen buildings, salvaging steel and unbroken blocks, digging trenches, shoveling rock and debris, working on mechanical and electrical problems, driving patients to the ocean to mount the LCAC (naval hover crafts) to be taken to the hospital on the USS Bataan, and the list goes on....but always these men and women serve with tenderness and compassion and it is clearly visible that their focus is on sharing the light of Christ with the people here.  They are quite a diverse group, too. Our Lord has put together preachers, airline pilots, mechanics, computer experts, construction workers, etc. to meet the needs of the moment.   We hope to be able to tell you much more about these wonderful servants in another update.

 

 

Medical Clinic 
In clinic, the initial waves of trauma victims that Dr. Bill and Dr. Doug cared for day and night have subsided and, although we get our share of emergencies each day, we are now starting to see general medical, pediatric, and OB patients.  The clinic had initially become a disaster relief hospital with only our docs and some of the Haitians providing emergency medical care.  Then the U.S. military arrived giving us assistance and supplies.  They have a full complement of doctors, surgeons and other health care professionals including dentists and public health care workers.  Yesterday they did mass immunizations at our clinic for the general public/population of the Grand Goave area.
 
Some of the types of things we have done that are not usually services of our clinic (but are being handled here because we are the only facility in town) are delivering babies, reducing and casting broken limbs, surgeries (such as removing a mass from a woman's breast, suturing lacerations, and amputations), and of course now the follow-up of changing dressings and cleaning away dead tissue. We've had a our share of patients with gangrene and we have had paraplegic patients that have become very special to our people here, and they are caring for them with love and tenderness.  Yesterday our two remaining paraplegic patients were picked up and taken to Port au Prince.
 
Every day the navy takes patients back to the USS Bataan for surgery and more extensive care.  Yesterday we had a young man with only 2 grams of hemoglobin (normal is about 15 for a man).  The Bataan has their own blood bank and we believe he will end up getting blood.  Ann Rose, our Haitian nurse and our "daughter" from her days growing up at our Lovelink Children's Home, is on the Bataan where she underwent knee surgery.
 
When we began resuming work as an out-patient community clinic, we saw over 250 patients the first day, and a significant number have malaria.  We also saw about 40 pregnant women.  Last Friday a pregnant gal was taken to the Bataan to have a c-section delivery. Turns out she had the baby normal vaginal delivery and the Navy is celebrating that they had their "first ever" baby born on the ship!
 
A lot of our school kiddies and nutrition program children are sick with malaria, respiratory infections and gastrointestinal conditions.  We are concerned it will get worse before it gets better because of all the flies that are now here in Tent City. 

 

 

Food Distribution & Nutrition Clinics

There are 51 other camps throughout the Grand Goave area, much like our Tent City, but much smaller.  We are providing food to all 52 locations.  Thanks again to the U.S. military for providing a large portion of the food that we are distributing.  There are camp/community leaders who come with a vehicle and get the allotted number of boxes of food to take back to their camps.  
 
Yesterday was our 3rd major food distribution and it went extremely well, thanks to JD Hite and his crew. Infant Nutrition Clinic resumed yesterday. Only a few of the babies were absent.  We have 3 such clinics each week.  Next week, toddler nutrition and adult nutrition programs will resume (these are the programs where the people come to receive the food that we cook in our school kitchen).  After more rubble is cleaned up and we establish some additional locations for feeding, we plan to resume feeding our 10,000 school children.  School probably won't resume any time soon.  This week 2 containers are being shipped via the Dominican Republic, thanks to Ramon Pastrano, Impact Lives, as well as Steve Eastwood at Pilot Freight.  We are testing the waters for getting containers of food in that route.

 

Monday I did devotion for clinic and the people were so quiet, you could have heard a pin drop...they are hungry for words of hope.  Each day a different team member brings a message from our Lord to the patients.  I put my friend Brenda Johnson on the spot yesterday and she was ready and able to give a spontaneous message to the parents who brought their babies for Infant Nutrition Clinic.  The mothers listened and many said "amen" afterwards. 

 

 Work Team Members

Jace Freeman is here with us from Indianapolis. He is a veteran Lifeline team member from his high school days at Heritage Christian School, but he is now a professional videographer and he is photographing and videoing of all the various activities within the Lifeline ministries.  Jace produced a Cuba video for Lifeline last year and some of you have seen it.  When he returns to the U.S. he'll be putting one together on this catastrophe in Haiti and we will have it available upon request.
 
Today we have 11 new medical workers joining us. They are flying in through the Dominican Republic and taking a public bus to Haiti.  We have not met them but know that they are the cream of the crop too. They are veterans to relief work, having served in Tanzania and Guatemala, just to name a few places.  They are connected to Floyd Hammer of Outreach International who provides us with the lion's share of our food that we feed and distribute throughout Haiti.  We are eager to meet and serve with them. They have surgeons, nurses, etc
 
We just learned that another grocery store/market opened back up in Port au Prince so today we'll be able to purchase more food for our work teams.

 

 

Sponsor Kids 
Also, we have not learned of any more of our school kids being killed or maimed but EVERYONE has lost much...mostly homes, personal possessions and animals.   The areas hardest hit of course are Port au  Prince, Leogane, and Grand Goave.    Still the people continue to praise God and we see Him at work in their lives in many ways.  For now, because communications are limited, if you sponsor a child you can assume "No news is not-so-bad news"!  And we are temporarily asking sponsors of Haitian children to not send gift boxes, but only cash gifts for their children.  Visit Lifeline's website for more details.

 

 

Homes for Haiti 
Our Lifeline houses are standing firm.   It is our hope to begin building homes again.  All those homes on the calendar to be built in January after the quake had to be postponed. But as the trembling becomes less and less (we had another one we could feel this morning), the people will be willing to go back into their homes.  But because they remain afraid, we are pretty convinced that some will not move in to their new homes immediately. But we have to maintain the construction schedule to be able to complete the homes already paid for this year and to allow work teams to continue to participate in building the homes that many of them funded.
 
 

Work Teams 

Our regular work team schedule is supposed to resume February 22, however the commercial airlines are still not flying into Haiti. It IS safe here.  It is just so emotionally and physically taxing right now because of what our eyes, hearts and minds have absorbed, and continue to absorb daily.  So the work trips coming up are not for the faint of heart.  They will see sights like never before seen and will work harder than ever.

 

 

Next week after the workers coming today return home we will have a break of sorts.  I would love to sleep in just one day! :-)  But clinic will keep me busy, and there is the task of resuming Christmas gift distribution, of course there's no way we could do this yet. The people don't even have homes where they can keep the gifts. So I expect we'll be able to do that in March.  David Price will be staying on for an extended time, having been charged by Bob the task of assessing each of Lifeline's 14 church and 12 school locations and planning the rebuilding efforts needed at each site.
 
Bob and I are holding up great.  The strength we have can only come from our Lord.  But our wonderful staff in the U.S., headed up by Ben Simms, and the faithful volunteers and donors have given us tremendous encouragement. We miss our family but they know and understand what we are doing because they love Haiti and have served here with us since they were young.  They tell us they are proud of what is happening here but we can only boast in our Lord.  
 
So for now just rest assured, God is doing something here in Haiti and people are watching closely!
 
Thank you!  You are loved!
Bob & Gretchen
Grand Goave, Haiti

 

 

 

In the midst of the disaster relief efforts taking place in Haiti, ministry work continues in Honduras, El Salvador and Cuba by Lifeline's dedicated international staff. 

 

One of Lifeline's ministries is to help the youth realize their educational goals.  In Honduras, Lourdes, a resident of the Omoa Children's Home, has achieved her first goal of graduating from high school!  Lourdes' says "Thank you because you are giving us a blessing to live here (at Lifeline's Omoa Children's Home, Honduras) and because I could finish high school.  I appreciate all of your love; Lifeline is doing great "God´s work" in my country.  This is was my first goal that I won.   May God bless Lifeline Christian Mission and all its supporters."

 

Thank you for your continued prayers for relief efforts in Haiti and your ongoing prayers for all of Lifeline's ministries in Haiti, Honduras, El Salvador, Cuba and the United States.  Your prayers and partnership in relief efforts and ministry work have encouraged and blessed us!  Because of your disaster relief assistance, donated relief items and financial donations, the light of Jesus Christ is shining brightly for all to see through Lifeline's ministries!

 

Lifeline's staff and work team members have had the honor and privilege of working side-by-side with the US Navy and Marines in Grand Goave.  The US military has had medical personnel assisting in Lifeline's clinic; critical patients are taken to their navy ship for more extensive care; military personnel help with clean up and reconstruction at Lifeline and throughout Grand Goave; and so much more. 

 

This past Sunday, the Lifeline staff and work team members had the opportunity to visit the USS Bataan and tour the ship's medical department where critical patients from Lifeline's clinics are taken to and cared for.  Brian, a Navy man that Lifeline has had the opportunity to work with, relates this experience in an email sent to his friends and family.  We thought you might enjoy hearing about Lifeline's work from a Navy man's perspective.

