A Prayer from Willem

This prayer was recorded by Willem in the summer of 2009 when he and his family visited Chicago and met The Red Thread Promise. It was released just before the devastating earthquake. Please, say a prayer for Haiti.

It's A Small World After All...

Yes, that song is humming through my mind right now. As I am still trying to catch up on emails, I ran across links sent to me a few days ago to 2 different news articles that I'd like to share with you.

Chicago-Area Volunteers Treat Hundreds in Haiti (WLS-TV Chicago)

North Shore Medical Team in Haiti Pressed into Action (Chicago Tribune)

Both are about the amazing 23 person medical team from Chicago that was serving at Mountain Top Ministries while Kathy was there teaching ESL classes. She was blessed to meet all of the members of the group since their trips overlapped by several days and they were sharing the same space. The energetic team remained in Haiti after Kathy wrapped up the first week of English classes and returned to the US. Little did the team members know how much their services would be needed in the coming days.

The group was led by Sue Walsh, a dynamic lady that The Red Thread Promise was privileged to meet in July 2009. She was hosting a fundraiser for (drumroll please...) Mountain Top Ministries. The event happened to be over the same weekend that TRTP was having a board meeting in Chicago. At the fundraiser, the TRTP board met Willem, his wife Beth and their sons in person for the first time. [Pictured from left to right: Sonja (TRTP), Jen (TRTP), Laney (TRTP), Willem (MTM), Kathy (TRTP), Doug (TRTP)] Their energy was infectious and their passion for Willem's home country, Haiti, was overwhelming. It was an evening to remember and so I did tonight, over 6 months later.

I find these kind of coincidences and ironies comforting in a way. It reinforces in my mind that there truly is a red thread of destiny connecting us all. If only we are willing to grasp it and keep an open mind as to where it may lead. That same red thread is pulling us to help our brothers and sisters in Haiti. If you feel the tug of the unseen thread, please consider contributing to our Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund. Our mailing address, Global Giving and PayPal buttons are on the right in the sidebar. Mark your donation with "earthquake" in the subject line and 100% of the donation will go directly to Haiti.

Meeting Evenson

(Author's note: My apologies that several days have passed since we have posted. We are playing catch up with hundreds of email regarding The Red Thread Promise, some of them going back to early January and the wrap up of our first week of teaching English in Haiti. Of course, as soon as the earthquake hit, information about the conditions in Haiti took priority over the ESL posts and all of the other great work TRTP is doing. While our focus is still on earthquake relief, we wanted to share some final thoughts on our first week teaching English as well as some information about Jacob's Fund. That being said, some of these posts are not in chronological order for which I apologize in advance.)

While Kathy was in Haiti the week prior to the earthquake, she had the opportunity to meet Evenson in person, the adorable little boy that we are raising surgical funds for in Haiti. He is a student at Mountain Top Ministries (MTM) school so she was able to meet him during one of her trips there to teach.

Evenson is a lively 9-year-old boy who lives with his family. At birth, it was noted that he had an unusual appendage growing from his chest (shown in the bottom photo). Until now, limited access to health care resources made it unclear whether surgical removal of the mass could be easily done in his home country or if he would need to travel to the U.S. for treatment.

Through the efforts and partnership of The Red Thread Promise and Mountain Top Ministries, Evenson recently had xrays and CT scans performed that shows there is no significant internal organ involvement. He will be able to have surgery to remove the mass. The only thing that prevents Evenson from receiving his long-awaited medical treatment is the cost of the procedure, estimated at $3,000.

Kathy had the privilege of giving Evenson and his family a basket full of food (oatmeal, cookies, milk, black beans, rice, fish, peanut butter, fortified salt, Itala spaghetti, etc.) from The Red Thread Promise. We wanted him to know that we hadn't forgotten our promise to provide him with this surgery and were working toward that goal. (Little did we know how meaningful that basket would become for his family with the impending earthquake just days away.)

We are excited to share that an energetic team of med students and residents at Tulane and University hospitals in New Orleans have teamed to raise the funds necessary for Evenson's surgery. They are an ambitious group and have also volunteered to raise funds for Christopher's travel and other necessities when he comes to the US for evaluation of his sickle cell anemia. We are blessed to have such a great group dedicated to helping these two boys. This help is even more critical since the earthquake has made medical care in Haiti difficult to say the least.

If you would like to assist The Red Thread Promise in our treatment of Evenson or Christopher, please consider giving a tax-deductible donation via the PayPal link on the right or sending a check to our New Orleans office.

If you are associated with either Tulane or University hospital and would like to help, please contact TRTP board member, Jennifer Avegno at 504.301.5058.

St. Paul's Prayer Vigil

St. Paul's Episcopal Church has partnered with The Red Thread Promise to provide relief in Haiti. The photo above is from their prayer vigil on Friday. Father Scott shares his thoughts about the dedication of the people of New Orleans to help Haitians:

"The people of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in New Orleans are a people who, when we think of our sisters and brothers in Haiti at this time of crisis and tragedy, truly do know what it means. After Hurricane Katrina, the hearts and hands of people across America joined together in compassion and cooperation to help us and stand by us, even to this very day. Having received so much that we could never pay back, we committed ourselves to honoring the gift of God working through others by paying those gifts forward. We cannot help but see ourselves in the people of Haiti. We believe the Spirit of God is moving us to stand by the people of Haiti in any way we can. And we are committed to doing this, to walking with the people of Haiti on this long journey ahead as their companions, for however long that journey takes and to wherever it leads."

