Providing help for Haitians in the aftermath of the earthquake
By andrew
Hey everybody, it’s been a while since my last post. Quite frankly I’ve been busy out of my mind. Since I last wrote, I’ve had malaria, gone to the airport countless times, driven right through the middle of a riot, sorted through hundreds of boxes of meds, and last night I had the unique experience of a group of men blockading the road and trying to overtake the vehicle which I was in. God has been with me through it all, and has helped me get out of things that of my own strength I never could’ve.
I’ve just taken a new direction down here and Haiti and I’m going to be working in Grand Goave, down in the heart of the damage. They say the aftershocks down there are so bad they still shake all the buildings daily. I’m going to be working with Samaritan’s purse to help put latrines in the tent camps and build temporary shelters for those who have lost their homes. I feel like God has opened up this door of opportunity, and that through this I will be able to help countless numbers of Haitians and keep them from getting diseases from the lack of sanitation in the camps. I’m going to be moving to Grand Goave tomorrow and will be there off and on for the next six months. I know that it’s ggoing to be rough to be there, and maybe a little dangerous, but I pray that God will use me even more to be able to touch the lives of the Haitian people and through that have the opportunity to reach them for eternity. Thank you for all of your prayers and for all of you who have donated to help the people down here. I know that Haiti has a chance, and thanks for helping to heal this broken country.
By andrew
The other day my family and I drove to the airport early in the morning to drop someone off and then we decided to tour Port-au-Prince. We went all over, from the National Palace, to Hotel Montana, to the docks, and back up to Carribean Supermarket. You don’t know how bad it all is until you see it with your own eyes.
At about 6 am we were driving around backstreets of downtown Port-au-Prince. Instead of the streets being empty, they are now
full of people sleeping side by side, many times filling up whole streets. As the sun started rising, I noticed a certain pile of rubble. Standing on that pile was a cross made out of two broken pieces of wood. It caught my attention and I decided to stop the car to take a picture of it. I took my camera out, shot a few pictures, and was about to take off when I heard a voice from nowhere say “I want to talk to you”. I looked closely and noticed a man coming from behind the rubble, and my reaction was to pull away quickly but for some reason I stayed. The man dressed in ragged clothes walked up to the car sipping on a bottle of rum. “I was out in the street when it happened,” said the man, “The earthquake took everything I had.” I thought “oh, here’s another man, about to tell me about how he wants food, or money, or a visa” but quickly I began to realize he was different. “You see that pile of rubble? That’s my house. My family was in there when it went down.” He started to choke up and fell silent. “I lost my children and wife, all 9 of them died. There’s no help here, noone has even stopped to see if I needed anything. I’ve pulled 4 bodies out by myself, but 5 of them are still buried underneath. I can’t even bury my family.” I just sat there, my mouth wide open, not knowing what to say. He went on to say ” Can you help us? We have nothing left, I can’t do anything, but can you? Tell people about what happened, tell them what you see.” With that, he walked back to the remains of his house and I drove off, but his story plays again and again in my head. I’ll do everything I can to help, but I can’t do it alone. Please, help Haiti, in any way you can.
Thank you to everyone who has given to help out down here. We’ve been distributing food to the villages, and we’re working on some preliminary steps to getting them back in there homes. Almost everyone is sleeping outside, but they have no protection from the rain, pray that we will be able to get some tents or tarps to be able to distribute to the people around us. Our church has been going out to a different village every night on evangelism and we are seeing many people come to Christ. In church today we had somewhere are 400 people, and the church is growing. The Lord is doing amazing things down here in spite of all the destruction. Thank you for your prayers, and anything else you can do.
By andrew
I’ve now been in Haiti a week and a day, although it feels like at least a month. I don’t even know where to begin… maybe I’ll describe Haiti a little. As I was flying in on Wednesday night, The view of Port-au-Prince was amazing. The city which is normally lit up was dark. In certain areas, you could see makeshift camps and hospitals, and here and there the random light of a house. In the bay, the hospital ship and an aircraft carrier could be seen with their lights on and helicopters going to and from.
The airport is completely changed. The US Marines are running it and everyday there are more than 180 planes in and out. Getting around town is very challenging. all of the intersections are backed up and getting through them can sometimes take more than an hour. This past week I’ve spent much of my time working to get much needed supplies for our hospital. I think I’ve been to every military and UN base looking for antibiotics, bandages, and casting materials, but thank God we able to acquire most of what we needed. Right now there are 78 medical personnel at Double Harvest, and the operating rooms are going about 18 hours a day with medical staff working around the clock. Many medical needs of the people have been met, but still there are people coming in with broken bones and infections that require surgery. Please pray for those who have undergone surgery. Many of them have had to have amputations and are traumatized by this whole situation. My dad is working to minister to those in the hospital by praying with them and talking to them and their families. Every night our church is going out on Evangelism reaching out to the villages around us and we have been distributing food and tarps to the families around us that have lost their homes.