 

Here is a portion of Brian's email to his friends and family:  

 

  

Hello everyone, 
 
So, today we had the rare opportunity to welcome some guests that rarely if ever get to see a Naval Warship at sea. The amazing people of Lifeline Christian Ministries came to us from the clinic in Grand Goave. They are the real humanitarians who have been coming to Haiti for over 30 years to help heal, nourish, and minister to the people of Haiti. We have come to know them very well in such a short period of time working side by side with them in the devastated village of Grand Goave. They come from all walks of life; there is a dentist, an emergency room physician, a nurse practitioner, family practice doctor, a pastor, and a Gastroenterologist, just to name a few. They drop everything from their lives at home, from Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and so on, to come here to help. They receive no pay, they do not do this for recognition or fame, they seek no special favors, and they work in the most austere conditions all with a never ending smile. They are missionaries with hearts of gold and everything they do is in God's name. I am proud to know them and look forward to each and every encounter.
 
Interestingly, one of our patients onboard is a glorious product of their ministry. Ann Rose is a nurse at Lifeline's clinic and she was severely injured. What makes her so very special is that she is an alumnus of the orphanage that so many of the people of Lifeline helped build. She is family to them and even a "daughter" to Dr. Bill Rutherford and his wife Linda. She is a bold reminder once more of the resilience and heart of the people of Haiti. As her extended family toured the medical department, we ended with the most serene of all areas, the Ward (also known as Wilson's Ward) and Ann Rose's face lit up like a Christmas tree! Priceless. I think having them here today helped bring our missions, parallel to each other, full circle. As we go ashore we are able to see where our patients come from. Now they are able to see where their patients go. If anyone is interested in learning more about these wonderful people, check out http://www.lifeline.org.
 
God bless....
 
Brian

 

Thank you again for your continued prayers for the Haitian people, Lifeline's staff and work team members, and the military!  We deeply appreciate your prayer support and relief assistance for the Haitian people and Lifeline's ministries!  Your disaster relief assistance has been a huge blessing and source of encouragement!  New drop off locations for your donated relief items are being added daily, and financial donations for relief efforts have been coming in. Again, thank you for all you are doing!

January 30: An exciting morning in Haiti!

It's been an exciting morning here; my heart is bursting with joy and some pride too!

 

Today we were visited by THE Captain of the USS Bataan, which is where most of our U.S. troops are coming from.  His name is Captain Sam Howard and he is a wonderful, gracious man.
 
His visit was anticipated, but what was NOT anticipated was the certificate of appreciation that he presented to Lifeline on behalf of himself, the U.S. Navy and the entire crew of the Bataan.
 
He also presented us a U.S. flag. Bob was aware of this happening and later we will be having a flag raising ceremony here wherein the U.S. and Haitian flags will fly side by side on 2 flag poles.  
 
He had a tour of the mission and encouraged us.  We currently have around 75 Naval personnel doing clean up, rubble removal from our schools and other damaged areas, and some are working in clinic and doing some clean up there too.  And our doctors, laborers and other work team members are all busy constantly blessing Haiti with their humble servant-hood.
 
Right now, Dr. Joni and Celeste are in clinic about to help a woman give birth to her first baby.  Brenda might get in on the action too!
 
Dr. Bill and Dr. Doug flew out early this morning; they had to leave here at 3 am.  Pray for Dr. Bill as it appears he has Dengue Fever. He was very sick yesterday and still wouldn't stop working. Finally, Dr. David Pound and nurse Patsy "put him to bed" in one of the dorm rooms and ministered to him all night.  Please keep him in prayer as he is probably back in Florida by now but in need of additional care.  
 
A lot is happening here and we are again filled to overflowing with joy of what God is doing for our people here in Haiti.  One of our team members, Captain Steve Reu (a pilot for United Airlines), shared a very touching devotion this morning and I am going to get his permission to share it with each of you.
 
Blessings and have a good weekend!  

Gretchen DeVoe, Administrator
Lifeline Christian Mission

 

January 29: Earthquake relief effort update from Haiti

Bob & Gretchen, Lifeline's founders who are serving in Grand Goave, Haiti, are busy with relief efforts and ministering to the Haitian people.  Gretchen gives a detailed look at the ministry work going on in her update below: 

  

  

Hello again from Grand Goave, Haiti, where all I can say is "praise God!"  He is amazing, He who is able to do more than we can ask or imagine.  His word sustains us and guides us.
 
Sometimes it is frightening here: the tremblings continue, the stress of all the activity, and the many responsibilities we have.  One example is yesterday when preparing for food distribution.  The trucks didn't show up to transport the food to the camps in the village and the people were getting worried that they weren't getting anything.  We ended up asking the camp representatives to bring trucks to get their food.  Thanks to Gilbert and Lex Edme's skills with their people here, things got under control and the trucks were able to come in, get their food and exit. We ended up with a relatively smooth food distribution.  It was a bit scary at first...but the people of Grand Goave have learned to trust us and so I feel like the Holy Spirit intervened and gave us His peace and guidance.
 

We have learned to lean back into the arms of Jesus.  Team building groups have an excersize where an individual has a group behind them, and then that individual falls backward and the group catches them to break their fall.  This is what I do in my mind with Jesus...Lord, it's time for me to just fall back on you!  This mental image that I created just today has already given me a huge sense of security and peace.  Try it!  You'll be so blessed.
 
This Lifeline campus is truly a gift from God.  I want to give you some blurbs about what is happening:

• Every night the church leaders have a concert followed by a preaching session in the field near the camp where nearly 400 tents have been erected (actually they are more like houses made with wooden sticks with sheets and plastic to cover them).  Some tents have more than 1 family in them.

• The U.S. Navy and Marines are coming here daily to work with us. Their chief officers come and we map out some work and they take it and run with it.  Here's what some of America's "finest" are doing to help this community:

  • They eat lunch in our dining hall: they eat military rations and we eat the "usual" food cooked by our staff and Lakey.

  • Today they distributed Kids Against Hunger food to the nearly 400 homes/tents on the grounds.

  • Pick up rubble and salvage blocks from the walls that crumbled.

  • Clean and organize the computer lab (many computers were knocked over and the lab was a mess)

  • They go out in the village with Haitian community leaders, assess damaged homes and remove rubble.  Lieutenant Castillo of the Navy says that they tore down the condemned orphanage that belongs to Lex & Renee' Edme' of Mission of Hope; the facility was destroyed.  They also went to a big church in town that was totally destroyed; the rubble there is immense.

  • Some work in clinic with Dr. Bill, Dr. Doug and Mary Beth.

  • A medical crew from the USS Bataan Navy Vessel came and we evacuated some serious patients to the ship (via hovercraft).  Others have been taken to The Comfort and the USS Carl Vinson.

  • They enjoy Immacula's cookies from our kitchen. Lakey gives them out liberally and has made about 100 new friends in U.S. military uniforms!

• Our Haitian clinic workers finally came back to work.  They all have been devastated by this.

• The UN comes with their tanker truck and provides water to the camp whenever we need it. They are somewhat overwhelmed too.  They get so many requests.

• Doctors Without Borders distributed relief packs to each family; packs contain food, cook stoves, hygiene items and other basic necessities of life.

• A 2 day old baby was brought to us whose mother died.  We put her in nutrition program.

• The town of Leogane is totally devastated including our school and church.  We are still waiting for death toll from some of our outlying areas.

• We've delivered a significant number of babies and had to medevac one woman to the navy ship who needed a C-section delivery.  She was scared to death to get in the chopper.

• Most of our schools and many of our churches were damaged seriously.  We are still assessing them.

• Having David Price (our former resident missionary in Haiti) with us in Haiti now is a gift from God!  He's engaging and is so equipped to tackle whatever comes his way.

• The aftershocks have increased a bit the past 48 hours.  The one at 6 am served as our alarm clock this morning.

• The container of Kids Against Hunger food came yesterday, just in time for our massive community food distribution and half of it was given out already (150,000 meals).  This food was packaged at Park Chapel Christian Church in Indiana and was sitting in customs before the earthquake struck.

• The U.S. military is going to bring enough food for us to distribute community-wide twice a week.  The numbers I saw on Nick's spreadsheet indicate that the food is feeding over 24,000 people in the community!  This is amazing!  God is good. He is multiplying the loaves and the fish.

• And throughout all this our faithful, hard working and dedicated staff and volunteers back in the U.S. just keep going and going.

• Yesterday we had 19 more American workers join us; 13 are health care workers and the remaining are workers with servants hearts willing to do mechanics, kitchen, construction, photography, labor,  electrical, plumbing, computer, etc.  God sent us some incredible people since this quake occurred and we are encouraged and blessed to have them here.  And we say thank you to each of you...you know who you are! 

• Samaritans Purse wants to help with latrines and showers too.

• Military from the U.S. Public Health Department arrived; thank the Lord they weren't coming to inspect us (smile!) but to work beside us. Next week they will work in clinic giving immunizations and also work in dental clinic. They include men from NCIS but so far I have not seen Mark Harmon (smile!). 

• Television crews from various countries are coming and doing interviews.

• Yesterday we distributed military MREs (humanitarian meals) to over 5000 people.  We have a new system set up that seems to be working where the various community leaders come with vehicles and we load the food right in the vehicles based upon quantity/size of the camps they are feeding.

• Today Dr. Bill has a high fever; we are testing him for malaria. Tomorrow he and Dr. Doug Harty, who have sustained this medical ministry the past 2 weeks, will be flying back to the States; we will miss them!

