I know we haven't done updates as regularly. Things change every day but alot of the things are the same.
Roger and crew have tarps up over two large sections of the campus. Large tarps were contributed by a church in Boca Raton Florida. We are in the process of eventually getting people a little better organized on campus. Other smaller tarps were given by another organization and we have distributed those in the neighborhoods.
Roger and crew have tarps up over two large sections of the campus. Large tarps were contributed by a church in Boca Raton Florida. We are in the process of eventually getting people a little better organized on campus. Other smaller tarps were given by another organization and we have distributed those in the neighborhoods.
The large food shipment has not come but a smaller shipment did. Pray for the distribution of this smaller shipment. Pray too that we will receive the larger shipment to disburse. We've received diesel fuel for the generator and are able to get fuel for our trucks in town at stations not destroyed by the quake.
I'm using a radio (walkie talkie???) and getting the hang of it. Cell phones are back up and running. We found a bank open and were able to exchange money. We found that some of the people we knew at our branch bank lost their lives in the quake. This same story is repeated over and over.
The site of the grocery store where we shopped, Caribbean, is just a pile of debris. Our church has some damage as well as the church school. Families within the church lost family members. I might have told you that already.
We have 3 latrines now on campus and after 34 years I feel like I'm back to my first years in Verrettes and Gonaives again!
David has made contacts with several organizations to be sure they know we are housing "refugees" on campus and in need of aid. The one central command post did not have us located on their map so we've taken care of that now. Hope it makes a difference.
The two men from Crisis Consulting Int. have left but did an excellent job of helping us focus and set up a plan. We meet each morning at 8 am and 7 pm to go over plans for the day and then to report on what got done in the evening. The group consists of Schmids, McMartins, Wawa, Jacques, Roger See and until today Mark Bradley. Mark left this morning.
The medical clinic on campus in front of the newer undamaged seminary building seems to be winding down. Patients have laid on seminary classroom tables and everything was very makeshift but it worked. We are hoping that the Bethany Clinic at the Bolosse church at the bottom of our hill will be able to take over that responsibility. We've had a visiting doctor and 2 nurses holding clinic here for us. They have barricaded the old damaged building to keep people away from it. It is still coming down in pieces and is very dangerous.
The wall around the campus has come down in several places and in one place it is actually leaning out over a home in the neighborhood. So securing all of that is a priority.
We and people in this area are able to get drinking water twice a day 8 am and 4 pm thanks to water purification systems set up by Samaritan's Purse. People are out selling market and I even see ladies coming on campus with their crackers, cookies and things like that in packages to sell to people on campus.
The kids are always so creative and now they are using the juice bottles to make little cars out of the bottles with juice bottle caps for the wheels, etc.
We have 3 latrines now on campus and after 34 years I feel like I'm back to my first years in Verrettes and Gonaives again!
David has made contacts with several organizations to be sure they know we are housing "refugees" on campus and in need of aid. The one central command post did not have us located on their map so we've taken care of that now. Hope it makes a difference.
The two men from Crisis Consulting Int. have left but did an excellent job of helping us focus and set up a plan. We meet each morning at 8 am and 7 pm to go over plans for the day and then to report on what got done in the evening. The group consists of Schmids, McMartins, Wawa, Jacques, Roger See and until today Mark Bradley. Mark left this morning.
The medical clinic on campus in front of the newer undamaged seminary building seems to be winding down. Patients have laid on seminary classroom tables and everything was very makeshift but it worked. We are hoping that the Bethany Clinic at the Bolosse church at the bottom of our hill will be able to take over that responsibility. We've had a visiting doctor and 2 nurses holding clinic here for us. They have barricaded the old damaged building to keep people away from it. It is still coming down in pieces and is very dangerous.
The wall around the campus has come down in several places and in one place it is actually leaning out over a home in the neighborhood. So securing all of that is a priority.
We and people in this area are able to get drinking water twice a day 8 am and 4 pm thanks to water purification systems set up by Samaritan's Purse. People are out selling market and I even see ladies coming on campus with their crackers, cookies and things like that in packages to sell to people on campus.
The kids are always so creative and now they are using the juice bottles to make little cars out of the bottles with juice bottle caps for the wheels, etc.
Our red truck and McMartins pink house are in the background of that picture. One little one, less than a year old, would cry when he saw me but now I'm beginning to get a little smile. The kids love to run up and get some attention. For the most part the spirit on the campus is patient and cooperative which is a blessing. We're all in this together.
Our dog, Toby, a shepherd mix, is large and mostly black. People are cautious and some afraid of him but he walks through the crowd without bothering anyone when we walk him morning and evening. He usually runs with the guards at night but ever since the quake I can't let him loose at night. He really misses that.
One of the things giving us a chuckle these days is that Cindy finally changed her sheets on their bed. They had the same sheets on for 7 months! Before you get too horrified, remember they were gone for over 6 of those months and she had covered the bed with quilts and things. But it still makes for a smile.
She said today that we have to take a day off. Actually, that just means maybe not waking up and starting to run to get stuff done right away. Not sure when we will be able to do that. Sundays have been a quieter day so we look forward to that.
Doing laundry by hand is the order of the day and since my clothes lines are being used to hold up make shift pieces of tarp and plastic I'm hanging everything inside. It works and we are just thankful for clean clothes. Don't know when I'll send another update.
We have much to do to just function everyday but eventually we hope things can settle down into more of a routine.
Not sure if this gave much news but I'm fighting a cold right now and not functioning on all cylinders!
All for now.
Phyllis
She said today that we have to take a day off. Actually, that just means maybe not waking up and starting to run to get stuff done right away. Not sure when we will be able to do that. Sundays have been a quieter day so we look forward to that.
Doing laundry by hand is the order of the day and since my clothes lines are being used to hold up make shift pieces of tarp and plastic I'm hanging everything inside. It works and we are just thankful for clean clothes. Don't know when I'll send another update.
We have much to do to just function everyday but eventually we hope things can settle down into more of a routine.
Not sure if this gave much news but I'm fighting a cold right now and not functioning on all cylinders!
All for now.
Phyllis
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