Update

Think that it is about time to give you another little update.  Things are starting to settle for us a little bit.  A new kind of normal - really not sure what exactly that is, but it involves staying flexible and it involves change.


We are thinking about opening the site this week - we will check on Monday if we can get sand delivered - we are confident that we can now source the other ingredients.

Many, many, many are out of work.  Some businesses are reopening, but many businesses are totally wiped out.  These jobs will not be replaced quickly.  Of course many people have also died.  Many people have lost their housing and their belongings.  There will be significant repercussions, the magnitude of which I cannot even begin to comprehend.

All that to say, it will be good for our team if we can get them back to work.  We have heard from most of our workers and they are okay - certainly suffered impacts - but need the income in order to continue on.

In my last update, I told about visiting a camp that was about 10,000 - 15,000 people.  I now hear that the camp is estimated at 50,000.  Dr Ed, a friend of mine is providing a medical clinic in the camp - along with one other Dr in another area of the camp.  That is the extent of the medical support provided for these people.  It seems to be sufficient for the time being, however, Dr Ed has told me that he is now seeing more infections and fears that the problem will get worse.  While there are attempts to get potable water into the camp and to provide sanitation facilities, these efforts fall far short of meeting the need.  Cleanliness and proper sanitation of course are key to avoiding a number of other serious illnesses that could also hit this camp.

My focus had been on a medical team that we were supporting.  We provided much upfront support to the team to find a placement for them.  What we found was that the most serious trauma was getting treatment at medical centers - now, because of the state of things, these centers also have needs and are themselves somewhat in a state of organized chaos.  Perhaps very loosely organized.  We prepared for the team by finding appropriate lodging for their stay and by providing logistical support and security around the team.

I may have already mentioned, that the team created quite a stir in our neighborhood. When the local people found that we had Drs in the area, they immediately wanted a local clinic setup to meet their needs.  My assessment of the situation is that there were no significant needs in our area - yes minor things from the quake and the of course the normal things that we would see weekly at our own medical clinic before the quake.  The team was a surgical team and the purpose of the team was to place them where they could do the most good.  We had them placed in a medical facility.

The team arrived on Wed of this week.  Their stay was for 1 week, returning via the DR tomorrow.  I have already mentioned the total chaos on the roads where they entered into the city (Croix des Bouquets).  We were very fortunate to have been able to meet them.  Just happened that we literally passed on the road creeping along in opposite directions - I said to one guy hanging off of a passing truck - Kurt? as he simultaneously said Bob? with the same level of amazement.  Now we were heading in opposite directions creeping along in very heavy and congested traffic - no small feat to get turned around and assembled together.  We managed to do that.

The team brought in some much needed supplies.  They were not able to get everything that we wanted, but certainly enough to help us out and to provide for their stay.  A good reliable source of bottled (potable) drinking water is still unavailable.

Thursday and Friday I spent with the team.  Thursday we met with the medical facility where we had a placement, had some adjustments and the team became productive that afternoon.  Friday, when the team arrived early in the morning at the facility, it seemed that the plans had changed and the course was reset.  We then spent most of the rest of the day making contact through various organizations again for placement of the team.  The team had a few key conditions - one of which was to remain together as a full team.  The organizations that we met with were prominent organizations here in Haiti.  As you may well imagine the logistics and the communications within and between organizations is staggering and in disarray and matching resources to needs is not easy even at the best of times.  We ultimately hooked up again with a consortium including the 82nd airborne - the team is now settled at the base where there is a medical operation and the possibility of dispatch into needed situations from that base.  We have had some contact with the team since then, but I have not heard about the type of work they were able to do as a team since stationed at the base.

A few lessons learned for us.  While organizations are attempting to co-operate there is still large logistical and communication issues - it would be best for a team to have a very specific assignment in place before coming.  I believe on the news you hear about the need, you do not likely hear about the logistics involved in matching the skills to the need.  This is a very large and complex operation with many large logistical issues to be handled.  The process is continually improving but far from perfect and you cannot parachute a small team in quickly.  I think this rule applies to all the facets of the relief effort including medical, food distribution, etc.  I believe that we diverted our focus because we also felt that the need was great and we would be able to best assist the immediate needs this way - we now have to bring our focus back.  We are thinking that we can be most effective by focusing our attention on our community.

We found a grocery store open recently - so, as I started out saying - think that we are settling into a new state of normal.  We are not as concerned now about our basic needs although we still need to find potable water - fuel seems to be more available and we are beginning to find food.  With the supplies that we have we are now assisting our neighbors and those that are closest to us in the church.  The church will organize and will identify the needs of our community that we can best serve.

I have discussed food distribution with a  couple of other smaller organizations that are doing so.  Their approach has been small scale and discrete.  Sending carriers into areas with small amounts of food in backpacks - placing the food in these areas where they see the greatest need.  Larger scale operations, as I am sure you have seen on TV need security.

We are asked by many what they can do.  The one thing that I hope is abundantly clear is that we who are here in Haiti find ourselves in a situation that no one would have considered before it happened.  Life is precious and we take it for granted.  In just a few seconds that life was taken from many and changed forever for a great many more.  The bible tells us to "let your light shine".  Please pray for us that that is exactly what we do through this time.  But even more so, I challenge you to do the same.  Take a moment to reflect on where you are and what you can do in your community to impact it.  If you know Christ, then find new ways to let your light shine where you are.  If you do not know Christ, then I urge you to discover who He is.