• Dr. Bill was really choked up yesterday when he shared with me that one of the U.S. servicemen helping in clinic is a Haitian but is a U.S. citizen.  He was deployed here to serve Haiti but his parents who reside in Port au Prince have not been heard from since the quake and he's had no contact with them since he arrived here.  There's a chance they are dead.  Yet the soldier continues to serve and do his job.  Amazing!

• Praise God for the flights that we have been donated to bring our staff and relief workers to Haiti.  Many have come via Ohio courtesy of an owner of a small, private plane. And thanks to Brett, the pilot, for his excellent skills!
   
  Thanks for taking time to read.
   
  Bless you
  Gretchen L. DeVoe, Administrator
  Lifeline Christian Mission
   

 

Gretchen also sends this request: "Please do NOT send photos or attachments to us (Bob, Gretchen and the staff) in Haiti as it causes major delays and slow-down in our internet email system.  We have poor satellite connection sometimes and our email bandwidth is limited."  If you have photos you would like to share with the Lifeline staff, please send them to our US office at News@Lifeline.org.  Thank you for your help in this matter!

 

January 28: Serving in Haiti: Dr Bill's thoughts and experiences

For nearly two weeks, Lifeline has been blessed to have two phenomenal doctors, Dr Bill and Dr Doug, serving the Haitian patients in Lifeline's medical clinic in Grand Goave.  Dr Bill, the Medical Director of the Emergency Department at Indiana Medical Center (Indianapolis) and board certified in Emergency Medicine, Internal Medicine and Critical Care, participated in his first trip to Haiti with Lifeline in 1991.  Dr Bill has been posting his experiences on his blog and he has graciously allowed us to share a recent post with you.   

 

In a recent post from Dr Bill, he writes:

 

 

I read a posting tonight by a team that had just returned from Port au Prince. They were maximally frustrated because the blitzkrieg trip they'd planned was filled with unmet expectations and obstructions.  The hospital they were expecting to work at was destroyed, the backup hospital had no water or electricity, the anesthesia machines didn't work, their relief supplies were hijacked, they couldn't get resupplied, their "exit strategy" had to be changed, etc. By admitting their failure to plan adequately and exposing the flaws in the "system" - the complete absence of an viable infrastructure, etc. they hope to help others avoid the same pitfalls. It is worth reading - but it demonstrates the difference between having highly laudable intentions, or having a relationship with people.
 
One working definition of a disaster is to have one more patient than there are resources to handle. By that definition, Haiti is a mega disaster on its BEST day. Veterans of Haiti know there is no reliable "system" - ever. For a hospital in Haiti to be without power, to be so inadequately equipped as to defy the definition of "hospital", for equipment and supplies to be stolen by a minority of desperate, starving people who see an opportunity to be able to eat one more night by selling their booty, to have crowds angry because they sense abandonment - all this IS Haiti - all the time.
 
It's kind of like the scene from the original MASH movie where BJ and Trapper breeze into the hospital in Tokyo expecting to operate the way they would in the States and then catch a quick round of golf, only to find their plans thwarted by circumstances. One cannot impose one's will on Haiti. Though it is the second free nation in the Western hemisphere (the slaves revolted against their French masters just a few years after we raised the Stars and Stripes) it is also the poorest nation on this side of the globe. Haiti has never had a sustained period of political or economic stability. Despite this, they are some of the most resilient people I've ever met.
 
Fixing broken bones is important, even if you have to do it with cardboard boxes, or palm tree bark and duct tape - but offering hope to broken hearts is even more important. When the Haitians see us cry because we have no medication to sedate them prior to reducing their fractures, they see that our anguish isn't  due to our own inconvenience. They realize we are not just here to provide physical help - we are their friends.  Interestingly, we've never been without SOMETHING to accomplish the task, even if it is just offering our apologies for the pain we must cause - being part MacGyver is a good thing in Haiti.
 
Expect nothing if you decide to come to Haiti - this isn't serving a single meal at a homeless shelter on a holiday while the local TV cameras role. It's a commitment from the heart. Planning is good and necessary but the last time your plan will be working perfectly in Haiti is before you get on the plane to come here. Paul wrote that he had learned to be content with whatever he had, and such is required of anyone wishing to help here.

 

We deeply appreciate Dr Bill and Dr Doug for serving the people of Haiti!  We look forward to sharing future posts from their blogs as they give us a glimpse into the heartache and joys of serving the Haitian people.  Please continue to keep them, and the patients they serve, in your prayers.

 

Just received a phone call from Gilbert!  They located one of our containers (that was at the port before the earthquake struck), got it cleared through customs and it will be coming today or tomorrow…this is 300,000 meals of Kids Against Hunger food. This will provide food for about a week.  Of course we have dozens of others wanting to give us containers full of this type food and getting it here is still uncertain until the port opens!

 

Also, we are now getting help from Samaritans’ Purse…they will be involved in the latrine and shower set ups and possibly the tent city too here at Grand Goave.  Bob knows more on this than I do.

 

And praise God for our U.S. military and the MREs they brought today that will feed 5000!

 

Praise God with us!

Gretchen L. DeVoe

Dear Friends, Supporters, Family, and Fellow Christians,

 

Great news! 

• The marines just came and left us MRE food packets to feed 5000 people.  Hallelujah!  We are collaborating with the entire community and Lifeline's Library is Command Central.  All local organizations, mayors, judge, etc. are working together in food distribution and relief. This afternoon they will go out to the camps, like we did before, and distribute this food.
• This afternoon the UN is bringing another tanker of water.  
• The 3 men scheduled to arrive today made it safe and sound to the airport in Port au Prince and are on their way with Francois to Grand Goave (Tim and Jason & Steve Rew from Colorado).
• They located one of our 40 foot containers of Kids Against Hunger food in customs; Gilbert and Firmin are working to get it to us ASAP (300,000 meals are in that container!!)
• We are also getting good reports about shipping through the Dominican.  

 

Sad News:

• Pastor Luc Louis of our Cesse Lesse church learned his oldest son was killed in the quake when he was in the university that collapsed.  Please keep their family, and other families that have lost loved ones, in your prayers

 

More later...just keep us in your prayers.  So much is happening around here that it can get overwhelming at times, but we are praising God for all the people working together to the glory of God to help Haiti.
 
In HIM with hope
Bob & Gretchen

 

So much is happening in Grand Goave right now: work in the clinic continues, the "Relief Crew" arrived, food distribution began, the new "Tent City" around us, and more!  And in all that is happening, Jesus Christ's love is being extended to all who come in contact with Lifeline's ministry outreach to the Haitian people.  Gretchen DeVoe, Lifeline's Administrator and Co-founder who is ministering in Grand Goave, Haiti, shares progress, praises, and prayer requests from the mission field. 

 

Gretchen  writes: 

 

 

Hello Friends!

 

Thanks for continuing to uplift us with your prayers and gifts.  These past few days have been a blur; so much happening!  I can say without hesitation that we see the hand of God all around us.  Our God is an awesome God!
 
Our medical team has been fantastic! Dr. Bill Rutherford and Dr. Doug Harty arrived just over one week ago and it seems like yesterday.  They teamed up with the Haitian doctors and nurses here, as well as lay-volunteers who were eager to be involved in the clinic work.  We've had babies to deliver, limbs to amputate, patients who will never walk again, and patients with horrible crush injuries and fractures.  Just about the time we think we are out of medicines and materials, someone shows up with a new supply.  They have had to set and cast so many broken bones.  Other missions have come to plug in and help and provide medicines and supplies.  We were also able to network with the U.S. military to learn that the 3 huge Navy vessels off the coast will medi-vac Haitians to either the USS Carl Vinson, the Comfort, or the Bataan.  And it turns out one of the women in the ladies group that we evacuated has a relative on the Bataan who refuels the military vessels.
 
Friday the "Relief Crew" was flown in by private jet to the Jacmel airport.  (The flight was donated by a generous donor)  Seven folks from Ohio flew to Jacmel, Haiti and were met by Francois and Gary at the airport and arrived in time for a late supper.  We had an organizational/orientation meeting with them and then they got a good night's rest before tackling the many, many jobs that are before them.  J.D. Hite is the leader of this group and has also volunteered tirelessly at the Ohio office where our faithful staff and countless volunteers have been working all day and many times late into the night.  Doug Pogue, a minister and experienced EMT plugged into clinic.  The others in this first wave are Nick Lamatrice from Ohio; Rich McKinley and Ed Epperson (both from Miamisburg Christian Church, Ohio); Mary Beth Minear from Jamestown, Ohio; and George Reuss, Lifeline's volunteer IT tech from Cincinnati.  This is a team of eager, extremely talented and hard working Christian servants; they hit the ground running and have had much to tackle!
 
The U.S. military landed in Grand Goave and came to see us.  They arrived just as we were sending out our first Food Distribution Team.  Also arriving at various times, usually when the troops and other relief agencies come to see us, are reporters representing various major news networks.  I heard I made YouTube!  Lakey Curlee also gave our soldiers homemade cookies...we have made friends for life!
 
