EFCA Crisis Response

Why respond to events like earthquakes?

2011-12-08T10:53:00.001-08:00

In 2007, Chincha, Peru was rocked with an earthquake impacting thousands. We responded, with our partners, the EFC of Peru (ADIEL), with compassion, and a command to love our neighbor.
Four years ago we started serving the community by distributing food, ministering to kids and families, rebuilding homes and lives, and loving people. ADIEL sent out it's first missionary family three years ago to live in the community.

But fours years later, that question, "Why respond?" has a much deeper answer. It was evident last week through the worship, prayer and teaching with a ’seed’ of adults and kids, who are part of a new church plant called "La Semilla", (The Seed). The why behind those years of ministry effort was made clearer through the testimonies of those gathered:

Lucho said, "The teaching I received here has helped me grow. I am an new person, a new creation."

Armando, who came for the first time at Lucho's invitation with his wife and 2 kids, said, "I came here tonight to publicly testify that I have done much damage to my wife and family. I need to change." He's starting a bible study with the church planter, Felix, this week.

Louisa said, "I don't even have a primary education. But I am learning to understand God's word. My neice (attending with her) is using the Bible to teach me to read and write."

Her niece said, "I'm thankful (for this group) because I've found the Truth."

Claudia shared that she'd been coming for a few weeks since seeing such a change in her sister. " I’ve come to learn about my identity in Christ".

Soledad testified that she had been a mean and even evil person. But she's been changed. "Now I am being filled."

Life Transformation...this why we invest in long term relational ministry in the aftermath of crisis.

Responding to Floods in N and S America

2011-09-30T19:52:00.000-07:00

While the NE United States was getting deluged, at the opposite side of the hemisphere, the southern part of Brazil was also experiencing torrential flooding. We have been connecting with churches in NY, PA and NJ, but also in Rio Du Sul, Brazil. I'll be flying to Brazil Sunday to help our partners, the EFC of Brazil, in planning their response outreach efforts. Below is a report of this week from Pastor Johnny:

On Monday we returned to a house we worked on the day before, but neither the owner nor his wife could be there because of their work, but they left us alone in their home, cleaning everything, dishes, rooms, etc...lots of stuff. At the end of the afternoon he came back and I asked him: "How was it that you trusted us in leaving us along in your home with all of your things?" He responded: "in that first conversation I perceived that I could trust you". They were quite touched. We prayed with them and gave them Bibles and they asked us about the church and what they could do to help...it was a very special moment.

There are many stories, but one other case....Debora and Arlei....Their home was totally under water and was one of the last in the city to see the water recede. When we arrived we soon discovered that it was the worst of all of the home we'd seen and helped. Immediately the man said that he didn't believe in God nor the devil, he didn't believe in nothing -- that his friend was money...but that neither his friends nor family had come to help... Then someone said: "But we're here and we came to help." We spent 2 VERY arduous days for there was lots of mud. Every last roof tile had to be removed...we weren't able to completely finish the job for there were other commitments but at the end of this second day the man thanked us saying that we did more than they could have in 30 days. Then he said: "Pastor...we want to go to church to thank God"...

And we intend to return to finish the job... In this way, there have been many opportunities to serve and share the love of God in a practical way and we are so thankful that we haven't had to do this alone, because brothers from many places have prayed, contributed, given and even come to help.

Pray for the local church plant to have great Gospel impact in the lives of those they serve.
To give, click here.

The Results from our Irene Response

2011-09-04T22:27:00.000-07:00

Having just passed the 6th year anniversary of Katrina, we are being drenched by Tropical Storm Lee, with an eye on Hurricane Katia. Meanwhile, our team has been responding for over a week in Greenville, NC alongside Harmony Church (EFCA). Read below of the Lord provision.

9/1 - Today some of us got to cut down trees at Paul and Eileen's house. They were a neat couple, and we got to have some great interaction with them. Miss Eileen couldn't understand why we were helping them like we were, and we were able to tell her it's because we have a God who loves us immensely and invites us to share that love with others. She still was just shaking her head and tearing up. Near the end of the day, one of us was able to tell her that what she experienced today is just a tiny portion of how much God loves her. She was overwhelmed. Her response is a good reminder to us, to really think about the enormity of God's love for us, and let it overwhelm our hearts. Mr. Paul said he thinks they're going to show up at church on Sunday. We're hoping to see them there!

9/2 - We serve a God who answers prayers! Last night some of us were able to go to a home group of Harmony Church folk. Pastor Derek shared that God had been putting it on his heart to pray for the professors and faculty members at the university one day this week. On the same day he was praying he found out that we'd been working at a lot of professors houses. These professors plan to host a dinner for us tomorrow night, and we have invited Pastor Derek with hopes that Harmony will be able to keep reaching out to them.
Today we cut down a 70 ft. pine tree that was partially uprooted and leaning toward Miss Anne's mobile home. Before we cut it we prayed that it would not hit anything--whether that be a house or a person. It was quite an involved process, but when it finally fell the top was just short of a shed and didn't even hit the lights on the side! God kept everyone and everything safe! So thankful for that.
Blessings, Allison

9/3 - Today was the seventh day here in Greenville, NC. Bodies are starting to get a little tired, but God keeps providing the strength that we need and the supplies to keep us going! Today breakfast, lunch, and dinner were provided for us by people that we either served today or other days. It's wonderful to see God's provision in that and be able to interact with them over food. We keep having opportunities to tell people that we're really not that extra ordinary people, we just have an awesome God! The one family we served today had two little girls who pitched in and helped us rake and drag trees. They were fun to work with, and they drew us pictures as a thank you. :)

9/4 - Today one of the homeowners that we worked for on monday, Mr. Michael, came out to work with us. He's been a cool connection to have. He and his wife both work at the university, and we've been able to connect them with some people from Harmony church. Blessings,Allison

The Trinity, Crisis Response, and Orphan Sunday

2011-08-08T12:11:00.000-07:00

This is a guest post by Jordan Mogck, blogger at familia Dei and communicator with GlobalFingerprints, the EFCAs child sponsorship program.

Losing lives and property is devastating. Prolonged turmoil, unrest, and economic woe is enough to shatter even the most resilient characters. By far the most vulnerable, however, are the children left without parents after a crisis. In fact, the sheer abundance of orphaned children in the world has garnered for itself the stamp of "crisis".
With 163 million fatherless children around the world, a response from the Church is mandatory.
A devastating metaphor
One could say that the orphan crisis is a devastating metaphor for the gospel itself. For we, vulnerable and isolated children separated from the Father because of our sin, were left for dead.
The Old Testament prophet, Ezekiel, describes our sin-laden plight as orphans bluntly, "No eye pitied you...but you were cast out on the open field, for you were abhorred, on the day that you were born" (16:5).
Orphaned children are specifically targeted for unimaginably horrific lives of sex-trafficking, guerilla warfare, and all that goes with it.
The societal and economic strains that the global orphan crisis entails, only perpetuates the problem. The shame a teenaged orphaned girl feels toward her son born of rape will abhor him and leave him for dead behind a dumpster. Mothers who cannot feed themselves, let alone a child, will leave their newborn in an open field to fend for itself against the elements.
Someone must intervene.
The Trinity in Crisis Response
Likewise, we are as good as dead left to our flesh, away from the Father. However, God is a "Father to the fatherless" (Psalm 68:5). Ezekiel continues, "When I [God] passed by you and saw you wallowing in your blood, I said to you in your blood, 'Live!'" (16:6).
The Father responded to our crisis by sending Jesus to bring us into His Family, "he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 1:5). Adoption was how God responded to our orphan crisis.
The show goes on
There is an enormous, tangible global orphan crisis in our world. As adopted members of the family of God, we are bound to act out that same gospel on the world's stage. We need to engage.
GlobalFingerprints is the EFCA's child sponsorship program located in the Democratic Republic of Congo (where, in Sub-Saharan Africa, there is approximately 1 orphan in every 8 children) and Kolkata, India.
On November 6, churches everywhere will be engaging. November 6 has been dubbed Orphan Sunday. In an effort to equip churches for a response, GlobalFingerprints will be providing resources for churches to begin acting in this drama of the gospel.
If you'd like to partner with GlobalFingerprints in the Global Orphan Crisis, you can start by sponsoring the education, healthcare, and discipleship of a child in need for $25/month.

Minot Flooding

2011-07-08T09:17:00.000-07:00

This spring the community of Minot, North Dakota experienced the largest flood in its history. The levies broke and forced eleven thousand people out of their homes. Seventeen families from Trinity EFC are dealing with their homes being submerged, including Pastor Andy.

TouchGlobal Director, Mark Lewis, has met with the pastor along with several other leaders to talk about what is being done to assist the community affected by the flood and how they would like to proceed in the long term.

Currently, Crisis Response is traveling to North Dakota to assess the situation and getting the word out about the need for immediate and also long term giving. Along with that, we are working with Trinity EFC in processing how to continue in the long term.

How can you help?

Pray - Praising God for His sovereignty and praying for the specific needs of Trinity EFC and its surrounding community

Give - Donations will support the recovery of the 17 families from Trinity Church along with the thousands of other families in Minot who have lost their homes

Learn - Visit Trinity's site for more information and updates concerning the flood (http://trinitychurchminot.org/flood2011.htm)

Serve - Consider serving in Minot. Help these families get back to their homes! Email crisisresponse@efca.org for more info. Add "minot" in subject line.

God Bless!

"The Lord rules over the floodwaters. The Lord reigns as King forever." Psalm 29:10

The Need in New Orleans

2011-06-28T10:14:00.000-07:00

August 29, 2011 marks the 6th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. After six years, it's easy to forget what happened and it's easy for the rest of the world to move on. This week was an undeniable reminder that Hurricane Katrina is still hurting many families across the city of New Orleans. A few of us from the construction staff went out to assess homes this week and the stories we heard touched our hearts.

We talked to Ms. Corin, who lives in the 9th Ward. She has been the victim of fraudulent contractors who came in, said they would fix her house, took her money and left. She has even had thieves come in and steal her plumbing, wiring and A/C unit. Ms. Corin has done what she can to fix up the interior of her house, even hanging drywall by herself. Now she needs someone to come alongside her, love her and transform her house into a home.

We also met with James who is doing what he can to restore his house for his mother and two nieces, Esther Ruth and Emmanuela. He is struggling to balance his job and the work he does on his home. James has done an amazing job with the inside of his house, but when he looks at the outside, he is reminded of the catastrophic damage that Katrina brought to his family, home and city.

The hardest part was realizing that these families have waited almost six years for the rebuilding of their homes. What's worse is telling them they must wait even longer, because we do not have the volunteers and staff needed to serve them. We need volunteers to come serve! After six years, the flow of volunteers has slowed down. The need is still there and the people of this city are still hurting. Yes, our heart breaks for the unfinished homes, but our hearts break even more for the lost souls who need to know the love of Jesus Christ. Crisis Response will continue to live out Matthew 9:38 and "pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest".

If you would like to invest in what the Lord is doing in the city of New Orleans or send teams, please email katrinarelief@efca.org or go to www.efca.org/katrina.

Response Update

2011-05-23T16:59:00.001-07:00

It has been a busy quarter for us...and now more tornadoes. This past week i visited our partner hope church, in Madison AL, where the continued clean up from the F5 tornado 3 weeks ago is underway. We are recruiting teams to serve there through the summer...see the video in the previous post. Go to http://www.touchglobal.org/tornado obal.org/tornado to give or to serve.

Now we are working with Maple Grove EFC and other local EFC's in Minneapolis to respond to the F2 tornado that hit yesterday. If you are located in that area and want to serve, email tgmsptornado@gmail.com. We do not have a local church conection pre-existing in Joplin, so we are evaluating with the District and other EFC's in the region if a response there is appropriate for us.
Meanwhile, we continue with teams in New Orleans this week, and our partnering with several EFC church plants now under way there. We'll be hosting teams there for the long term, as the needs from Katrina are still prevalent and to support ongoing church planting efforts.

Right now, I am in a van, part of a 3 vehicle, 13 person team heading into Ishinomaki, Japan to do a food distribution for several hundred people. Most are back in their flood damaged homes, and all have not had work for that last 2 months since the tsunami. We will also visit potential church plant works in Onogawa and other cities up the coast this week, and to make preparations for teams. Teams are greatly needed for July, August and beyond. For more information go to www.touchglobal.org/japan.

Please consider giving. Please consider serving with us on a team. Please consider serving with us as a longer term staff role.
ml

New Video from Alabama

2011-05-12T10:32:00.000-07:00

Crisis Response will be extending the Alabama Tornado Crisis Response until the end of the summer. So far, there have been great efforts to assist the people in the vicinity of the appropriately named Hope Church.

There is a brisk pace of requests for teams to serve there this summer, so get the details to send a team from your church and form your team. Watch this video to be encouraged and inspired!

The Nations bring the Gospel to Haiti

2011-05-05T13:30:00.000-07:00

While our responses to the recent tragedies in Japan and Alabama continue to unfold, ministry continues in New Orleans, Myanmar, Peru and Haiti. For updates go to touchglobal.org/crisisresponse

Four men gathered. Four prayers offered. Four languages spoken… Lingala, Czech, Creole and English. This was God at work in Haiti last week. I traveled to Haiti last week to connect with Pastor Ibengi, a missionary sent from the Congolese Evangelical Free Church, and a short-term mission team representing several churches from the Czech Republic. When Ibengi, Daniel ( both pictured) from Prague, and I visited Pastor Enoch, of Gressier, Haiti, to share and pray, it was a beautiful expression of God’s Kingdom, and His humor, since we found French, none of our native tongues, to be the most effective language for our conversations.

Pastor Ibengi arrived in the first week of April, and will be in Haiti until early June. He will be joined by Pastor Fidele, also from Congo later this month, also for a two month stay. Ibengi has been received as a ‘star’ of sorts, from another continent, yet seen as brother. They will spend time learning about the Haitian church and culture, which Ibengi described and “just like home”. They will also do some teaching and pastoral training, build relationships and determine if there would be a call from God for them to return to Haiti early next year to serve as long term missionaries.

Daniel was making his second visit to Haiti, and was talking about his 3rd and 4th in the future before he left. His team was an amazing blessing. Here’s a brief summary of all they did:

• They started the work on a new clinic facility near our house in Gressier. It is being constructed by our partner Haiti Health Ministries. HHM has been providing quality medical care in Haiti for over 20 years, but since the earthquake destroyed their facility, they have shared a small space with our neighboring ministry. They built a permanent latrine facility and helped get the building foundations started. Our prior week’s team actually laid the first block for the entire project. We are blessed to be able to help this partner in the long term project. Come and be a part of this work!

• Another ministry we have been serving is Macombre Christian School. The ’quake collapsed all the school structures, except the administration building, and a large concrete water tank. The tank was severely damaged and rendered unusable. So last year, we installed a temporary clean water system for the 800 kids. But we also had a dream to be able to restore and reinforce the tank and be able to supply safe water for the community as well. Through partnership with Valley Church (CA), funds were provided for the materials, yet we lacked the team with the needed skills to complete the work, until the Czechs arrived with several concrete and block tradesmen. More work will be needed, but the Czechs completed the bulk of the repair.

• They also continued to support the ongoing community shelter project. They did some work on the shelters, but did a lot of community relationship building, prayer and house blessings. Wes said we we're now approaching 900 shelters completed, that’s a roof over the heads of 4,500 people. (Pastor Stanislaus pictured.)

• They also had a man on team that came considering adoption through our ministry partner, Operation Love the Child Haiti (Jasmine’s orphanage for those who’ve served with us).

• And, they invested time in ongoing construction work on our house.

May God multiply the ministry in Haiti, and around the world through our international partner relationships.

Amazing Survival- AL Tornadoes

2011-05-03T06:04:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, April 27, the people of Madison, near Huntsville, Alabama, were awoken with the sound of tornado alarms. That day, they suffered not one, but four tornados.

“It was surreal,” said the pastor of Hope Church EFC in Madison, Andy Wulff (pictured below). “You would go out and talk to your neighbors between storms.” Hope Church suffered minor damage. In a congregation of about 200, only two houses suffered significant damage. The rest were missing a few shingles or a downed tree at most.

Nearby Harvest, however, was not so lucky. About noon they were hit by a F4 tornado. Melvin (left), who runs the Harvest Youth Club, said, “We have about 103 homes. Only a dozen are being lived in right now.” Harvest has been described as an urban-type community in a rural setting. The average income is $23-24,000. Ninety-nine% of the community is African American. Maybe 50% of the families have insurance.

“Most of our kids are on free or reduced lunch, if that gives you an idea of our community.” said Melvin. “80% of these houses are single-parent or non-traditional homes. Forty percent of our residents are over 60, yet we only had one fatality and 45 seriously injured.” He later clarified that the one fatality was over on a road outside of the main community.

His survival story is amazing. “We run a pre-school and weren’t able to get the kids home because the parents were locked down at work. At about noon, the tornado came. All the women were screaming and I was just praying, but it seemed very short.”

However short it seemed, the devastation was immeasurable. The ministry’s bus was originally in the parking lot. In the storm it flipped over and landed up right against the trees. Trailer frames were the only thing still intact on many trailers in the community. Trees were down all over. The town was almost completely devastated. Melvin’s house lost its garage and the back sustained some damage, almost untouched compared to some houses.

One witness said, “I was looking outside my window watching the other side of the street get hit.” When you walk through Harvest, you may see one house completely gone and the next almost untouched. Debris is everywhere.
“About 90 to 95% of our homes are devastated,” said Melvin. “The recovery is going to take a while. It’ll be interesting.”

