Endeavoring To Be The Hands of Christ in Haiti
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February 08

HELPING OTHERS & PHOTO GALLERY
Although I was in my house at the time of the earthquake, besides some walls falling down, some pretty good size cracks  and a bunch of stuff falling onto the ceramic floors and breaking we sustained very little damage at the several houses that are part of Heartline and its people. 
Beth sent me the following link EARTHQUAKE PICTURES that is a gallery of some up close and personal photos.  Even though I have been to some of the worst hit areas, I felt surprise and sadness as I look through this gallery.  It doesn't seem possible that the earth shaking for about 60 seconds could cause such destruction and chaos.  At 250 thousand deaths, it averages at 4,167 deaths a second.  And it is quite possible that the death rate could even be  higher.
Please pray for the people of Haiti as so many have been impacted by this tragedy.


Pictures


Two of our medical people building from scratch some type of board that they could strap a young boy to who can't seem to sit or stand up so that he can change psoitions from just lying down


Beth's car being used as an ambulance in transporting patients to another hospital where they will get skin grafts.


Kevin with one of the patients

Just in the past hour, I have had 18 people come to our clinic looking for food, tents, tarps, water, and medicines.  One doctor gave me a list 27 medicines that he needs to help people in his area.  Heartline is doing and giving what it can.  Your help, helps us help others, who then help others.
Click here to donate and help us help others that are helping others.

John McHoul





8:52 AM GMT  |  Read comments(0)

February 07

HEARTLINE EARTHQUAKE BRIEFS & TAKING FROM THE DEAD

QUAKE SHIRTS
You can help support Heartline's ongoing relief work in Haiti by purchasing a limited edition t-shirt.  100% of the proceeds of this sale will be donated to Heartline's earthquake relief effort and will be spent on the ground, helping those who lost so much in the devastating earthquake of January 12th.
The supply is limited, so click here to order.

A MAKESHIFT CRIB



Donna, one of the volunteer nurses, lovingly made this makeshift crib for this newborn out of a large cardboard box



Yesterday afternoon while on the way to transport two patients to a hospital for surgery I passed this rather small tent city.  It may be difficult to see from this photo, but it has little walkways that serve as streets and each tent is numbered.  This one seemed to lack the portable toilets that I have seen in other tent cities.  These portable toilets are bring provided and serviced by one or some of the international aid organizations.
When passing some of the large tent cities the smell from human waste can be rather strong.



A father holding his daughter at the Heartline Field Hospital


TAKING FROM THE DEAD

Titiyan is a community about 30 minutes from where we live in Tabarre.  You drive through it on Route National One and going North, the ocean is on the left and the mountains are on the right.  It has long been associated a place where dead bodies are disposed of.  Not as in a normal type burial but as in the getting rid of the dead body of someone who has been killed by violent means, such as by shooting, stabbing, kidnapping and assassination.  When driving on the main road on the way North or to the beaches, you would never suspect that Titiyan is anything more than a quiet community.  There are a couple of well established Christian missions there and it seems a a quaint little place.  But as we say in Haiti,, "There are roads behind the roads," and it is behind the main road and largely out of sight that the Haitian government has disposed of perhaps over 150 thousand bodies of those that died in the earthquake.  While this seems rather gruesome, there did not appear to be many options as there were so many dead bodies and they couldn't just remain on the streets or buried under buildings.
Yesterday I spoke to someone who told me this story:

She has a friend who has not been able to find her husband since the day of the earthquake.  She repeated called his cell phone but there was no answer. She the other day tried his cell again and someone answered.  She asked for her husband and the man that had answered told her that he was not her husband.  When she asked how he had gotten her husband's phone, the man told her that he had gotten it in Titiyan.  She immediately knew what he meant and that he had gone to where the bodies of the dead are being disposed and he took the phone off of her husband's dead body.
Now clearly this is not something that most people would even consider, but some perhaps because of their desperate situation or because of the opportunity some simply feel that the dead no longer need what is in their pockets, or purses and so they are taking from the dead to help the living.
While I find this disturbing, I must admit that I understand why it is happening.