The distribution of Kids Against Hunger food went very well.  There is always a concern of rioting, but we met together in advance with local officials, church pastors/leaders and with the UN. A plan was developed and we were able to distribute food to a total of 36 Camps around Grand Goave serving an estimate 3,500-4,000 people.  We depleted half of the Kids Against Hunger food on hand and now we are praying and working to get more food.  We only had unrest in one location where we had to stop the distribution. This location was where the UN men had to leave before the distribution was complete and that's when the people got aggressive.  We had a really good plan worked out and we hope to continue to follow it this coming week when we distribute food again. The military has been asked to get us the food and we can distribute it.  It is interesting that our priorities and the military's priorities line up (although our first priority is to minister spiritually): 1) Food; 2) Shelter, currently we are calling our camp "Tent City"; 3) Toilets; and 4) Tackling the rubble and getting  people back to their homes.  The  military also has the concern of water for the people; although our water here is good, we just do not have enough for the entire community.

 

A first for me in Haiti: the UN troops have been here for years and most in our area are from Sri Lanka. Well, every time a work team is here they get excited to snap photos of the UN convoys.  Well, after the Food Distribution was over, the UN soldiers came back to our place and were all sitting around outside the dorm having a cold drink of water.  When I came over one of them held up his camera like he wanted me to take it.  All the other troops got up (I don't speak their language) and I thought he wanted me to take their photo together.  So I started to take his camera and then I realized what he wanted: he wanted a photo of ME with all of them!  Wow if that wasn't funny!
 
Another thing of interest is our "Tent City": The people started out by first sleeping on the ground with sheets and pieces of cardboard, etc.  Then small tents went up.   The third phase is that they have put up wooden poles, plastic or cloth walls and some are actually walling themselves off for privacy.
 
The highlight for us this week has been learning that over 160 people have accepted Christ in this one camp alone!
 
Our Haitian staff are finally starting to engage more...they have been in a sort of shock of their own since this all happened.  But trying to resume some of the old routines and getting normalcy to their lives is going to help.  Bob and I held a meeting with our Grand Goave staff to tell them of our effort to help with their rebuilding of their homes.  Here are some interesting tidbits of information gathered in the meeting:

• Of the  90 or so employees in the Grand Goave area, we learned that 70 of them own their own homes.  This was quite a pleasant surprise...makes it easier to address helping them get back in their homes. 

• Those 7 who rented will simply have to find another home to rent or we will work to get them their own home.

• There were 3 who live with other relatives and never had a home of their own. 

• After praying, Bob encouraged the staff to begin thinking of the future.  The plan is for those who own their own home to be involved in their own home clean up. They were asked to go to their homes, take help if needed and begin removing the rubble.  Once they have done all they can do they are to report back. Bob will take a crew of Americans and Haitian masons out to look at each home to determine if it can be repaired or if it will have to be completely torn down and a new home built.  Bob further encouraged them that by cleaning up and looking to the future they can set an example for the other people in the community who are still too paralyzed with fear to do anything.  

 
Another issue we've had to try to work out is getting paychecks to the Haitian staff.  Adam and Salem's offices were trashed by the quake and they have major clean up to do before Salem can print paychecks.  But secondly the banks have been closed and as of today we still can't access the money in the bank.  So to help the Haitian staff, we had US money brought in with the "Relief Crew" and we gave each one of them a cash advance on their pay to get them by.
 
Each day our school cooks have been cooking big pots of the Kids Against Hunger food to serve our staff who are camped out here.   And we distributed the dry food at our camp also.  This has helped our staff a lot. Food supplies are getting in short supply; I'm so concerned that we won't get more food soon.  Please keep this in your prayers
 
The shortage of diesel has eased up.  We were able to buy four drums today; that will last us four days. A 55 gallon of diesel costs us about $260.00 U.S. and lasts one day.  The price of gasoline is up to $18.00 US per gallon!  I say "ridiculous" to that one!  
 
Bob and I have restless nights.  I have not been able to really settle into bed because of the frightening aftershocks, so I have slept on the sofa next to the front door for a hasty retreat. But even when we sleep it's like sleeping with one eye open.  Last night I slept about 2 hours so when the sun came up I was exhausted and Bob made me go back to bed and I slept for 4 hours!!  And as soon as we get up we have people at our door continually.
 
Bobby and Lakey Curlee have been true gifts from God!  Bobby just goes and goes and goes like the Energizer Bunny.  And in all this we have time to joke and laugh at ourselves and our circumstances. But of course we cry for the Haitians and their circumstances.
 
I believe we are going to have this tent city here for a LONG TIME.  But the people are peaceable, and they know we love them and they know God loves them and is taking care of them.   Interesting: People in Haiti turn to God in their struggles and don't seem to question Him.  There are those who would question our God about what has happened.  But for those of us who believe, Haitians included, we know that it has been our Lord God who has protected us from this natural disaster. 
 
Well, off to try to get a decent night of sleep. 
 
Bless you, thank you and we'll continue to keep you posted.  I hope to get a chance to go see the hovercraft that the Navy has here.  It is the talk of the town!  Bobby got some photos.
 

These following scriptures were part of our theme for our women's group last week...little did we know we would have to claim every one of these to make it through the present days here in Haiti! 

 

Remember these promises from God:
"I will comfort you...." Isaiah 66:13
"I will strengthen you..." Isaiah 41:10
"I WILL GIVE YOU PEACE..." Leviticus 26:6
"I will carry you...."Isaiah 46:4
"I will listen to you..." Jeremiah 29:12
"I will protect you..." Acts 26:17
"I will give you rest"  Matthew 11:28
"I will be with you..." Genesis 31:3

 
Good night!
 

Gretchen DeVoe
 
 

We cannot tell you - our supporters and volunteers - thank you enough!  Thank you for your continued prayers for Bob, Gretchen, our US staff in Haiti, and our Haitian staff.  Your disaster relief assistance has been a huge blessing and source of encouragement as your donated relief items and financial donations have been coming in.  We deeply appreciate your support for the Haitian people and Lifeline's ministries!

 

We are temporarily asking sponsors to suspend sending gift packages to our office for your sponsored children in Haiti.  We are urging you to send money for your sponsored child's family instead.  read more...

The following is an update from Bob DeVoe, Lifeline's President and Founder, who was finally able to get a flight into Haiti.  Gretchen (his wife) and Bobby and Lakey Curlee have been in Lifeline's Grand Goave headquarters since early January.

 

Bob writes: 

 

Hello Dear Friends!

 

The following is a diary of some of the things that have taken place since I arrived in Haiti: 

 

Getting to Haiti:

• Early start Tuesday morning: left the Dominican Republic (where I was stuck for 2 days) at 2:00AM on a private jet.  The flight was donated by Evergreen.

• It was a 25 minute flight; no lights as we flew into Port-au-Prince.  The rescue/cadaver dog that was on board with us was aroused by the scent of death even before our plane came to a stop,  but we didn't realize it until the door was opened a few minutes later.  I found my way out of the airport and walked for several minutes alone in the dark carrying a heavy pack and bag.  I was very relieved to find Francois waiting to take me to my home-away-from-home and Gretchen.

 

Lovelink Children's Home

• First stop on way to Grand Goave was our Lovelink Children's Home; wonderful reunion with lots of hugs!  Several hundred displaced neighbors are staying in our secure yard day and night.

• Spent two hours assessing and detailing damage: 1st & 2nd floor of main dorm building are sound; 3rd floor is unsafe.  Kitchen/dining building, medical clinic and apartment require minor repairs.  Church requires moderate repair.  The Lifeline school across the road for 1800 students is not useable and requires major reconstruction and furnishing, including computer lab.

• Large masonry house next to church was totally destroyed as were several houses of employees and friends living nearby.

• I stopped at totally destroyed school just 5 lots down the street; cried and prayed with grieving bystanders as I learned that only 23 of 100 teenage students made it out alive.  (please note: this was not a Lifeline school)

 

Leogane Church & School

• I stopped at our Leogane church & school facility to access damage: I held my tears back as I saw almost total destruction of our facilities there.  I witnessed some folks helping themselves to some of the damaged ruins - broken and bent corrugated roofing, broken trusses and bent steel truss joists.  I was going to try to stop them but realized they could really benefit from being able to salvage these sorry items and needed them to help win their fight to provide simple, make-do shelter.

• It took us over 40 minutes to make the normal 5 minute trip back to the main highway: Our way in was blocked by a large truck and workers wearing masks to lessen the stench.  They were loading bodies and we had to find another route.  There was detour after detour as we turned, backed, almost got stuck and had to lock the wheels to get out of a ditch, all the while passing "pancaked" houses; many still entombing entire families.  We passed yet another large truck with 4 or 5 workers riding on top wearing masks going back to pick up another load.  By this time, it was only 10:30 AM

• The last stop on the way was to check the main bridge for damage: I don't think there'll be a problem with supporting heavy containers of food and supplies

 

 Back Home at Grand Goave on Tuesday

• My three day journey to our mission headquarters has ended.  Even before making my way through the wide gateway, hundreds of friends and strangers began to wave and greet me.  A few minutes later, welcoming hugs and hellos were exchanged between Gretchen, Bobby, Lakey and me and dozens of others.   It was time for lunch and getting on with the work.  

• Busy afternoon.  As you would expect, the next few hours were spent assessing the current situation and determining immediate priorities.  It was obvious that our American and Haitian staff and volunteers had done a fantastic job in meeting first response issues: The clinic was ministering to hundreds; several thousand refugees were living at camp #1 on our seven acre headquarters and main Grand Goave campus; construction had begun to replace security walls; etc., etc., etc. 