Melvin's ministry is providing free meals all day and trying their best to supply basic needs. When asked what their immediate needs are, Melvin replied, “toiletries, tools, and diapers.”
Even with the devastation, Melvin has a hopeful outlook. “This will draw us as a community closer to God. God allows things to happen with the ultimate outcome that He gets the glory and it prepares us for the Kingdom.”

EFCA TouchGlobal Crisis response and Hope EFC have been sending teams serve this area since Saturday. Partnering with the local ministries to show the love of Christ. Join us!

(Written by Kendra Watterson, age 13, daughter of TG staffer...great job Kendra... ml)

Tornado Response

2011-04-30T05:28:00.000-07:00

Here's the first report from our team in AL. ml

4/29 - 9:45 pm
We arrived at Hope church in Madison Alabama about 8 pm Tonight. Our trip here was mildly eventful ( as most of our trips have at least a little drama). John Horst drove one truck pulling a chain saw/ tool/ supply trailer, while i drove another truck with my family pulling our skid loader.

Just over the Alabama line, I noticed chunks of rubber being thrown up by our trailer, and thought how weird it was because I didn't remember seeing those on the road as I drove over them. One hit the cab of the truck, and I said to Babette," I hope those aren't from us."

About 2 miles later I caught more of them flying off the trailer tire, and realized they were from us as the vibration from the trailer became apparent. We pulled off on to the shoulder and checked the tire to see a large portion of the tread missing from the tire. We drove cautiously to the next exit and proceeded to change the mangled tire( still inflated praise God) with the spare ( which was also still inflated, praise God).

I had thrown my tools and a floor jack in with us since our track record with trailer tires on trips like this has historically been less than stellar. We had to unload the skid loader from the trailer in order for the jack to pick up the trailer.

45 minutes later we were back on the road. At mile marker 66 on I-59, we saw the first evidence of tornadic activity as we passed the Mercedes Benz assembly plant just south of Tuscaloosa. There was a swath of trees on both sides of the highway that were snapped off and twisted like wet toothpicks about 100 yards wide. There were sheets of tin roofing laying twisted up like ribbon in the median, and small branches and twigs laying on both shoulders.

Every so many miles we would see similar sights sporadically along our route. As we drove farther north and into birmingham, we saw several damages houses, flipped over out buildings and even a motel that was just walls with no roof. We needed to stop for fuel and picked a random exit since many of the signs were blown down. We found a place that was open, but the guy behind the glass enclosure told me," Don't got none. We all out."
We drove north to the next exit and after negotiating the string of traffic, we were finally able to get to a truck stop, where we tried to fill up using our credit cards at the pump, only to find out that we had to pay cash because their processing system was down. We emptied our wallets and came up with enough cash to fill the thirsty monsters with 1/2 a tank each, which would get us to our destination.

We continued our trek north not seeing much more obvious damage until about 10 miles from the church. Police were directing traffic at intersections because the lights weren't operating, we began to see trees down in yards and on roofs, we saw what used to be a mobile home strewn across an open yard, and billboards that were bent backwards or simply just a pole completely missing the top.

Darkness was setting in and it was obvious who were the haves and the have nots in the generator department. A convenience store and a CVS store were the only things lit up along the road.

We turned off the main road onto a side road, and weaved our way around downed branches and through passages cut out of trees which earlier had blocked the road, and met Pastor Andy Wulff at Hope church. The church had been spared major damage, but there was leaf debris in the parking lot and a tree down in the front yard.

Andy's wife a 5 children had left to go and stay with family in Indianapolis after the storm, so he had several beds to offer us. We left the one truck and trailer at the church with the skidloader as well, and drove the 10 minutes from the church to his house through the eerie darkness seeing homes that normally would be bathed in exterior lamps and accent lighting, now only showing dim candlelight through the open windows.

We arrived at his house, unloaded our things by flashlight, all the while being serenaded by a chorus of droning generators. We discussed how the storms and tornados 2 days ago came and went all day long from 6 am till 8 pm all seemingly following the same track and damaging the same areas time and time again throughout the entire day.

We are expecting 20 church folks to show up at Hope tomorrow at 8 am to gather with us and move out into the community to share the love of Christ with those in need by helping them clean up their yards, cut down trees and pray for them however God leads.

We will help the church set up some awnings and prepare for their modified outside Sunday program, stage our equipment and return to New Orleans to meet up with our newly recruited group of 8 or so people from Texas, Montana and Wisconsin Sunday night, then return to Madison again to be Gods hands and feet on Monday for at least A few weeks. Won't you come and join us? If you can't, maybe you could give finically, or at the very least, but most importantly, PRAY!

Kevin

Touching the Unreached

2011-04-16T18:06:00.000-07:00

Here’s the numbers on the Japan Earthquake: * Over 25,000…the number dead and missing * 400,000 people displaced from their homes * 81,000 homes uninhabitable * 8ft, the distance that the island of Japan shifted, and * 40 cm, the elevation that parts of the island sank. * Unknown – the long term effects of ongoing radiation leaks * 19,000 - population of Minamisanriku,Japan on March 11 at 245pm * 50 feet – estimated tsunami height that hit this town * 9,700 - population of minamisanriku. Japan on march 11 at 345pm * ZERO – number of churches in the city of minamisanriku * ZERO – from what we can tell, the number of Christians who have ever resided in this town in recorded history * 2nd and 0.09% - Japan, the second most unreached people in the world, with only 0.09 percent of population being evangelical. * Infinite – the abounding grace and mercy of our God, who according to 2nP 3:9, “is patient…, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance”. In the city of Minami-Samriku it is hard to recognize what life may have looked like before the tsunami wave struck. I heard about the town at 5am this morning, as a team from a partner church returned to Tokyo from a two day trip, focused on serving a hot meal to 1200 people there, and in Ishinomaki. The coastline in the area had a funneling effect, raising the water to more than 3 stories high, as evidenced by the many broken windows in the 4th floor of the hospital, and by the boat stuck in the 3rd floor of city hall. The force of the water was such that the city hall building was stripped down to just steel girders on the lower floors. As the waters rose, some people said they fled to the hills, others ran to the higher buildings in town, only to end up stranded on the upper floors. The most striking note about the trip was the report that as far as anyone knew, there has never been a church in Minami-Samriku. It is even uncertain if a Believer has ever lived in this town. The team went to great efforts though to represent Christ well, to touch the unreached in this community. They assembled generators, cooking pots, food, water, and other supplies to cook a traditional meal for those people living in shelters here and nearby, all from the back of a truck. A chef from a restaurant in Tokyo came up with the idea, though he’s not yet met Jesus. He mobilized resources and other soon to be seekers to join with the church in this outreach effort. - Pray for the planting of the Gospel in this impacted region. Japan is an unreached country. The evangelical population, which is less than 1/10th of 1% (0.09%) in the entire country, is even lower in the part of the country impacted by this earthquake. - Pray for the outreach of the Tokyo churches to the unbelieving neighbors who are coming to the churches because of their caring for others. - Pray for us as we continue to seek God’s leading to the communities that He has chosen for us to serve, deeply.

Anniversaries

2011-04-12T22:26:00.000-07:00

Yesterday and today… Japan and Haiti… one month and a year and a quarter…two devastating earthquakes. For the people that hundreds of thousands they have impacted in each country, they are still very real. How about for us…how good is our memory? Do we recall the images of 50ft walls of water, or a million people living under tarps?

In Japan, the news was of officials declaring the nuclear disaster is now at a “7”, yesterday it was still a “5”. “7” is the worst rating of a nuclear disaster. New data has shown things to be much

worse, resulting in many more people being forced to leave their homes, not knowing when, if, they might ever return. Pray for the long road ahead for the Japanese people.

I was in Haiti today, and was struck with reality of so many families still living in some sort of make shift shelter. I seemed to notice more of them in places I had not focused on before. They look more faded and tattered. As I drove through the Champs de Mars, the former park now shanty town of 10,000 in front of the Presidential Palace, there are more signs of permanency; more sheet metal; more furniture; and with the slow pace of the recovery, more of the same for a long time. There is very little new concrete/block construction except for a few church, clinic or school buildings being funded with outside resources.

The striking difference of pre- and post-quake was so starkly seen in my visit yesterday with a pastor near Gressier. He had a relatively nice block home with several bedrooms for he and his extended family of 14. When the quake struck, he and his 2 young boys were in the house. The pastor was stuck in the head with a block, and concrete crashed down on his shoulders. He was dropped to the ground, but providentially was spared from being crushed as he fell aside some furniture in his house that resulted in a void space. As he dug himself out, he told me his thought was only of his boys. He was sure they were dead, then he heard a moan, and began digging, and the Lord spared them all.

Now today, he has been able to build small 2 wooden buildings for the family to cook and eat in, but the slab of the former house is covered with 5 tents, where the family still sleeps each evening. Please don’t forget Haiti. Keep praying. Keep giving. Keep coming to serve.

Pray for Japan

2011-04-10T15:30:00.000-07:00

Check out the prayer requests from the Crisis Response team in Japan.

The Aftershock

2011-04-09T14:25:00.000-07:00

The 9.2 earthquake is now a 3 week old memory, but reminders of it were very real this week. Several evenings I was awakened by aftershocks, then, last evening, when we were traveling back from Ishinomaki, there was a 7.2 “Aftershock”. The renewed tsunami warnings and the physical shaking, brings afresh feelings of fright and reality for the hundreds of thousands in the recovery process.

The 7.2 Aftershock also undid some of what had been advanced in the recovery efforts. In Tokyo this morning, we got calls from northern areas where utilities had been previously restored, that

they were now cut off again. Some lost water, some electricity, some gas, some lost all. We

heard that food in Mianmi- Suriku was also short. A truck was being deployed today with needed supplies, and additional ReachGlobal staff are flying in Saturday, then, heading north to the affected areas to serve there next week.

Wednesday, I joined up with our ReachGlobal family in Sendai, and we helped with a partner’s distribution effort in Ishinomaki. We had a team of 22 in total, lead by Japanese pastors, missionaries and lay people from our partner churches in the Tokyo region supported by pastor's and missionaries from Korea, S. Africa,

Greece, Britain, Hong Kong and the US. It was a real blessing to see this multi-cultural expression of the Body serving those in need. The team delivered supplies to about 100 families.

One of those participants was Mr. Y. He is an elderly man, who is a part of a fledgling Sendai church plant. He has been a believer for 6 months, and came away from yesterday’s experience of serving others filled with joy. He spoke with me at length afterwards, telling me of the devastation that hit in the village where he grew up.

He asked me to help his village, saying “I am old and can do so little”. But that led to a great discussion of the power of God working in us as believer’s, and I used the mustard seed parable to illustrate the great fruit that can come from such a small thing, as an elderly man with a vision to help his people. Of course, we assured him that if he was called and took the lead, we’d be there to support him. Mr. Y. was just beaming.

PRAY Pray for the continued improvement of people’s living conditions. The Japanese government is very expediently working to restore services build Displaced People’s camps, but the impacted areas are very extensive, with some very isolated, so there are many pockets where relief has been slow in coming.

Pray for workers for the harvest, especially young Japanese men and women. But also, we need non-native Japanese speakers critically, and others “who are willing” (Ex. 36: ) to offer their time and talents for 3 months to two years to step forward to serve in the impacted region.

Pray for the development of really strong, lasting, and missionally aligned partnerships. In the first hours after we landed in Japan, God connected us with a several great churches in the Tokyo region, that umped in right away in reaching out to those affected. Pray that we can solidify and more fully understand how we can serve them, and work together in making disciples and planting churches in the Tohoku Region.

GIVE

Thank you to those that have generously given already, food, clothing, personal hygene kits, and fuel have been distributed. Pray for a continued outpouring of resources to support what we see will be several years of long term recovery and disciple-making efforts. Click to donate.

SERVE We are starting to make plans now for hosting teams to help in the recovery efforts. We have few details now, but expect that by early summer, all logistics will be in place to host teams, perhaps sooner. If you are interested in being one of the ‘pioneering teams’ (that is, can move forward without having all the “t’s crossed”) contact us immediately, (email crisisresponse@efca.org put RE: Japan NOW) or just let us know if you have interest in sending a team in the future (put RE: Japan Summer or Japan Fall).

Japan - Day 13 Where do i start...

2011-03-25T05:22:00.000-07:00

Thursday was surreal. (please read to end)We spent the day in a number of cities/towns along the coast near Sendai that had been hit with the tsunami. Ishinomaki has a seawall 30' above sea level protecting it from tsunami, except this wave was about 40 feet high. It smashed homes near the seawall, and then flooded the rest of the city. Where we were working, the neighborhood had 10,000 people living in it. Every person's home was flooded, and several hundred were killed.

We met one lady on the street, who we conversed with through our interpreter. She said she was in the 4 story school when the tsunmai hit. As she watched out the window, she saw her neighbor driving down the street trying to outrun the wave, and saw the car swalloed by the torrent.

Many people are back living in the undamaged second floor of their homes, with no heat or water (it's still like winter there). As the team was distributing supplies to families who were still living in the community, Carl (RG Asia Lead Team) and I went wandering /praying. We found a lady who was trying to clean a few things in front of her house, and I realized her and her husband we trying to clean out. We had been told that Japanese we're closed and would not let foreigners in their homes, even flooded. But following the Holy Spirit I asked in my best sign language (my poor french and worse spanish were no help) if we could help them. We entered the house and started picking up heavy things, and they got the idea. We spent almost 2 hours with them emptying out the contents of the house. an impossible job for the two of them, but doable with the extra hands. It was a joy to see their energy increase as we worked side by side. In the process of cleaning we, were able to help them save dozens of hand made wooden dolls that were family treasures.

Before we were done, they offered us a drink, and water (very hard to get in town) to wash our hands. We were blessed by their giving as we served them. We were able to get their contact information and then they allowed us to pray a prayer of blessing over them.

We ended the day visiting the school, now a shelter for hundreds of families. They are living communally with 12-24 people to a class room. They have no heat, water or electric. We saw men drawing water from the adjacent swimming pool for cleaning.

Carl and I connected with a house church planter that was organizing a distribution center. (us assessing - pic below). And of course we wonder about the kids.

But most incledible, we found another area later in the day that was hit with a 60' wave. We found debris up on a cliff next to the only 2 habitable homes, all the rest lower in elevation were swamped or totally gone.

Today, we:

- were able to make connections to get 200,000 meals moving to the Sendai region through our partners.

- purchased and loaded a truck with several thousand pieces of new underware....a luxury item now for the people in the shelter and othr areas of Ishinomaki. They have no money, no cars, no fuel, no way to buy replacements.

- Invested hours in partnership devleopment and equipping our partner and a local church on how to do intentional, sustainable, disciple-making ministry leading to church planting in the wake of crisis.

- Purchased a generator and communications equipment for our new base in the Sendai region.

Pray:

- For cold and hungry people now forgotten...since all the coverage focused on the nuclear sitaution.

- For the Church to represent the King well, and for the Lord to build His Church from the Harvest.

- For God to raise up staff (especially Japanese speakers).

- For God to mobilize resources to sustian along term response.

Japan - Day 10

2011-03-23T14:24:00.000-07:00

We faced the reality of the tsunami today, seeing hundreds of miles of devastated coast line today. Our day started after only a few hours of sleep, with a 7 hour drive to Sendai. We accompanied a truck loaded with supplies from a Japanese partner church in the Tokyo region. We passed through numerous check points on the expressway and made frequent stops at rest areas in search of fuel, then waiting in lines as when we found it. We knew we reached Sendai when we saw a massive expanse of debris covering miles of terrain.

Our team unloaded the truck at a local church near the coast in Shiogama. We were able to provide much needed fuel, food and other relief supplies. We sorted and organized the goods, and made plans to go with the local church today to displaced people's centers to get the supplies into the hands of the impacted people.

The church has mobilized many in their congregation and a few other local churches to help. We spent time with the associate pastor talking about the mission field opportunties in the wake of crisis and ideas for turning his relief efforts into longer term outreach. Having been so overwhelmed in the relief efforts, he was grateful for the discussion on longer term ministry impacts.

God continued to open doors for us as the day progressed. We made contact with another team of house church planters from Osaka, who have been serving in the community for a week. We were able to use the ReachGlobal church plant building in Sendai to provide housing for the team (and for us!).

The day ended late, as we shared a meal together with the group of Japanese church leaders and a Korean missionary. We spent several hours debriefing. One shared his visit earlier in the week with a pastor from Fukushima, in the shadow of the nuclear plant. The pastor had a church of 200, of which 40 died. the other 160 are displaced and he has been struggling to find them all. He has found about 40 so far. They had a service on Sunday, and prayed for the future, not knowing if they will ever be able to return to their homes.

We also discussed dreams and long term ministry opportunities. Another pastor shared his dream that many would come to faith. He shared about the deep rooted idolotry, with there being over 8 million God's. We prayed to close the evening that millions of the unreached people in is this region would come to know the One, the Living God.

Japan - Day 9

2011-03-22T05:12:00.000-07:00

We started the day with prayer for the Lord's leading, and especially in providing the means (vehicle, fuel, and driver) and the government permissions for us to go into impacted area. No surprise, He answered that prayer and then some.
We are leaving very very early in the morning to drive to Sendai, stay overnight, then return back by way of Iwake and coastal towns south of Fukushima. We will be carrying in a truck load of supplies, and will meet with local pastors in the region.