TODAY IS SUNDAY AND TONIGHT AFTER THE GROUP HERE EATS TOGETHER, WE WILL HAVE A TIME OF WORSHIP AND PRAYER.  PEOPLE ARE STILL COMING TO THE CLINIC AND THE FIELD HOSPITAL IS BUSTLING WITH PEOPLE AND THE NEED CONTINUES AND GOD HAS GIVEN US STRENGTH FOR ANOTHER DAY TO ENDEAVOR TO BE THE HANDS OF JESUS IN HAITI.

PLEASE HELP US BY CLICKING HERE AND DONATING THAT HEARTLINE CAN CONTINUE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN LIVES HERE IN HAITI.

JOHN MCHOUL
LIVING IN HAITI SINCE 1989






6:00 AM GMT  |  Read comments(3)

February 06

ANOTHER DAY

I find it difficult to believe that the estimated death toll so far is at 212 thousand.  As I drive through the city and see large building pancaked on the ground, it is clear that recovery efforts have not yet started there and that it is conceivable that the death total could easily rise to over 250 thousand people.  That is one quarter of a million people killed as a result of the earth shaking for about one minute.  It is almost unfathomable.

I as well find it hard to comprehend the injuries that we at Heartline are still seeing:  Large open wound, infected amputations, legs and arms that have not been properly set and casted, faces and bodies scarred as a result of hot cooking oil that came in contact with them as they were cooking.  

At least three times a day I try to sit in a corner of what has become our field hospital and observe my surroundings.  This is what I am seeing and hearing during these times:
  • I am seeing our nannies and workers who just over three weeks ago were caring for the Heartline children, now helping with the care of the injured.  They are helping to feed those that can't feed themselves; they are changing beds and washing a mountain of clothes and sheets; they are emptying bed pans; and helping others to the toilet, they have stepped up to help as needed.
  • I see people who just over three weeks go were going about their lives now lying on cots with arms and legs in casts and some with amputated limbs.  I the other day looking at a boy of about 10 years old who has had one of his feet amputated felt deep  sadness.  Who could have imagined that just just several days ago he had two feet and perhaps loved to play soccer and run with his friends and now he is learning to get around on crutches.
  • I twice a day see a church service as the people gather together and sing and pray.  A guy comes in with a little keyboard and the injured and families have church.
  • I see smiles on so many of the injured who are digging deep to come to grips with what has happened to them and endeavoring to move forward.
  • I see the Haitian and volunteer medical personnel working with care and kindness as they treat the injured.
  • I see a house and yard that once was our boys' house filled with lively, active boys now filled with injured people lying on cots under tarps tied together.  And I wonder what changes will be temporary for Heartline and what changes will be permanent.

SEVERAL PICTURES OF PEOPLE AT OUR FIELD HOSPITAL



Pictured above are two of our nannies putting  cots in place.
Yesterday Heartline brought in 30 new cots which were acquired through the generosity of GLOBAL REFUGE INTERNATIONAL and now all the patients are on cots and not on mattresses on the ground. 



HEROES

There are, no doubt, thousands of groups and organizations doing what they can to bring relief to the people of Haiti.  It has been my experience, after living in Haiti for 20 years, that the so called big guys, the big big relief agencies show up and help many and do care.  But for us at Heartline we see so much caring, and sharing and giving and sacrificing among individuals and small groups.  Caring and sharing and giving that has a personal long term touch.  (I had to leave the computer for several  minutes to meet with two groups that have just come looking for help.  The food and supplies that I was able to give them came from people, that we didn't know who came by over the past several days and said, "I have some supplies, do you need anything."