• Sizeable aftershocks interrupted (and scared) us all afternoon as we followed and appreciated our scriptural admonishment to "pray without ceasing".  Praise God for the peace and joy that only He can provide during chaotic times such as these.  

• It's now just a few minutes after 6:00 PM.  A 6.1 earthquake, with its epicenter less than 7 miles away in Petite Goave, reminded us of the 7.3 quake that hit Haiti one week previous, almost exactly to the hour.  What a desperate week it has been: these precious people are soooo resilient!  Untold numbers of additional buildings hit the ground.  (Lifeline buildings were not damaged)  The people living on our grounds immediately began to pray and soon thereafter were also praising God because of no suspected additional injuries of loss of life; though there was word of much more damage and buildings down.  

• Meetings and work continued until after midnight.  Gretchen and I cannot keep up with timely updates and response to emails (internet is often very slow or down and email capabilities are sadly lacking); please be patient - I have over 1000 emails in my inbox. I was happy to get out of the same clothes I had been wearing for 3 days.  The bed felt good, especially because Gretchen was by side for the first time in nearly 3 weeks.

• It was hard to rest or sleep with tremors continuing through the night; even so, it was the most rest for me in the past week.  Our staff in Haiti and in the US have been working 16-20 hours every day.  Don't forget to pray for all involved in stateside activities.  We hope to update you on wonderful progress there too.  You, our supporters, have been great! (a huge understatement!)  Thank you!  

 

Wednesday: Food Distribution

• Wednesday morning started early.  I knew a busy and long day was coming but I had no idea; God continues to be our strength!  By 9:00 AM we were ready to begin our called meeting including top local officials, area UN commander, police and area pastors.  The purpose of this meeting was to finalize arrangements for food distribution to area survival camps.  It was a long meeting and much was accomplished.  Area wide food distribution begins Thursday.  Our "on hand" food supply is nearly depleted.  

• Major prayer request:  We have two 40-foot shipping containers of food at the seaport in Port au Prince.  They have been cleared for release (supposedly) but the seaport is still closed.  I've heard that it may open for limited service today.  In conjunction with this is the necessity of getting the food delivered to us 45 miles away in Grand Goave.  Pray with us that God will show us the way that will allow this food to be delivered. 

 

 Wednesday: More activities

• My time remaining for this update is very limited now so I will finish it in an abbreviated manner

• Wednesday afternoon activities continued as you may have expected.  Another body was picked up from our clinic, though wins far outweigh losses.  They continue to do a wonderful job in treating the hundreds of injured patients.   

• Debris from ruined buildings is being hauled away as new construction of walls are coming along well. 

• Our warehouse construction has been restarted. 

• A plan to provide adequate, temporary "Haiti Hut" structures is underway. 

• Arrangements are being finalized to fly in a private plane of critically needed volunteers. 

• Our system to get cash money in the hands of our pastors is being finalized.

• Mission friends (Christianville) gave us a critically needed drum of diesel fuel (this will last us another 24 hours) and we sent them away with several thousand KAH meals.

• And much, much more.

 

Wednesday Evening

• After dinner, as I headed back to my quarters, I passed by a church "prayer and praise" meeting right in the center of our compound.  Hundreds of worshipers were singing and many were actually jumping up and down.  Several hundred new brothers and sister have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior in the past couple of days. Spiritual and emotional needs are being met as our pastors and church leaders are ministering to the flock. 

• A few minutes later there was another large tremor.  I suggested to Gretchen that it was caused by the folks in the church meeting jumping up and down.   :-)

• Gretchen is a real trooper, a wonderful wife, a strong Christian leader and a special servant of God.  She has worked nonstop for over a week, and the last several days with bronchitis.  She is not getting better.  More prayers please.

• We continued to work until after 1:00 AM this morning.  So much has been accomplished!  God is good.  We got to sleep a little later after another sizable aftershock.  

 

It is Thursday and I've been on the ground for less than two days.  I'm sorry that a lot has been left out of this update; that book may come yet?  Gotta' go now, and we'll try to keep up on these updates; patience please. 
 
Thanks again,
Bob, Gretchen, staff and all of the grateful ministry recipients in Haiti
 

PS: We have been blessed by your loving and generous response to this catastrophe and I know that it has been a blessing for our Heavenly Father as well.  
 

 

We again want to say thank you for your continued prayers for Bob, Gretchen, our US staff in Haiti, and our Haitian staff.  Your disaster relief assistance has been a huge blessing and source of encouragement as your donated relief items and financial donations have been coming in.  We deeply appreciate your support for the Haitian people and Lifeline's ministries!

Haitian workers begin the process of cleaning up and rebuilding the security wall around Lifeline's property.  The wall crumbled in the earthquake. 

Gretchen says they really felt the earthquake today; Lifeline's buildings rattled and shook, but did not suffer damage.  In the village, though, people had more homes damaged and fall down.  The epicenter was 7 miles away from Grand Goave.

 

Tonight there was another praise celebration in the field where the Haitians are camping.  Tomorrow begins food distribution to about 12 camps in and around Grand Goave.  The UN, mayors, town leaders and church members will undertake these distributions simultaneously to avoid the people trying to go from camp to camp to get food.  Keep this in your prayers!

Gretchen DeVoe (Lifeline Administrator & Co-founder) has been in Lifeline's Haitian headquarters at Grand Goave through this entire earthquake experience. Gretchen, Bob DeVoe and Bobby & Lakey Curlee are ministering to the Haitian people and coordinating relief efforts in Grand Goave and other Lifeline communities.  

 

The following update was sent by Gretchen this afternoon:

 

The Rocks Cry Out! 

Today as I was thinking about all that has happened, the scripture came to mind that tells us that even if God's people remain silent and fail to proclaim His name, the rocks will cry out! (paraphrased).
 
Never had I experienced an earthquake.  I think we had a small one in Ohio a few years ago and you just felt a little shaking, but no big deal!  I vividly remember what happened last Tuesday, day 1.  I was starting to leave my computer desk when I heard a loud noise that sounded like the box truck or tractor was right outside the window.  At first I thought it had hit the house. But it was only seconds before I knew it was an earthquake. I was thrown sideways and up the ledge into the small dining nook with the kitchen. It wasn't until 6 days later that I discovered an abrasion on my elbow; such a minor injury, but I'm just sharing this to help paint a picture of how consumed we were with what was happening. Many of the women commented that they could tell the direction from which the quake traveled. We were shaken sideways and everything fell over in the houses.  The lockers in the big dorm fell over and the gals who were in their dorms at the time said the bunk beds shook horribly.
 
I recall yelling for the women's team to get out of the house.  We ran into the field and had all the women get with their groups and stay there on the ground. And they didn't need told to pray!  The initial quake lasted for probably a minute or two but the aftershocks came constantly, one right after the other.  I have learned from Dr. Bill Rutherford and others who have lived in California and experienced quakes before that they never heard the aftershocks coming.  I can tell you WE HEAR THEM COMING here. The rocks rumble beneath the ground and then the shock hits and the buildings tremble.  You also feel it rumbling underneath you off and on all the time as the earth is shifting and settling.  The sensation is akin to walking on a ship.  But in all of this, what I want to point out, is that the rocks are literally crying out! And they testify to the power of our awesome God.

 

Bob DeVoe, Lifeline Founder & President, is in Haiti 
Bob arrived safely this afternoon after a two long days of flying first to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and then hitching a ride in a private jet to Port au Prince.
 
On his way to Grand Goave he stopped at our Children's Home in Carre Four at Mahotiere and the children are fine but the two-story Lifeline school that includes high school is gone and a home fell into the church.  Bob also stopped at Leogane, which is basically totally devastated.  I'll leave it to Bob to update you later on what he has witnessed and experienced.

 

 

Food Relief 
Here in Grand Goave it is time to begin food and housing relief.  For the most part people have been paralyzed because of fear and no homes to return to.  I briefly met this morning with one of the mayors and another official and we are developing a food distribution plan.  Bob will help us get a rebuilding plan established.
 
There are other centers here in town where people naturally migrated to because they have wide open, outdoor space.  We think there are 4 or 5 of these around Grand Goave.
 
The plan, as it stands now, is to develop a community committee and we will meet tomorrow morning to begin final arrangements for distributing the Kids Against Hunger (KAH) food.
 
Each refuge center will have a name and the people there will be identified by a colored card representing that center.  The plan is to deliver the food to each of these locations simultaneously and distribute simultaneously at a given hour to avoid people going to more than one location to get food.
 
The quantity of KAH food we have on hand is about 10 pallets or 150,000 meals.  But we have 2 containers in port that we think we'll be getting soon. Those 2 containers will feed 600,000 meals.
 
Pastors of the community will be part of the "committee" or leadership of each center in their area.  When it comes time to distribute the food, there will be prayers and singing.  Then the head of each family will be given the same amount of food, regardless of size of family and they will have to make that sufficient until the next distribution.  We believe we should distribute 3 times a week giving enough food to last for about 2 days.

 

 

Clean-up & Housing Relief
The next plan is to tackle the job of clean up and rebuilding.  The mayor is in agreement that the people themselves have to clean up their own rubble or recruit family and friends to help.  After everything is cleaned up and out of the way, rebuilding or a total new house will be constructed.  Again this will be done by zone.
 