We also found a local Japanese church in the Tokyo region, whose leaders met the day after the earthquake, and we're compelled to mobilize to respond to those in need. They have a Kingdom minded approcah to helping churches in the impacted recover and also to see the Kingdom expanded through the planting churches in the region. Shortly after we arrived, a truck showed up with a load of supplies, (pictured) including 1000's of liters of fuel, which will allow for our trip tomorrow morning. The truck that made the delivery was just purchased and the dealer, a non-Christian, when he heard what it was going to used for, said he'd deliver it full of relief supplies. Praise God.

This church is also using their response to connect with lost neighbors. They have dozens of people who have never come to the church, now showing up to play some part in the 'quake response. We were able to spend several hours with some of their leaders

Additionally, tomorrow we'll be making final arrangments to network a load of hygene kits from partners in Hong Kong to get delivered through this local chruch for distribution later in the week in the impacted region.

We had a big aftershock today. There have been 52 aftershocks that have been greater than 6.0.

Pray for safety as we travel, divine leading by God to the place and people He desires us to see and meet, and for hearts to be touched with the tangible expression of God's love that the truckload of supplies represents. I learned today that the Japanese represents the SECOND LARGEST unreached people group in the world. Pray for the mission field that follows crisis. ml

Japan Update

2011-03-20T08:01:00.000-07:00

- The first member of our assessment team arrived Friday and has been networking with response partners. The rest of our team is in the process of travel to Tokyo today.
- We have been in coordinating the delivery of an initial container of relief supplies via partners in Asia.
- We have evacuated our ReachGlobal church planting team from Sendai until the nuclear plant situation is under control.
- We are carrying in cash to put in the hands of our partners to effect immediate relief for those impacted by the earthquake.
Amidst the transiton of focus of attention by the media to other world events, pray for the need of the victims of this disaster to not be forgotten. ml

Japan - Day 3 Crisis Ongoing

2011-03-14T21:01:00.000-07:00

This is not day 3 after the event, this is the 3rd day of a still unfloding event. This video speaks to the power of the water, but what are those on lookers thinking? What was their day like today?

The reports from the day via communications from our contacts:

- Another nuclear plant explosion. From one contact..."Because of the explosion of the nuclear plants, all the members (of a local church 5km from Fukushima) were forced to evacuate without taking anything with them and they are now accommodated in a schools, lacking food and heat. They are not allowed to go back to the town. Town is now like a ghost town. Pray the Radiation leak will be stopped".

- Basic Supplies. From a RG staffer in the impacted region... "we just got our electricity back today, but we are still without natural gas, and water. Other smaller areas are probably still without electricity and therefore phone or cell phones may not be working. So the basic necessities still needed are water, food, and heat or blankets since it still gets down to freezing. We also need to wait in line for drinking water although not everyday and hopefully the water and gas will come back soon".

- In Tokyo - From our Rg staff there...With all that’s going on, we’re starting to see some signs of “panic” on the part of people in Tokyo as the reports of possible electrical outages, disruption of water/gas supplies, gasoline shortages, and food shortages circulate. Most of the gas stations I passed by on my bus ride home from church today were “sold out” of gas and the two stations that did have gas had lines that spilled out into the street creating traffic headaches.

- In the US and Asia - I have been on skype and emailing late every evening (due to 13 hr US/Japan time difference) with ReachGlobal Asia leaders and RG staff in Japan in making arrangements for our assessment team hitting the ground starting later this week and into next week. Pray for God's leading us.

Prayer Update:

-Direct communication has been restored with our RG church planting team in Sendai.

One , and reports from the impacted area continued aftershocks still sending tsumami

Earthquake in Japan

2011-03-11T20:19:00.000-08:00

Situation ReportMarch 11, 2011 — A major earthquake struck northern Japan (including Tokyo) with a magnitude of 8.9 on the Richter scale. A significant tsunami was generated as a result, causing further damage along the coast.

March 12 - Reports from our RG staff in Japan today said that significant aftershocks continued throughout the day. In the Sendai area, aftershocks were strong enough to cause more minor tsunami waves. Direct communication with our RG team in Sendai has not as yet been established. We have relationship with two EFC’s and a church plant in Sendai, one of the hardest hit regions, but are waiting for direct contact. One of the EFC pastors in the region has not as yet been heard from.

Initial Response
TouchGlobal Crisis Response is assessing the situation, with our Team focusing on:
1. Establishing reliable communications with our ReachGlobal staff on the ground;

2. Responding to of offers of assistance, and communicating the urgent need for immediate and long term giving to support the response. Give at www.efca.org. A bulletin insert is available at www.touchglobal.org/japan .

3. Planning an assessment trip to Japan for the week of March 20, to allow time for the situation in most affected areas to stabilize.

4. Identifying potential partner ministries in Japan.

5. Coordinating with other international faith based crisis response and NGO’s.

Pray
•Give thanks. The church members communicating with ReachGlobal staff in Japan seem to be safe and sound.
•Ask God for mercy upon the people of Japan, especially where tsunami waters have done great damage.
•Ask the Father to allow contact with one EFC pastor and his wife not yet reached.
•Ask God to give us, as His church, wisdom and sensitivity to know how to move quickly to give aid and comfort.

Please go to www.touchglobal.org/japan for additional information. Email crisisresponse@efca.org or call 985-893-0218 with questions or offers of assistance.

Reality

2011-02-14T19:42:00.000-08:00

Today's REALITY....Praise God for the chance to help people recover from Katrina...and thanks for helping us make a difference in peoples lives, like GWEN....read on.

It's been cold here in La, much like the rest of the country since the new year began. Certainly not below zero, but below freezing most evenings. Knowing how cold it's been here, made today's visits with home owners all the more real.

Especially our stop at Miss Gwen's. Her home had water up to the cielings over 5 years ago. and she's had a rough road to recovery. This past summer she had finally saved enough to have her electrical work done, only to have thieves break in and steal all the copper this fall. She's been ripped of by several contractor's, including her plumber, also this fall. So now five years later, she's living in a house that looks like this...

A bare slab, no walls, no insulation, no plumbing, no electricity (save an orange cord run in from outside), and especially no heat. She is up at 4am every morning, with an inside temperature barely above freezing, taking a cold sponge bath, before she walks a good ways to work at 5am. Cooking consists of a microwave. A small electric heater is a joke. She showed us her coffee pot with gratefulness.

She has to live in her house in its current state because she doesn't have a choice. She has family who'd welcome her, but she cannot leave her house unattended as she's afriad of thieves breaking in to steal the few things she has saved in the house. Even today, when it was sunny and 60's outside, she was shivering in the cool 50ish degree dampness inside the house.

And after we prayed for her today, she was the one encouraging us, reminding us of God's faithfulness and

Here's reality for us...Tonite at dinner, our family praised God for the blessing of our family, and a home with insulated walls, a roof that doesn't leak, electricity, heat, blankets....but more so for 'Amazing Love, oh what sacrifice, the Son of God has given for me, my debt he paid, and my death He dies, that I might live.' It's why we're committed here for the long term.

What's reality look like for you today....? Be sure to Praise God for His Faithfulness, Mery and Love today... and please Pray for Gwen, and thousands like her here in New Orleans. Would you consider coming and helping to make a difference too?

Serving the King with Grateful Joy.... ml

Chincha Smiles

2011-02-02T15:50:00.000-08:00

Though cultures differ greatly, one thing that I consistently notice as I travel is the joy expressed in a child's smile, even amidst difficult circumstances. The earthquake hit Brianna and Stephanie's home town of Chincha, Peru, 3-1/2 years ago. The marks of the quake are very evident in the piles of rock and broken buildings of their poor neighborhood. The girls play amidst the dirt and debris, with a joy and innocence.

I'm grateful the Lord led us to their neighborhood over 3 years ago. I am greatful that HE called the Zavala's, a Peruvian family from Lima to move here, and that HE supplied staff through TouchGlobal Crisis Response to serve along side them. I'm grateful that year's after others have pulled out, we are still there serving. We are there advancing a vision of seeing the Transforming Gospel impact Brianna, Stephanie and their neighbors in such a way, that not only would they be welcomed into heaven, but that their life here on eart would be different.

Our team has experienced the frustrations of pioneering work. Investing into potential leaders only to see them fall away. Yet God is working the hard soil. We have established a presence in the form of a small house serving as a 'church'. It's appropriately named "The Seed". A few new believers faithfully attend several studies through week and a 'service' Sunday evening.

We continue to also make a tangible difference in the lives of people in the community. A team from WI was left just as we arrived, after having conducted a medical clinic, seeing over 900 people in the community. We're almost done with a community center, where another small chruch will meet, and where the community will be able to offer a 'day care' to allow mom's the ability to safley leave their young children as they seek to eak out a living.

And we've also completed several more homes like this one for a single mom with several kids plus her teenage daughter who just had a baby.

Pray for Chincha. In fact, consider organizing a team to come here to pray for God to break the stongholds of darkness here and bring HIS will to this place. Consider organizing a team to come and engage in a ministry of compassion. Can you play with kids, cut or wash hair, speak English and have a willingness to share what you know with others, or bring whatever gift and talent you have to invest in kingdom relationships.
Perhaps the Lord would ask you to give to make Brianna's and Stephanie's neighborhood, just a little better. Thanks for your part in allowing us to serve in the mission field that follow crisis.
Mark

Chile Earthquake

2011-01-30T06:18:00.000-08:00

Paula (pictured) said, "I go to bed each night exhausted, wondering how I'm going to get through the next day". I heard Paula's story in a displaced people's camp in Chile last week, being led there by the Lord....

Almost a year ago, the coast of Chile was rocked by a powerful 8.8 magnitude earthquake, which thrust an 8 ft high tsunami wave against the coastal areas near Concepcion. The earthquake, though much more powerful than the one that devastated Haiti, did not cause near the mass devastation as in haiti and there was a quick government response. TouchGlobal Crisis Response, in consultaion with Reach Global latin America chose at that time not to respond not to respond to the event, in part because of these above circumstances, but primarily because we did not have missionally aligned partner relationships in the country, missionally aligned to see the great commandment and great commission opportunity that follows crisis.

But God had a better plan. About 30 years ago, he made himself known to a young teen in Talcahuano, Chile, near Concepcion. Over the years God developed a vision in that young man to see a church planting movement in Chile. With the earthquake, that man, Hugo Concha, currently pastor of El Faro Ev Free Church (Lebanon, PA), was compelled to respond to the needs in his hometown. In March, 2010, he took a small team and some relief supplies to do what he could. He left with resolve to come back to make a kingdom difference.

God then connected him with other Ev. Free Churches in PA, and with TouchGlobal Crisis Response and ReachGlobal, to follow the Lord in moving forward with this vision. It was out of that vision anda desire to serve where God is moving, that a small group of us found ourselves in the displaced peoples camp in Chile, listening to Paula. She is the leader of a group of 95 families, amidst several camps with thousands of people who have their homes and most of their posessions. She has 3 kids and cannot leave the camp for work, so she makes and sells empanadas (local dish). She is cold to religion, yet expressed a real hunger, desire for caring relationships. Pray that the Lord would meet Paula's needs, and would bring True Religion, Is 58 style, to Paula and those like her. Pray for caring Christian workers to serve here, and for resources to help Paula and others like her.

That vision also had us meeting with a Chilean couple that is being called to the region to make disciples and plant churches. Pray for Yamil and Mylena, as they seek the Lords direction in multiplying healthy churches among the Chilean people, and for us as we seek to come alongside the doors the Lord is opening.

Yamil and Mylena (on left)

Haiti Blessing

2011-01-19T20:26:00.000-08:00

A while back we discovered a small orphanage near our base that had been really ovelooked. It is small and well off the main road. to get to it from our house we walk up a dirt road, turn off onto a path along an irrigation ditch, travel through the woods, cross a creek, up the bank and we're there. Our teams have spent time with the kids in the past and were able to build a small school shelter for them. (Pictured).

They couple running it, a pastor and his wife have 3 of their own kids, are expecting their 4th, and have taken in 10 others. The small school thay have is for the 13 kids in the house, plus several other kids from nearby families. They do not charge for the school and have no uniforms or books. They have no money to pay their teachers, so the teachers have gotten other odd jobs to support themselvs and teach the kids as they can.

The young girls showed us some needle work they had been learning. It was so beautiful, and so encouraging to see them learning a craft along with what other things the teachers managed for instruction. We saw many smiles and stayed until dark this evening enjoying our time with the kids.

As I walked home, I was reminded of how fortunate and blessed I am to be a part of this ministry, and to have such worderful supporters and partners in ministry to be able to make such a tangible difference in the lives of these children. Thanks for your partnership with our family and the ministry of TouchGlobal Crisis Response.

Continue to pray for Haiti and the process of choosing a new president. Things have gotten very complicated this week with the arrival/return of former dictator 'baby doc' Duvallier. In the randomness of the world, I happened to be in the hotel where 'baby doc' was staying the mroning after he arrived. lots of security and reporters....and me. No one asked me for an interview though :) I also saw today an announcement that exiled president Aristede was planning to return to Haiti. A bearded lady and 3 rings and the circus will be complete. The country needs hope and a Godly leader....pray. ml

Back in Haiti

2011-01-17T05:30:00.000-08:00

A flood of memories and feelings came back to me yesterday as I returned to Haiti for the first time this year. It was almost exactly a year ago when came for the first time days after the 'quake.

As I landed at the airport, I looked out over grass areas around the runway. What used to be a sea of tents for relief agencies is a field that needs cut.I recalled the days roaming around military and UN tents securing food, water, medicine and fuel. Driving to our home in Gressier I passed the place on the street where I saw my last quake victim piled in a heap.

Some small signs of the continued clean up, a damaged building now removed, another even rebuilt. I saw some areas where streets were reopened as families were no longer living in them. And of course throngs of people everywhere trying to eak out a living in the 'new' Haiti.

The new normal is one of rubble amidst brokenness, and the expanding 'suburb' of tin, tarps, tents and trash growing north of PaP. As I looked out over the hills of homeless, a bit overwhelmed, Ps 121 came to mind. "I lift my eyes to the hills, where does my help come from. My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth." And it's in converstaions with kids. At a partner's school today (pictured above), child after child told me about loved ones lost in the quake. Dana, 17, lost her mom while Richard, 8, lost his dad, and another boy his brother.

God, thanks for being the best help for those in need. Give me wisdom as to how to help and vision to see all that You desire for this patch of earth you've made. ml

Haiti: One Year Later

2011-01-07T12:07:00.000-08:00

See the EFCA website for news about Haiti!

From Everywhere to Everywhere!

2010-11-11T07:49:00.001-08:00

A new era in missions sees many people from around the world responding to disasters around the world. That is what is going on in Haiti right now.

Very important meetings are taking place this week in Haiti. Along with potential international partners, ReachGlobal leaders are exploring what healthy church planting will need to look like in that country. Pray that God would complete the work he began there by putting Haiti on the hearts of Brazilians, Congolese and Colombians to join together with us in multiplying healthy churches in Haiti.

Two church planter missionaries from Congo are beginning their prefield training this month in anticipation for traveling to Haiti in January. Ask the Lord to allow this time to help equip them for this very important task.

There will be more to come as we watch the Holy Spirit unite Christians from everywhere to the cause of Christ everywhere! Exciting times are ahead!

Check out how you can give, pray, or go to join the work in Haiti.

2010-08-25T12:37:00.000-07:00

SOS

As a church team walks down the road with a ladder and impact drives in hand, three little girls, jumping up and down, call out over and over in unison, "Praise God, they are coming to build our home!"

An elderly blind man sits in a chair with a Bible on his lap as team members arrive to complete paperwork and dedicate his shelter. After praying a prayer of blessing on his new home, he spontaneously, with heartfelt passion and tears in his eyes, recites the Lord's Prayer in Creole.

A family of ten has been sleeping on the ground under one torn tarp but now they will have beds to sleep in and they will be able to feel safe and stay dry for the first time since the earthquake.

SOS

These are the true stories of how short-term teams are impacting whole areas in Haiti.
To alleviate the desperate circumstances of the families left homeless after the January 12 earthquake, Haiti officials are calling on groups to provide temporary shelters for the 1.4 million homeless Haitians. Temporary shelters are identified as the most critical need for Haiti right now.

TouchGlobal is partnering with Samaritan's Purse to build temporary shelters in the areas most affected by the earthquake. This project, which began in June, now has over 375 shelters standing, which provides housing for over 2,000 people. The church teams, working alongside TouchGlobal Crisis Response's efforts, have been a tremendous success as American and international churches are connecting with the despondent people of Haiti.

SOS

Leogane is considered to be the city that best represents the epicenter of the earthquake. Over 80% of their buildings are no longer standing. Four churches in this area have identified 200+ of the most affected families in this region and are requesting that TouchGlobal partner with them in providing shelters to these families. Come provide shelter to the people in Leogane.

TouchGlobal is sending out an SOS for churches to help us keep teams of 3-8 people serving each week in Haiti from October through January. This should give TouchGlobal the manpower to provide the relief requests. The time from now until October will be used to identify and equip the Hatian volunteers that will be partnering with us. See if your church and/or past teams can respond to the SOS "for such a time as this..."

Contact haitiresponse@efca.org if you can send a team.

20 Million People...Pakistan Devastated

2010-08-21T07:13:00.000-07:00

Severe monsoon rains have resulted in the worst disaster in the history of Pakistan. Twenty million people have been impacted. The worst may not be over as rains are forecasted to continue. According to news reports, the death toll of 1,600 may rise as now 36,000 people are being treated with cholera-like symptoms. Check out the details on our website.

Give
Financial donations to the flood relief efforts in Pakistan will be used for short and long-term needs. The immediate needs are many. Please give to help those impacted by the floods and ongoing crisis response ministry needs. Tents and have already been purchased and are being distributed.

