A Note from Steve James

Thank you for all the love, prayers and support you have showered to all of us in Haiti at this time. I, with our medical team of six, returned last night from P-au-P to the UCNH campus, our home in North Haiti.

I had felt Jesus asking me to organize a medical response team to go to the earthquake area and felt Him lead us step by step to where He wanted us to go. Coming back from a national pastor’s conference in Florida where I had shared on the ministry of the church to people either with or at risk for HIV, we learned of the earthquake in Haiti.

We were to return to Haiti in 2 days. I prayed and asked Jesus, “How can Nancy and I, as two people be of any help in such an overwhelming disaster?” What came to my mind in response was the 5 loaves and 2 fishes in the Bible. “Go. Start. I will lead and multiply.” Key people began to contact us. Nancy and I returned to north Haiti on 1/14. Our medical team drove to P-au-P the next day with Nancy staying in our home at the university to be the communication liaison for us with all of you. We drove around P-au-P, helping those who had come down with us in the truck to find lost relatives as we handed out water to thirsty people. We started working medically on 1/16 at the Haiti Health Ministries Christianville Clinic, outside of P-au-P, 4 to 5 miles from the epicenter. Christianville missionary doctor Jim Wilkens and his wife Sandy and their staff had worked 30 hours non-stop through the night of the earthquake giving primary medical care to hundreds of injured people that appeared in the front yard. They were still recovering when we arrived four days later. Their homes and the clinic were destroyed. Our medical team consisted of family physician volunteer Dr. Arch Woodard, Haitian nurse, Cherlie Desir, Bruderhof volunteer Roy Durgin, driver and mechanic, Miller Jean-Jacques, and me.

We took over care of the wounded that continued to come every day, freeing Dr. Jim and his staff to organize, salvage and move medical supplies and equipment out of the damaged clinic and set up a makeshift clinic in a nearby undamaged school building. We cared for the wounded under the trees the first three days. We were averaging over 5 after-shocks per day. The shocks were continuing to bring down buildings and crack roads even as we left. So many have lost so much. Yet only in the wisdom of God and the love of Jesus can glimpses of meaning be found in the midst of all this suffering. We felt the power of the tiny acts of Jesus’ love coming through all of us, sometimes even so small as a smile, or a touch on the shoulder, a brief prayer, a word of encouragement, in the midst of such pain and grief, especially through those who have suffered so greatly, revealed to us the great power of Jesus to heal.

Working as a team, with every injured one who came to us, we felt the presence and person of Jesus in each suffering one. The wounded and grieving ones ministered to us as they shared their faith, their suffering and their gratitude, while we set their broken bones, cleaned and bandaged their wounds, gave medicines to relieve their pain, prayed with them, sang with them, encouraged them, in some we helped introduce them to Jesus and His salvation life for them. Together our faith in our healing and loving Lord grew deeper. We were so inspired to see so many Haitian people including doctors and nurses sacrificially helping their brothers and sisters with so little resources available. We left the disaster area 8 days later, encouraged to see the outpouring of help from the world. As the physical wounds are healing, we now enter the time for the second wave of servanthood in Christ, the wave of Jesus healing the emotional cries and wounds, which run deep and long, as this wave seeks to find shelter, clothing, food, safe water and sanitation, as well as ongoing medical care for the needs of broken communities.

May the Lord bless each of you. Keep the love and prayers coming for all our brothers and sisters in Haiti.

All our love in Jesus, Steve for Nancy and the team.

A Note from Al Hartness

Bonjour! Greetings To You At Snyder! Merci beaucoup for your prayers and support for the Haitian people and for our NC Baptist teams which are ongoing.

I was a member of Med Team 5 from February 3-13; we were assigned to the Community Hospital and St. Damien’s Hospital for Little Brothers and Sisters, the latter is where I worked in the pediatric emergency room for 24-hour shifts every other night. Everyone of our team seemed especially called by God for this mission, and this was the same spirit led by John Adams, our appointed leader. We were reminded that all was to be done for God’s glory, not ours. This helped us overcome the difficulties, the heat, the emotions, the stress; this imbued us with Christ’s compassion for these patients, many who could manage smiles even with their stump wounds needing continual care.

Both hospitals are tremendously overloaded and stressed as Steve Logue can attest to, but the situation is slowly improving as the number of amputations and crush injuries, 20,000 estimated have been taken care of. Sadly as you have heard, an estimated 200,000 people were killed, many still entombed under the tons of debris.
There is so much more to do in that much care is on going with wound care, complications, and then the usual diseases of Haiti: malaria, typhoid, gastroenteritis, dehydration, and many others. There has been a tremendous response of medical teams and supplies from many countries as well as our military; the Haitian medical personnel have been majestic in this tragedy, continuing to work even though many have lost loved ones.

I have so much to show and tell, so if you like please go to my blog website: http://docaloharrestedevelop.blogspot.com

I have missed you all these nearly 6 months. Please continue to pray for the Haitian people. Also pray for my next mission to Samoa later this month.

Amour pour le Christ, Al Hartness, MD