We are asking the officials to try to have the government dedicate some plots of land where multiple homes can be built in the same area.  Sort of like the Petit Paradise area where so many Lifeline homes have been constructed. (Side note: all 150 homes constructed by Lifeline stood firm through the earthquake!)  This will make delivery of materials easier and the people themselves can provide the water and security for the materials for their home. Clustering them together will make it more efficient.
 

 

Here's what we are encountering now

These are all things to pray about specifically.

 

• We need fuel - both diesel and gasoline.  If we don't have diesel for the generator, then we don't have electricity to email, pump water, or have electricity in the medical clinic. We need gasoline to run the trucks to pick up the diesel.

 

• Banks remain closed so we can't get our money here to us so we can start rebuilding.

 

• Shortage of construction and other materials.

 

• Shortage of food.

 

• The port in Port au Prince is not accepting ships yet due to damage, so shipments/containers of relief supplies can't be sent until we know they can get here.  The shipping companies are not accepting shipments until the port opens up, but when it does open we want supplies to flood in.  (Please note: Through a generous donor, Lifeline has aquired 50,000 square feet of warehouse space to stage supplies and containers.  Lifeline will ship them once the ports open up.)

 

 

Fuel Follow-up

Lesly just returned from Petit Goave where we were able to purchase 2 drums of diesel; this will last 2 days. We go through 55 gallons a day.
 

God bless you; thank you again for all that you are doing.  Please continue to help.
 
Living and loving to serve,
Gretchen L. DeVoe, Administrator
Lifeline Christian Mission  

 

 

On behalf of Bob, Gretchen, Bobby & Lakey in Haiti, the Lifeline staff thank you for your continued prayers and disaster relief assistance!  You have answered the call!  Donations and disaster relief items are flooding into our Ohio office and to drop off locations across the US.  We deeply appreciate your support for the Haitian people and Lifeline's ministries!! 

 

Gretchen DeVoe (Lifeline Administrator & Co-founder) sends this urgent prayer request from Haiti.  She is in Grand Goave ministering to the Haitian people in Lifeline's communities.  

 

Gretchen writes: 

 

We need diesel fuel and at this point have no idea when or where it will come from.  We began rationing diesel today but when it's gone we won't be able to pump water or have electricity for the clinic.  This also means no electricity for internet connections to contact our staff back in the US.  Anyone who has "connections' to getting diesel through the UN, USAID, etc. etc. please let our staff know at the US office: 614-794-0108 or Ben@Lifeline.org.

 

 

The seriously critical patients we have in clinic have no way of being "lifted" out to a full hospital. We have a young girl right now in clinic with bowel/intestinal injuries. She is losing blood and needs major surgery in a hospital and we can't seem to get any way to get her there.  I think our Navy men are loaded down and can't lift any more patients.  This is frustrating for our doctors here.

 

 

We ask that you please lift this up in your prayers and thank you for your continued prayers and disaster relief assistance!  We deeply appreciate your support for the Haitian people and Lifeline's ministries!! 

Many sponsors are contacting us to find out how their sponsored child and family are doing, if there were injuries, damage, etc.  Gretchen writes:

 

For those seeking information on their sponsored children, please be patient.  We don’t have the means to just go out and look them up but instead we are getting reports on the ones who DID suffer injury or loss and this is very time consuming.  As we learn of loss we will notify our staff stateside and they’ll notify you.

 

Please continue to keep your sponsor child and their family in your prayers!

January 18: Update from Gretchen in Haiti

Gretchen DeVoe (Lifeline Administrator & Co-founder) has been in Lifeline's Haitian headquarters at Grand Goave through the entire earthquake experience. Gretchen and other Lifeline staff are coordinating relief efforts and ministering to the Haitian people.  Gretchen sent us this update:

 

 

Women's Work Team
Saturday afternoon our women all arrived on U.S. soil compliments of the US military!  Hooray!  They were taken to the military base at Homestead, Florida, then transported by bus to the Miami airport and finally home to their loved ones!  Some arrived home last night; others had to spend the night and arrived home today.  God is good!  (Note: the women's work team travels to Haiti each year to deliver thousands of Christmas gifts to sponsored children.)

 

 

Bob, Gretchen & Curlee's

The 3 of us here (Bobby & Lakey Curlee and I) are doing fine; Lakey has not ceased her cooking.  We are feeding some of our Haitian translators from our work team kitchen since they are here for us in all circumstances and many accompanied our ladies to the airport yesterday on our bus.  By the way, some of them had never been to the airport and Bobby (Lifeline's Property Manager) said they were amazed with the U.S. cargo planes and in general with everything.  I asked them how it went and they said "IT PASSED PERFECT!"  (smile!)  I got a full night of sleep last night, although we had three pretty big tremors in the night and I was awakened by two of them.   
 
Bobby, Lakey and I have minor health issues: Bobby pulled a shoulder, Lakey is exhausted, and I have bronchitis. But we all slept good last night for the first time.
 
My husband Bob (Lifeline President & Founder) is on his way here as I write this update.  He flew into Santo Domingo and is working on getting supplies into Grand Goave and finding a way to get into Haiti.  The government of the Dominican Republic is supposed to give him some emergency medical supplies too. Pray for his safe travels. We have some supporters who work in the Dominican Republic that will assist Bob as needed.  God's people are amazing!

 

 

Doctors Arrived

Two of our brave supporters, who are doctors and have a lot of experience working in Haiti with us in clinic and other tragedy torn countries, arrived safely Friday afternoon by flying through the Dominican Republic and then coming here by a rental vehicle.  They are Dr. William Rutherford and Dr. Doug Harty. 
 
They immediately went out to clinic and didn't stop working until nearly midnight.  They are seeing some extremely serious injuries, including a 16 year old girl who will die if we don't get her airlifted to where she can get an amputation.  Gangrene had already set in and now sepsis (infection throughout the body/blood stream) too. They also have several patients with "broken backs" and neurological injuries resulting in paralysis.  
 
Yesterday I learned from fellow missionaries (the Edme's) that the government hospital here had undergone a renovation before the earthquake; renovations included "state of the art" medical equipment and furnishings.  Bobby Curlee just came back from checking out the hospital and it is well equipped but no one is working there.  So we don't know why they are not functioning there, except that the porch was damaged and broke off there.  The people here are EXTREMELY fearful of going back inside any buildings and they don't have the ability to discern which ones are safe and which are not.  I'm going to try to contact Dr. Bijou, the former director for the entire department of health for Haiti who was instrumental in getting the hospital renovated, and will ask her if we can use some of their facilities or at least some of their supplies. 
 
I've been emailing the U.S. military connections we have had to get relief supplies to us here ASAP.  They are working on it!  Go NAVY and also Go ARMY; everyone is working together.

 

 
Haitians
Today as I write, Pastor Luc and the church are conducting a praise and worship church service in the field and everyone is calm and listening.  Night and day we can see people around the grounds on their knees praying and lifting their hands up to God.  The singing is phenomenal too! I would expect many to come to Christ over this ordeal after coming face to face with their mortality. (Update: Gretchen reports 160 people have accepted Christ this week!)  Pray that our outreach to the lost will draw them into Jesus.  Pray that we are able to communicate in a way that will cause people to call upon the name of our Lord.
 
We continually hear of more and more loss of life.  And what we hear is often very personal as it has happened to our own church people and their loved ones...mostly that loved ones in Port au Prince have died or are missing.  But the people here are listening to the Gospel message for their strength.  Pray that this catastrophe will generate a revival that far exceeds the power of the earthquake!  Greater is He who is in us, than he who is in the world!
 
Some of the Lifeline families impacted:
- Still can't find Wilchude Adams' fiancé' (this is Emmanuel Adam's brother)
- Esdras Avril, translator, has lost a sister
- Moise Sevrin, translator, has lost a brother-in-law.  His sister, who just had a baby, has lost her mind over it.

- One of our Haitian girls died in the quake at Leogane. We do now know her name; we will let the sponsor know when we find out.
 

Lifeline church & school facilities:
- Received word today that our classrooms at Leogane DID go down (at least some of them)
- The new Jeanty Church has been destroyed.
- Leogane church and school has been damaged.
- The Laregal school is fine.
- Deuxieme Plaine lost classrooms but the church is good.
- Cesse Lesse school property is okay.
- Children's Home (in Port au Prince) had cracking and things thrown around the rooms but the structure is not collapsed.
  
That's it for now.  Praise God with us in good times and bad!

 

We are happy to let you know that the entire work team has departed Haiti and will soon be on US soil!  They have been treated wonderfully by our US Military and will be home to you soon.   They will be arriving at one of the airports in Florida; from there home on a commercial airline.

At the recommendation of US Government officials, the ladies left Grand Goave at 3am Saturday morning and are at the Port au Prince airport waiting for an available plane.  We will keep you updated as we know more!

Navy rescue helicopter that airlifted Peggy Wilson out of Grand Goave  

January 16: update from Gretchen

Hello Everyone,

 

Praise God!  Yesterday we witnessed an amazing experience as the U.S. Navy picked up Peggy Wilson and took her to the USS aircraft carrier Carl Vinson where she will be evaluated and treated.
 