Opportunities are waiting

2010-07-21T11:48:00.000-07:00

See why these children in a Haitian orphanage are so grateful!

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

2010-06-30T05:58:00.000-07:00

Here is a note from Cathy, a short-termer from Pennsylvania.

Have I told you all how hot it is down here…it is hot! Today’s temperature reached 99 degrees, although it felt like 111 degrees. It is supposed to get hotter this week—yeah!

Today’s expedition took me to the town of Bethel where we put up transitional housing. The 12-by-12 wooden/tin/wrap structures, designed to withstand hurricane force winds, will provide shelter for a family of eight. I helped put up one-and-one-half houses, mainly working on the tin roofs. I got to use power tools, too! The Haitian people are very grateful. Some are even putting in concrete floors.
After the work day, we got a history lesson on Haiti from a local 16-year-old boy whose knowledge of the country was quite impressive. And his English was excellent.
I am working with amazingly dedicated people. Wes has been here for four months with no end in site. Christine is committed to one year. Brian and Lorrie are here long term—building rooms for an orphanage. Byron is here for a month and Steve will be back and forth for several months. Donna will also be back again. I am in awe of their sacrifice.
We have a great local cook, Rosita, to cook our dinners. Absolutely delicious food. And I thought I was going to drop weight this week!
After dinner we took a team picture since two of our crew is leaving tomorrow. Then we played a vicious game of spoons—a free for all. Several people dove across the table onto the floor to retrieve the spoon. Aaaah, good times.

Update on Kevin

2010-06-17T13:20:00.001-07:00

Kevin is expected to be in the hospital for at least one more week. He is not able to eat yet. He has gunk in his lungs that needs to clear to avoid pneumonia. His white blood cell count is dropping, which is a good sign.Please pray for a quick recovery and wisdom on when to go back to his work schedule. He and Mark Lewis alternate working in Haiti, and Kevin is concerned about being well enough in time for his next scheduled trip. He wants to get back to work, but he does not know when he will be healthy and strong enough again. Pray for miracles, and pray Kevin has wisdom to know what he is capable of doing when.Keystone EFC has been a great help as well as family members. PTL for people who care and are around to help.

Please Pray for Kevin

2010-06-14T06:40:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

Please be in prayer for Kevin (pictured below) as his appendix ruptured. He's in the hospital and may be there for 2 weeks. He is on our staff here with Crisis Response and is currently in his home state of Pennsylvania.

Let's ask our Lord who is the great physician to put his healing hand on Kevin! Please also lift up his wife Babette and 2 children Kendra and Logan. Let's pray that the God of all comfort comforts them during this time. Babette is now back from serving with our ministry site in Chincha Peru so please pray she is well rested and able to care for her husband and family.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7

Good Friday in Chincha, Peru

2010-04-04T12:04:00.000-07:00

While the blog has focused on Crisis Response in Haiti lately, there are other Crisis Response locations throughout the world -- such as Chincha, Peru (the location of two back-to-back earthquakes in August 2007). To help understand the continued need for Christ-centered ministry in Chincha, read the following Good Friday experience of a Crisis Response missionary living in Peru. On this Easter Sunday, please pray for the people of Chincha, that they would find the truth and answers they seek in Jesus Christ.

[My wife] and I went to see the activities at the Plaza de Armas in Chincha last night. The plaza was packed! I'll bet there were ten thousand people there. They had a huge crucifix in front of the church, and parents were handing babies and small children up to a couple of men who would press the baby's face to the larger-than-life body of Jesus on the cross. They were also handing out some kind of greenery (olive branches?) that they'd touch to the crucifix to "bless" it.

Most people were on the somber side... Even though there were a lot of vendors, food, Easter bread, and other things going on, it really wasn't much of a party atmosphere. There was a procession with a glass-encased image of Jesus (I think it was supposed to represent Jesus in the tomb), again larger-than-life, followed by a big image of Mary, with a marching band playing a dirge.
We had a front row view for part of it... [Then, as we] headed home through the crowd, a bunch of men picked up the platform with the crucifix on it (probably took 30 men carrying it) and marched it over in front of the Chincha public offices for a prayer for the mayor, Chincha employees, etc., blocking the way just before we got by. I think it was something the Lord wanted us to see...
As people returned from having a baby kiss the image or [from] receiving a leafy branch, most of the expressions on faces communicated a sense of desperation. In their hearts, I think most know they're not right with God, but they are ignorant and deceived about the significance of the crucifixion, the resurrection, and the way of salvation.
It was with very heavy hearts that we made our way home. Of the ten thousand plus people in the plaza last night, there's a strong probability that we were the only two with a personal relationship with the LIVING Jesus, and any true hope for eternity.

God at Work

2010-04-01T10:59:00.000-07:00

There is no doubt that God is working in Haiti, but He is also using the earthquake and its aftermath to reach people around the globe.

Visit the EFCA website to read an account of how the blog, Facebook, and Twitter updates from a Crisis Response team member stirred the heart of a woman back home whom he's never met.

Glory to God!

EFCA Today highlights relief efforts in Haiti

2010-03-22T17:08:00.000-07:00

To get a feel for life in Haiti and the Crisis Response ministry efforts there, check out the latest edition of EFCA Today online.

View the Haiti slideshow. Walk through the devastation and meet some Haitians who survived the earthquake on January 12 and Crisis Response team members who have served on the front lines.
Download the Haiti Response Brochure. Take a deeper look at the TouchGlobal response in Haiti, and share this brochure with family, friends, and church members who are also interested in getting involved in God's work in Haiti.

While you're learning more about Haiti, visit the main Haiti response page for a look at the new TouchGlobal in Haiti video.

Roofers Needed

2010-03-10T07:25:00.000-08:00

God has provided an awesome opportunity to help roof a church for a partner ministry called ‘Christianville’ in Gressier, Haiti. The roof was structurally damaged during the earthquake and it needs the tiles removed and a new, lighter weight roof put onto it.

The roofing stage will begin the last week in April and six-eight man teams are needed with at least two-three skilled roofers and framers. Structural repairs will also be needed. The new roof will be metal over plywood decking so plan to bring specialty tools for metal roofing with you. The process will take about three weeks.

The church is about a mile walk from the housing compound which is another example of being in the right place to serve those in need!

Please continue to pray for God to raise up His harvesters for this mission field and that many Haitians would come to know the unfailing love of our Father in heaven! Contact haititeams@efca.org if you are interested in serving the Lord in this way.

Shaken again

2010-02-23T12:56:00.000-08:00

See this story in Mission Network News about the ReachGlobal missionaries who are seeing revival in Haiti.

Supplies and donations of machinery and vehicles are needed.

Any questions? Ask haitiresponse@efca.org or call (610) 637-0202, or (985) 893-0218 ext 7.

Medical Staff Needed

2010-02-17T13:51:00.000-08:00

Medical staffing opportunity in Haiti

EFCA TouchGlobal is looking for doctors and nurses to help staff clinics in the impacted areas in and around Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Although the emergent injuries following last month's earthquake have been treated, there are ongoing needs for clinical care in severely under served areas of Port-au-Prince. We are looking for general practitioners and pediatricians, along with nurses experienced in acute care settings to help treat Haitians suffering from both acute and chronic illnesses. There is an urgent need for a few doctors the week of February 21 and both doctors and nurses beginning March 6 and continuing. This window of opportunity to serve just opened and we do not know how long the need will extend. The cost will be $900 for a week, including all costs in Haiti, plus the airfare.

If you or someone you know want to learn more, please contact crisisresponse@efca.org.

Update from a returning doctor

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPFyGz4mIUQ
This video was produced by a plastic surgeon and AMAZING Christian who was in Haiti during my time there. It is the best testimony so far that I have seen to capture both the sadness and the hope of the people there.

Items Needed

2010-02-16T14:27:00.000-08:00

We have acquired several vehicles to send to Haiti. Some are in great shape, some not as good. Fortunately we have found a mechanic that can donate his time, but not parts or supplies. These are the things we need for the vehicles that we have at the present time.

Tires:

4- 245-75R-17 tires
2- or more 235-85R16 tires
8- 245-75R-16 tires
5 - 225-70R-15 tires and one 15” rim for jeep

All tires should be as heavy ply as possible for dealing with the lack of good roads in Haiti. Please call Kevin at 610-637-0202 to answer any questions or let me know if you are getting any of these tires. We need to have them by Friday Feb.19, as we will be putting the vehicles on the boat for shipment the 21st or 22nd.

Thanks to Bob, at Coastal Tire, 35 SW 1st Ave., Boca Raton, who has donated his time to repair the vehicles and mount and install the tires for us. And thanks to Greg at City Towing in Boca Raton for moving our vehicles where they need to go.

The following are items we have located that will serve us well, but we need people or churches that are willing to give them, or give towards us getting them.

A 2003 Mitsubishi Fuso Crew Cab diesel flat bed truck or a 2003 Ford F-450 crew cab utility body truck. Both would be converted to/or need to have dump beds installed on them. The trucks are $10000 each and the dump beds are approx $2500-3500 plus installation.

A Takauchi TB 135 Mini excavator with 360 hrs on it - $20,000.

A Komatsu PC35 Mini excavator with 2700 hrs - $10,000.

A Honda 500 XL on/off road motorcycle with less than 1000 miles on it - $1500.

Craftsman Mechanics tool set- See Craftsman website to view toolsets
MFG #35283 tool set with #46410 tool set or

MFG #41190 tool set with a #87748 Storage box.

Housing Items Needed

We have signed a lease on a house in Gressier, west of Port au Prince, and are moving in at the present time. We are in need of some things to set up the office and complete the tranformation of a house into a home for staff and teams. Please consider giving the following items.

Reams of copy paper
Kitchen and large trash cans
Trash bags
Throw rugs
Large pots and pans and other kitchen and cooking utensils
Kitchen and tableware, plates, cups, silverware, etc.
Folding chairs
New shelving units to assemble on site
Items to set up an office
Pens pencils note pads
Post it notes
Staplers, scissors, markers
Paper clips
Tape
Simple single line phone
Envelopes
Organizers drawer and upright
Small file cabinets with rails for hanging folders, three ring hole punches, rubber bands
Cork board/tacks
Large Calender
White board
Coffeemaker
Legal pads
Etc etc etc.

Please take or send these items to:

TouchGlobal
C/o Design Flooring
2810 Center Port Circle
Pompano Beach, FL 33064

Call Kevin (610-637-0202) with questions or to let us know what you will be giving, so we don't end up with 25 filing cabinets!

Thank you!

Medical Team in Haiti

2010-02-11T09:10:00.000-08:00

Hi, I'm sorry to send this to you again but all of the links weren't working. I think they are all linked correctly now. Please forgive me! I was trying to link from a Facebook page to the blog and apparently something didn't work right!

First Evangelical Free Church of St. Louis has had a long-term ministry in Haiti. God formed a medical team within a week of the earthquake so Dr. T.R. Lewis, an orthopedic surgeon and Dr. Jane Caldwell, an anesthesiologist were joined by Halsey Julien, CRNA, to take their medical skills to Haiti. Here are some video clips taken by a St. Louis TV station and reported by Casey Nolen:

So many patients, so few doctors and supplies

St. Anthony's CRNA returns to his homeland to help Haiti quake victims | ksdk.com | St. Louis, MO

Dr. Caldwell gets ready to leave Haiti

Medical Team using teamwork to help quake victims

Dr. Lewis extends stay in the pediatric ward

Here is a documentary about the hospital where they are working:

Hôpital Sacré Coeur

2010-02-09T18:22:00.000-08:00

Tuesday: Four Weeks Since the Quake

from Rome City Team - Brian & Sarah Bennetch by Rome City Team

An e-mail with an offer, followed by a phone call. Sketchy directions with a boost from the GPS. We jump in the truck and head to the outskirts of Port-au-Prince. Several kilometers down the dusty road, which is strangely devoid of any population, just when we fear we're on the wrong path - hallelujah, in the middle of "nowhere" stands the mission compound we were searching for - bustling with missionaries and children. We met a team of visiting Christian volunteers there with "Global Aid Network," and true to their name, they connected with us to bless Haitians. They had a roomful of baby food and formula powder to get into the right hands, and they trusted us. So we loaded our truck, with the school-age orphans happily pitching in, and then drive back into the city. We head to the orphanage where we had established a rapport last week with the women in charge. Once again, directions are vague. We prayerfully follow our noses as we weave down streets past huge piles of rubble on each side, and then we spot the gate: "That's it! Thank you, Jesus!" says our driver. Smiles greet us and kisses from the ladies. We ask them about their food supply and they admit that it's quite a stretch to feed the children every day. Most of these children are under four - many under two years old. We explain that this "baby food" can feed any and all of them, for a long time, and encourage the cook to be creative in blending it into the pot of sauce for their one daily meal of rice. Just think of all the nutrients they'll get from that stuff! The powder milk should go first to the babies. Frankly, we don't know if the cook has any clue. But thank God, there's a lady pediatrician who visits three times a week. She has a big heart for this flock of the littlest lambs. She'll give them a lesson on how to nourish them with this strange food. The ladies are so grateful for the food, even though a little befuddled. Apparently the doctor is not the only one whose heart is touched by these most vulnerable ones, a team of French volunteers with "Protection Civile" are making rapid progress building a house for them! It is rising at the foot of the mountain of rubble. After kisses goodbye, we turn around to make our jumpy bumpy way back to the hotel. That little errand took us 6 hours! We are happy the Lord connected the dots and orchestrated this delivery, happy to be His instruments. We are humbled and filled with admiration for all those who give a hand, like those French volunteers, but especially, those heroic women who used every ounce of their strength to rescue all those tiny tots from a collapsing orphanage, four weeks ago today.

2010-02-08T14:19:00.000-08:00

Such destruction...everywhere.
A team member took a walk inside the National Cathedral the other day. He followed some photographers in and the scene from inside was just of a few columns standing and rubble piled over six feet high. There are concrete blocks hanging by a rebar thread and even while inside, tiny rocks fell from the columns. A few blocks down the road was the former National Archive Building and rubble was strewn all over the front sidewalk. That “rubble” was littered with forms, requests and documents that were running Haiti. There were stamped requests for shipping orders, health records, copies of fines paid and all of the country's birth certificate records are buried under the building, as well.
Such destruction...everywhere.

The work has just begun! Our first responders have left Haiti to take a break but fresh people have arrived with five more to come this week to set up a base house.

Here is a note from the couple who left Rome to devote time in Haiti

Haiti Day 8
We were alone this weekend in this strange country. We had thought that we might not get anything accomplished besides "holding down the fort" this weekend, but our logistics chief sent us an e-mail saying he had had trouble getting hold of the Shelterbox people. Shelterbox is a non-profit that provides an incredibly useful assortment of tools and household goods, including an impermeable tent, all packaged in a Rubbermaid crate sized box. They are designed to be dropped or delivered in disaster areas. This Cornwall, UK organization had brought 10,000 units into Haiti, but like all big organizations here, had no infrastructure for delivering their resources. That's where we came in. Smaller NGOs and non-profits have been called on to help with distribution. It's something we didn't think about much before, but we can't just show up in a crowd of desperate people and start handing out resources. It has created chaos, bad will toward the ones who received hand outs, and sometimes business opportunities for the shrewd ones in the crowd.

Shelterbox gave us permission to distribute 50 of their units. They want to make sure we were prioritizing the most vulnerable sectors of the population before they gave us free reign, and we were just as happy to work within those parameters. The meeting was one place in town, and the storage was on a military base elsewhere. It was worth the trouble, the waiting around, and the driving. These were great units, and Tom, at Jesus in Haiti ministries, was thrilled with his consignment of 15 to be used in the villages of Titayen province as early as Monday. Rain is forecast, so we prayed that Tom was able to get these out in time. After we dropped off Tom's load, we were able to pick up a second load of 15 and stored them at our hotel for a day or two. The only problem is that the same guards who have guarded our boxes all want one for their own needy families! What to do about that one? Pray that they are all left in the morning.

After we showed up at the hotel with the load of tents, a pastor and his wife arrived for the meeting that I had asked to have with them to discuss the distribution of their tents. They are just the kind of people who can help us distribute the supplies without causing bedlam. I hoped to have taken a first load into them Sunday afternoon. Again, it may seem strange, but we have had to sneak a few at a time into their very dense neighborhood so that it has not draw any attention, good or bad.

2010-02-03T08:36:00.000-08:00

Day 10 - A New Friend

I arrived about 30 minutes early to the Food Cluster Meeting. I use the official UN terminology for no other reason than to impress you incredibly with my new breadth of experience. "Food Cluster" - you see, if I just left it hanging there you’ll think "man, I should know what that means, shouldn’t I?" Oh, but you shouldn’t...so when I throw it out there you become so much more impressed ‘cause, gosh, Steve must really be important to be invited to this Cluster of Food thingy. OK, so the sad reality of it is that anyone can go to these meetings and about half the stuff they talk about is so far over my head that I just nodded my head the way I did back in Freshman philosophy class.

I headed into the meeting tent early because the "UN city" is literally nothing more than a massive dirt field covered with tents and trailers. It’s been over 90 degrees outside, I’m tired of eating dust, and inside the "Food Cluster" tent I found shade. While there I struck up a conversation with an highly knowledgeable woman, I’ll call her Sara, regarding the challenges of feeding the poor in Haiti. I do my best to sound intelligent, throwing around words like "sustainability", "unsustainability" and "kind of sustainability". Come to find out she’s the International Executive Director of the largest food distribution program in all of Haiti. What an honor to have 30 minutes with her.

