HAITI IS A WAR-ZONE

OUR PASTORS NEED ENCOURAGEMENT

HAITIAN ORPHANS AT CHRISTIAN RETREAT


     Hotel in Jacmel where Jerry always stays.

Words and photos cannot fully express the destructive scale of the earthquake tragedy that we witnessed in Haiti last week.  Downtown Port-Au-Prince looks like a war-zone.  Most of the buildings like the one above are destroyed or broken-up beyond repair. 


 

 A word from Pastor Phil: I traveled to Haiti through the Dominican Republic, accompanied by three others from our ministry, Scott Gerhart, Paolo Costa, and Jerry Schmidt.  Each one of our team was uniquely qualified with missionary experience and a deep love for the people of Haiti.   My goal was to travel across the country encouraging our Haitian Pastors and organizing a channel for long term distribution of humanitarian aid and re-construction supplies.

Our ministry, Gospel Crusade, Inc., has been incorporated and operating in Haiti now for 57 years under the French name, Croisade Evangelique International.  Our network of 200+ churches spreads throughout Haiti and provides schooling for some 10,000 children and a daily food program for 5,000.   These Haitian pastors and teachers are caring, committed, leaders who love their country and the Haitian people.  We can encourage them at this time of crisis by sending help of any kind.

Orphans
     Pastor Phil with the little children in Haiti.

We are preparing to receive up to 100 orphans from Haiti, boys and girls, at our Christian Retreat Center in Bradenton, Florida.   This, of course, is pending government approval, a national issue under debate at this time.   Actually, it's not a difficult decision for us. Over the past 57 years, our mission organization in Haiti has nurtured and supported a host of orphan children.

EIGHT REGIONAL
DISTRIBUTION CENTERS

JERRY WITH I.V.B.I. DIRECTOR
CAROL GIBBS



Pastor Roger Gibbs is the Director of our I.V.B.I. in Lamentin.  Shown here with Jerry is Pastor Gibbs wife Carol Gibbs and her 4 children.

                  OUR ORPHANAGES
In our own orphanages we currently have more than 100 children who are living outdoors because the buildings are severely damaged and need to be repaired or rebuilt.   We'd like to temporarily bring the children to Christian Retreat while these repairs are made.  

These are certified orphans who have lived in our orphanages for years.  On my trip last week, I brought back birth certificates for the children and death certificates for most of their parents.  

We are simply offering to help by caring for the orphans for whom we are partially responsible. We are also looking into the adoption process and taking names of good parents who are interested in adopting a Haitian orphan.
We are focusing our efforts on the establishment of eight regional Distribution Centers to receive shipping containers or other bulk deliveries of relief aid throughout Haiti.   After meeting with some of our Haitian leaders and observing the operation of relief efforts on the ground, it is apparent that many organizations are generously sending relief to the nation, but are having difficulty getting it into the hands of needy people.  

Our Distribution Centers are walled, gated and secure church properties with honest, capable leadership.   We are sending 20' shipping containers to these locations and we will offer the help of our Distribution Centers to any other churches and organizations that want to send bulk supplies to Haiti.

MASSIVE AID AGENCIES CONTINUE TO PREPARE

EVERYONE IS DISPLACED AND LIVING IN TENTS

TENT CITY IN LAMENTIN COMPOUND

There is aid already in the country waiting to be distributed, and the body of Christ is there ready to meet the need and get the aid to the people.  The relief organizations want to see an American there taking charge.  We need someone on the ground in the country to receive the containers that we are sending and see that they go to where they are supposed to go. 

Jerry says, "I believe God is calling me to be the person to take charge of this situation.  I also want to get back to work with the humanitarian aid workers there to receive goods from them and tap into what has been already shipped into the country while there is a window of opportunity.

Time is critical, at the present time people are sleeping on the ground with plastic or tarps over them.  The rainy season starts in March or April.  Once the rain starts coming, it will bring new problems.  The people will be more susceptible to disease, and mosquitoes carrying malaria.  They need adequate shelter, food, and water NOW!"

Everyone is afraid to go into any standing building for fear it will fall on them.  Everyone is traumatized.  They are still having tremors, and buildings are still falling.  Everyone has lost family members.  There are still 150,000 children missing that are buried under the rubble of school buildings.  

Many of the streets are blocked either by people sleeping under plastic or tarps, or from rubble from collapsed buildings.  The tents and tarps are strung across the streets which make most of the streets impassable.  I have never in my life seen such a mess. 

Latest reports say over 230 thousand killed, hundreds of thousands left homeless, and millions in need of humanitarian aid and medical assistance just to survive.  I believe I am the one to get the aid out to the people through our network of pastors.

Refugee Camp

This picture was taken at a compound in Lamentin.  We stood up on a roof taking pictures of the mission house (back right corner) and field.  There are approx. 15,000- 20,000 people living inside this compound. I walked through makeshift tent cities where thousands of families are now living, desperately in need of food, water, and medical supplies.  My heart broke when I saw my friends so desperate, I wept for them

COLLECTION CENTERS SET UP FOR DROP OFF

I PLAN TO GO BACK TO HAITI IN ANOTHER WEEK OR SO

WE NEED CASH DONATIONS

Schmidt International Ministries and Gospel Crusade are collecting relief supplies and packing 20' shipping containers at a local warehouse and at Christian Retreat.   As soon as a container is filled, it will be shipped and distributed to the needy in Haiti.  

Items we plan to send in are: Food, medical supplies, feminine products, baby food & items, toiletries, and mosquito nets.

HAITI RELIEF COLLECTION CENTERS:
1.) Christian Retreat 1201 Glory Way Blvd, Bradenton, FL 34212 (941) 746-2882.
2.) Halea Group 6215-E 29th St. E. Bradenton, FL 34203
(941)727-1261. (301 & 63rd Ave E)
3.) New Life Worship Center 2105 Worrington St, Sarasota, FL  34231 (941) 727-1261
4.) Bayshore Baptist 6502 14th St W, Bradenton, FL
(941)727-1261

 I believe the time is critical to get the aid to the people, and I believe this is a perfect opportunity for the church to rise up and meet the needs of the people in Haiti both physically and spiritually says Jerry.

 
Jerry holding a child at the children's home in Lamentin.

Thank you in advance for your love and compassion.   And remember the promise of God in Proverbs 19:17 (NIV) "He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done."

Frankly, that's what we need most.   We are receiving generous donations of relief supplies, but food is the most important thing they need at this time.  We have a contact to purchase rice, beans, and cooking oil below wholesale prices.  We plan to purchase pallets of these items and send in quickly in 20' containers.  

Additionally, we need to put cash into the hands of our leaders in Haiti for gasoline, equipment repairs, and various incidentals that are not being donated.   

While I was in Haiti we left cash with our leaders at every stop, along with the donation of food and supplies.   It's impossible for us to meet all the needs that they face at this time, but cash gives them more options.  

You can give on line here or simply mail your donations to: Schmidt Int'l Ministries, P.O. Box 10026, Bradenton, Fl  34282  Mark your donation for Haiti Relief.   And stay tuned to our website for more pictures and updates on our Haiti Relief efforts.