Greetings in the name of the Lord! We thank God for your interest and support in helping Mission Haiti Medical, Inc. to fulfill its mission—to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ through a healthcare alliance with the people of Haiti.
As you know, much of Haiti was devastated by the recent hurricane Matthew. Although the area in the southwest had the greatest overall impact, there were many places in the northwest and in the mountains that also had significant damage. In addition, the heavy rains from Matthew, and an additional round of heavy rain the following week, have brought many diseases to multiple areas, both areas that suffered property damage and also areas that did not.
Many of you have donated to disaster relief in the wake of the hurricane. Some have donated to Mission Haiti Medical, some to our “sending agency”—the Church of God, and some to other organizations. We have been pleased to see the cooperative effort among nonprofits across Haiti in response to the disaster.
In addition to Mission Haiti Medical’s ongoing effort to help provide medical care through the hospital in Saintard, Haiti, MHM has extended their normal operations to provide disaster relief in the following ways:
- Utilized disaster relief funds, personal donations, and donations from East Side Church of God and Edwardsville United Methodist Church (total of $3,000 US) to provide food to the families in the Saintard area who were adversely affected by the hurricane.
- Mark and Kathy traveled to the south (the hardest hit area) to distribute 15 barrels clothes, and medicine valued at approximately $6-7,000 (from hospital inventory and Eastside Church of God/Edwardsville United Methodist Church group donations); also carried rice purchased by Phyllis Newby; surveyed damage and reported back to ChoG base camp. Since that time, pastors in that area have returned paperwork to us that show evidence of the distribution of those medicines, overseen by the wife of a Church of God pastor in the south, who is trained as a pharmacist.
- Gave a case of Oral Rehydration Salts and 5,000 Ibuprofen, 5,000 Tylenol, 1,000 small medicine bags/labels to the island of LaGonave (estimated value $500).
- Purchased $670US of meds (surplus from East Side Church of God/Edwardsville United Methodist Church group trip funds) for use in treating post-hurricane viruses.
- Provided an estimated $2,500 of medicine and medical supplies to a Haitiannurse who operates a clinic in a mountainous region of Haiti that sustained significant damage.
- Worked in conjunction with another nonprofit, Fountains of Hope, International, to distribute many water chlorination kits donated from Rotary Clubs in Indianapolis, England, and Wales, to pastors in the areas most susceptible to cholera.
- Maintained operations at the hospital in Saintard to treat the many fungal issues and viruses resulting from the significant rain of Matthew. Mark and Kathy also met with a team of Haitian pastors who are leaders, to discuss the best way to utilize disaster relief funds given by Church of God Ministries. The first installment of funds was given to the lead pastor, with plans to channel additional funds from the Church of God after adequate documentation of use of those funds is received.
Where We Go From Here
As more disaster relief funds are received, we plan to:
- Continue to use disaster relief funds sent to Mission Haiti Medical, Inc. to provide medical care to those affected by illness caused by hurricane Matthew.
- Continue to channel disaster relief funds from Church of God Ministries toHaitian pastors to help in their efforts to rebuild their churches, schools, homes, and agriculturally-based businesses damaged in the hurricane.
Please join us in continued prayer for our Haitian brothers and sisters as they begin the long journey to recovery in the wake of this tragedy.