The Harvest of Haiti

Sorry it took so long to complete the Blog. The last 2 days we had thunderstorms which knocks out the Internet. The truck broke down and Kyle and his Dad were able to fix the leaf springs on the Rt. rear. They did a great job. Medicine was delivered to Cannan #3 and extra food was purchased for the 20 kids next to Barbs Village. This was a very good 16 days in Haiti. The heat was our only enemy. Most days the heat index was 110 so you always had a bottle of water in your hand. We were able to touch so many on this trip. Looking over what we were able to do from just after the quake until we left April 13th was amazing. Your kind donations bought tons of food, re-built 2 homes, feed our children in Anse Rouge for 6 months, assisted Barbara Walker our very dear Friend in the re-building effort of her orphanage. We were also able to purchase much needed medicine thru Port Huron Hospital at a reduced cost. Because of you many many Haitians young and old are alive today because of a simple dose of antibiotics to cure an infection caused by the earthquake and food for so many very hungry people. Thanks to my friend Joe Hurston Camp Cannan had the first pure drinking water with the deployment of the Vortex Voyager. My Friend and partner Andrew got sick on the flight Home but has recovered and is ready to return. This was the last trip for 2010. Now starts the planning for 2011. It will start with a big trip in Jan. Like always we need donations to continue our work. Please remember The Harvest of Haiti when considering a charity to donate to. Thank-you for all you have done for the Haitian People, you made a difference in the lives of hundreds upon hundreds of men, women and children.

                                               Thank-you Again,

                                                Pat and Andrew

Monday we lifted off in a 4 seat single plane for Anse Rouge a 10 hour drive barring flat tires and other break downs. In just 40 minutes we were there. After arrival Myself, Andrew and Pastor Jean Robert went to the market. With in 2 hours we bought food, cooking oil, pet milk, flour, corn meal enough to last 6 months. Picture’s of the food will be posted when I get home. The 3 truck loads of food were a huge blessing for the orphanage. A head count was taken and we now have 33 children. Now that there is food another 21 will come back From Jean Rabel. Those kids were sent to live with aunt’s, uncles, grandmothers when the food supply got low.

Tuesday morning we gave all the children worm medication and left a dose for Friday, any kid with worms will not have them by Friday night. We gave them a good medical look and found them to be very healthy. Because this is a fishing village there diet consists of rice and fish a great source of protein which many Haitians lack in their diet. We departed Anse Rouge leaving a group of very thankful people. In there own way they wanted us to thank all who made the trip possible and the purchase of all the food. Mission accomplished.

Arriving back in Bon Rapos we prepared to re-visit Caannan 3 with medicine we lacked in the first clinic. We also have a list of people who need this medicine so it makes things much easier. Today we head back to the camp for more clinics. Again Thankyou to all who made this possible. A  reminder to all who donate, You have fed many hungry people and helped save a untold number of people.

We have had 2 great days assisting the poor and sick. Sat. we had a clinic at Cannan #3. The tent city is so large is broken down 2 3 areas. It was nice to see several water bladders spread out thru the camps. We estimate there are close to 20,000 people who occupy a very vast piece of land. Upon my return I will post pictures for you so you can get an idea of how large it really is.

Ok Nancy Monday morning we take the 42 minute flight to Anse Rouge to Feed the Kids. Thank-you for your on going blessings to us. I can’t wait to take a head count. Food for 5 to 6 months will be purchased in the open Market. The kids will get a physical, anything serious we can’t take care of we will bring them back to Port Au Prince to a Hospital.

We have been lucky to have been able to reach out to so many. Today is Sunday and everyone is in church until the end of the day. This gives us time to help with our other project which is the rebuilding of Barbra Walker’s Orphanage. The buildings are going up fast and with cement columns and re-rod every second course of block, it will make it hard to bring down if another earthquake hits. The extra expense is in the name of safety for the children.

When I look around and see what has been done since the quake at Barbs Village, it shouts aloud with tribute to all who donated. Port Au Prince is still a pile of rubble with 2% cleaned up. Contractors have contracts but no money from from donor Nations has arrived. Bill Clinton was here Friday and Sat. taking about this. It is really a political mess, and only the people suffer.

There is no internet service in Anse Rouge, so upon our return we will give you an update. Thank-you to all who made this possible.

                                                                                              Pat

Today we are grounded. Riots in the streets so no one goes out. This will cost us 1 day at camp Cannan. The past 3 days have been good. We have fed many and cured some ills. On Thursday we worked in City Soleil, the worst and most dangerous place in Haiti. We did a medical clinic with Samaritan’s Purse under heavy guard. We found our patients just as kid and gentle as all we run into. But never let your guard down there. You can get robbed, kidnapped or both. With that said I would return anytime.

