First, we are happy to report that Glenn Merritt and his team have reached the border of the Dominican Republic safely. He and the rest, including Revs. Harrison and Krey, should be back shortly. From there we will have several hours of travel for our overnight lodging.
Second, while we were waiting to hear news of Glenn, Carlos and I met a reporter, Dumeetha Luthra, from the Canadian Broadcasting Coperation (CBC). She interviewed me. Hopefully, she will find it helpful to her piece and the interview will make it in. Good luck Dumeetha Luthra with your endeavours in Jimani and Haiti!
Meanwhile, I thought I'd share a little about what has transpired over the past few hours. The Mercy Medical Team (MMT) has departed after a debriefing. The compound has a different feel now that the LCMS people have departe--in some measure because of a lack of familiarity with the new teams coming in.
Even though most of the LCMS people have departed or are away from the compound, we still find work to do (rather, some work has come to us). Occasionally, a physican or medical professional comes to the house seeking a chaplain or pastor. Some of the medical professionals (who come from different backgrounds) have not slept in three days. Some need to talk, vent, or cry about what they have seen. Pastors Ted Krey and Walther Ryes also have been attending to the medical professionals in between attending to other duties. It is not always apparent, but those who come to volunteer or to help in a crisis or disaster also suffer in some measure with the people they came to help.
Every so often, the sound of choppers fill the air. There are at least two or three places nearby where choppers frequently take off and land, including the Good Samaritan Hospital. Seeing the doctors and nurses run to the choppers is reminiscent of M*A*S*H.
The picture above is the view just to the North of the Good Samartian Hospital. A lot of beauty to be seen. A pack of dogs (semi-tame) frolick behind the vacant house. A few moments ago they were playing chase with each other... All of them look relatively young. The electricity in Jimani under normal circumstances only runs 3 to 5 hours a day. Right now, except when there is an outage, it is on 24 hours. The stream of water that is flowing constantly out front is also not normally there.
Carlos and I sitting out back reflecting on the past few days have just met a reporter from the Canadian Broadcasting Company... We'll see where that goes...
RRev. Glenn Meritt just sent me the following text message from Haiti outside of Jacmel:
"Merritt, Glenn (2:06 PM):
Made it safely down the mountain from Jacmel even though there was new slides and cracks in the road. We are in Leogane where some of the worst damage occurred. US Navy helicopters landing beside the highway unloading food and supplies. Perimeter protected, no chaos or disorder. People are patience and courteous given the situation. Trying to get back through the streets of Port-Au-Prince. Very crowded. Assessment team debriefed this morning to begin formulating a plan with the ELCK for a comprehensive Lutheran ministry of presence amd mercy. LCMS World Mission and World Relief & Human Care are working cooperatively with the ELCH to provide immediate and intermediate care to as many needy as possible as quickly as possible. Even though the governmental, military and NGOs are working day and night, many needs remain unmet with our Lutheran churches in Haiiti."
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We expect to rendezvous with Glenn and his team across the border in a few hours. At that time we will distribute the food stuffs to President Kessa and his team for distribution in Jacmel.
After lunch, Rev. Matthew Harrison gave a devotion based on John 11:14-15 (in English and in Spanish, translated by Rev. Ted Krey) to the departing Mercy Medical Team: "Then Jesus therefore said to them plainly,'Lazarus is dead, and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe; but let us go to him.'"
This is a troubling passage in Scripture; it is a mystery. Jesus rejoices because Lazarus is dead. This is not the remark of a callous, uncaring man. We know that Jesus loved Lazarus. When He heard that Lazarus had died, Jesus wept. Now this is a strange word in Greek; it literally means the sound a horse makes when it is sucking air through his mouth. You know it is the sound a family makes when he gasps for air upon learning the death of a loved one. Jesus wept for Lazarus but he rejoiced... Note He didn't rejoice because Lazarus no longer was in pain or suffering, or becuase he was in heaven. He rejoiced at Lazarus' death because suffering and the cross create faith. Because Lazarus died, Jesus spoke these words, "I am the resurrection and the life." Do you believe this? Jesus brings life from death.
This past week you have seen death. You have seen suffering. You have seen the cross. The Lord does not bring the cross to hurt you. He brings the cross and suffering to create faith. He drives you to Jesus who is the resurrection and the life. He has forgiven you all your sins.
This past week you made mistakes; Jesus forgives you. You have been short-tempered, irritated, and angry at times; Jesus forgives you. In fact, Jesus has forgiven you so that you can be Jesus to your neighbor--just as you have been this past week, serving people in need from Haiti.