The helicopter circled the property multiple times and dropped the rescuer down.  He ran across the field to Peggy, who was on a mattress under a tent, and slid her onto the rescue/lift board as the helicopter hovered above us.  We held down the tents, sheets and other things as the blades of the helicopter kept the wind blowing at a gale force (and I thought I had a bad hair day yesterday!).  The women's team and our Haitian helpers and translators were right there together and on cloud nine as we saw God answering our prayers in such an exciting and dynamic way!  Everyone (Haitians and Americans) cheered that Peggy is now getting medical treatment. We know Peggy is in God's hands! 

 

As for the rest of the women's team, there are many facets to the effort to get the ladies home.  Right now we're working with private companies and the U.S. State Department.  We will let you know as soon as we know what is happening.  

 

All week we have been surrounded by angels, not just the heavenly kind but these Haitian young men and adults who have been our guardians and protecting our gals just in case the Haitians camping out got a little rowdy.

 

My husband Bob, the magnificent staff at our office, and the volunteers who have come to assist with the huge volume of communications are exhausted...and it's not over yet!  Pray for Bob especially as he's worked so hard and is trying to head here as soon as arrangements can be made.  (he's been "flight canceled" 3 times already.)  The staff and volunteers have done a marvelous job orchestrating relief efforts and the evacuation of our ladies here.  Pray for them and praise God for them.
 
And we praise God for the donations coming in to help rebuild and to do relief work!  In addition to damages at our schools and churches, we are still just trying to assess what each person in each community has suffered and will be working to get them relief.  Haitians went around to the families in the camp all day today taking information on their losses and needs.  More on that later!
 
The former Director of the Department of Health for the entire country of Haiti, Dr. Bijou came here today. She was brought by another missionary couple in Grand Goave, Lex and Renee' Edme' from Mission of Hope.  Dr Bijou took copies of our container documents to try to get the last two Kids Against Hunger containers of food out of customs without having to wait out the "system".  Pray that they'll come soon; we have mission groups desperate for more food for ministry.
 
Today, two doctors are coming in through the Dominican Republic to Grand Goave. The doctors, Bob (when he finally can get here), Bobby, Lakey and I will stay in Haiti to orchestrate our relief effort, treat the injured and begin repairs and rebuilding.  We have lots of food here and clean water.  We also can't leave our Haitian loved ones...they are so afraid of the tremors that persist (big shocks actually) and we don't want them to think we are abandoning them.
 
Please keep us in prayer and God bless you all for doing what you do and for supporting us missionaries here in Haiti.  This work team is phenomenal and all are in good spirits.  And more importantly pray for the Haitians who have lost family members.  Today Moises learned his brother-in-law was killed in the collapse of a school and Esdras learned his sister was killed.  Thousands have died in Haiti.  This is more than difficult, but we'll press on.  Please keep praying!
 
LASTLY (and this is what it is ALL ABOUT): One of the Lifeline's translator's sisters accepted Christ last night as she sat with our ladies. The angels rejoiced with us! 
 
Thank you Lord Jesus for your divine protection and intervention!
 
In His grace and mercy,
Gretchen and Haiti Women's Team

Blessings are pouring in and we are excited to share them with you!

• First of all, we received this news Friday night: Peggy Wilson (team member who had a possible ruptured spleen and broken ribs) has been airlifted out of Grand Goave, Haiti and is on her way to the USS aircraft carrier Carl Vinson.   She will be there for medical care and transported to another military facility.  We are praising God for this wonderful news!  Peggy's husband has spoken with her and reports that she is doing fantastic and in good spirits.  Please continue to keep Peggy and Tyrone in your prayers.
• Another blessing that some of you are aware of: the children at Lifeline's Children's Home are all safe; no one was injured.  The Children's Home is located in Port au Prince and we had not been able to contact them immediately after the earthquake.  They report structural damage to the building, but we are praising God that these precious children are all okay! 
• And last, but certainly not least, you have been a huge blessing!  Your response has been astounding!  You have stepped up to coordinate drives, collect supplies, volunteer your time, give financially, pray, and use your talents to assist with relief efforts for the Haitian people.  Words cannot fully describe the depth of our gratitude for you!  We, the Lifeline staff, could not be doing any of this without you.  Relief efforts are just beginning and your partnership is not only needed right now, but throughout this entire process of rebuilding lives in Haiti.  May God pour His blessing upon you as you serve Him!

 

We are diligently working on getting the women's team back home to their loved ones.  Several times we've told the ladies to be ready to leave, but plans cancelled at the last minute for reasons beyond our control.  We're also trying to get Bob DeVoe (Lifeline President and Founder) into Haiti to lead relief efforts, but again, plans are made and cancelled at the last minute.  We are trusting God and his timing in all of this.

 

Please note: we are doing our best to catch up and respond to all your emails and phone messages.  Your outpouring of generosity has been tremendous!

Again, thank you for your prayers!  

 

Hi Everyone,

 

Everyone is holding up well.  Peggy Wilson is still waiting to be picked up by the coast guard but so far no sign of them landing.  What we believe was a scouting group flew over us several times and circled us low to the ground yesterday afternoon but never landed.  We have been told this is how they will pick her up. 

 

The gals are packed and ready to go as soon as the planes start flying again.  Bob DeVoe (my husband) and Cathi and the staff at Lifeline have been working day and night to get the women seats on private airplanes but the airport is not open yet so they continue to look to other transportation options.  But we are still hoping that the airport will open soon. Keep this in your prayers

 

We have water, electricity and food.  The aftershocks are frightening but again we know we are in God’s hands.

 

Please keep praying for us.  We all love you!

Gretchen

January 14: update on Children's Home

We just received an email from Gretchen: the children are all fine at the Home in Port au Prince!  There are no injuries.  The building has had some damage, making some areas unsafe.  But we praise God that these children were not harmed!

January 14: update from Gretchen

It's a story in itself how all the Haitians have encamped our grounds.  There are probably thousands here this morning.  The good news is that for the most part we gals got to sleep last night although every time we had a major tremor everyone jumped up at the same time ready to hit the front door!
 
The tremors really slowed down yesterday and then about supper time we began having a lot more tremors and Bhen just came to tell me that the main entrance in to Grand Goave, Rue d'Port and the national highway have a large crevice/fissure opened up in it and it is very dangerous.  Our gals will stay inside the compound today but now I'm concerned that we could have something happen here the same way on our grounds, although we know we are sitting on very solid ground (in more than one way :-) because we are on an old riverbed that is full of rock.  Pray that there will not be more openings like this in the ground.  Bobby will check it out today.  As I'm talking I can now hear Bhen with the battery powered megaphone announcing the fault/fissure in the roads and telling people to stay calm and stay off the roads.
 
Yesterday a handful of our women worked in clinic until nearly 9 p.m.  Among the trauma victims they saw they also participated in the delivery of 3 babies! Our women went around to the clusters of people here on the campgrounds and had prayer with individuals and gave tickets to clinic patients who needed first aid.  They then also gave tickets for clothing to some families and worked in clothing distribution room for the morning.
 
I met with Adam yesterday morning and suggested that our pastors plan some sort of evangelizing effort among the people here on the grounds and last night they had a huge preaching, praise and music session that went on into the early morning and the people heard a great message of salvation in Jesus Christ!  Everything reminds me sort of like a fair grounds or open market.  People cooking in their little groups, wrapped up in sheets and blankets, staying under their own tents they made or bought.  And right up until 8 p.m. last night the police just kept coming in with sirens on, bringing victims to the grounds putting them in the hut or in the clinic.
 
Some of our gals went out yesterday and took photos for an AP writer who contacted me and wanted some photos of the Grand Goave area. They came upon a collapsed structure behind the Catholic church (which is now gone!) where a rescue was taking place with a back hoe.  As a result they witnessed about 6 people, including a priest, 2 nuns and some students being helped out and for the most part they were not harmed seriously even though they were under rubble for nearly 24 hours.
 
The photos of the Grand Goave area and our damage here at the main campus were emailed last night and are on our website and facebook today!

 

Please pray for us...each day and sometimes hour by hour we encounter new circumstances and greater needs.  There are many people here and trying to cook for this many people would be overwhelming.  We were going to do it yesterday and too many of our cooks had suffered their own losses and couldn't work.  

 

Prayer Concern: The main reason people are here is fear of their buildings collapsing on them.  In fact yesterday the translators and helpers were very afraid and some of them didn't want to work in clinic with Bertie and the nurses and we had to put our foot down a bit.  But they are really fearful. They don't even want to eat in the dining hall!  Some of our ladies have the same fear but many more slept inside last night and those staying in the mission houses DID stay inside but each time a large tremor occurred you could hear us all hitting the ground at once.  In fact PRAISE GOD for the love seat, sofa and recliner.  Five of us slept on these last night so we could hit the ground running to get outside if another big one hit.  Well about 3:15 a.m. we had a large shock and simultaneously you could hear the recliners all hit the ground at one!  It was funny.  We are glad we can laugh amidst such devastation.
 
Funny story #2:  In the afternoon I gave the women a nap break since the night before most did not sleep.  I was on the computer when we heard a loud noise in one of the back bedrooms in our house.  I went back to investigate and one of the ladies had fallen asleep, had a bad dream and fell out of bed!  I peeked in the door in time to see her on her knees, next to her bed and I thought she was just there praying.  :-) We all got a chuckle out of this. Of course we've ALL been praying a lot though!
 