To cite just a few and by no means all of those that have been examples of caring and sharing, let me list:

  • The Haitian people
  • Jeff, the water truck guy (don't know his real name), who among other things brings truckloads of water into the slum areas where getting water is difficult.  We several times contacted him to see if he could bring a truckload to the Brothers of Charity in a slum area.  They were running a hospital and helping people,  but they had no water.  Getting a 3000 gallon water truck in there was no easy task, but he and he people have been doing it.
  • Another Jeff, (don't know his last name) who cared enough to contact us to see if we needed supplies and through who we were able to food, soap, toothpaste, and tarps to share with others.
  • The amazing people at URBAN RESURRECTION who have been proactive to helping with numerous items.
  • The several people that I don't know who come by with supplies and give them to us.
  • Zack and the crew at REAL HOPE FOR HAITI who have shared supplies and people and are just incredible.
  • A couple of military guys that somehow found us at the request of adoptive father Tom Golden and brought supplies.
  • The amazing group of volunteers in the States that have helped coordinate getting supplies and people to Heartline.  We have never done this before, yet we have plodded along and are making a difference.
  • The amazing in Haiti Heartline people who have done whatever has been asked during this time of crisis.
  • The thousands who have given financially so we here can be free to help the victims.
  • The volunteers who have come from the States to give of their time, expertise and resources to help the people of Haiti.
We are so thankful to these and others who have and are continuing to help Heartline make a difference.


BEHIND THE HEADLINES

  • So many thousands have fled the cities for the country side that families that once perhaps had to care for 5 or 6 people can now have several more who have fled the cities 
  • I can't even imagine the number of jobs that have been lost as a result of the earthquake.  People who once worked in schools, businesses, government offices, and private homes that have been destroyed now find themselves jobless as well as perhaps homeless

NO LONGER DOMINATING THE NEWS

Clearly Haiti is no longer dominating the news as it was for a couple of weeks after the earthquake; but please know that the work of Heartline is going on and even today are clinic is busy with people coming in and the hospital continues to take in new patients.  You generous giving is still very much needed.   Please click here to donate.

John McHoul














3:52 AM GMT  |  Read comments(10)

February 05

AND THE BIRTHS GO ON

Somehow Troy stumbled upon this couple.  A full term pregnant wife, a supportive dad, mom having pains, worried dad and no where to go.  Troy brought them to our field hospital.  They were so cute.  We need cute around here since we deal with a lot of pain, a lot of injury, a lot of loss.

Jonna and I checked out mom and it seemed she was not in labor, baby was high, not ready for delivery.  We went home to bed thinking it would be some days before the birth. 

The next morning the hospital staff told us she had been vomiting at night and was having pains.  We took her to the clinic and carved out a space up in what used to be our birth room before the earthquake.  Sure enough, labor had started.  Dad was so happy, mom quietly labored and both seemed to find strength in us and in the Lord.  It was lovely.   A first baby at age 30 is unusual in Haiti.  A married couple can be unusual in our program.  A supportive dad is unusual.    Where did such a couple come from?  We were glad they found us!

Dad asked me during the labor if the baby would be cold since they were living outside.  We eventually learned that their house is intact but has many cracks.  Fear is widespread among Haitians and many are living outside whether they have a house or not.  They fear another big earthquake.  So many aftershocks don’t help calm this fear.  Rumor and superstition are rampant.  Getting people to go back inside is not likely to happen in the near future.

Our birth team gathered and we got ready for mom to deliver.  We’ve done several births together and with so many leaving this would be the last one we as a team would do for a while.  Tara, Joanna, Vivien, Paige, myself, Jonna and other support people gathered, coached, helped and prayed.

Baby came easily.   With Jonna by my side I was given the privilege of “catching” this little girl named Dovencia.  We all wept, prayed and praised.  The couple did as well.  They raised their arms in worship. 

This couple needed us and found us.  We needed them.  This birth was a symbol of hope and joy and a new Haiti.  This baby reminded us that normal life still happens and babies are born and life goes on. 

It could not have been a more perfect birth!   We see God’s hand and we praise Him!

Beth McHoul

This happen a few days ago and yesterday afternoon the mom and father and baby left our field hospital with a tent, tarp and some money so they would not have to sleep outside with no covering and a bit of money to help with daily needs.

Beth last night did not come home as she, Lisa Hojara, John the back up doctor (don't worry it's not me), and others stayed the night as another child was born at our women's center.