Then the meeting was led by a Frenchman, the World Food Program’s head of operations. I sat next to an American woman, across the tent were military personnel from Canada and Argentina, questions came from the head of NGOs from the UK and Germany...and then there’s me—yes, like I belonged there! In any other setting there would have been so much to divide us, but at this time in history and in this place in history, all had gathered in this small army tent to exchange ideas on how to better distribute food out to the Haitian people.

As I talked to Sara I had a question on my mind. "Sara" I asked "I’m new to Haiti. Why, on this tropical island with wonderfully fertile soil and perfect climate, why is it the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere? And for the people, is there a way out of dependency and into sustainability?" She responded by talking about the resiliency of the Hatian people, the spirit of the people, but the fact that they’ve suffered under constant corruption and regime changes. But as she talked about the Haitian people, she had nothing but praise. On Sunday, at church, a relief worker commented about the strength of the people, the heart of this people, the unmistakable joy of this people...even in the midst of tragedy.

And to help put a face to the Haitians I’ve come to know over the last 10 days, let me introduce you to Charles. I had hoped to not have to tell my wife how I met Charles until AFTER I was back in the US, but I really wanted you to meet my new friend and so here goes.
With the power outages and tremors and, yes, danger at night, my colleagues and I have been told to be OFF the streets before nightfall. Well, when I arrived in Haiti there were delays at several points and it was well after dark when my group made our way through Carrefour, the epicenter of the quake and one of the more dangerous parts of town. I heard an all too familiar noise and it was confirmed that a tire was flat. The car was full of Americans with a donation of over $5,000 in cash for an orphanage, laptops, cameras and ipods...and, well, you get the idea. A couple nearby kids began to laugh and pointed fingers toward the car. In the shadows people moved and OK, I was just a little bit nervous.

Then, all of a sudden, a van pulled up behind us, out jumped this huge guy and with a look and a few words the danger was gone….and in that instant, Charles was my new best friend! He stood guard over our car as we changed the tire and I found out that Charles was headed to the same church compound we were. He just happened to be behind us and was all too glad to help. You see, Charles has been a police officer, second in command of the local force in one of the neighboring cities. He donated his time to church, volunteered to escort groups like ours, when needed, and he just happened to be behind us at the right time!

The next day Charles used his day off to travel with a team of relief workers to Cap Haitian, 5 hours away! A day later he returned and went out with those ever present doctors from Singapore as they traveled through a part of PaP most devastated by the quake. Twice, he has taken the day just to travel with me and I've had hours to talk about him and his family (no one killed in the quake), his faith, his joys and his hopes. He’s written a book, a personal account entitled "Testifying to Hope" where he dreams for a day when his hope for this nation will be realized and they will live out their awesome potential. I was honored that he gave me a copy.

Today he traveled with yet another group of relief workers, but incredibly, he called as the day ended to make sure that my colleagues and I were safe and had had a good day.
He’s fluent in French and Creole and speaks enough English so that he and I have traded stories. Charles and I spent the afternoon yesterday riding around in the back of a pickup truck. At one point, with traffic snarled and two drivers yelling at each other, Charles, the Police Commander, was out and order was restored immediately. Oh, and have I mentioned that I’ve yet to see him without a big ’ol smile on his face (OK, maybe that first night when he jumped out of the van and scared everyone off...yes, maybe then!).

I am privileged to call Charles, who has lived joyfully every day "Testifying to Hope", my new friend.

2010-02-03T07:56:00.000-08:00

Here are a few scenes of what the team has seen in Haiti.

2010-01-28T08:40:00.000-08:00

January 27
One of our Crisis Response assessment team members, Steve, has had the privilege of traveling with Mark, a colleague he had never met before. Mark is the head of the Crisis Response ministry. Three years ago he left a lucrative position in order to move to New Orleans, simply because he wanted to help and mobilize resources to New Orleans after Katrina. Since then he’s helped coordinate crisis response efforts from the Peru earthquaketo the Tsunami in the Far East. But now, here in Haiti, Steve has given his new friend the nickname "The Great Scrounger".
Whether it be with the Army, Navy, UN or private sources, Mark never stops networking, finding, resourcing…and all for the purpose of helping others. In the last days, he’s been able to scrounge:
Over 18 tons of food with another seven in the pipeline.Over $12,000 worth of medical supplies.Over 2000 gallons of diesel fuel for trucks, buses and cars owned by orphanages, children’s homes, churches, and communities.
What motivates Mark to scrounge? This picture of Mark with a six year old blind orphan that the team met answers that question. He has compassion!The assessment team has been working with Tom, a long-term missionary in Haiti. Tom has helped todevelop an orphanage, a homeless shelter, a church, a school, and a food and water distribution program to those living in the local dump. Until two weeks ago he had a whopping 22 Haitian children living with his family.
If you pulled into Tom’s courtyard you would be met by smiling faces everywhere; toddlers, older kids, young men and women, Tom’sfamily. The six year old blind boy couldn’t go to school and was picked on constantly. His mom was thinking about abandoning him whenTom offered to take him "home"…a little over a year ago. Then, there was the 17 year old who had always asked Tom for money near an abandoned gas station. One time Tom noted that this boy wasalways at the gas station because he lived under the overhang of a nearby abandoned building. The next time Tom saw him, the boy asked for a handout and Tom asked if, instead of money, he’d like a "home". He answered "yes" and has lived with Tom for the past six years.
There two brothers who were students at the school Tom directed and after the recent earthquake Tom hadn’t been able to locate them. He had heard that their mother had died and he assumed the boys had also. When he went into their slum, he asked about all the kids in the school as he handed out food to each family. When he asked about the brothers, someone commented that they thought they’d seen the boys "up in the hills somewhere". Immediately,Tom searched for them and he eventually found them starving, with no food or water, shoeless and shirtless, living under a tree. When they heard that their mother had died and saw their house destroyed, they ran and ran until they could run no more. For 15 days these two boys, an eight year old and a ten year old, had lived out in the open, looking for food and water.
Tom found them, fed them, nursed them and now they are the newest members of his family. Before the earthquake, Tom and his wife had 22 Haitian children, but in the wake of the destruction following the earthquake, they now have a wonderful family with 35 children. Tom and his wife are both heroes! The assessnent team hopes to find ways to partner with Tom and others who have already been working in Haiti and need some extra helping hands to come alongside of them.

2010-01-28T05:30:00.000-08:00

January 26
Quick notes from the team in Haiti
Very rudely awakened at five a.m. by two strong tremors.
Quick run to the airport, only four hours, we sent two people off and welcomed others in.
Stopped by the World Food Program to set up acquisition of more food. Pray -- In just the last two days the level of bureaucracy and "turf wars" have grown exponentially. We heard more talk now of "my supplies" and "my distribution points" Individuals in the system have seen what we’re doing and want to help…but the "system" seems to be starting to take over!
Stopped by the UN to obtain authorization for 500 gallons of diesel fuel About half of the gas stations were literally leveled in the quake and the port isn’t functional yet, either. Our friends at Missionary Aviation Fellowship told us that they would run out of jet fuel by this afternoon.
While waiting, one team member, who served with ReachGlobal in Brazil, had the chance to catch up with two Brazilian UN Peacekeeping military personnel.
Bad News - we tried to pick up the diesel fuel. The very helpful UN representative from Senegal knew less about PaP than we do so we were sent looking for the fuel dump about 15 miles from where it was actually is located.
Good News - we now know exactly where the fuel dump is located and tomorrow by eight a.m., we’ll be on our way!
Pray
For all of those serving in Haiti. It is grueling work.
For the Haitians who are trying to get back to "life". The stress is evident on their faces. There is a collective tiredness and exhaustion over the Haitians and all the relief workers, as well. They cannot get away from "IT." "IT" is the destruction, death, danger, poverty, and so many unmet needs. There’s no electricity, unless you have a generator, so obviously, no TV, radio or lights at night. No one is out playing sports. Laughter is subdued. The banks collapsed, destroying the ATMs, so it is a struggle to get money. Of the four major supermarkets in this suburb of 400,000, not one is still standing. There’s food strewn over sidewalks in the open markets, competing for space with concrete rubble, trash uncollected for over two weeks and families camped out on the streets.
For the assessment team’s safety - "And then there are the shakes…those constant shakes, two yesterday, awakened by two this morning, one five minutes ago… " Kevin
For peace - The team took a PaP native up with them to Cap Hatien. Even though there was no earthquake damage in Cap Haitien, he simply couldn’t go inside the house to sleep. He would go in to eat, near a doorway, but he is so impacted by the destruction in PaP that he cannot even conceive that he could sleep inside a concrete structure again. He is a Haitian policeman, used to difficult situations and certainly not a fearful person by nature. Part of our focus will be training Haitians to be crisis counselors. There will be a lot of emotional and physical problems following a crisis of this type and the more the Haitians can be trained to help, the more our team can multiply themselves.
More information
Contact haitiresponse@efca.org.

2010-01-25T11:56:00.000-08:00

Here is a newsletter from the epicenter of the earthquake in Haiti

Dear Friends,

Let me try and give you a bit more update on exactly what we’re doing.

First off – the city:

PaP is destroyed. The suburb we’re staying in, Carrefour, was literally the epicenter of January 12th’s earthquake. There was one stretch today where for several miles I seemed to count nine destroyed buildings for every one that was “somewhat” intact. The people are scared; death is still everywhere, some still to be found on street curbs; no electricity at night; a nation in shock. All around are army helicopters, UN vehicles, emergency personnel from around the world…and God’s church and people working to alleviate suffering.

The need:

Many Haitians are hoping…praying that this is a new beginning. Haiti is already the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. The city of PaP is literally destroyed… totally and utterly destroyed. But after years…decades of corruption, neglect and abuse the people have hope…cautious hope. But imagine the challenge of rebuilding when stores, businesses, churches, schools, roads, everything is destroyed. What’s a small business owner to do when he has no insurance (no one does here) and his building is destroyed, he has no income, there are no customers (for all are now out of work) and there are limited resources… Right now everyone is still in crisis response mode. Medical teams race throughout the city looking for the walking wounded. I think there are 2 working hospitals in the city – thousands are scarred or injured yet only the most severe are being treated. Today, a team of Singaporian doctors that we’re coordinating with at the orphanage stitched up 2 kids with 5-7 inch open wounds on their legs…wounds that have festered for 10 days, but too minor for hospital care. Soon the death toll will be known, and the survivors will have to begin again…that phase will be daunting as well.

Our Role:

I’m currently here with Mark Lewis, head of TouchGlobal’s Crisis Response Team and Brian Duggan, our Latin American Director. I feel I can brag about these men because the work they did in the last week is phenomenal! Mark was/is the lead person for Reach Global’s work in New Orleans. He was down here within 3 days of the quake and has networked together to pull off seemingly impossible things in these past few days.

What happens in these crisis moments is that unbelievable amount of donations come in – coupled with unbelievable needs. But the distribution is sometimes a mess. Just yesterday CNN did a report on tons of meds in a USAID warehouse sitting there waiting to get out…but with no orders to even go out yet. This is where Mark and Brian have been so effective. Immediately they connected with strategic churches, community leaders, orphanages and other mission organizations, always looking for hard-hit neighborhoods; always looking for neighborhoods strategic in their location, but not in the heart of the city. For in the heart of the city you find major UN distribution points, and thousands upon thousands gathered waiting for the helicopters and semi-trucks. Just today we passed a field with an Army helicopter landing, with thousands surrounding the field just waiting for the needed food.

But there are still tons and tons of supplies sitting in warehouses…and tens of thousands in need…and that’s where we’re working.

1) On Saturday, Mark and Brian went into the World Health Organization’s warehouse, told them of their contacts in 3 churches, 2 community centers, one orphanage and a mission station in the hills. They said “We’ve got access to 2,000 people all without food. We have community leaders, distribution systems set up and trucks to haul the food. How much can you give us?” As a result, tomorrow we’ll be taking 5 tons of food from their warehouse out to these points and not one government form filled out! The WHO is thrilled because their resources are getting to the people. The people are thrilled because it’s “coming to them”. The community and church leaders are thrilled because they KNOW their neighborhood needs and can best distribute the needed items.

2) After picking me up on Saturday at the airport, they said “Let’s take a walk”. We proceeded to walk across the tarmac at the airport - how else do you get to the other side to talk to the Army and Navy COs? After working his way up the ranks we talked with the CO of one of the Army units and Mark told them of the orphanage they’d found – 56 kids with no food for many days, their nurse and 2 teachers dead in the rubble. He was asking for “anything” – but specifically MREs (Meals Ready to Eat), water, formula and diapers. The Army was low on resources but the CO was on board so he had one of his men take us to the Navy, where they had supplies and within 20 minutes we walked out with 5 cases of MREs, 6 cases of bottled water and the promise of diapers and formula which we picked up today. We talked for over 30 minutes with about a dozen Navy guys and gals and they were soooooo thrilled that their stuff would go to help some needy kids. One of them even pulled out an old stuffed bear and asked that we give it to one of the children, taking a picture and later emailing to him. Incredible generosity – incredible need and some incredible guys helping to fill the gap. I can’t believe I have the privilege of being along for the ride!!!

3) Today we also picked up over $5,000 worth of medical supplies for incoming medical teams and a hospital we partner with in the city of Cap Haitian. Cap Haitian is a city about 4 hours north of here, where many have fled and where medical supplies in the few hospitals are running low. Yesterday we sent up $5,000 worth of supplies – later this week this next shipment of $5,000 will go….and all because these men have created trust.

4) What is also significant is the commitment to be here “for the long haul”. Even after the crisis time passes, TouchGlobal is committed to these churches, orphanages and community leaders to help them rebuild…rebuild their buildings, but much more importantly – to rebuild lives with the love of Christ.

Well, hopefully you understand a bit more now. Sorry for the ramblings and it’s time for bed because by 5:30 a.m. we need to be on the road with 5 tons of food to get out tomorrow!!!!

Blessings Friends,

Steve

2010-01-24T17:21:00.000-08:00

What day is it?
Crises bring much confusion, just figuring out what day it is when there continues to be desperate needs everywhere we go. How do we help? How do we find the ministry that will be the right fit? Today began with an exploration for an orphanage that we had been told is not getting any help. We found it near Carrefour, a ten foot high pile of rubble where there had been a four story building housing over 130 orphans. Only 56 children survived while some of their caregivers and the nurses did not. The neighborhood has joined in to watch over the children as they live in a courtyard during the day and then sleep on the street at night. They have blocked the street and posted guards at each end. Tarps are strung over the street for protection. They have very basic needs-food, clean water and diapers. We were overcome with indescribably feelings when we were with the orphans. They surrounded us, wanting to be held or, simply, just wanting to hold our hands. We were told that a number of aid organizations had come by but they had never returned.
Our next stop was at the UN medical warehouse where we have found a bit more bureaucracy but still open doors. We placed our order for the next day, then as we walked out the gate some guys came up to us and said, “We recognize those shirts, we were in Galveston with you, you’re good people to work with.” They just emailed us to let us know that they have 400 diapers and ten cases of food supplement powder that they will give us tomorrow for the orphans. This is only a small sample of how God has brought us to the right people at the right time. It has happened every day.
This afternoon we received another ReachGlobal staff that will be here for two weeks to help us organize to host teams. While at the airport we searched for food and water for the kids. This time God used the Navy to load us up with MREs and the Army to provid the water. They all gathered around as we showed them photos of what we saw at the orphanage. One sailor gave us a stuffed bear to give to a child when we take the provisions to them in the morning.
Even a flat tire had God’s provision written all over it. It has been highly recommended not to drive after dark. We have not been back at the compound before dark any day since we’ve been here, yet we have had no problems. We heard that USA media is reporting that crime is a real issue. God must have posted many angels around us. Tonight, our tire went flat and we had to pull to the side. Our truck was so full of supplies that we were scrunched up like little sardines inside. Of course, getting the spare required emptying out the back first, in the dark, on the street but as we stopped and looked at each other, another ministry van pulled up and out came three of our friends, one of whom was a Haitian police officer who carried a gun. He stepped out of the van, pulled out his pistol and chambered a round. The gathering crowd disappeared in a very short time! With the tire replaced, we returned to the house compound where we are staying with no other incidents.

Yes, we are dealing with STRESS:
Crisis response can be divided into a number of phases.
Initially, having seen incredible destruction day after day along with extreme human suffering leaves a strong impact on a person. We have arranged debriefing sessions for when our emergency professionals return from Haiti.
Bodies also rebel.
Two of us have been suffering from gastric problems. Thankfully, Immodium and Cipro were right at hand and it was clear that God sustained us today when in other circumstances we would have stayed in bed. We are tired, but we are sustained. God has done some amazing things.
Raw photos can be found at http://picasaweb.google.com/bdugganrn. They are not cleaned up or organized but the albums are listed by date and you will find many pictures of what you’ve read in the updates.
We are very grateful for the sustaining prayers of so many of you and for the encouraging notes that you have sent by email, FaceBook or others. We realize that a crisis carries an emotional impact that catches people’s attention for a short time. We would ask that you continue to pray for Haiti and the TouchGlobal Crisis Response ministry, even after the media moves on to other places.

