Mission Blog

Today was one of those days that you can only get in Haiti. Last night Dottie’s generator started acting up and when and if that happens it really does affect a whole lot. So this morning started with Curt Golden (a mechanic missionary from West Virginia) coming over to pull some maintenance on it. This dude is really a killer mechanic and really knows his stuff. He was able to get it going again and all was well for a short time until it started to act up again.

In the mean time Chuck, Dale and I went to Kings Hospital in hopes of making a contact with a man named Franchesca. He is the guy that kinda heads up the distribution of food with different NGO’s. We thought that this may be an in road to getting some good help to the tarp people. As we sat in this office talking to another guy we realized that this may be one of those things that could be a long shot. Seems that there is a lot of dot connecting that has to take place and even then the hoops become more numerous. We just said hey we got a truck and we are willing to help you move some food around. They said they would get back to us but we never heard anything.

So in the mean time we got the truck and headed out to Love a Child and got 150 boxes of food from Feed My Starving Children for distribution. That is 32,400 meals. We plan to add some beans with it and get in the hands of the people.

Maybe I just do not see the whole picture on how the man works but it just seems that in situations like this you can throw the whole relief manual out the window and start doing what God will allow you to do. I know you have to be careful and good stewards with Gods resources, but to drag it out with road blocks is just plain wrong.

We do not have a perfect plan. What we do have is a guy with 10 years experience in Haiti and a guy with 4 years experience in Haiti and local friends with valuable information on how best to reach the people. So tomorrow we will hit the ground running with supplies in hand and Gods wisdom and guidance. The generator is still acting up, but hey, it’s Haiti.

Kenny

GMSM

Today was one of the first days that we really got out in to the thick of things. We are so blessed to have the relations here to help with things that we are doing. We bagged up about 100 food bags with rice, beans, tomato paste, fish and bullion to take out for food distribution.

Ivan, who teaches at Dottie’s school, went out to survey the area to see where some of the more needy folks were. The main concern was drawing attention to what was about to take place and causing utter chaos and danger. We soon found out that there are so many needs so close by. If you did not have a local person with knowledge of the area we would never have known about these incredible hurting places that are right before us. That is what is so scary about this whole thing down here. The big boys will not be getting to the areas that are not in the public eye. So many people are going to be overlooked.

We visited some of the areas around Dottie’s house and were quiet amazed at what we were experiencing. There are over 200,000 homeless and displaced people living in makeshift shelters made of tarps and whatever can be found for tent posts. We have only scratched the surface and no matter how long we stay we will still only be scratching the surface. It seems like help is so slow getting to where it needs to be.

We had to meet some doctors at the airport this afternoon and take them out to Tetayen. As I was sitting outside the airport I decided to look over the brick wall that separates the outside world. I stood up on the van and peeked over and was completely shocked. There on the tarmac where the U.N. tents are set up was a massive amount of food and supplies just sitting there. It really makes me angry that we have been moving around for 3 days now and have not really seen too much action by way of meeting needs. Less than a five minute walk from these tents are tarp cities where no help is arriving. I am desperately trying to understand why this is happening. Can anyone please tell me? I hate red tape and the beauracratic way of thinking. It is just wrong and people suffer because of it and there is no excuse, I do not care how you try to paint it. We got the doctor crew and got them up to Tetayen and dropped them off . We headed back to Port for the night. Tomorrow will be a new day. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

Kenny

GMSM

Seems like the days go by so fast. I guess when you run from here to there all day time does move. We have accomplished a bunch so far in such a short time. The days are busy trying to meet the immediate needs of the areas that we have ties to. This will certainly have a trickle down effect on the people that are close to them.

We started out today to take some food supplies to Simon’s and Jimmie’s families. We bought food from Hyppolile at Maranatha food store to give to these guys. Our intent was to go to Carrefour, a small town in P.A.P. to deliver some relief supplies to our friends there. To get there we had to go through City Soliel, one of the hardest hit places and probably one of the more dangerous places to go. Most Haitians do not even care to enter in this area. The traffic was so bad and moving so slow we decided to just pull over and have our friends take a tap tap (taxi) and come to us. As we sat on the side of the road relaxing I heard this screech and loud bang. As I looked up I saw this truck hit a motorcycle and two people go sliding across the asphalt as the bike went out from underneath them. Harry was standing next to me and as we looked on we realize the passenger was a white lady on a tap tap. We all went running towards the accident. As we got there the girl was on the ground in obvious pain. We could not see any major injuries but she was hurt. Dale and I helped her to her feet and took her to the van. Turns out this young lady is a photographer from Brazil. She was very shaken up and trust me she was very fortunate that God placed us there at that time instead of having us continue on the road through a very dangerous area. I do not believe in luck or coincidence I just believe that God will take care of us when we are in his will. This girls name is Ana Bianca Merin and she is from San Palo, Brazil. She was down on a journaling trip. She had no business being in that area alone on a tap tap. Anyway she wanted us to take her to the Brazilian medical field hospital. Dale administered first aid and tried to comfort her the best he could. She had documents to get into the compound and as far as we know all is well with her. She was scheduled to go home in two days anyway.