~Father Scott Albergate, Rector of St. Paul's Church

New Orleans Church Reaches Out

St. Paul's Episcopal church grasped the red thread of destiny on Friday when the church agreed to partner with TRTP to raise funds for relief in the devastated country of Haiti. Over 1,000 parishioners and the media were invited to join in a prayer vigil to praise God and petition for comfort and healing for our brothers and sisters abroad.

With the church's campaign, Haiti: New Orleans Stands By You, St. Paul's encourages parishioners to get involved and do whatever they can for the Haitian people. Their appeal includes supporting the efforts of The Red Thread Promise. TRTP was brought to the attention of St. Paul's by TRTP Co-founder and President, Kathy Korge Albergate, who also serves as the church's Director of Global Missions.

WWL-TV in Louisiana has recognized both St. Paul's and The Red Thread Promise on their website promoting local groups that are actively involved in relief efforts.

The New Orleans Times-Picayune has some good advice for finding a reputable charity through which to donate. In response to their criteria, The Red Thread Promise fits the bill:

Yes, we have an onground presence in Haiti. We are operating an ESL program at Mountain Top Ministries. We volunteer at and provide medical care to special needs orphans at Rivers of Hope orphanage. We have our airplane tickets (that were purchased prior to the earthquake) and are scheduled to go to Haiti January 30 - February 3, 2010 assuming we are not blocked by either the US or the Haitian government.

TRTP has been in existence since 2001. We are currently incorporated in the state of Pennsylvania and Louisiana and are a certified 501(c)(3) organization.

We always ask that people write checks to The Red Thread Promise and we promptly provide a tax receipt. All donations are tax deductible to the full extent of the law.

At the heart of the organization is a dedicated group of volunteers and donors who value the lives of children, regardless of nationality or religion.

Light in the Darkness

With all of the news of the devastation in Haiti, there is a bit of light in the darkness. A group of 14 seventh and eighth graders in a small Montessori school in Ohio decided to help.

After hearing the news on Tuesday, I asked for permission to do a presentation at my children's school on Wednesday afternoon to suggest a community service project for the children. As always, they welcomed me into the class during their community meeting at the end of the school day.

You see, I was already Haiti-bound prior to the earthquake. Plans had been made and tickets had been purchased for me to accompany Kathy on the next ESL trip Jan 30 - Feb 5. We were organizing a supply collection of items that are expensive to purchase in Haiti to take along for the orphanage. I was tasked with 2T and 3T toddler pull-ups as well as children's chewable vitamins. Following the news of the earthquake, it seemed like it was even more important that we gather as much as American Airlines will allow us to carry in our suitcases!

So, I met with the kids. We sat in the small ampi-theater and they listened to me tell about my involvement with The Red Thread. We discussed the earthquake, the Richter magnitude scale, the island of Hispanola, the unemployment and poverty of Haiti, Rivers of Hope orphanage and Mountain Top Ministries. They asked thoughtful questions such as:

• Why is the unemployment level so high?
• Are there not enough jobs?
• Do people not want the jobs?
• How can people live on so little?
• How many people are hurt?
• Do you know how many died?

Then we talked about ways they could help. I told them about the pull-ups and the vitamins. But they wanted to know what else was on the list since it wasn't enough just to collect those items. Then one of them suggested doing a pizza fundraiser for the entire elementary school and everyone readily agreed. They even decided to write an article for the school newspaper and made fliers for the fundraiser (which were in the parent mailboxes today!).

As students were picked up by their parents, they told them excitedly about the items they "have to go buy". For them, helping wasn't something to think about doing—it was what they were going to do and they had already begun! When I left the classroom, my heart was ready to burst. These kids were on fire and so willing to help people that they will probably never meet.

We can learn something from these children. Even at 11, 12, 13 and 14 years old, we can join these young adults and be compassion in action. I can't wait to see what these kids accomplish. Regardless of the amount of money or supplies, it will be something to be remembered.

Today's News from Haiti

Well, there hasn't been much news today from our contacts in Haiti.

This morning, Willem said: "Singing on the mountain again tonight. No internet all day—absolutely no communications today (nerve racking!). Had a hard tremor at about 4:00. We have 13 children (15 counting Stephen & David) on our living room floor sleeping tonight. The children became frightened after the tremor & the nanny needed to find out about her own family. We have food, water & are safe. Please continue to pray."

Later this afternoon he stated that people are literally sleeping in the streets because they are so afraid of the tremors. More patients made the long trek to Mountain Top Ministries' gates today in search of medical treatment. It is heartbreaking that the hospitals are turning people away because they have no supplies.

According to NPR news, there will be a series of health aftershocks in Haiti. Experts expect that many more people will die from untreated injuries and complications from injuries. There may be a second wave of deaths caused by lack of clean water, housing and sanitation. Finally, another wave will ensue when food runs out. (For the full story, visit NPR.)

Please pray that necessities like clean water, food and medical supplies are provided to those in need. Thankfully, our contacts are okay, but thousands of people are not. If you would like to make a difference and help get those supplies to the Haitian people, please make a donation to our Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund. As always, the mailing address, Global Giving and PayPal buttons are on the right in the sidebar. Mark your donation with "earthquake" in the subject line and the funds will go directly to Haiti.

And, most importantly, keep Haiti in your thoughts and prayers.