With the masses of people encamped here I would not be surprised to see some news people showing up to see this phenomena. The people chose this place for several reasons...they truly believe it's protected by God and they believe that since it's property under America's banner that it is "under the U.S. Embassy" and that also makes them feel secure.  During Operation Restore Democracy in the early 1990's the people came here in droves to seek refuge when the U.S. troops came in to Haiti to help the democratic government here.  We were told then that they felt this way!
 
We'll keep you posted. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers.  Our ladies are just now going in to their morning Prayer Stations. I know they will be praying for many of you too!
 
Love you all in Jesus our Lord
 
Gretchen

Many of you have joined Lifeline's email group and Facebook site after the earthquake struck in Haiti.  We cherish your prayers and will keep you updated as we receive information from Gretchen and the women's team in Haiti.  Updates from Gretchen are below.  There is also a link to donate online, if you choose to do so.  As we continue to assess the needs, we will keep you updated on how you can help minister to the Haitian people.

 

Gretchen sent us this update with news on how the women's group is ministering to the Haitian people:

 

Hi Everyone, .

Your prayers are being felt. Thank you.
 
This morning, after having a pretty sleepless night the ladies had breakfast and then devotion as usual and a plan was developed to do ministry to the several hundred Haitians who are here at our compound in the field and on the grounds, who sought refuge here last night.
 
The women are going in their groups and ministering to clusters of Haitians who are in groups with families and friends.  They are praying with them, witnessing to them and providing clothing and some shoes to them.  We also have the school kitchen being worked on to start cooking Kids Against Hunger food for these people.
 
Many people are trapped under rubble in the village including some of our staff.  Our head housekeeper lost everything in her home but the structure is still there.  One of our translators, Samuel somehow broke his hand and we have him bandaged.  The gals from Concord Christian Church were out in the village doing some shopping when the earthquake hit and one of our translators protected one of the gals from being hurt.  These guys stayed here on the grounds all night. Some of them lost homes or had severe damage.  Lesly, our head of maintenance and labor is keeping security watch for us with the guards and translators as helpers.  We have 3 nurses and they are taking patients and ministering to them in clinic.
 
But here's one reason we are praising God so much today...we had been distributing gifts to the Grand Goave children in the back yard of our dorm facility.  There is a location where we place benches and put the kids on the benches to wait their turn. We had just completed distributing all the gifts for the day and the children had gone home. We'd processed over 400 children and were all cleaned up and the women had free time after a long day of work, when the earthquake hit.  The benches were totally destroyed, where the children would have been sitting when the parameter wall totally collapsed.
 
Keep us in prayer.  It does not appear that our gals are going to get to leave here ahead of schedule because there are frankly greater priorities for relief workers such as finding people trapped in collapsed structure, and much more.  So just pray that we'll continue to use this opportunity to glorify Christ.

 

Thank you for your prayers!

January 13, 6:45 am update from Gretchen

Hi Everyone,

 

We did not get any sleep last night. We had a second quake that occurred about midnight and then tremors every 10 minutes all night long.  Most of the women are afraid to sleep in the building so they brought mattresses and couches out and slept on the ground.

 

The grounds are packed with Haitian people and Pastor Rabrun came and got me about 1 a.m. because of a woman having a baby and I don’t know anything about birthing babies so they sent for someone to help deliver her but then a man and woman came to me and said their little boy’s arm was cut off in their home when the wall collapsed.  He is 18 months old and all he had of a right arm was a stub above the elbow.  I had to dress it and use duct tape for a pressure bandage as that is all we have and then I gave him some sleeping medicine   I don’t know how he is this morning.  I hope he didn’t die like the other one whose body is wrapped in a shroud and is laying in the hut!  That precious little boy had his leg slit wide open and lost too much blood before he got here. The mother is here on the grounds somewhere.

 

We don’t have supplies to treat all the people here…they are coming here in large numbers with broken limbs and severe wounds.  The Grand Goave Hospital collapsed too.

 

If the U.N. or someone can drop us some supplies we can begin working in clinic but since we are not typically a critical or urgent care center we don’t do much trauma work and have little supplies. So please see what you can do to get us some things.

 

We are going to try to get the school kitchen cleaned up and begin feeding the people of the community but many of our Haitian staff spent the night here last night due to damage of their homes and fear of them collapsing.  Most of the school classrooms are gone!  One truss has come down in the church.  We have about 1 container full of KAH food here and 2 in customs.  So we have to try to begin feeding people.

 

Peggy Wilson was able to walk out to the yard to sleep on a mattress because she didn’t want to stay in the dining hall due to tremors.  So she apparently is a bit better.  But still needs care that we can’t get for her since the roads are impassable.

 

A pipe broke in my bathroom here and it broke off right at the wall so we have no water in our mission house.  And the water coming out of the pipes in the dorm is infiltrated and coming our brown so I don’t know how long it will be before Bobby can track that down and get it fixed.

 

Erma, Christi, Karen Lydick and I slept in the 2004 red Ford cab last night because again, our house shakes really bad and many things broke in the quakes.  We still have electric but as I said, no water right now.

 

We still don’t have cell service so we can’t do much to find out how the kids are at our orphanage and I can’t contact Firmin to see if it’s possible to send containers in and bypass the usual customs clearance process like we did in the fall of 2008.  I’ll let you know if we get news on this.

 

More later! And keep us in your prayers. 

.  

We have an urgent prayer request to pass along.  Around 5pm today, a 7.3 earthquake has struck Haiti, specifically 5 miles west of Port au Prince, which is very near Lifeline's Grand Goave headquarters.

 

Gretchen and a team of 58 women are currently at Lifeline's Grand Goave headquarters.  Within 5-10 minutes of the earthquake, Gretchen was able to call me and given an update on the situation there.  

 

Gretchen just sent this update via email:

 

The earthquake has hit here in Grand Goave, Haiti.  And we continue feel almost constant aftershocks. All of our women are safe; a few minor injuries when stone walls fell down and one woman had a wall collapse on her back and may have broken ribs.

 

Right now the women and many of the Haitians from the village are in the field outside the dorm and mission houses awaiting more news about our ability to get back into our Dorm.

 

This is a major disaster. All of our cement block walls are down and most of the contents within our buildings were knocked over and thrown across the rooms.  Most of the women were not in their dorms when this hit but we had just finished gift distribution. The area where the children were sitting earlier, waiting for their gifts was where a block wall totally collapsed breaking the benches where the children would have been sitting.

 

The women are troopers.  They are hanging in and only a couple are really scared; some are talking about coming home  but where we are is the safest place right now.  The roads are impassable and will probably be so for days.  The U.N. is out in force doing relief efforts and people are getting medical care from them.

 

Many homes have collapsed in the village and many of our Haitian staff are here for a place to stay. Another mission group with another mission that just arrived there today have sought refuge in our grounds.

 

Cell phone towers are down but PRAISE GOD we have satellite internet and Bobby Curlee was able to get wires re-connected and the internet operable so we can email you all and have water too.

 

Please keep us in prayer.  We have to take it minute by minute, hour by hour.  We are experiencing almost CONSTANT after shocks. At least 30 or 40 since it hit.

 

We are trying to ascertain that the dorms are safe for sleeping tonight but the women are on high anxiety.  All of our facilities made with stone are totally intact.  Praise God. That includes the dorms, the clinic and the stone pillars in the church and the hut where some of us may stay tonight.

 

Our homes made of cement block are compromised.

 

Please understand that we are in God’s hands.  He protected us so far from serious injury but as soon as possible the one gal who is injured (Peggy Wilson) will probably have to be flighted out for broken ribs. But we are keeping her on the ground, flat on a table that is on the ground and her pulse is good.  We have several nurses with us and have basically been telling everyone that if they are not bleeding they’ll be Ok until we have daylight again and can treat their minor wounds in clinic.

 

The Haitians haven’t fared so well.  Many homes are down and people are here at the mission for water and light and are everywhere praying and lifting their hands to God.

 

At this point I don’t have more to say ….God is good; we will survive; He has given us a haven here  but we do have some issues of security with all of our primary parameter walls down.  Again our stone walls, vocational buildings, clinic and dorm are secure.  And the chain link fence is in tact.

 

We do not anticipate problems from the village…they come here for security.

We will try to keep you posted but can’t promise anything.  Only God can do that.

 

We understand Port au Prince was devastated. The was near Port au Prince in the Carre Four area which is the only route to and from Grand Goave between here and the airport. 

 

That’s it for now.  Thank you for your prayers.

 

The team is scheduled to come home on Saturday, and I was to travel to Haiti, but that is uncertain now.  With unknown destruction to bridges, roads, transportation, etc we will have to wait until the light of day to assess the situation.  We did hear that a flight left the Port au Prince airport at 6:30pm tonight, so we are hopeful in that regards.

 

We praise God for taking care of our women's team and staff, but ask that you keep them in your prayers.  Please pray for their continued safety of the women and Lifeline staff.  Pray that they can minister to those in need and shine Christ's light in the devastation around them.  Pray for our Haitian friends in the schools, the children, families, churches, etc.  Pray that this situation will be used for God's glory!

 

Please visit Lifeline's website to stay updated on the situation.  We will post information from Gretchen as it becomes available and send occasional emails out.

Thank you and God bless,

 

Bob DeVoe

Lifeline Christian Mission