We went on our way and met Jimmie’s dad, gave him some food supplies and headed back to Dottie’s. Praise God from whom all blessings flow. How He will allow us to be part of His plan will be a mystery until we wake up in the morning. I pray for continued wisdom and discernment on all things.
Kenny
GMSM
From the guest blogger… Dale Winslette

It’s day 4 In Country and the lasting impressions so far are a country reeling in ..one word… DESPERATION…

Desperate for a semblance of normalcy…

Desperate for the comfort of a lost loved one(s)….

Desperate for shelter, running water and a bed under a stable roof….

The massive devastation is mind numbing at first in its scope and breadth…hard to assimilate at second, then finally it dawns on me something I already knew but just forget sometimes …Quite simply put… recognition that life in a third world country is just plain HARD !!!!!.

There are so many people living on the street, just trying to make whatever money they can, doing anything they can for simple necessities. Some are scavenging, others are selling whatever goods they can scrounge on the street, others digging thru the rubble to gather and strip bldgs of copper, tin and other materials for money from recycling operators. Tent cities are everywhere. Many just keep moving because the recognition of not moving forward means no charcoal for a fire, no rice for supper, or worse yet no safe place to rest for the long night ahead. Compound this with a natural disaster such as this massive quake and life becomes near impossible without perseverance and hope. Hope for a better tomorrow…..if you just keep pressing forward.
To Amy, my lovely wife and the boyz Wy and Jess.. I love you all… Keep the faith.

Love, Dale

So good to get a shower and a good nights sleep. The day started with Harry and some bros coming over and unloading the six 55 gallon drums of gas and diesel. From there it was just putting ducks in a row and getting ready to head out for the day. Simon comes by to help and to get helped. He lost several family members and him and his family are on the street. Simon is a dear friend of ours and is always so helpful we are down. We gave him a financial gift which is only a temporary fix. People are going to be without homes for a long time.

We left Dottie’s with some food and headed towards Harry’s church where people were in dire need of something eat. When we arrived they were having service. There were about 300 people at the church. Chuck addressed the congregation and Dale and I helped some of the church members make food bags. Each food bag had one large coffee can of rice, one small soup can of beans and one can of sardines. Each person also received a bottle of water and some oil. All in all God provided for 270 people, a very small contribution to an unbelievable need. This does not even register on the scale of meeting the masses.

We knew coming in that we were only going to be able to do so much. And that so much is trying to help the folks we know and the areas they live in. From there God will direct us where he wants us to be. Harry did such a great job with his church and keeping his people in orderly control during the food distribution. Most places would have been total chaos given these circumstances.

We left the church and headed back towards Port Au Prince. We stopped across from the airport so Chuck could meet someone. Harry and I walked through a tent city right by the airport. As I walked around I spoke with several of the tent people. There were at least 1500 homeless people there and no one is helping them. People hurting in ways that we can never understand. It puts a whole new perspective on the term homeless.

The thing that really confuses us is this place is right by the airport where all the relief is coming in. Food, water, medical supplies, you name it. Nothing is getting one block away to help these folks, no food distribution or medical tents. For all these people there are only four porta-potties and a hose to wash off with. Makes you wonder why something like this takes place with all these big dollars going to these organizations that have to make payroll first then try and figure out where to start as people are starving and physically hurting right in front of their eyes. I really have to check myself and trust and know that God has a plan and will be glorified by all this.

With all the help that appears to be given to Haiti, I get this feeling that it is still being overlooked and the world is hoping that this problem will just go away. I have been working down here long enough to know that this earthquake intensified a problem… it didn’t start one. Pray for mercy as God allows us a glimpse of things to come. Christians must take action and proclaim the truth of Jesus as Lord and Savior, in every situation, including disaster zones.
Kenny
GMSM

It was freezing last night. Yes — cold in the Dominican Republic. Polo is in the mountains and it was so nice for Darren to allow us to stay at the mission. Seems like God always supplies when we are obedient. I woke up early walked out and saw what a beautiful place it is up in Polo, D.R. We were met by Moiesses and Antonio. Antonio is a local pastor who speaks Spanish, Creole and English. I am glad these plans are not ours. It is so cool how God just orchestrates all things in ways that I can never understand.