I am heading over the Dominican Border tomorrow morning to pick up food to be able to distribute to the people that have been struck the hardest by the earthquake. We are working on trying to get a list of the poorest/most devastated families to be able to minister to both their physical and spiritual needs. Everyone here is running non-stop, and everyone is wearing thin, but we’re moving forward. Please pray that we stay strong, and that God would give us the wisdom to know what to do. Pray for the doctors, as they still have many more surgeries to do, and for the patients, that they would recover. I’ll try to keep you updated more often, but as I said mentioned, internet is pretty sparse in Haiti. Thanks everyone for all your prayers and all your help.
By andrew
I don’t have internet use for very long, but just wanted to let everyone know I am headed down to Haiti tomorrow at 11 am. Please pray that everything we’ll get into the country without a problem. Will update more thoroughly when I get into Haiti. Thanks to everyone who has given, I’ll be taking the donations down to Haiti tomorrow.
By andrew
I talked to my dad today, and he told me a little bit about what is going on in Haiti/ at Double Harvest. Double Harvest has hooked up a system to be able to fill water trucks up with clean drinking water to send to Port-au-Prince. They expect to have a fleet of trucks coming tomorrow to fill up and distribute water to areas in need.
I was also told today that a medical team of 40 people is right now at Double Harvest working at operating on and taking care of the many people that are in need. With the medical staff that is there, they are trying to work 24 hours a day so that they can help as many people as possible. Because of the lack of fuel in the country, Double Harvest has been having to go out everyday and try to get enough fuel to keep the generators running. Thank God that tomorrow another organization is supposed to be sending over a diesel truck with thousands of gallons from the Dominican Republic that will be able to fill up our tanks and give us much needed fuel to be able to keep the operating rooms going.
My dad is busy as ever trying to coordinate all of this as well as take care of the many needs in the church and the villages. Food distribution has been set up, giving rice and vegetables to the leaders of each village to be given to the needy, but there is not nearly enough to give out.
In an evangelistic outreach last week there were 20 decisions made for salvation. My dad said “there has never, nor will ever be such an opportunity for the gospel to go out as now.” I pray that we as Christians would see that, and take advantage of this unique opportunity to see Christ retake Haiti.
By andrew
What do you do in a time like this? How do you know what to do? The news shows scenes of rioting and insecurity on one side, and on the other side there are countless others out there needing help, with noone to care for them. I talked to my dad today and we discussed the situation down there. He said all the hospitals are packed, but just now are many of the people receiving medical attention. How after a week can there still be people that have yet to recieve some kind of medical attention? This alone shows how unable Haiti is to deal with a crisis like this.
Medical attention is important, but it doesn’t stop there. After they receive this care, where will they go? Back to dwell in the rubble left by this great earthquake. Once they get there, what will they eat? Your guess is as good as mine. My dad said to me “I talk to countless people everyday who are begging for food, but I have to turn them away, because I have nothing left to give.” Take the time to pray for these people. The tragedy has just begun.
I’ve prayed about it alot, and I’ve talked to my dad and others. I want to help Haiti. But what can you do? What can I do? Give of
yourself. As of tomorrow I’ll be “un” enrolling and going down to Haiti to help out. Maybe you can’t go down right now, and maybe you’ll never be able to, but you can give. There’s a donate button located on the left hand side of this page, and any money donated will be taken by me down to Haiti to be used to help the people. And once again, don’t forget to pray. As trivial of a thing as it may seem, it is the most powerful means we have of helping people. God is their only real hope, and I pray that as I go down God will use me in whatever way possible to be a testimony to those who do not yet know Him.
By andrew
Today I was able to talk to my parents for an extended period of time. The phone connection was really bad, but usually after repeating each sentence two to three times, the message got across.
Luzanie and Hillary
Thursday night I was informed that one of my friends, Luzanie, died in the earthquake. My dad went up to the site to try to remove her body, but said that he was unable to remove her because of the debris piled on top of her. Today, my dad told me he was able to go in once again and, with the help of a search and rescue team, pull out the body of Luzanie. My dad was headed to her house up north to bury her at her house with her family. Although it is hard to know that I will never on this earth see her again, I thank God for the time He gave me to get to know her, and also I praise God that she was a Christian, and that one day I know I will see her again. Right now she’s in the arms of my Savior, never again to know suffering or pain on this earth.
