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From: Beth Ann Smith [mailto:bethann832@yahoo.com] Beth Ann Note: forwarded message attached. -----Original Message-----
Report by phone conversation from Maula
Jean-Marie, YWAM Gonaives Director! We have begun just today to clean out the YWAM
Gonaives office. Everything was lost in the flood that swept through the city
killing more than 2000. The needs are so great that there is no where to begin.
Right now the smell of decaying animals and flesh, along with the garbage and
sewage, is so bad you have to stick limes in your nose to bare it. The health
situation is not good at all! Supplies continue to try and come into the city,
but people are often waiting along side of the road to stop and raid trucks or
trailers thought to have such supplies. Everyone is hungry and deprived of
sleep. Maula We have been working to do our best to respond
to the disaster that has killed the unconfirmed 2000+. Last Wednesday we
entered the city with a 4X4 Montero, 28 Passenger Bus of volunteers and a truck
loaded with a estimated $10,000 worth of food and supplies in a first attempt
effort to minister to the estimated 200,000 people impacted by the flood. As we approached Once on the other side, dried out and moving
again we slowly moved through the devastation to the center of the city. We were
to have our distribution at the Police Station, with security provided by the
Haitian Police. We were greeted by Maula. However, once there the police
refused to offer the security or allow us to do the distribution as they had
been raided by gangs and desperate victims earlier that morning. So, off we
went looking for a new location that would offer the safety needed only to find
none. As we left the police station gang members
jumped on the truck and back of the bus trying to encourage us to turn down
back roads to secluded areas, which we choice not to go in. Instead we barreled
passed them and on down the main roads trying to locate churches and UN forces.
Dead cows, goats and horses were seen lying around. The smell of death was in
the air and the looks of desperation were all around us. Stopping at the UN we
were able to meet a local Pastor. They took us out of the main city to an
outlying area where nothing was left and no one was being helped. There we
began our distribution. It all was going so well, until the gang guys
got wind of where we had went and caught up with us. All sanity was lost and a
free for all was basically the result. The day was closing fast so we had to
dump and run as best we could, by stopping along the road way from time to time
handing things out as fast as possible. When the mobbing began we would then
run away as quickly as possible. As we passed back through the city we ran into a
large traffic jam only to find that three large dump trucks were coming through
carrying the newly discovered bodies of the victims found that day. Evidently
as the waters continue to reseed bodies emerge. At this point I was ready to
get out of this terrible place! Just before heading back through the newly birth
lake, resulting from the flood, I stopped to get fuel and let the bus and truck
catch up. People were still hanging on the back of the truck grabbing for the
scraps left inside. Some new gang guys had joined our convoy and now were
making threats of stealing the truck and imposing bodily injury. In the process
of creating a distraction and trying to bring some control to the situation
three of the gang members surrounded my car. As I stood partly out and with the
car door open one ran with all his might and kicked the side of the door,
slamming it into my mouth. Two teeth were knocked in and blood from my newly
pierced lip began to spill out. Now stepping out of the car to address all
three I thought I might be in a fight for our lives, but then I notice the bus
and truck moving on and I quickly took the opportunity to jump back into the
Montero and race away. After this experience I truly had no heart or
human desire to revisit the city of Through the act of “Mercy Ministry” we have
begun to coordinate with some of the National and City Official of St. Marc.
With the health conditions as bad as they are and the lack of food and security
many are tying to encourage the survivors of Thanks to Dale Weaver, Season of Service
Volunteer from Weaver Company Lancaster, PA, we will be equipping the new
Refuge HQ for St. Marc with a computer that will be tracking the victims as
they come to St. Marc and register. These victims, once registered, will be
issued a card that will help identify them and get donated goods safely to
them. We will also be pulling the Christian Network
together to open homes, churches, schools and other locations to offer shelter
and hospitality to some of the 200,000 survivors. Our staff will be gearing up
tomorrow to discuss the task of how to handle the details of receiving
potential refugees at our campus. We do not want to be a refugee center, but a
training and healing center. Our goal is to not only offer peace in the storm,
but biblical teaching on how to stay healthy and emotionally recover. We need your prayers as we take on this added
challenge. We also need your financial assistance in seeing these people feed
and cared for. If you would like to make a contribution you may send your
tax-deductible gift to; YWAM Please make your checks or money orders payable
to Youth With A Mission – Thank you for your prayer and support for
Terry PS I just got word of four trailers of food that
could be donated for the victims. However, we will need $3000 per trailer to
see them released and transported to St. Marc. Is anyone interested in helping
this immediate need? Let me know by an email response so I can possibly see
these trailers released quicker. Thank you! |