There was so much to do today from getting cash exchanged to pesos, purchasing food supplies, getting truck parts, fuel and getting to the border. None of us have ever been to the D.R. and for all this to happen so smoothly truly took an act of God. All this took place in a small coastal town of Barahoma. We were able to buy 20 100lb bags of rice, 10 100lb bags of beans, spaghetti, sauce, oil and canned fish. Once all the supplies were bought we headed across the D.R. to the Haitian border at Jamani.

After about 3 or 4 hours in the back of the truck we finally made to the border. The only resistance we had was with the fuel. We have 6 55gallon drums of gas and diesel. With a prayer and an official looking letter from the states we got through. We were met by Pastor Harry and JoJo to help us get through immigration. Mexico is much harder to cross and to get across. There are a lot of similarities in the chaotic mess though.

Once we arrived at Love a Child where the truck is all our new Dominican brothers helped us unload and reload. What a blessing it was to have them. It was getting dark and a decision had to be made. Do we go in to Port or not. So we asked Harry what we should do and Harry says it is safe and we must go and go now. Chuck and I drove the truck and Dale drove with JoJo. Harry and one of his church members rode on the back of the truck for security. It was dark and I new it was the right thing to do. Harry was willing to risk his life for us so I new that it was safe as possible.

As we approached Port it seemed like business as usual. Lots of cars, vendors and people walking around. As we approached Dottie’s you could see some of the devastation to areas that we are familiar with. WOW! We pulled up to Dottie’s and got through the gate and so far all is well… as I expected. When you know that you know that you know… you know. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

Kenny
GMSM

What would any good mission trip be without showing up at 4:30 a.m. for a 6:30 a.m. flight only to be told that the flight was scratched and you have about ten minutes to get on the one about to leave. Praise God for whom all blessings flow, he provided a path.

Once we arrived in the Dominican Republic we were met by a Christian local named Moisses David Cuevas Espinosa who is involved with a ministry all the way on the other side of the country in a town called Polo. The ministry is called Caribbean Ministry directed by a man named Darren Turel. God provided this connection through someone Chuck new.

Once we were picked up, Chuck, Dale Winslette and I took off with Mousses for a 6 hour trip across the country. D. R. is a beautiful place and pales in comparison to our real destination. Crazy how two countries worlds apart share the same island, while one is affected by a massive earthquake and the other is not. I had a great time with our driver because he speaks Spanish and I was able to communicate with him well. Felipe would have been proud. Tomorrow will be a whole new thing.

We will start moving supplies into Haiti by the afternoon. We all know the potential danger in this hot bed situation and do not question God’s call on our lives. Chuck and I have so many friends who are hurting and need help. I thank God for Dale’s heart. I would be lying if I did not continue to think about Kim and the girls. I will be praying that God will give me focus and that He will take care of them no matter what happens. I have no idea what is waiting for us. I just know God will be glorified.

Kenny
GMSM
January 23, 2010

We are very thankful for the nearly $23,000 provided by supporters of Give Me Shelter Ministries for this trip to Haiti.

Kenny and Brother Chuck of Truth Evangelistic Ministry will fly into the Dominican Republic today, January 22, 2010.  With the help of two other organizations, Love A Child and Caribbean Missions, Kenny and Chuck will cross the border into Haiti  to deliver drums of fuel for generators, and as many rice and beans as we can load in. 

We are visiting all our usual spots — Dottie’s Guest House in Port Au Prince (we won’t be staying, but praise the Lord she and most of the children of the orphanage survived), and up to Z’Orange and Jerusalem churches.  We will provide as much water as we can purchase to all our Brothers and Sisters.  We will fuel the generators to pump the wells too.  These churches you’ve helped build can be an area of relief for many who are fleeing the city for the country.

Needless to say, we need your prayers more than ever on this mission.  It is important for us to return to the people and their churches with whom we’ve become so close and successful in spreading the Gospel in this already impoverished country.  Pray that our supplies and missionaries make it to the Christians who bring so much hope to people in a country where there was little to begin with, and basically none now.

We know that there is hope in any situation through Christ, and it is important to help spread the Word of God to a society who generally does not know Him.  Thank you again for helping us reach out to fellow humans who have nothing like the blessings we have here at home.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Praise God from whom all blessings flow. GMSM teamed up with Ft. Walton Beach dentist Dr. Tony Clark, his assistant Scott Shepard, Tony’s sons Logan and Luke and Shaun Ellis and headed down to Mexico for a dental clinic. Scott wrote a great report posted below. It was his first mission, and he was fired up to serve.

We did our first ever clinic in the colonias at Pastor Felipe’s church and a clinic over in Casa Hogar Elim orphanage. What a blessing it was to be able to supply some physical help to some hurting people. Between the colonia and Casa Hogar Elim, Tony and Scott saw more than 60 adults and children with at least 40 tooth extractions, fillings and cleanings.

We hardly scratched the surface on meeting dental needs down here, but praise God we were able to help many in the name of Christ.