As I was talking to my dad, he told me that over these past few days he has been an “excavator”, pulling debris out of houses trying to uncover bodies. He said “this is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to go through”. Seeing the bodies, the ruin, and the suffering of all those around him will forever be engrained upon his mind. My mom has been feeding people. She said that all day she makes food to give to those that come to my house. She asked one old man when the last time he had eaten was and he told her “Becky, I haven’t eaten in three days. There’s no food.” Pray that my parents will continue to be able to help the people in need.
Simon
Later in talking to my dad, he told me that the people’s attitude towards God has changed. He told me that the day after theearthquake Simon and some others individually came up to him and told him they wanted to talk. Simon said to him “Pastor, I want to know God. I want my life to change. I need Jesus.” A little later Simon, who has resisted the gospel and had no spiritual interest for years, knelt down and asked Jesus to come into his life.
My dad asked for prayer. He said “pray that we wil be able to minister to those who are without homes and without direction, and pray that we will be able to use this opportunity to reach the many hearts that are now open to the gospel.” I’m writing this early Sunday morning, but please, take some time today and pray. Pray for the people that are hurt, pray for the families of those who died, pray for those down there helping to give vital aid, that they might remain strong and not be discouraged, and most of all, pray that God will work in the hearts of those who are lost, and bring them to Him. Thank you for your prayers.
By andrew
I’ve had some people ask me “why do you want to go now? Don’t you think it would be better for you to finish your school first before
going down?” or “Should you really drop out of school? Is that wise? Is that what’s best for you?” So would it be better? Is it really what’s best for me? Going to Haiti and dropping out this semester will postpone my graduation, strain me financially, and I’ll also be leaving behind my girlfriend, and alot of my friends at school. Is that what’s best for me? No, it’s not. But sometimes doing the right thing isn’t always doing what’s best for you. Sometimes you have to put your interests aside and look at what’s best for others. If ever Haiti has needed help, it’s now. Never before in the history of Haiti have they suffered so much, and how can I someone who loves this people so much stand by and watch them suffer and say “Hey, sorry, it’s not convenient for me to help right now. I wish it was! Maybe next time you have an earthquake I’ll be done with school and won’t have any responsibilities.” The truth is, it’s never convenient to sacrifice, but if noone goes, if everyone relies on the other person to give of themselves, than nothing will be accomplished. Give what you can, whether it be donating money, or food, or going down and serving, or praying, do something. We can change the situation in Haiti, but it has to start with you and me…
By andrew
I love Haiti. I didn’t grow up there, but living there these past 6 years has changed the was I look at my life. The people of Haiti are some of the friendliest people that one could ever meet.
Haiti may be the poorest country in the western hemisphere, yet I have many times shown up as a stranger on someone’s doorstep and been offered water, a meal, and sometimes even a place to stay. These people, who have so little, give of themselves to help a stranger, thinking nothing of it.
Haiti is crying out for help. This earthquake has devastated the the country of Haiti. The country is broken, the people are hurt, and families are without food and shelter.
I talked to my dad today he and he said “Andrew, this is the worst thing I’ve ever seen in my life.”
As I watch the news, I see yet more reports of people crying out for help, of bodies stacked one on top of another, and of mothers crying for their lost children. Don’t turn your back on Haiti in its time of need. Help these people get their lives back. I know this is a rough time for everyone, but please, not for my sake, or yours, but for the people of Haiti, do something. Any money you can give will be used to help feed, clothe, and provide shelter for the Haitian people in this time of great need.
On the left hand side of my site there is a donate button. I plan on flying to Haiti on January 26th, and 100% of the money raised will be given to those in need. Thank you for helping Haiti.
By admin
As is the case with many of you, this situation in Haiti has broken my heart. I can’t focus on school, on my job, on doing anything. Everything in my life right now seems to be so small and meaningless in comparison with the disaster in Haiti. Please pray for me. I feel that I should drop out of school this semester and go down to Haiti and help in any way that I can. I feel that if ever I could help Haiti, it is today. Pray that God would give me the wisdom to know what His will is.
Hi I'm Andrew Spalding, and my parents are missionaries in Haiti. Haiti has been my home since I was 14. I speak both French and Creole fluently, and love the people as if they were my own family. I'm eager to help my home in this time of great need.
