Bonswa from Saint Marc, Haiti!Supply Distribution
We have been busy here in St Marc! Today refugees from Port Au Prince that were in need came to the Supply and Food Distribution at the YWAM base. Over 800 people were served (canned, bagged and boxed) food items, baby supplies (diapers, wipes, toys, etc), kitchen supplies (utensils, plates, pots and pans), clothes, shoes and other various items. It was a bit chaotic, each person was allowed to fill two shopping bags (about the size of a grocery store shopping bag) with whatever they could.
Food Distribution
Since there are about 25,000 refugees in St. Marc, YWAM is organizing food distribution through the local churches. It is awesome to see the locals rising up and taking care of their own! There is a long history of apathy and dependency on foreign aid and we believe the local church holds a huge part in the ending of this mentality. Over 60 pastors came to collect food (they do this on a weekly or bi weekly basis). We gave out a shipping container (24 tons!) of canned food, sacks of rice and beans and noodles and just as they handed out the last bag of rice, World Food Program showed up with another 24 tons! (A lot of organizations come to YWAM to help organize their aid because YWAM has been here for 23 years and has the relationships with the people). God truly provides and today was a huge display of that provision!
Port Au Prince
3 members of our team are in Port Au Prince and have been for the past few days. They have been sending us daily updates and the photos and stories are devastating but they have seen glimpses of hope as well. It is going to take a long time to rebuild this nation, but there have been very positive signs of Haitians making a stand for God.
Medical Clinic
YWAM St Marc has been trying to purchase a local abandoned clinic to start their own clinic but had not been able to until right after the earthquake (the 4 story hospital in St Marc collapsed) and Port Au Prince sent their non-urgent care patients to YWAM. They quickly scrubbed out the abandoned clinic down the street that had formerly been used for euthanasia and abortions and are now, over 40 days after the earthquake, treating patients on a daily basis and are housing several patients. Today, a boy who has been in bed and said to be paralyzed with TB, was able to sit up and get into a wheelchair and go outdoors for the first time in 40 days!
PHOTOGRAPHIC SURVEY & THE LONG TERM EFFORT
Our main effort has been creating a photographic survey for the YWAM International Development Team. All week we have been jumping in trucks and buses and motorcycles cruising all over Haiti crafting what will be the proposal for inviting YWAM & Non-YWAM International Leaders to invest time, personnel, ethics, intellect, and resources into long-term community development in Haiti. We are over 2,000 pictures into what we pray will be a provocation to the masses to see hope restored for a NEW Haiti. Staying up until the wee hours of the night were doing our very best to get the job done.
We are exhausted but are seeing amazing things happen.
for more check out - photogenX.net
for more check out - photogenX.net