Saturday we will do another clinic at Camp Cannann. Unable to go anywhere today it gives us time to re-group and plan our next moves. Monday we fly to Anse Rouge at 8:15 and 42 minutes we are there buying food and giving our kids a physical and taking care of any problems we can fix. Tuesday we will be back by 10:30am and start another clinic at Cannann. By the way home to 11,000 hungry people.

On a final note, I have been to Haiti many times in July and August but it has never been this hot. The heat index every day by 1:00pm is 115 to 120. It really tires you very fast and bed time is 8:30pm. Lets pray for no more of the evening thunderstorms. We have been able to do so much this trip thanks to all that donate. God Bless each and everyone of you.

                                       Pat

Again the weather at night keeps us off the Internet. Yesterday was the hottest day I have ever spent in Haiti. Our work stopped at 2:00 pm. As did most of the market places along the roadway in Bon Rapos. We were able to de-worm the children next door and provide Rice and Beans for them until Dave Phillips next load of food arrives. Part of the day was planing our next move. Today we go to Camp Delta at the American Embassy to arrange a ride in a Army Black Hawk Helo to Anse Rouge. There are so many people in dire need here  that it is impossible to help all. We plan on reaching out to at least 1000 on this trip.

We have a ton of medicine and supplies to keep us going to the 12th of August. Please pray the military will air lift us to our Orphanage. One way or the other we will get there. There is a sense in the streets that tings are going to boil over. The Haitian people can take a lot, but soon taey won’t put up with much more. I can’t tell you how it looks to see the despair in the faces of people who are starving. So the more connections we make here the more people will be feed. Haiti is in need of medical teams to work the tent cities. The Earthquake has changed the way we have to go about our mission, and as Always the children come first. Tonight of the severe thunderstorms don’t pop up I will have more to report.

Pat

Landed on time for once on the 30th, even the baggage got here unlike last time. I am trying to get this in before the next thunderstorm arrives. Both nights the Internet was down. I found our orphanage we have been supporting in Bon Rapos in very good shape. Dave Phillips has been bringing rice and beans each week. Yesterday was a planning day. We have plenty of medicine and no shortage of people who need it. I am still trying to arrange a flight to Anse Rouge to get our kids fed for the next 6 months. Today Missy, Lucian, myself and Sister Mary got word of a tent city being run by an American Nun,Sister Mary Finnick. She has 600 people in her back yard and very little support. Everyone we saw seemed healthy withe

the exception of several amputee’s. I left her with 2 stock bottles of antibiotics. What is even better she is a nurse. We will return to make sure all are ok. For all of you who have kept up with the blog, Port Au Prince looks no different than it did when the quake hit. There is so much suffering here is is hard to comprehend. We will do what we can to ease the pain for as many as possible. It is tough this trip because of the heat. UPPER 90’s and heat index of 115. We just dring lots of water and it keeps us going. We kick into high gear Monday and I will report each day. Thank-you to all who donate to our cause, your donations have saved many lives and eased a ton of suffering.

Pat

Andrew and I will be leaving for Haiti on July 30th for a 15 day Mission Trip. July like January is the time we purchase 6 months worth of food for our Orphanage in Anse Rouge. This trip North will take on a new twist for us. Instead of spending 2 days in a truck, that’s 1 day up and 1 day back we will fly to Anse Rouge to save time. After all the food is purchased, we will do a medical clinic for the kids and for the people in the village. Upon our return to Bon Rapos we will spend the the rest of our days in Camp Cannaan doing medical clinics. When we left in April the camp was home to 5500, now it’s population exceeds 11,000. Hard to imagine that 6 months after the quake there are still hundreds maybe thousands that have never received any secondary care for their injuries. This camp as I have mentioned is built on the old junk yard, and the living conditions are unlike anything I have ever seen. In the late afternoon and evening we will be giving Barbara Walker a had at her village where we will be staying. As always children will be our first priority. With the masses of people who need medical help for such things as scabies, infections, malaria and children with parasites we need your prayers. Also anyone wishing to donate to the cause would really help. The airlines has put a restriction on the number of bags we can take so much of the medicine will be purchased in Port Au Prince providing they have it. We will report each day on what occurred during our trip. Remember cloud cover makes it very hard to connect to the internet so the postings may be a day late.

I spoke with Missy Whitesell at the Village 2 days ago and she reports Barb’s rebuilding project is going strong. Soon more orphans will arrive to be adopted. Barb is getting help from teams of people connected to Churches from around the U.S. Brian Tidwell in charge of re-building is due back on the 21st. Brian has the Bug, he will end up making several more trips and will get into doing other things. I spoke with Admil at Pastor Capre’s home yesterday. They are still living outside despite the fact the house only has a couple of minor cracks. They are scared. I would like Stenio to go to Jean Rabel and stay up there. He as people in Port Au Prince to look after the 2 homes. He can return when needed, and by staying in the Mountains he is close to our Orphanage in Anse Rouge and his new church in the North. We are planning our trip for July. This trip we will buy food for the kids at the orphanage for 6 months and then return to Bon Rapos to work in the tent cities. The greatest need is there. Of course our first mission will be to take care of Pastor Capre, and then Barbara Walker. Stenio is in Michigan and will Be getting his Physical from Dr. Pat Kut on Tuesday. Please don’t forget Haiti, it is now when help is most needed to keep people alive eat her by Medical Clinics or thru our feeding program. More updates to come.