May Christ grant you who are going home to Santo Domingo and the United States peace and safe travels. Those of you going into Haiti late this afternoon, may Christ keep protect you and bring you back safely.
In the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Amen.
We are loading the truck with rice for emergency relief in Jacmel, Haiti. The truck is loaded with a little more than 2,000 pounds of rice.
Pastor Walther Ryes from Brazil ( whose first call was to the Dominican Republic) and I (with a little help) loaded 10 bags of rice from Jimani, each weighing 125 pounds, into a van for relief in Haiti. Late this afternoon we will take them across the border. How great it is that the LCMS and Brazilan Lutheran churches can partner this way.
John Nunes of LWR asked me to blog for LWR... Here is my first post.
-MCH
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John, Friends of LWR, Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Already last Tuesday, a team of a dozen triage and emergency medical specialists hit the ground here in Jimani, in the far southwest Dominican. This LCMS World Relief and Human Care medical mercy team arrived late in the evening after a six-hour drive from Santo Domingo. A team of helicopters, financed by a generous individual, had been flying and continues to fly in victims of the quake. Port au Prince is some 50 miles distant, across the Haitian Border. I write this morning at 8:30 a.m. from the veranda of a large vacant home, which now houses forty or fifty medical professionals, including the LCMS team. The hospital runs on two shifts and performs about 40 surgeries per shift. About one third of the procedures have been amputations.
Large relief agencies are beginning to arrive on the scene from Puerto Rico and other places, and the LCMS team will exit later today. It's amazing how God times things. They came at a moment of burgeoning numbers of casualties arriving and fatalities taking place at a very high rate. For two critical nights, the LCMS team staffed much of and ran the operation. I am in awe of these faithful folks.
As I remained in Jimani, an assessment team from the LCMS entered Haiti with LCMS partners who met us at the border, and proceeded to Jacmel and Port au Prince. Seasoned disaster man, Glenn Merritt, who is in Jacmel as I write, expressed his thoughts briefly but ominously. "I have seen things today that no person should ever have to see."
Last night was traumatic for the 1500 Haitians here at the medical compound.
Around 6:00 p.m. a tremor shook the area. Everyone fled for their lives into the yard in front of the buildings. There was widespread mourning and weeping, fear in the eyes of little children, and old men looking skyward and shaking their heads. All the patients had to be re-triaged because they had pulled the I.V.s from their arms.
Amputees crawled out of a makeshift recovery ward in an open-air chapel. It was pandemonium. LCMS Missionary Ted Krey (nephew of LWR Board member Phil Krey), quickly urged all of us clergy to make our way among the large crowd, comforting and praying with the people. The three languages among the people are Creole, French, and Spanish. I came upon a little girl and her mother. The child was but five or so, with a pelvic body cast that extended down both legs, as well as an arm cast. She was terrified. I reached down to touch her and bless her in the name of Jesus (it's so important to have one's clericals and crucifix on), and she grabbed my hand, and pulled on my arm, pleading with me. I sat with her for twenty minutes. I prayed, I tried to speak comfort to her and her mother. I sang "I am Jesus Little Lamb" and her breathing slowed. Finally Brazilian Missionary Pastor Walter chanced by in the melee. "Walther, what does she want." "She is asking if you have
some way to take her and her mother away from here." I did not.
But she had been cared for, her life spared. Many others have not been so fortunate.
Thankfully there has as yet been little or no incidence of Typhoid or other infectious diseases. But as I've talked with the surgeons in between shifts, there has been great concern over secondary infections, particularly with amputees, and with the inevitable absence of physical therapy and prosthetics, much less care, in the wake of the trauma which will accompany these dear people for the rest of their days.
As I finish, the helicopters are up again, and there are reports of completely insufficient aid into Jamal (where most of our Lutherans live). Water of course is a critical issue after just two or three days, food after two weeks. Those who have been on the ground here repeatedly express how each day the chaos has become a little more controlled, and that reality is going on throughout Haiti. It will be vital for LWR to carry out its invaluable mission, particularly in the area of its forte, material goods
(school kits, medical kits) as the crisis enters its intermediate phase. And LWR's tremendous capacity for building and assisting communities in obtaining economic capacity and security long term will be a vital mission for year to come.
Last week Pat Robertson suggested that Haiti had some deep dark sin in its past which brought this curse. In God's inverted, cruciform economy, were a sinless Son of God suffers for the unrighteous, I rather think this is God's shaking of us sinners in the U.S., for ignoring our impoverished brothers and sisters, also brothers and sisters in the faith in Haiti. Lord, have mercy.
Matt Harrison
Executive Director, LCMS World Relief and Human Care Board Member LWR
