Haiti Assessment Team Report 2
When I wrote my last report, it was Monday and we were waiting on a U.S. military helicopter to bring supplies for the Cabaret Baptist Children’s Home to distribute to the community. Today it is Thursday, we are returning home and we are still waiting for the supplies. The last attempt was made on Wednesday by two huge Ospreys – aircraft that can fly like an airplane and also land and take off vertically. Unfortunately, they were too large to land in our complex, and the two other sites they tried. They promised to come back later and deliver it in something more appropriate to our setting.
On Tuesday, our assessment team was able to check on the Habitat for Humanity homes directly behind our facilities. We found a lot of damage, especially to the restrooms and kitchens attached to the back part of each home. Also, a few victims of the earthquake were identified. We met with one of the leaders at the Habitat for Humanity office and are working to develop a future connection between them and our construction teams.
Also on Tuesday, our team traveled into Port-au-Prince to check on some of our food, supplies, and money channels. We witnessed the overwhelming devastation firsthand. We discovered that One Stop (a grocery store where we cash many of our checks) was completely demolished by the quake. Mega-Mart and Deli-Mart (similar to our Sam’s and Walmart) were both standing but closed. Mega-Mart said they would be open again next week. Each of the team members commented on the appearance of “normalcy” with which the people seemed to go about their business. Although the traffic was worse than usual, we noticed no evidence of death or violence in the areas where we went. We were able to purchase a few items we couldn’t find in Cabaret and did find one grocery store where we will able to cash small checks should we need to.
On Wednesday, our 6 member medical team, led by Dr. Mike White of South Carolina, held a full blown medical clinic for the community. The patients that Kim Denzik identified and asked to return earlier in the trip came back to see the doctor. They also treated a baby born after the earthquake who was extremely dehydrated and malnourished. The mother thought her milk was salty, was not nursing the baby properly and told us she was “feeding it oatmeal.” The baby was 8 days old. After IV fluids and breastfeeding lessons were given, the prognosis for the child is good (assuming the mother will continue feeding the child).
Our team left on our long journey back to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic on Wednesday afternoon, leaving Mike Snider, from Mandarin Baptist Church behind to assist the other mission teams that will be coming in over the next three weeks. Mike will be assisting the medical team, purchasing block for the construction teams, and making additional bunkbeds in anticipation of the earthquake orphans that will be arriving.
Our mission team’s journey back through Haiti and the Dominican Republic was again exciting, Our staff took us to Jimani, the Dominican Republic border town, with only one flat tire along the way. In Jimani, we rented a taxi who took us the entire 5 hour trip to the Santo Domingo airport. We arrived at the airport around midnight and spent the night in the food court area until we went to check in at 4:30am. We finally arrived in Miami around 10:00am and we sent Kim on her way to Louisville.
Continue to pray for our ministry, our disaster relief efforts, and our Haitian friends as we minister together to meet the tremendous needs that exist.
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I appreciate the information that you have been giving on the situation in Cabaret, Haiti. It sounds like you have a very organized plan for relief. Is anyone in JBA – Haiti familiar with a Compassion International project in Cabaret? I have a Compassion child in Cabaret and am concerned for him. I found your website by typing in “Cabaret Haiti project “and have been following your reports since the earthquake. Praying God’s strength and peace for the Haitian people and for JPA’s workers.
Linda
Linda: I am not aware of a Compassion International project in Cabaret, however I know there are MANY ministries in Haiti that I am not aware of. I know personally that communication is sketchy at best at this time. It may take a few more weeks before that improves. Let me know if we can help in any specific way.