Travelers log - Day 4 in Haiti

Tom fitting a patient with reading glasses.

Kathy teaching a family how to open a bottle of vitamins.

Kathy, Tom and Christel checking patients in.

Angela, Pastor Mike and Sean preparing the room for a new patient.

Angela and Tom working together.

Today we worked in the clinic again doing a variety of tasks, including taking and recording patients' temperatures and weight, fitting people for eyeglasses, applying scabies ointment and keeping the clinic as tidy as possible with the volume of people coming through the doors. 185 patients were served by our team.

The highlight of our day was a short trip to Rivers of Hope orphanage where we were able to talk with Rachoul about the operation and HOLD THE BABIES.

The facility is beautiful and is just like a home. It has a living room, dining / sunroom, a large bedroom / playroom with bunk beds, cribs and a play area that opens onto a patio. The grounds are well-kept with several connecting outdoor areas, including a small toddler-sized playground.

But the most beautiful aspect is the children. They are so happy and content in their environment with their extended family. There are 4 nannies, 3 onsite at all times caring for the children. We enjoyed spending time with the kids and got to hold most of them, including Christopher.

Thankfully, 6 of 7 babies are matched with families. Rachoul is looking forward to the arrival of 5 new babies this week. We are hoping to meet some of these new faces before we return to the US on Saturday.

We delivered suitcases full of supplies that, in Rachoul's words, "made my day." She gave us all big hugs and was so pleased with the soy milk, vitamins, baby food and diapers. The orphanage shelves are fully stocked again and she was thrilled.

Haiti trip

You may have noticed that the posts this week are still coming from the US. Our trip to Gramothe, Haiti, was originally planned for January 30 - February 5 to complete our second week of the ESL program. However, due to the unrest in Haiti following the earthquake, our hosts at Mountain Top Ministries (MTM) requested that we wait a few more weeks before visiting.

In the words of Willem and Beth: At this time, Haiti is far too volatile and MTM cannot guarantee provisions nor security for our groups [visitors]. WE STILL NEED YOU! Please, we ask that you stand ready to come and that you would stand with us in prayer to make wise decisions about Mountain Top Ministries teams that travel to Haiti.

In a short while, all of the aid will leave Haiti, but the people will continue to desperately need your care and assistance. There will still be much work to do.

• Please, do what you can where you are at to keep people praying for Haiti and giving toward the purchase of medical supplies, food and building materials. Encourage Red Thread supporters to do the same. MTM is totally engaged in relief aid at this time. Again, we must all be busy doing what we can, where we are.
• Please, pray, pray, pray and pray some more for this little country. We are confident that God is in control. We can never encompass the scope of His plan, but we trust that He has one and we will continue to be obedient to what He has called us to do.

Thank you for your faithfulness to this ministry, we can't do it without you. We deeply appreciate your friendship as well as your partnership for the glory of God in Haiti.

And that's just what The Red Thread Promise has been doing: praying, coordinating Christopher's care, helping to identify potential adoptive families for Rivers of Hope's orphans, collecting much needed supplies that we will hand carry in suitcases when we travel to Haiti, and (of course) raising money to send to MTM and ROH. We have already sent over $6,000 to Willem, Beth and Rachoul so they can purchase the supplies they need for Mountain Top Ministries and Rivers of Hope orphanage. And the donations keep coming.

Please take heed to Willem and Beth's request and continue to support Haiti through your prayers and donations to The Red Thread Promise. Our plan prior to the earthquake was to create a long-term relationship with the country of Haiti. This plan has not changed. Our support of the Haitian people will not wane with time, when the earthquake is no longer a top news story. Rest assured, we will be there, on the ground, working with the orphans, providing medical care and teaching English for many years to come.

ORPHAN UPDATE - Christopher

We are so grateful to all of you who have reached out to us to see how you can help the children of Rivers of Hope orphanage following the earthquake. Your support in prayers, email and donations has been astounding. It is amazing to see how a tragedy can really bring people together and bring out our own compassionate spirits. The silken red thread of destiny is indeed visible again.

At this time, we are particularly concerned about Christopher, the adorable two-year-old with sickle-cell disease. Previously, when Christopher would suffer a sickle-cell attack, the orphanage staff would take him to the hospital for emergency treatments. For obvious reasons, this isn't an option right now.

In late December / early January, we were working out the details with Tulane Hospital to bring Christopher to meet with sickle-cell specialists in New Orleans. The specialists have graciously agreed to access Christopher and prepare a more sustainable and preventative treatment plan, addressing his ongoing medical needs. In the midst of the planning process, the earthquake hit. If Christopher's treatment plan in his native country was difficult to accomplish prior to the earthquake, it is much more complex now, causing The Red Thread Promise to accelerate our plans to bring him to the United States.

In order to bring him to New Orleans, Rachoul, Rivers of Hope director, is working tirelessly to get Christopher a visa so we can expedite his trip. Thankfully she managed to secure his passport on January 29, 2010. Stateside, our mountain of paperwork is moving along as quickly as possible. One of the many things we have to do is prove to the Haitian government that we have been in contact with and worked with Christopher prior to the quake.