2010-01-23T09:49:00.000-08:00

Day 4 in Port-au-Prince

You know it’s coming, you know the long days will catch up with you, and you know that the destruction will all begin to look the same. Today was that day and today God continued to sustain us. The morning began with two significant tremors that had folks zipping out the door. Smaller aftershocks continued throughout the day. This evening will be a strategic rest night, meaning we’ll go to bed before midnight, unlike previous evenings. We returned to Gressier to do an assessment of needs and potential partners today. While we were there, we also looked at a house that may be a location for teams and our team hosts, who will provide continuity for the ministry. There we found many crushed homes, the survivors living outside in whatever they could scrounge. Clean water has become a real issue. The few community wells are not being used by the people because of the proximity to places where the dead still lie underneath the rubble. We also found a group providing clinic care. They are located at the town clinic building which is in good shape but nobody will go inside due to the frequent aftershocks. Up to this point we still didn't know the strategic place, work and partner that we felt God would provide. But today, we found ourselves at a ministry called Christianville, where all but one of the buildings are seriously damaged. This group has been feeding 2,500 people a day and they were running out of food. They have wonderful ministries established and seem to be people who want to partner in ministry. We were able to take them to our Army friends and get two pallets of MREs and water for them to use to feed the people in their community. God opened the floodgates and used the relationships he provided us over the past two days to be able to ensure that 2,500 are now being fed! On the same trip we were also able to get 330 gallons of diesel fuel which is in extremely short supply in Haiti.

Each day there is new evidence that God is directing our steps. Our team members are thrilled that now we can move ahead with a strategic approach to using holistic ministries to multiply healthy churches here in Haiti. The clinic in PaP is still seeing hundreds of people, the hospital in Milot near Cap Haitian is still overflowing, and the need for workers still grows. Continue to pray for the people of Haiti, the opportunity for the Christian community to show the love of Christ, and for ongoing connections that will make the efforts even more effective.

2010-01-22T10:44:00.000-08:00

Jan 21 2010 - News from Kevin

After getting back from Port-au-Prince, or PaP, last night around 10 PM, and wading through the 50 e-mails I got while we were gone, drafting responses and interspersing skype IM with Babette, I finally got to sleep on the floor of the living room around 2 am. Area rugs on a hard floor never felt so good. We got shuffled out of our room to accommodate the ladies in the group and that’s how I ended up on the floor. That and the fact that I was too tired to go find which room the guys are staying in.

We had a team of 4 individual doctors from TX, Fl and who knows where else, as well as a couple of nurses come in yesterday while we were in PaP. It was good to see Rueben again who pastors a church in Texas. He also is a doctor and though he can’t treat physical ailments, he can help anyone who has broken their Theological Maximus. Rueben also helped us when we were responding to hurricane Ike in TX.

We are in a “compound” owned by Henoc, where he has his house, a barracks that currently houses orphaned children, most from the disastrous hurricane season they had in 2008, when 4 or 5 major hurricanes or tropical storms passed over or near the Island.
I wonder where CNN was that time. Anyway, the barracks has been converted on one side to house the men of the team and the children have been shuffled into the other side, until their new building can be completed. It is currently in need of a roof, and Henoc’s men are working diligently to complete that, so the children can be housed there.

The Haitians are culturally accustomed to tight quarters and spend most of their time outside. Personal space is not a commonly accepted ideal here as it is in the US. So until the new building is finished, the kids will be running around among us. There may be an opportunity to bring teams to help accomplish that project faster.

We met with the team this morning and shared both the Vision of Hope Ministries and Touch Global visions and our respective roles in the partnership. We also gave them a basic understanding of why Haiti operates the way it does, and what can be done to help at this time, as well as in the future. We discussed expectations and maintaining a level of order amidst the daily activities and the current level of chaos.

Several of us went to the hospital where the team will be working. We met the director, hoping to gain his blessing to set up there. The Hospital is funded by a Catholic organization from the states and has a Haitian director with whom we want to keep an open working relationship. We met with him and he referred us to the American, Dr. Kelly, who is currently running the show. The Haitian doctor deferred to him and really seemed not to want to be bothered by us. He was non-committal on any of the ideas we brought to him until he heard what Dr Kelly said, but then he was on board.

We discussed the opportunities for Dr. Kelly and who was on our Medical team this week and guess what? It was just what they needed! We have two cardiac Docs with ER experience who happen to be married to each other. We have 2 other Docs with ER experience and 2 nurses who have anesthetics and ER experience.

We also asked about any other needs and Dr. Kelly informed us of the need for a recovery/ rehab area he would like to get set up as soon as they receive the cots and Field Hospital tent but they had no place to set it up. Once again, God’s provision is apparent, because we have just such a secure area behind the church that Henoc pastors about a mile away. This is the longer-term opportunity we have been looking for here in Haiti to build relationships and minister in the community in the name of Jesus. What better way to do that than to set up right at the church.

Many people have been airlifted to the Hospital here in Milot from PaP and will be receiving the medical treatment that they so desperately need. When they are released, they will be displaced in an area far from home with no resources, nothing to return home to, and maybe no desire to return anyway. The church here has a huge opportunity to be the body of Christ and show the love of Christ to those in need.

After returning to Henoc’s to brief the team, we took the medical team back to the hospital with all the supplies that they brought with them, introduced them to Dr. Kelly, and deployed them. On the way out, I think I saw Anderson Cooper from CCN or the guy from MSNBC in scrubs with his entourage interviewing some of the other American doctors that are working in the clinic. Look for a big guy in a green shirt in the background!

I came home to compose this letter, send it out, and answer the ever growing numbers of emails I am getting. The power was out, so the satellite internet was down, and all I could do was type until my battery died. God knew I needed the break, so I went and took a nap. While falling asleep, I heard the sounds of helicopters and knew the team was receiving more patients.

After a sweaty sleep of 45 minutes, Henoc arrived from the airport with our newest members of our ever growing family. His daughter, Rebecca, her friend and Henoc’s father were on the inbound flight that carried Greg Shuenke and Omar Rodriguez back to Florida. Also on the plane was Dr. Don Hunt, a retired vascular surgeon that has served in Nigeria in Medical Missions. He is from Comfort TX, so he has brought a little bit of Comfort to all of us.

We loaded up, went to the hospital to check on our staff, helped translate and were promptly informed that 10 people were ready to be discharged to free up much needed bed space. Since we didn’t have the field tent and cots yet, Dr. Kelly asked if we had a place to keep those being discharged. After consulting with Henoc, we decided we could take them at the compound, because Caleb, Henoc’s brother, had some 8 person tents that he received on a shipment of relief supplies at his compound 2 hours away. He could pick them up and bring them along with the medical supplies Mark received from the UN compound in P au P.

We returned to the compound, got the bus and headed back to the hospital to pick up the discharged patients as it was getting dark. You don’t want to be on the road in Haiti after dark because that single light you see coming toward you could be either a motorcycle, or 3 dump trucks sharing one headlight!

We found that the patients had not been readied or informed that they were about to be released. Our Docs and nurses were scurrying around like squirrels packing nuts for the winter, tending to their patients. We tried to round them up to take them back to the compound, but they, in true Hippocratic oath style, wanted to treat just one more patient. Rounding them up to put them on the bus was like trying to herd cats into a pen of wild dogs- once you think you have one on the bus, you find them out treating patients again.

All the while, we are trying to figure out why we have no discharged people on the bus. Finally someone told us that they were afraid to leave. They thought we were going to either throw them out on the street or worse, take them back to Port au Prince! Once again, God’s provision was apparent, as Rebecca and Enoch’s father were with us on the bus. I asked them to go with the nurses to explain that they were coming to our home with the doctors and would be fed and housed there. All of the sudden we just about had to throw people OFF the bus!

Just as we returned home, Caleb arrived at the clinic to unload an entire pickup truck full of supplies. Helping unload with Henoc, again we thought of God’s provision. Earlier in the day we had no sterile surgical gowns, so we went through our box of supplies and found emergency rain ponchos - they did in a pinch and kept the docs from shutting down the ER. Guess what was in the first box we unloaded? No, not more poncho’s - sterile surgical gowns!

There’s nothing like trying to direct a couple of Haitians to erect a tent, when you don’t know where the stupid poles are supposed to go yourself! As I worked with them, my creole started to really come back to me. We were laughing and joking around and having a great time. I saw one woman watching us so I asked her, “lakay ou?”- Your house? You have never seen a smile so big and such a sparkle in an eye as there was on her as she realized it was for her and her family. Hope had been restored where there had been fear and terror before.

With our 3 tent city erected, the team finally sat down to supper… at 8 pm. As we sat down to eat our new neighbors were led in singing praises to God by some of Henoc’s family. Henoc looked at me and said “ some of those people are going to accept Christ”. I can only pray that happens as we have shown them the Love of Christ over and over again today.

2010-01-21T18:28:00.000-08:00

We are engaged in delivering direct relief in a place that is in chaos with almost no infrastructure. The resources needed here are/will be staggering...and the ministry opportunities vast. Please go to www.efca.org or Give Now to donate. Send the link to all your friends, in your address book and on facebook. Ask them to pass it on!

January 21
We passed numerous pancaked buildings this morning on our way to the UN warehouse to receive medical supplies. The horrible odor reminds everyone of all those who are buried under the piles of concrete. Hundreds of children were buried under a giant cathedral where they attended school. Most streets are barely passable. The government and its buildings are gone.
My colleagues are a medic and ER nurse so they came up with the supply list and then we went to the UN warehouse to locate the needed supplies. Two hundred people each day walk into the vestibule of the local church where a clinic has been set up. The doctors are from Singapore and they are treating nasty wounds, infected and gangrenous. At the UN warehouse, we were able to get a full load of medical supplies for both of the 'clinic' in Carrefour, and the hospital in Cap Hatien. We also ran into a unit of the 82nd airborne. The captain was very interested in what we were doing and brought us over to his command post at the airport. The Colonel gave us access to as much food and water that we could carry, and gave us a captain to escort us, with open doors, at the UN compound. He also invited us to come back for more. This was huge, because we have been trying for days to get anything to hand out to people. It has been total chaos with no supplies available! Then we were able to gain access to key people in the UN and a room of U.S. Army Majors and Colonels. We are trying to get an army helicopter to transport the medical supplies to Cap Haitien, put a requisition in for it, but one was not available today. We are praying for one tomorrow or a truck or whatever else can get the supplies there.
After that we headed west to areas we had not yet seen, closer to the epicenter. The town of Leogagne was severely damaged. A four story school was flattened, which was the work of a pastor who we met for dinner the previous night. His church and his home were also destroyed. He has about 60 people living on the church grounds. We were able to provide the food and water for those people. It's just a drop in the bucket, but still it was great to get relief into people's hands. They were very thankful.
At our last stop in Gressier, we saw fault lines across and running down the road. There was a 6" drop along the fault line. This town and the rural area around it has 50,000 people with little or no aid. We met the Mayor tonight and we plan to see him tomorrow morning to look at locations for another clinic. They have had almost no medical care. We also looked at a house that we are thinking will make a great base for us.
WE NEED YOUR PRAYERS FOR DISCERNMENT ON WHERE TO INVEST OUR MINISTRY RESOURCES TO THE GREATEST GLORY TO GOD AND TO BENEFIT THE PEOPLE HE LOVES. We also need His continued favor in granting us the resources we need... daily.

2010-01-21T06:08:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Port-au-Prince day 2
The day began with a bang…actually a shake, which we learned later was a 6.1 magnitude earthquake. The psychological impact on this people cannot be overestimated. Streets are full of households that will wait a long time before entering a structure again. We are in a house that withstood the first earthquake with little to no damage. Yet even with that assurance, many in the house and in the compound (70 of us?) went running when the ground started moving. Amazingly and gloriously, voices began singing praise songs soon after the early morning quake. We heard many stories today of people who are turning to Christ in the midst of this. A mission field opens in the wake of crisis.
The supplies God provided in his perfect time were like a glass of cold water in the desert. Patients lined up long before we arrived and waited patiently as we organized a pharmacy and medical supply area. These supplies were sorely needed today as patients continued to arrive with tragic wounds that have gone too long without care. The clinical picture for many is not good and we saw tragedy that would never happen in a normal situation. Yet even in the midst of this, we saw God work and know that He loves each of these people.
Walking along the streets gives an up-close picture of what daily life has become for almost everyone. People have become very creative in making places to sleep, hang their clothes and cook meals. Crushed houses, buildings and cars are everywhere. Some still stand, but each night when an aftershock hits people jump and run. No one will enter a house or building that was damaged. We regularly walk by one school where sixty children still lie crushed beneath the rubble. The smell of decay and open sewage is everywhere in this poor area.
God continued to work as we met our partners from Cap Haitian who came with stories of surgeries postponed due to no anesthesia, fluids or gloves. We were able to return to the UN warehouse and were greeted with big smiles from the people who helped us late yesterday. God must have blinded their eyes because we aren’t exactly neat and clean or present a very pretty picture. Yet they went out of their way to provide basic supplies for our team and promised to have the rest for us in the morning. We continued to bank on God opening doors and we were able to drive right into the guarded airport compound where all the relief and government organizations have their bases. We visited a number of them and are using those contacts to build a network of partners who can help with specific needs we cannot. Samaritan’s Purse was one such organization and they were excited about working with us to set up a water treatment plant here in the Carrefour area of Port-au-Prince. In the morning we return to the UN warehouse for more clinical supplies to keep the clinic going. We ask for prayer as we seek for God ordained opportunities to meet and partner with other organizations in this stricken community.
So much is needed, and we are asking our Lord for teams to be raised, for leaders to come work and for the Spirit to move on the hearts of his people. The harvest is ripe, people are open to the Gospel. Workers for the harvest will find their work is fulfilling and fruitful.

2010-01-19T16:06:00.000-08:00

The Latest from Kevin, our TouchGlobal Crisis Response missionary, going as a scout into Haiti:

You’re in Good Hands…..

With the sound of the twin props from the Cessna 6 seater whirring in my head, and my body loaded up with Dramamine, Bruce Case with The Kings Wings ministry, pilots our plane towards our destination of Cap Haitien, Haiti, and away from the Fort Lauderdale coast which disappears slowly behind us into the hazy distance. Deep blue sky converges with the lighter shades of blue and turquoise which color the ocean below, painting a beautiful picture of calm and serenity. A far cry from the picture I expect to see as we land in Haiti 3 hours from now.

After an eventful night of coordination, last minute purchasing at a 24hr Walmart, and packing, we settled in for a little sleep; and I mean little! In the morning just before we walked out the door to go to the airport, we received a call from Henoc, our partner in Haiti. This was a welcome call because we had been trying to reach him in vain several times the night before, amidst all the other activity. Just in time, we were able to make contact and let him know we were on our way; an answered prayer.

As we drove to the airport, we realized that we hadn’t gotten complete directions to the hanger where we were to meet our pilot Bruce. After attempting several times to reach him on the 20 minute drive to airport, we received a call from him with directions, just in time to change lanes and make the left hand turn into the hanger.

I suspect that we will see more of these “just in time”s as we move forward in our work. I have seen God work in this way many times before in these situations, and have in a way come to almost expect it. It occurred to me this morning as we were leaving, that even as we prepare to go and plan our arrival in Haiti, and just as Bruce had filed his flight plan before the trip, God has gone before us, is already there and has laid out His plan for us.

That’s really what living by faith is all about, going along with someone who knows the way and tells us when and where to turn, when to speed up, when to slow down, and as in our air travel, when we need to stop and refuel. Our directions are revealed to us as we go.

I don’t know exactly what God has for us, but I know we are in Good Hands and I’m not with Allstate! (click here to see all the money you could be saving with Geico) No, I’m not with them either.

In HIS Grip,
Kevin

Assessment Trip Off the Ground

2010-01-18T01:02:00.001-08:00

Things were moving fast this evening. Flight windows opened.
1. We got a call that we could get half our team on a flight with some supplies at 9am monday into Cap Haitien, where our partner has a great facility.
2. We got the other half of the team on a flight into Port-au-Prince early on Tuesday, the two team will link on Wednesday.
3. Another flight opened with 10 seats, and we were able to quickly pull together an exploratory medical team, who'll be there for 5 day, with some members longer.

The hard and horrible stories continue to be reported.

Pray:
1. for those suffering terribly, survivors living in chaos and deprivation.
2. for the effective mobilization of supplies.
3. for generous giving.
4. for Safety for our teams.
5. for Christ's all surpassing love to be made known.

the stockplies... 1/16/10

2010-01-16T18:48:00.000-08:00

Our Touchglobal Crisis Response Assessment Team is mobilizing in Southern Florida tomorrow evening. We have 2 daysof prayer and planning and then we board a charter for Cap Haitian to join our national partner Henoc on the ground for 5 days. Pray for him and his people. Below is a report from his first few days. With each trip to Port-au-Prince he delivers supplies and returns with victims with no place to go.

Please consider partnering with us and Henoc in sharing Christ's love. Pray. Give. http://www.efca.org/ has an on line link to give now. Donations will be used for immediate relief and long term recovery ministry, as we know that needs here will go on for a long time. ml

The earthquake happened on Tuesday evening. All communication was cut off. We did not know what was going on except for what we were reading on the internet and on the radio.. Because of the heavy overcast, we could not watch CNN. I wanted to go to Port au Prince, but with no telephone communication, it could get complicated.

Thursday morning, around 11, the telephone started to work slowly. Just one company. So, we could try to reach anyone subscribed with Voila. However, people in Port au Prince cannot be reached because there is no power to charge the phone. Some have lost their phones and it takes a lot of time to get through.

We arrived around Port au Prince at 5:00. However it took over 2 and a half hours to travel the one mile road to the airport. People are coming in to look for their loved ones and others are leaving town. We saw many people on top of roof digging up flattened buildings. Stock piles of dead human beings were everywhere. At the cemetery, and on open fields, they dig
large holes and fill them up. We found at one cemetery where they put a pile of dead people and burned them with gasoline. To ignite the fire, they used old tires. The smoke was going up and I call it the Smoke of Hell.