With so much happening in Haiti and as our preparation begins to start for our relief effort there, I thank God he allowed us the time to continue the ministry down here. As we were preparing to leave, Felipe told me not to worry about them, that we are fine, Haiti needs us more now than we do, that we should spend this year down there.

It is wonderful to see a guy like Pastor Felipe, who the world sees as insignificant, truly gets it. We should all take a close look at ourselves and have the same wonderful, selfless attitude as Pastor Felipe.

Kenny
GMSM
Jan. 15-18 Mexico dental clinic

—- Report from Scott Shepard —-

Mission teams are departing for the devastation in Haiti as our mission team leaves Mexico this morning; body and soul refreshed by the Holy Spirit. We were blessed with a mission that brought the love of Jesus to both Casa Hogar orphanage and the church of “Mision Bautista Nuevo Camina” in a nearby colonia.

The colonias are Nuevo Laredo neighborhoods of makeshift shelters inhabited by the most impoverished families. Dr. Tony Clark and his family have been supporting the Casa Hogar mission since 1999. Last summer Tony felt a calling to share his blessings as a dentist in Ft Walton Beach, Florida with Mrs. Lupita’s children in the orphanage. The dental ministry has been such a tremendous blessing to Casa Hogar that an outreach mission into the colonias was planned for 2010. With a crew of four and the assistance of many in Nuevo Laredo, Kenny Phillips acted as the liaison for this first trip outside the walls of Casa Hogar. Saturday the mission set up our dental clinic in the sanctuary of Camina Nueva, using pews to seat our patients and a desk chair elevated on cinder blocks to evaluate and treat our patients.

During the day and into the evening, residents of the colonias walked dirt roads to visit “los dentistas” in the church of Nueva Camina. We were blessed to take care of 23 patients, in all removing 28 teeth from people in real pain. Five patients required extensive surgery. In cases like Paulina, who was so badly disabled by tooth decay, ten teeth were removed to ease her pain and prevent a life threatening infection.

Sunday morning our makeshift dental clinic returned to Casa Hogar; where a previous mission team had prepared a much more permanent facility. Medical examination tables, a dental chair and good lighting were only part of our blessings this Sunday. Doctor Tony soon trained several of the children to assist in delivering bottled water and suction from an air compressor and shop-vac during the exams with simple request for “aqua y suctionnes.”

During the morning, we provided very simple dental cleaning, fluoride treatments and cavity evaluation to 48 of the orphanage children. After lunch, we returned to treat those at risk of permanent damage with fillings and in three more cases, teeth that needed to be pulled. While it was heart wrenching for us to remove four teeth from five year old Lupita, she was resting comfortably just a few hours later. A new smile will return in the next few days, a happy sight for the older girls that have seen the sad, sad face of a baby sister crying from the pain of four toothaches. As the children helped break down the backpack dentistry equipment, each one with a toothbrush and toothpaste in their pocket…they repeated our advice frequently. Brush your teeth and pray every night, “todos las noches!”

Father God, thank you so much for Logan and Luke, Doctor Tony’s sons and Mr Shaun Ellis. Their assistance in setting up and putting away the equipment was only surpassed in testimony by their interaction with the children and staff of Casa Hogar. Doctor Tony, your healing gift and discernment to invite me on this trip are living testimony to the power of faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. May God be with Kenny as he prepares for a relief ministry to our brothers and sisters in Haiti.

In His Name,
Scott Shepard

Pastor Fanilus (“Fani”), the pastor of Jerusalem II Church in Haiti, has completed his work on Earth. He went home to be with the Lord yesterday, January 15, 2010.

Pastor Fani was a great man of God who led many Haitians to Christ through the years. He lived in what most consider a shack, in a world that was full of pain and need. He taught his fellow man that Christ’s redeeming blood was all that is needed by any person throughout the world, regardless of what lot had been cast his or her way.

Pastor Fani has now left the hardships of Haiti and this world, and is rejoicing in Glory today with Christ.

Please keep his wife and child in your prayers, as well as the members of his church.

Give Me Shelter Ministries is scheduled to arrive in Haiti next Thursday, January 21st.

Please pray that the airport will be open for our mission.

We ask that you pray for all our friends, brothers and sisters in Haiti whom you have helped serve through Give Me Shelter Ministries.

We ask that you prayerfully consider helping us with a financial donation of any size to help us get aid to Pastors Fani, Harry, Dorleon, Winsy and their churches.

ALL money donated to our Haiti missions goes directly to these Christian pastors and their churches. Please search this blog for “Haiti” to see the many trips we’ve made and the Churches we’ve helped build.

We have heard one message from Pastor Harry, that his family is alive, Praise be to God, but his home is destroyed. We do not know the condition of the other pastors. We will report updates here at our blog.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Thank you for supporting Give Me Shelter Ministries.