Please check in for more details in the coming weeks. In the meantime, if you want to make a real difference in the life of one needy Haitian orphan, please consider donating to help cover Christopher's expenses. Tulane has put together an incredibly generous package for his treatment, but we still need your help to cover travel and other expenses.

Earthquake Update

It is Wednesday morning and we have more news from Willem:

1/13/10

1:00 am

After shocks stopped for a while but they're starting back up again. The church in Gramothe is all lit up & the whole village must be there praising the Lord! Talk about a city on a hill!

1/13/10

4:20 am

The team returned at about 2AM, exhausted physically & emotionally. They were able to help at least 100 people w/severe trauma injuries. We are grateful for your prayers, please do not stop. Morning will bring more for us to face.

The Red Thread Promise has set up a Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund. We will send any contributions marked "earthquake" directly to Mountain Top Ministries and Rivers of Hope Orphanage. While we may not be there to physically to help, we can certainly make a difference by allowing both organizations to purchase food and supplies for those in need. Our mailing address and PayPal button are on the right. All donations are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law.

Get the latest at NPR News. There is a photo gallery there of some of the devastation (image above is from NPR). Viewer discretion is advised.

Please continue to keep Haiti, it's people—its' visitors, its' government, its' orphans—in your thoughts and prayers.

Earthquake in Haiti

As you all know, Kathy just returned from Haiti on Friday from a week of teaching English at the Mountain Top Ministries School. The plan for tonight's post was to give a summary of the week. But that post will have to wait since the more pressing issue at hand is the tremendous earthquake that hit Haiti this afternoon.

At 5:40 I received a call from a TRTP supporter alerting us of the breaking news in Haiti. Since we were on our way to celebrate my son's 9th birthday, my husband's iPhone became an even hotter commodity than usual as we kept checking NRP for more details. My phone was ringing off the hook from concerned supporters throughout the meal and the drive home.

"Have you heard from Rivers of Hope and Mountain Top Ministries?"

"Is everyone okay?"

"Do you know any details about the hospital that collapsed?"

Thankfully, the second we reached home there were many emails from Kathy. Although the phone lines to Haiti were constantly busy, she was able to get email through to Rachoul (Rivers of Hope).

1/12/10 @ 6:09 pm

Thank GOD everything is ok at the orphanage. I didn't want to leave them [the children] here, so I am still there [at the orphanage]. The problem is we still feel the earthquake [tremors] every 5 minutes. It never stopped. I think it the 20th one we feel. I don't know what is happening but it's something frightening. We don't know what can happen.

I heard that lots of building were damage. But we are in good shape. The children are playing. Dayana and Xavier just left the hospital today finally.

Willem and Beth are ok.the team is ok. Now they are helping people from Gramothe, because their houses are damaged.

Thank you for your concern.

Blessings
Rachel

I then checked FaceBook and Willem (Mountain Top Ministries) has been posted. Thank God for technology!

1/12/10 @ 7:51pm

Pray for Haiti tonight. Our family & guests are fine. Our structures are fine. The med team has been mobilized to help at the Bap. Mission hospital. It will be a long night for them. Please pray for their stamina & ability to endure what is before them. Phone lines are down, no communication except for those crying for their dead. Thank you all in advance for your prayers.

1/12/10 @ 8:00pm

Phone lines seem to be opening, but not fully. Have had 2 light tremors over the last hour. It may be a while before any new news.There is much that will be revealed in the morning light. Right now it's dark but people are still crying out in the night.

1/12/10 @ 9:00pm

The Gramothe church is open & there is singing up there. Another local church is having a singing service. Praise God! The tremors still continue.

Please keep all of the people from Haiti in your prayers. There is much work to be done in the coming days and months.

You can find the latest on the earthquake from NPR News.

We're Getting Closer To Our $3,000 Goal!

We've received 43 donations, totally $1,795. Thank you for your prayers and financial support, as Jen and Kathy prepare for the trip to Haiti. Please continue to share information about our non-profit organization with friends and family who have a heart for providing for orphans. Can't wait to share information with you about the trip to Haiti!

Heading to Haiti!

Kathy and Jen, two board members from The Red Thread Promise, are heading to Haiti soon. We learned of Rivers of Hope Orphanage, located in Manothe, Haiti, through a friend who is in the process of adopting from Haiti. Jen and Kathy will be meeting with Rachoul, the Director of Rivers of Hope, in person, to assess the needs of the orphanage, and determine if TRTP can provide support. While they'll be packing light, they're taking several suitcases filled with supplies for the orphanage. The priority will be medical supplies, and we'll also be sending personal hygiene items. The biggest goal of the trip is to determine the needs, and develop a plan for supporting the infants and toddlers who live at River of Hope. You can donate by clicking on the Global Giving button on the top, right, sidebar. Thank you for your support, whether it is a prayer for this trip, or a donation.