Births continue and so does the Heartline Women's Program.  Help us to help these women by clicking here to make a donation.

John McHoul








3:05 AM GMT  |  Read comments(3)

February 04

ON THE FRONT LINES
At some point I hope that life at Heartline will get back to normal or to what was prior to Tuesday.  When we ask a Haitian who has sustained an injury when she got the injuries, she will say, "Since Tuesday."  She doesn't need to say which Tuesday or the date, we all understand.  It, though, would appear that it may be months from now or perhaps it will never again be that we (Heartline) will function as we did before Tuesday.

We over the past couple of days had to make some decisions:
  • Is it time to close the clinic and concentrate on the aftercare of the injured that Heartline has treated?
  • Do we expand and take in the injured who have been treated at other places and now need a place to recover?
We have decided to expand our aftercare to others that need care for several weeks while they recover from their injuries.  This was not an easy decision as it means that we must continue to have medical and non medical people come in to help and this is no easy thing as commercial flights still are not coming into Haiti.   It means that we must continue to have supplies and of course finances to care for the injured.

Heartline has not done this before, We never had earthquake practice.  In some areas we are learning as we go.  Yesterday, one of the docs called and asked if there was anyone available to transport two patients to a hospital and I said, "Sure we can do that," and then after I hung up, I realized that those who normally could do the transport were all elsewhere and busy: one was at the U.S, Consulate trying to get our remaining five children out, another was in a slum area with our group truck picking up the injured, another was at another hospital transporting a patient, another was several miles out of the city picking up four drums of diesel and two visitors were fixing broken pipes that had broken during the earthquake.  So it fell to Beth, who had never been to the newly erected field hospital to transport or receive patients.  She found her way and now she will be considered as one of those who can do this hospital run in the future.
We are building relationships with people and organizations as we together are trying to help the injured.  Heartline has quickly become known as a place that gives quality care.  This is due to the amazing volunteers that have and are coming.  Just last night we had several leave and several come in with a mountain of supplies.  We on Friday at 6:00 AM will be at the airport again to bring those that are  leaving  and to pick up another group of volunteers.
Here is a link to an article written by Dr. Jeff Hersh, who is a member of one of our nation's Disaster Medical Assist Teams (DMAT), part of our National Disaster Medical System (NDMS).  Click here to read the article and pay attention the second to last paragraph.  There are hundred, if not thousands,  of organizations working here to help,  I'm glad that Heartline can be cited as one that is trying to do it well, even if we seemingly are  just plodding along.
Our field hospital grows in size at night as family members come to visit their loved ones and somehow don't leave.  People are afraid and so many still won't sleep inside so they are sleeping on mats on the ground or under the open sky or under tarps.  Some also have real camping tents and some are sleeping in tents put together with sheets and other such material.   I told our board that we need at least 50 more cots for people to sleep on and then last night when I got home I went on line and priced the cots and quickly realized that they are a lot more expensive than I thought.  So today we will try to find 50  three inch foam mattresses for the patients.  
I got back from the airport with the new arrivals at about 8:30 last night and headed over to where our son Sam, the chef, as been preparing an evening meal.  But first I stopped off at our so called field hospital that until January 12th was our boy' home, to greet everyone and chat with the workers, volunteers, and patients.  I was told that a motorcycle driver  who had hit a dog while on his moto had been brought to us and that they were sewing him up even as I had arrived.  We earlier in the day had received a man who had been hit by a car.  I went over to the table as one of the docs was working on him him and asked him what happen and I told him that I ride a moto as well and he looking at me said, "I know, you drive a green 125 cc Jialing motorcycle.  I must admit that I was a tad surprised that he knew this but of course there are not a lot of aging, long curly hair, messily dressed people in Haiti.  I am glad to write that he in a couple if weeks should be back on his bike and zooming along the hazardous streets of Haiti.
I find that I prefer taking pictures of those in recovery.  Here are a few:

 
This little guy wanted to sit on my motorcycle


This little girl is fighting off sleep as she keeps a close eye on the little doll she has received


This little guy is now walking around and now and then he will give a beautiful smile


Getting better


We, of course, feed those in our care, providing three meals a day and we try to give fresh fruit like these tangerines


Yogi is one of our dogs and he is thrilled to have all the people at his house (the field hospital/boys' house) but the Haitians, not use to such a big dog aren't as thrilled that he is there.  But, I think, that he is growing on them.