There is no fuel. However, there are lines of people by the gas stations. They are just hoping that there will be some somehow. There are no government ministries. Most of them have been crushed. Some senators, some deputies, a lot of high government officials have lost their lives. There is no one in Haiti that has not lost a loved one. The schools and universities have been crushed to the ground with students underneath. It happened at the end of the day when most people were still at work. Many banks have all their employees and clients under the rubbles.

There is no water, no electricity, no store opened, no food. Dead people are piled by the hundreds and dump trucks come by to pick them up. All the markets have been destroyed. The prisons have been crushed. The prisoners are on the streets and some of them have been killed by the earthquake. There is a lot of pillage, looting, raping. There was even an exchange of fire yesterday between the police and thieves.

People fear their homes will fall again. Everyone sleeps on the streets where there is the smell of dead flesh.

Banks are closed, churches have been destroyed. There is nothing left. The people sleeping on the streets don't know for how long. They don't even know if they will ever return to their homes and have normal lives. Port au Prince is a metropolitan center with 4 million people coming from all corners of Haiti. Every one starts going back home. No money, no vehicles,
no where to go.

I left on Thursday morning and came back in the middle of the night with 18 people in the double cab Toyota. It was mainly students from CSS who are in Port au Prince for university education. Now their houses and apartment are destroyed and they are homeless. On Friday morning, I went back. We spent all day looking for Sainsoir's two daughters. One of them was found and the other one was no where to be found. We were looking for two other girls who
go to nursing school in Port au Prince. On our way back, Sainsoir's daughter called us and we'll go back on Sunday to pick her up. On that day we rescued 23 people and we were back by 11:45 PM. Unfortunately, we had 6 flat tires.

Today, Saturday, we bought 4 brand new tires. One family from the church had a daughter who is a nurse and had gone to Port au Prince to look for a job. Both she and her son were found dead. The same family could not locate their son. He was found alive under the ruins of a government building. His leg is almost destroyed. We will pick him on Sunday to take him to a hospital. A man from the Grande Riviere church has been found with multiple injuries. He will come back with us. I will finish this e-mail and head to Pignon where I will spend the night and need to be in Port au Prince before 8 am.

My cousin's daughter was killed in school as the building collapsed and everyone inside was killed. A graduate of CSS, Sterly Manigat, was killed. Many other friends and loved ones were destroyed.

I have seen death, but I don't understand it. I have seen people's lives destroyed and I cannot understand it. However, I trust in the Lord and that He has a purpose for everything. Above everything His name will be praised and there will be a reason to see His glory in the midst of chaos. Please pray for our safety as we travel at night time and everywhere. Please pray for strength.

Henoc

Haiti Response 1-15-09

2010-01-15T14:10:00.000-08:00

Situation Report.
The situation on the ground appears to be deteriorating. A US Government source that we work with said, “Truthfully, the situation on the ground is not good. Security is becoming a growing concern as well, most military won't be on station until late next week. Everyone wants to help, but patience is going to be the key here to keep everyone safe and not add to an already difficult problem.”

Our ministry leader in Haiti had this report, “We were in the city of PAP. It is indescribable. Hundreds of rotting bodies piled up. Family cannot get to the bodies of loved ones as they are rotting. Every family I know has a family member who was killed. If you were in a building you are dead. The city is breaking into anarchy, looting, (content deleted..let “and worse” suffice). Water is disappearing. The city is out of fuel. The airport is effectively closed.”

People seem to be fleeing the city, heading out into the undamaged rural areas and other cities to the north of Port-au-Prince(PAP). This will result in stressing already scarce resources in the outlying areas.

The Developing Plan.
We have been working with our partners, who have a base in Cap Haitian, well outside the directly affected area, (provision of the Lord for that) and are focusing on the following:

1. We are traveling daily to PAP to deliver supplies and move as many people as possible from Port au Prince, taking them to good health facilities such as: Pignon, Milot or wherever appropriate. We will help them with medicine and medical care.

2. We are assisting families spiritually and mentally to deal with loss of loved ones and worries about those they have not yet heard from.

3. In the churches and school, we will provide temporary shelter for families who are running away from the ruin looking for refuge. We will help them with food, and medicine.

In addition, our Touchglobal Crisis Response Team has been focusing on:

1. Responding to the flood of offers of assistance, and seeking to communicate urgent need for immediate and long term giving to support the response. Give at http://www.efca.org/.
A bulletin insert is available at www.touchglobal.org/haiti.

2. Planning an assessment trip into Haiti in the next few days.

3. Developing a relevant needs list in coordination with those in-country, and researching effective means to deliver donated goods to affected areas.

4. Seeking to recruit long term staff that could serve with us for 3-12 months to help manage the response. Email mary.held@efca.org if you are interested in serving on our team longer term.

5. Identifying all current EFCA partner ministries in Haiti.

6. Coordinating with other international faith based crisis response and NGO’s.

7. Discussing with national partners potential logistics for housing/managing team.

Please go to www.touchglobal.org/haiti for additional information. Email crisisresponse@efca.org or call 985-893-0218 with questions or offers of assistance.

Haiti Response

2010-01-14T05:46:00.001-08:00

The devastation and human toll is huge. We are working in the following directions:
1. Our EFCA Touchglobal Crisis Response Director is working with partners to get on site over the weekend to begin first hand assessments, meeting with our church planters and national partners on the ground, meeting with potential partners, and identifying in-country logistics.

2. We are seeking to secure the needed donations of funds to enable a well resourced, soundly planned and highly effective immediate and long term response.

3.We are responding to numerous offers of assistance. We anticipate receiving crisis response teams only after the area is safe, and reasonable provisions for the logistical requirements for teams in country can be assured. we are taking contact information for those interested in volunteering at 985-893-0218 ext 7 or at crisisresponse@efca.org .

4. We are seeking to identify all of the partners our EFCA Churches are currently involved with in Haiti. if your church is currently involved in Haiti ministry, please email us at crisisresponse@efca.org .

5. We are working with partners on the ground to identify a list of bulk donation items needed most and the logistics to get materials shipped and transported in country.

6. MOST IMPORTANTLY...PRAY!

Haiti Earthquake

2010-01-12T23:40:00.000-08:00

EFCA TouchGlobal Crisis Response is responding to the 7.0 earthquake hit an area near Port-au-Prince, Haiti on 1/12/10. Haiti is located in the EFCA Southeast District, and we are coordianting our response with the District and other key partners. There is an EFCA Church Plant in the Port-au-Prince area, but we have not had any reports from Pastor Absolan Joseph.

Raising funds for immediate relief, recovery and other crisis resposne needs is the priority.
Donations can be made via the link to the right, or by mailing to:
EFCA Earthquake Relief #3970
901 E. 78th St.
Minneapolis, MN 55420
Note #3970 in the check memo line.

Damage reports are still coming in, but it appears to be a major crisis. CNN is stating that a devastating 7.0 earthquake hit the capital city of Port-au-Prince Haiti about 5 PM EST Tuesday afternoon, with upwards of 24 additional aftershocks recorded throughout the evening with some aftershocks reaching 5.9 on the Richter scale. Many government buildings including the Presidential Palace have collapsed, trapping workers and leaving many people unaccounted for. Homes, hotels, hospitals and other buildings including U.N. installations have collapsed or sustained severe damage. Thousands are unaccounted for and are feared dead or trapped beneath the rubble.

Port-au-Prince has an estimated population of 2-3 million people. Haiti is the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, with 80% of the population living below the poverty line and 50% of the population living in abject poverty.

The Recovery Begins -Equipping The Caregivers

2009-10-28T21:30:00.001-07:00

As I left Manila 3 weeks ago, as is my normal practice, I started an outline of a ministry response plan. My heart was very heavy for the Pastors and leaders of the EFC of Philippines (EFCP), and I felt that Priority #1 was providing support and care for these men and their families, and equipping them to be caregivers to others.

The Lord started to answer prayers along those lines almost immediately, in the form of a ReachGlobal staff couple (Paul and Judy) who specializes in crisis counseling and caring for Pastors. Pictured above is part of a group of several dozen EFCP leaders and spouses who participated in a debriefing and triaining session this past weekend.

Paul wrote of the session, "We will not go into all the gory details, but to hear the stories of those who experienced the trauma would break your heart. There was very little mention of the great loss of material possessions. (Some lost everything.) In most cases the flood came without much warning and without the realization that it would become a major disaster. Some were separated from family members for several days and not able to communicate because all the phones, cell phones, and electricity were out".

"As we met with the local EFC pastors and their wives in a debriefing session on Friday evening, we again were reminded of the importance of allowing them to verbalize their stories. These are resilient and committed servants of God."

Saturday morning was given to training these EFCP Pastors to serve as crisis caregivers with their own families, church members, and neighbors.

It was a blessing to then see a packed out church of over 200 neighbors Sunday night and the pastors we had trained on Saturday debriefing those who went through the stress of the flood.

All agreed that expectations were exceeded. The victims were ready to unload and tell their individual stories.

On Monday, Paul and Judy spent the day with the team of German missionaries who work here in Manila. This team is with the Alliance Mission, the overseas ministry of the Evangelical Free Church of Germany. This team experienced the same stresses as the local Filipino people. Some of them had to swim though 10 feet deep waters to safety and lost all their possessions. Some have had to permanently leave the houses they were renting and are still living in temporary housing. Please pray that they will be able to find new accommodations.

One of the German missionaries who was hospitalized Monday afternoon. She picked up an ameba from having ingested some of the water in which she had to swim during the flood. Please pray for healing for Wiebke.

Priority #2 is communicating the needs of the people of Manila and the EFCP and raising up prayer and financial support for their recovery. You can give to EFCA Acct#3973 Philippines Relief on the link to the right.

Priority #3 is multiplying the EFCP and helping to restore the Church by deploying short terms to help in the recovery and outreach. Consider sending a team to serve in Manila next month or later next year. Contact crisisresponse@efca.org for more information.

Flooded Manila - Unbelievable!

2009-10-06T16:37:00.000-07:00

This is life for almost 2 million people according to a CNN report today. PLEASE CLICK THE LINK AND READ THE ARTICLE!

We spent the day Tuesday visiting a number of the EF churches in neighborhood that look like this. Unbelievable! I observed many homes that have 2-4 feet of water inside, with still families living in them!

Pastor Ferti of the ACTS Christian Center (EFC) and his family pictured below have 2 feet of water in their home, but are fortunate to have the church building as an alternative refuge. His and 8 other families are living there now for at least another month, and possibly will be there until December, until the flood waters recede.

His wife Maria-Theresa told me that as the water came up, Pastor had gathered one armload of their belongings and hurried off to the higher ground of the church. by the time he came back a few minutes later, most of their posessions were under water, so the grabbed what else they could and the rest of the family and headed to the church.

They slept on chairs pushed together the first night, but then made more premanent sleeping quarters in the upstairs class rooms.

Their neighborhood is pictured below.

Indonesia 'Quake Report

2009-10-05T03:14:00.001-07:00

Here is a report from our ministry partner in Indonesia (Please note abbreviations used for security purposes):

We just returned from a quick survey trip to Padang with some reps from other orgs. We spent Thurs night (01 Oct) through Sat morning (03 Oct) with a CP organization (DI) that has been in Padang for a couple of years doing repairs of homes from that last set of earthquakes more than 2 years ago. Some of the DI staff have received CP training from us in the past.

Today, they will host a coordination meeting with multiple CP orgs in Padang. DI has put a down-payment on a very large house that they hope to use as a multi-org coordination/command center. Please pray for this meeting - specifically for the “mind of Chri.st” and a spirit of unity, humility, and respect amongst the different CP orgs.

The DI staff left their office after 5:00 pm on the day of the earthquake. At 5:15 the earthquake struck and their building partially collapsed. The office was on the 2nd floor and is no longer safe. As we left we were informed that there probably was a body somewhere on the first floor (rented by another business) because a woman that worked downstairs could not be accounted for. Nobody knows when the body will be removed, because of the high demand for both equipment and people that can safely excavate these condemned buildings.

The Ketsana Aftermath Upclose

2009-10-01T20:41:00.000-07:00

Below - The clean up begins.
Lower - Interior Remians of Missionary's Home

Initial Damage Report of EFC's and Missionary Homes
At Wiebke’s house everything is gone, including computer, teaching materials, books etc. All was submerged and as you can imagine, almost nothing of her things, and of the ones staying with her, is left or in anyway usable. She found her external hard drives and hopes they can recover the data in Germany.
At ProFil the flood was up to the third stair going to

the 2. Floor. We think, at the moment, that
the house will not be usable anymore. The flooring in the living room is very wavy and the wood at the ceiling got wet – all soaked in this really smelly mudwater. Everything stinks from the mud. We cleaned up the house as much as possible. Gladly the shorties and Ate Lea’s family saved a lot of the stuff into the 2.floor.

Taytay, Sta. Ana (Ptr. Vic. And Roselie Fernandez) the whole area is still over hips under water. It is not expected to go very much down for the next 2-3 months since there are no drainages.

Church house - garage is about 1 meter and parsonage are about 15 cm flooded.
People from more affected areas moved o the church.

San Miguel Church also became a evacuation centre. Up to now the hole area is still flooded (It is very close to Taytay) Organizing something for them is a little difficult because they do not have a Pastor at the moment. But Wolfgang is trying to bring some food and clothes into the area.

Parola:

(Ptr. Jun-Jun and Christiane Jornales)
Parsonage of Ptr. was until tights in water, YP Room until under knees. About 25 families are affected and some of them (almost all leaders of the church) have lost everything they owned.

Kabisig:
Member living on the floodway side were badly affected, as the river rose so high that it went over the borders. Thousands of people needed to evacuate to basketball courts or public schools. On the other side, close by a creek, the people also needed to evacuate as the water of the creek was also rising fast. The sister church FCF did with financial help of AM directly supply meals for the stranded ones in Kabisig church.

Acts:
(Ptr. Ferdie)
They have 25 families who are affected.

Floodway:
(Ptr. David and Shirley Ahumada)
Parsonage was flooded up to t

he ceiling of the 1. Floor (closed to ProFil) Their niece was able to rescue most of the stuff inside the house. The car and motorbike though were totally inside the 3-4 meter high water.

Crossroad has also people who were affected (25 families?)

Allianz-Mission:
The house in Marietta Romea Village is most probably not usable anymore. We were trying to sell it for 300000,- thousand, but now, we can be glad to get the price of the land, which will not be very high at the moment.
Beamer, tools, Bankbooks, Motorbike of Wiebke, Car of Herrmann’s flooded almost up to roof, The 2. Revo had an accident because someone’s car’s brakes were did not function and crashed into the back of the car.

All the churches:
One of the main concern at the moment is drinking water and food. That’s what we are trying to bring to the people now. The next biggest need is clothes, basics like medicine, disinfectants, soap. Of course blankets, beddings ... if you lost everything you need everything.

Ketsana Photos

2009-09-29T19:24:00.000-07:00

Click on the link below for more images.

http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/Philippines-Flooding/ss/events/wl/092709philippinesflo/im:/090929/photos_ts_wl_afp/850cb5fe8f579063db6663bcb2392fca/#photoViewer=/090929/ids_photos_ts/r490447765.jpg

Ketsana Torments Manilla

2009-09-29T08:19:00.000-07:00

Pray for our Brothers and Sisters in Manila. I have been on Skype conversing one of our mission staff in the Philippines, and the situation heart wrenching. We are working in conjunction with the EFC of the Philippines, and Allianz, the German Free Church Mission. I have attached a number of links below from news sources and other contacts who have forwarded home shot video of the flooding.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8277018.stm BBC NEWS
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8277023.stm BBC NEWS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWxyI-Hsyp8&feature=geosearch

We have opened a funds for donations at https://my.efca.org/NetCommunity/SSLPage.aspx?pid=359 , insert Acct#3973 Philippines Relief in the memo line.

Here is what our ReachGlobal mission staff reported:

Manila Flooding.
This is a preliminary report on the effect of the terrible flooding in Manila on our Evangelical Free Churches. We have 17 churches in the Metro Manila area, many of which are concentrated in the Cainta, Pasig area, where there was heavy flooding. We have been in touch with our church leaders and co-missionaries working in Manila. The flooding came up fast so people were stranded away from home and couldn’t get their things to second floors, if there was one. It rained 12 inches in 6 hours on Saturday.

Most of our churches are 2 stories with the sanctuary on the 2nd story and parsonage, Sunday school rooms, kindergarten classrooms on first floor. Two churches in Cainta had over 6 feet of water inside their churches. The parsonages have been destroyed. As well as Sunday school materials and things in the youth centers including computers. One of the pastors was out on visitation when the flooding came up. They were not able to save anything in their house. That family has 5 sons ranging in age from 13 to 24. The other church that was submerged has a family with 3 daughters ages 3 to 14.

One part of Pasig had 3 meters of water at one time. Our German co-workers lived in that area. Their houses are completely gone. One of them was swimming in the water to rescue the other workers. She was swimming above cars and even roofs.
Some of you may have seen the picture of people wading in chest deep water down Ortigas Ave. This area is called Rosario. It is between 2 rivers. We have a church in that area, about ½ kilometer off the main road. The church sustained major damage on the first floor. The parsonage and kindergarten school have been badly damaged.

Apart from church buildings many of our church members have sustained major damage to their homes. Many of the homes were submerged in 4 to 6 feet of water for more than 24 hours. In the Pasig area, many of our church members are poor and live in shanties made of wood and cardboard. These just collapsed, taking all their possessions with them. These people have no money to rebuild their homes or even replace clothes and things from their house.