                                                                  Pat

The Team has made 2 trips to Haiti since the Earthquake on 01/12/10. About 5 weeks has been spent helping those in need. Our second trip saw 2 newcomer’s joining the team. Jobie Neucks Andrews sister-in-law and also a P.A. and Joel LaGore Andrews brother-in-law. Jobie preformed her tasks in the most horrid conditions like a true pro. In a tent where we set up the clinic, the temperature inside 100 plus she was amazing. Andrew and Joel handled the medication and I also took care of people. There was a bitter sweet moment as a man approached and said a lady was giving birth. I helped bring a life into the world, a beautiful little girl. We tied off the cord, suctioned her nose and mouth, cleaned her up. All of this occurred at Camp Cannen. A tent city of 5500 men, women and children. As I held the baby I thought what a way to enter the world, she was born in a junk yard. Her home was a sweltering tent, her mother barley had enough Brest milk to keep her fed, in part because she has not eaten in many days. We treated children covered with scabies and a host of other problems to the best of our ability. After 61 trips I thought I had seen it all, but 5500 people living in a junk yard took the cake. A new life brought into this world and the list goes on. I think I can speak for the rest of group by saying this trip has left me and my Friends with Emotional Scars that will never go away. The last time I cried is when my Mother died in 1993. That night after a bucket bath and a nice dinner I retired to my room. As I laid there trying to sleep on clean sheets a pillow and a fan knocking down the heat, I shed many tears for those people. They were sleeping on the dirty ground with no sheets, no pillow and no fan. There had not been a food drop in 3 weeks. People who had almost nothing to start with now HAD NOTHING AT ALL. Where was the food. As we learned from our dear friend Dave Phillips who is with Samaritans Purse the President Rene Preval ordered no more food distributions to tent cities. Why? Well it’s Haiti and that is the way it goes, tons of food sitting there waiting to be trucked to the starving and the President let’s his own People starve. The people of Haiti are at their knees, it has gone from bad to worse. The fate of many has been left to the Missionaries. The large aid organization’s are held captive by the presidential order NO FOOD. WE can only pray that conditions improve. Our group is so very grateful to the people who donated. You brought aid and comfort to hundreds. Another pat on the back to the Miami Hospital located at the airport. They are still going strong and working until they almost drop. They turn no one away and were a big help to us when we needed medication. Thank-you Jobie, Joel and Andrew for an outstanding Job. We get to do it again in early August. Please don’t forget Haiti, they are going to need help for years. They are a gentelkind people who deserve a much better way of life. As we continue to serve the poor of Haiti we can and will make life just a little better for all the people we touch. Thank-you again for your support, together we can make make a huge difference.

Pat

The Harvest of Haiti Team is Home from trip #2. Andrew, Jobie and Joel did a wounderful job taking care of the sick and injured. For Jobie and Joel it was their 1st. trip and they saw Haiti at it”s worst. We saw things that no one should have to see. The I.D.P camp #9 was home to 5501 people. The camp was set on an old garbage dump and people were living on the dirt with cement blocks for pillows. Children were covered with scabies, flea bites and a host of other skin problems. Ear infections and malaria were ramped. No Water and no food were present. I went thru at least 100 tents and found less that 2 lbs. of rice. Each week a couple die of hunger and a host of other medical problems. We were the first medical team to go into the camp and were over whelmed with all the problems. We did the best we could do. Thanks to all of your donations we were able to supply food to many hungry Men, women and children. There were 3 day we encountered very heavy rains. It caused major flooding and made living in the tent cities unbearable. Since the quake things have gotten worse. Rene Preval the President of Haiti has stopped all food distribution’s. Tons of food sit in aid agencies. The only way to get fed is to work and the agencies have hired many as possible, but there is not 1.5 million jobs. The result of this is many will die of hunger. As we think of the things we did, we will work on the 3rd. trip and try to reach more people in need. A lot of thought and planning will go into this. August will be the next trip. We feed our children again for 66 months. Barbara Walker from Reach out to Haiti which we support donated a generator for our orphanage along with food and medical supplies. Thanks Barb your the greatest. We also gave Barb more money to assist in rebuilding her orphanage, soon she will fill back up and people will begin again the adoption process. Her mission is so important there. She has been at this for over 20 years adopting well over 1200 children out to countries all over the world. We keep in touch every week in Haiti and as new information is passed on I will post it. Thanks to all who helped make life a little better for so many of the suffering. With out your support none of this would be possible.    

                                                                             Pat