Colorado Baptist Disaster Relief - Haiti Update

Posted Thu, 2010-01-14 12:40 by Christy McDonie
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Thank you all for your continued prayer and your sacrificial gifts to this effort.  There have been a number of Colorado Baptist churches that I am aware of that have given to the relief efforts in Haiti and I am sure many more that I am not.  Below you will find the most current information regarding SBDR response to Haiti, with commentary in italics.


1. Southern Baptist (SB) Disaster Relief Operation

  • SB assessment team to return to Florida for debriefing on Tuesday.
  • SB Disaster Relief network to enter the strategy development phase.
  • SB Disaster Relief volunteers are not first responders (i.e. military, fire fighter, police officers, rescue & recovery teams).  While some of our volunteers may actually be first responders by trade/career, we are not a first response organization…we are a relief organization.  We will continue to support first responders but the bulk of OUR response will be over the long term.  It has been said, “When the cameras go home, we come in.”

2. Deployment of Critical Needs Teams

  • Initial deployments will likely be food distribution, medical, communication and recovery teams. At this time there is no discussion of sending feeding teams because of the scope and type of response.  This is the wrong place for ‘classic’ feeding teams.
  • It will take several weeks to get all of them in place.
  • All teams must have first hand disaster relief or trauma center experience. Bottom line, if you do not meet these criteria, you will not be deployed.  This is not the place for your first deployment…this is being treated as an area of conflict, like a war zone.
  • Strong spiritual preparation is necessary. The situation in Haiti is beyond comprehension, even those who have served in war time efforts are having considerable emotional and spiritual issues, Spiritual Preparation, briefing and Critical Incident de-briefings are absolutely essential.  If you are hesitant at all…don’t go.
  •  The sights, sounds and the smell of death are permeating the city.  This has been compared by some (not yet in Haiti) as similar to 9/11 response.  I would respectfully disagree.  9/11 did not have the elements of carnage that are visible in Haiti, nor did it have the stress of riots, violence and outright animosity towards Americans that have been heightened by this event.
  • Safety & security of these teams are of major concern.  THE LAST THING I want to see is a scroll across the news channels saying: “disaster relief workers missing….”


3. Travel in and around Haiti

  • Airport closed to all commercial flights until January 29, 2010. There are already 1400 commercial flights backed-up.
  • Airlines may book flights after Jan 29, but no guarantees the flights will take off.
  • Dominican Republic border crossings to Haiti are being closed due to heavy traffic.  No time frame on when they will reopen.
  • Heavy Traffic: Reported travel time = 3 hours to go 7 miles in Port-au-Prince.
  • Even if you COULD get to Haiti or the Dominican Republic…you can’t move around the country.


4. Deployment of Long-term Mission Groups

  • The (U.S.) Government has asked no mission teams be deployed to Port-au-Prince at this time.
  • There is no housing, electricity, fuel or reliable source for food and water.
  • There are no public restroom facilities to accommodate the groups.
  • 2 Church groups have become victims in Port-au-Prince due to lack of food, transportation and housing
  • Estimated first deployment is 90-120 days out.
  • Spiritual preparation will be (ABSOLUTELY) necessary.
  • Long-term groups will include clean up, rebuild, restoration, evangelism & church planting.


Critical Issues and Concerns

  • 51 aftershocks since the January 12 earthquake, including 2 on Thursday, Jan 21
  • Airport closed to commercial flights until Friday January 29, 2010
  • Safety, security and increase of communicable diseases

 

What CAN We Do?


DOCTORS

Are you a trauma doctor or nurse?  Do you know a trauma doctor or Nurse?  Are there those in your congregation that are trauma doctors or nurses?  The U. S. State Department is requesting doctors and nurses, specifically trauma and orthopedics.  There is great need in Haiti for physicians with these skills.  One doctor has reported that he is doing 1-20 operations a day and cannot nearly meet the demand.  One small 25 bed hospital is treating over 250 patients per day.

If you or someone you know meets these criteria, please have them contact Mike Gaines, CBDR Director directly for more information.


Pray

Continue to pray, first and foremost.  Pray for the organization and deployment of resources to best meet the needs of those in Haiti and not our own interests.  For healing and miracles to continue to be seen.  For responders- military, search and rescue teams, administrators, officials and aid workers from all over the globe, that they may stay healthy, safe, and see Jesus in the midst of such chaos. For the Haitian people that they will not see the hands of America or the world, but the hands of God.


Give

The need for food, clothing, equipment will continue well into the next year.  Please be faithful in giving to the needs in Haiti.  Millions of gallons of water, pounds of rice, and tons of supplies need to be purchased to begin the task of rebuilding lives and infrastructure.  100% of all donations given through these organizations will go directly to Haiti relief.

Train

While previously un-deployed, non-experienced DR volunteers will not be sent to Haiti in the near future, there will be local, regional and national needs in the coming months and years that will provide ample opportunity for service.  Why not train with Colorado Baptist Disaster relief now?  There are DR trainings planned for this spring, I would encourage you to be prepared!  Click here for CBDR training dates.

Thank you for your continued concern, prayers and support of the response to Haiti and Colorado Baptist Disaster Relief

 

Mike Gaines, Director

Colorado Baptist Disaster Relief

Colorado Baptists Disaster Relief: Christ-our pursuit, Perfection-our goal, Excellence-our aim
Colorado Baptists Disaster Relief is supported through gifts from local churches, individuals and by your gifts to the State Mission Offering.

 
 

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