This is Tuesday, the flooding started on Saturday. I just talked to one of our staff at ETCP, our Bible college. She has gone back to visit her home in Marakina, where there was also heavy flooding. She walked through knee deep mud to get to her house. They can’t get the door open, so they looked in the window. There is still more than a foot of water inside the house and everything is scattered. All her possessions are ruined. She was at the college when the flooding happened.

Other church members are in situations like this. In Vista Verde in Cainta, which is more of a middle-class subdivision, they had 6 feet of water inside their homes. And it didn’t go down for 24 hours. So everything inside the home is destroyed.

Many of these people have been without electricity for several days. They also don’t have any food because what food was in their homes washed away. The small stores close to their homes lost all their supplies. And many of the poor people don’t have money to buy more food.
There is a need for money so we can help people rebuild their lives. It costs too much to ship things here, so cash donations are appreciated.

We have opened a funds for donations at https://my.efca.org/NetCommunity/SSLPage.aspx?pid=359 , insert Acct#3973 Philippines Relief in the memo line.

Mary Doing Well

2009-07-14T13:01:00.001-07:00

All – The Lord is good! Mary called me a few minutes ago. She came through the procedure just fine, though it was very painful, but the Dr’s could not believe that there were no blockages. The EKG’s came back showing pretty normal heart function, so it appears there was no permanent damage. They are thinking now that it may have some sort of a spasm of the muscle as a possibility, and there are medication changes coming for mary, but this is a major answer to prayer.

Mary will be discharged later tonight and will rest the week back at her home. Thank your prayer network for interceding and thank the Lord too for His intervention in this way. ml

The Prayer of Faith

2009-07-14T07:14:00.000-07:00

Hi all – I talked to Mary at midday yest and her headaches had lessened…prayer answered. The local efc had gotten over the connect with her and see what support she might need and was going to continue checking in. jim and ron had been able to get up to visit along with several alumni from crisis response staff…thanks guys! And her sister was on her way.

We we’re out last night and I missed her call, but her vm said she was expecting to be in for the catheterization this morning, so pray for healing as you read this. Thanks,. ml

James 5:13-20 The Prayer of Faith (scripturally encouragement from Becky S)
13Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. 14Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick20person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. 16Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. 17Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. 19My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, 20remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

Please Pray for Mary Held

2009-07-13T06:27:00.000-07:00

Please be in prayer for Mary Held.

She is in the hospital right now in Wisconsin and the doctors believe that she has had some level of a heart attack. Please lift her up and pray for comfort, peace, and for those to come alongside her that can encourage her to know that God is the ultimate healer. Pray for wisdom for the doctors and nurses and that Mary would shine brightly for the Lord while she is in the hospital.

Please pray for her family and pray that they would be comforted during this time. We definitely praise the Lord for Mary's heart...she has touched so many lives in New Orleans, Galveston, and all over the country. Please pray for strength and God's peace to rest on her!

Thank you all so much!
-Katie :)

Harney Meets Christ

2009-06-14T16:40:00.000-07:00

The following is a testimony of the experiences of just one team this week in New Orleans. It is a reminder of why we are here in Louisiana. Why we do what we do. Sometimes we spend so much time worrying about self. It's not about us at all! It's all about God's people and winning lives for his kingdom. Please pray for those mentioned in this blog...pray they will grow in their new relationships with Christ and God will continue to bless this new partnership with this school! I know that this is long but it's very worth it. If you would like to know more how you can come and serve or help Crisis Response please email crisisresponse@efca.org. Many blessings! (Kids' names are removed as the school may get in trouble for posting kids' names on the internet.)

On Tuesday morning (6/9/09) the girls from our team stopped down at Harney Elementary to see if we could volunteer. We were waiting on a few things at the worksite, so we thought we would use that time to see if we could help out somewhere else. The school was very eager for our help and indicated that they would love help each day from 11:30-2:00 while the kids had play time and recess. We hadn’t envisioned on helping after that morning, but felt it was a door that we should eagerly walk through.

Before we began our official work at the school, we went back to the worksite and spent time in discussion and prayer regarding how we could be a light within the school. Coincidentally, or by divine providence, John (from EFCA) happened to stop down right before we left for the school and encouraged us to pray that God’s spirit would work in us. We prayed that God would “give us the words” so that we might be prepared with an answer when the children inquired as to the source of our hope and love.

I am so thankful and blessed by the team I served alongside. Throughout the week and our time at the school, I watched them joyfully love and serve the children as they ran, hopped, skipped, and carried kiddos in the hot sun. I am most blessed by the reality of the truth my time never lost sight of…. they took every opportunity they could to share with the children the source of their love- whispering in little ears that they were loved by a gracious and loving God, laying out in child-like terms the story of Christ and what it means to make Jesus your “personal friend,” and lending a tender ear to the hurt and sadness plaguing their hearts. I really cannot tell you how many spiritual conversations took place at the school this past week because there were so many and, I am sure, even more that my team never shared with me.

As far as the children that made decisions to invite Jesus in to their life. Here is their story:

Josh and I had been working in Mrs. H’s first grade classroom all week. On Thursday (6/11/09), when our team arrived at the block party, we immediately spotted a student from our classroom. I approached her to say hello and she introduced me to her older sister, a 4th grader. I offered to help the girls get some food and they “pal-ed” around with me for a little awhile. After a little bit, they asked me to walk them home, which was just across the street, so I did.

I didn’t see them again until the end of the evening, when one returned and asked if she could have some drinks. I told her “sure” and retrieved the drinks. After doing so, I asked her if she knew why my group was “here” (at the block party) and why we had been visiting her school. She indicated that she didn’t know, so I told her we had come because we believed God loves her and, so, we love her, too. I asked her if she knew who Jesus was and she said she did. I asked her if she knew that Jesus wanted to be her friend and she said she did not know that. When I asked her if she wanted to know more about how to ask Jesus to be your friend she smiled from ear to ear and said she did.

Thus, her and I sat down and I explained to her, in very simple, child-like terms, the gospel. I explained that we were created and loved by God and that we all sin and need forgiveness. I explained that Jesus died to pay the price for our sins and he\wants us to have forgiveness.- the way we receive forgiveness is by inviting Jesus into our life to be our friend.

I asked her if she had ever asked Jesus to be her friend and she said “no, but that she wanted to.” She and I held hands and we prayed together. I prayed first and she repeated the words after me. I have to tell you, after we prayed, She was beaming!! I went on the explain, that now that Jesus was her friend, she could talk to him any time she wanted and he would always be there to love her and protect her…. Even though one day her body would die, she is protected because she will live forever in heaven with Jesus.

When I started to tell her that, as she prays, she should know that Jesus might not talk “out loud” back to her, she cut me off and said, “but I will feel him in my heart- like I she just felt Jesus in my heart.” I told her what a bible was and when she said she wanted one, was able to find a Mountview member, Sylvia, who so graciously gave up her own personal bible so that she could have one. So that is her story!

Since I spoke with you originally, there are a few updates to share….

The next day at school (Friday 6/12/09) when Josh and I returned to Ms. H’s first grade classroom, the girls immediately inquired about the bible her sister had received and asked if she could have one. I told her “yes” and I would explain what it meant during her lunch.

So, come lunch time, I sat with her and shared the gospel with her. She was very enthusiastic and said she wanted to invite Jesus to live into her heart to be her friend. She and I prayed together.

As she and I prayed another child wanted to know what we were talking about and asked if I would share with him. He wanted to invite Jesus in his heart, as well, and also wanted to know if I could tell him why he has “those nightmares” about Freddie and Jason (from the horror movies) killing him. We talked about it and we also prayed that God would take away his bad dreams and give him peaceful rest. Cordell also wanted a bible.

As he and I prayed, another boy wanted to know what was going on and called me over to his lunch table to talk with him. When I asked him if he knew who Jesus was he said that he did not. I offered to share with him and he was very eager to hear. As we discussed the gospel, his face looked stunned. When he found out that Jesus was willing to take on the punishment we deserved and suffer himself so that we didn’t have to, he looked astounded and exclaimed, “wow, God is nice. God is so nice!!!” He very much wanted to ask Jesus to be his friend and after we prayed, he shared that he looked forward to giving Jesus a big hug when his body dies one day and his soul goes to heaven.

There was another student that listened while the boys and I talked and prayed. I am not entirely sure whether or not he understood everything that was explained to him, but he kept butting into our conversation and insisted that he needed to pray, too. After he commented about hugging Jesus, he shared that he would give Jesus a kiss when he arrived in heaven. A little side note, he pinched another child shortly after our prayer and I reminded him that, even though God would forgive our sins and take on our punishment, he would still have to face the consequences for his bad choices on earth. He seemed to understand that. He is a cute, but feisty little rascal! He wants a bible, as well.

I cannot tell you what a blessing it was to be present for these moments in the lives of these children. I believe they understood the choice they were making and my prayer now is that God would complete the good work he is starting in them by bringing mentors in their lives who can teach them in more detail how they might grow in their faith and live out their relationship with God.

I am so encouraged and over-joyed, as it sounds like teams will be returning to the school in the coming weeks. I don’t know that I have ever had the blessing of being in such fertile harvesting grounds before. These children want to know who Jesus is!! Not only that, the staff knew that we were there for a much greater mission and we had their full support! I am an elementary school counselor for my job and have worked with several, both urban and suburban school districts- in my experience, it is not even close to acceptable in the eyes of school officials to share the gospel or bring up the topic of Jesus with students.Katie, Mountview and my team was blessed beyond measure by your staff, the people of New Orleans, and most importantly our Lord this past week. Please let us know if we might serve or support you in any way as you continue in your ministry.

*** these particular children may only be at the school until July 2nd, when this session of summer school ends.

I am sorry this email was so long, it was just such a blessing to witness God at work and I wanted to share as much as I could.

Thank you again, Katie! I am so thankful for the work you do.

God bless!

Sarah from Mountview Baptist, OH

Grass Roots Neighborhood Transformation

2009-03-31T03:50:00.000-07:00

Nate and Cindy came to New Orleans with their home church, Hershey EFC, to show the love of Christ to those in need. Twice. The first time started a friendship. the second time they were engaged. They were impacted by the principles of Holistic Ministry they learned while serving with TouchGlobal Crisis Response, loving individuals unconditionally, focusing on relationships, not work, and demonstrating and proclaiming the Gospel.

And after getting married, they chose, as have other couples from Hershey Free, to move into a distressed part of the City of Harrisburg...to express the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. They have been intentionally seeking ways to connect with neighbors and transform both their part of the world, and the eternal destiny of those in that world. They have influence in the lives of their neighbors, families, community, city leaders and media.

Do not underestimate the Kingdom signifigance or the influence you have in the "where He has you or the what He has you doing' in your context.

Here's what they have been up to recently:

God is doing some amazing things in our lives here in Harrisburg.

Cindy and I are leading another neighborhood cleanup tomorrow (Saturday, March 21st at 10am-2pm). It has been encouraging that one of our neighbors, Charles, has been highly involved in this planning process. He has made phone calls etc for us. We have also established extensive contacts with Harrisburg City to have them help us. It is cool because the city understands that they cannot accomplish their goals without our help. We can’t do it without them either, so we are developing a partnership. I filled out the paperwork today to “adopt-a-block.” I wanted you to know that things are rolling and for you to pray for us.

Specific prayer requests in regards to developing relationships
1. I would take specific opportunities that God is providing to share Christ with our neighbors.

2. We would find other Christian couples on our street that love Jesus as much as we do.

See this video from the local news.
http://www.whptv.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?articleID=140052

Iced Tea Evangelism

2009-03-31T03:37:00.000-07:00

Thank you God for the 'Divine Appointments' you allow to 'interrupt' our plans and routine. Help me to see people as you have created them, in your image and as your children. help me value others as much as you do. Amen....

A team who recently served with us from Valley Church, Cupertino, CA wrote of their experience.

Robert, a tall man in his mid-fifties stopped on the sidewalk in front of the house we were gutting and accepted a bottle of iced tea from Bob, one of our team members. As Robert was about to leave, the Lord led me to go to the sidewalk and start a conversation with him. He told me that his car had overheated, and that he was on his way to get some water for the radiator. As I handed him a tract, I told him about how Jesus had changed my life.

Robert listened with understanding and a growing look of longing on his face, a clear sign to me that the Holy Spirit had touched his heart. This gave me the courage to ask him if he would like to ask Jesus to be his Savior. He immediately said, “Yes, I want to do that.”

I led him in a prayer thanking the Lord for forgiveness, eternal life, and acceptance into the family of God in the name of Jesus! His face was glowing as I told him that even if we didn’t see each other again in this world, we would meet again in the eternal kingdom. He smiled in affirmation at my parting comment: “Robert, now you know Who let your car motor heat up!”

The rest of the story as I understand it, is that when they walked back to the car, Robert tried to start it one last time, and it started up and seemed to be running fine. Thank you God for redemption.

Peru Blessings

2009-03-13T20:46:00.000-07:00

Imagine this being your family's home...summer & winter!
We continue to show the love of Christ in the aftermath of the 8/07 Peru Earthquake. We have had TouchGlobal Crisis Response staff and US and Peruvian volunteer teams serving there for the past year. Here is the latest update from our staff, the Grover's:

Three houses are well under way, with double foundations poured, and the families making adobes, to be ready for teams to come in May and June to help build them. They are such different families and so needy, each in their own way.

The Lord in His providence knew just whom to put to work at Marta’s house – some of the women from the Lima, OH/Lima, Peru team. One of the women from the El Alfarero church in Lima, Peru, especially spent some extended time talking in the afternoons with Marta. Marta’s story breaks your heart. Before the earthquake she lived a normal life with a normal family in a nice house. Now she lives in what one of our ladies called a “basket house” – made of woven reeds, with a plastic roof, about as big as your living room (if it’s a small one!). She and her teenage daughter and little girl salvaged what they could of their belongings from under the rubble left from the earthquake.

Six months ago her husband left her. Marta almost had a breakdown; she’s at the end of her rope. She’d give up, too, but she has two girls, so she can’t. Instead she gets up before daylight and spends most of the day working in the grape vineyards, and then comes home to work on her adobes. She’s the most beautiful, petite little woman, with the saddest, most hopeless eyes you can ever imagine. She smiled one day when we working on digging her foundation. It was a day to put on the calendar. Please pray for Marta, that she will find a new hope and joy in Jesus.

To serve with us in Peru, go to www.touchglobal.org/peru , or
email crisisresponse@efca.org

Eternal Life Transformation

2009-03-05T07:38:00.000-08:00

Hurricane Katrina: Still Saving Lives...

Hurricane Katrina stormed across New Orleans more than 3 years ago and people wonder why we're still here...but we're still here because God is still using this natural disaster to bring His children back to Him. The team from Summit EFC in Alta IA has been coming down ever since the storm hit. They've seen the faces of those without hope and those regaining their hope due to God's provision of volunteers to help them get their homes back.

I became especially close to this team while they were here and was able to call them after I had finished my half marathon to tell them their prayers had helped me finish the race! Pastor Kevin (or PK) answered his phone to not only wish me congrats but to tell me of another amazing story that had happened since they left. Andy and Allan, two team members, had both accepted Christ on the drive back! PRAISE GOD!!

I've been able to speak to both Andy and Allan since they've been home. Andy didn't even attend Summit EFC. He was invited by his boss who at the last minute couldn't make it. Tempted to drop out himself, Andy still felt like he was suppose to be on this trip and now we know why. Andy was able to open up to the people on his team and told them he was raised Catholic, spent 15 months in Afghanistan in the military, been through alcohol treatment, and tried Promise Keepers but none seem to fill him...he said, "I just felt like I was missing something." He said his team was just amazing...they weren't just a team but a family which was definitely evident to even us on staff. On the way to New Orleans, PK asked him where he'd spend eternity but Andy didn't have an answer. So when PK asked him on the way back he wanted to know more and there on the bus, accepted Christ. Now being back at home, him and another team member Clayton are going through a Bible Study together. When I called him at work, he was even carrying his Bible with him and shared with me Ephesians 4:29-32 that has really touched him:

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

He feels like this is what he saw all week in New Orleans and wants to live it out! He calls it his slogan! Andy has yet to tell his mom about what has happened in his life on the trip. He would like prayer for God to give Him the words to say to his mom and that she would come to know Christ like he has.

Allan's trip down is another God story. Allan lost his job in December. He has been a carpenter for the last 30 years. He told PK in December that he didn't know if he'd be able to go on the trip but God was already working. PK told Allan that someone had already put up the money for Allan to come on the trip. Allan was shocked and very thankful! This was Allan's third time down to New Orleans...he said "I wanted to give my life to Christ last year on the trip but didn't feel ready." He said after seeing Andy accept Christ on Saturday on the drive back, he couldn't sleep that night. So Clayton, a team member he had just met on the trip, came up to him at breakfast and asked him where'd he spend eternity and right there accepted Christ. Allan and PK are now meeting up and encouraging each other to stay on track with their walks with God. Because of someone providing for him to go on the trip, when Allan heard that a homeowner, Ms. Lee, needed a stove, him and his team immediately came up with the money. He said these trips down always allowed for him to be more connected to people he'd never even met at church. So because of someone providing for him to go on this mission trip, Allan will now spend eternity with Christ!

Allan is also wondering if maybe God is calling him back to serve the people of New Orleans on a longer stay. Just be praying God would give him direction during this time and that He would be able to grow closer to Him!

God is sooo good! He is still using this ministry to not only rebuild homes but to bring people to Him for eternity! So yes in a way, Katrina is still saving lives...saving people from eternal separation from Christ to eternal fellowship with Him! And all God's people said..."AMEN!" -Katie :)