STUFF

  • We are still working on the walls that fell down during the earthquake.  I hope that the work will be finished within a week.  We have yet to start fixing the walls at my house that fell down.
  • Please pray as we are still trying to get our 5 remaining children to the States.
  • The Heartline Ladies are still at it and last night we put 47 pounds of newly made purses on the plane with those that left.  Check out the work of these ladies at Haitian Creations.
  • Had a 4.6 aftershock at 5:00 AM this morning.
  • I continue to hear of people that I had known who were killed as a result of the earthquake.  Most of these were killed by collapsing buildings or walls.  Some in our church were killed.  I heard that a man and his wife that owned a market that I would often go into and whom I have known for years were both killed as the market collapsed on top of them.  Yesterday as I was going by the spot where this market  used to be, I couldn't find the market as is simply was gone, the debris carted away.  I felt sad!
Heartline is not on cruise control we are being proactive in ministering to the injured and displaced.  Your prayers and help are still urgently needed.
PLEASE CLICK HERE AND DONATE TO HEARTLINE AS WE ENDEAVOR TO BE THE HANDS OF CHRIST IN HAITI.

John McHoul
Living in Haiti since 1989






4:06 AM GMT  |  Read comments(6)

February 01

AMAZING HEARTLINE SEWING LADIES / PHOTOS / HEARING ABOUT THE DEATH OF PEOPLE WE KNOW

The Heartline Sewing Ladies are at it as never before as today they turned out 28 handmade purses.



They of course will not sew inside the house and are still sewing outside in a neighbor's yard under a tarp that we have set up for them.



Pictured above are 5 of the purses that they made today and we, on Wednesday, will ship them along with others to the States where you can check them out at HANDMADE IN HAITI PURSES
Our Heartline ladies are working as they have children and families to care for.  Support them by buying one of their beautiful purses.

HEARTLINE FIELD HOSPITAL




It seems that the field/hospital is growing especially at night when family members come to visit the patients and then seem to forget to leave.


SADDENED

It seems as if daily I hear of people that I knew who died in the rubble of a collapsed building.  Each time I hear of someone that I had known who had been killed I feel shocked and in disbelief.  So many have lost their lives, so many have been injured, so many have lost homes and businesses.  So many need our help and prayers. 
Click here to help Heartline help the people of Haiti.

John McHoul
Living in Haiti since 1989






3:15 PM GMT  |  Read comments(3)

January 31

BEHIND THE HEADLINES

BEHIND THE HEADLINES

 

Untold thousands of Haitians have fled the cities for the villages, where there are very few buildings that could fall or collapse.

 

Untold thousands of those who have visas have left for other countries, especially for the Dominican Republic, the United States, Canada, and France.

 

Not all, in fact, probably not most of those in tent cities or sleeping on the streets have lost their homes due to the earthquake.  Clearly some have lost their homes and for some their homes have been extensively damage.  But for many their homes have sustained relatively small damage and for many there has been no damage at all.  Many people are simply afraid to sleep inside or to spend prolonged time inside a building.  So they will sleep outside in their yards or other places. And some will move to a tent city, where they bring their own material and plastic to erect their own tent.

 

If the earthquake had occurred at 3:00 or 4:00 instead of 5:00 the death toll would be significantly higher due to the majority of schools still being in session and many businesses would still have been opened.

 

Many of the multistoried buildings that collapsed still may have corpses that have yet to be extracted. 

 

It may not be an overstatement to estimate that 200 thousand plus people died in this tragedy and that hundred if not thousands have had limbs amputated.

 

Businesses are starting to reopen and I have read that the garment industry is starting to sew again.

 

The cell phone companies in Haiti have been doubling the face value of the prepaid card that a customer purchases.  So if I buy a card for 300 gourdes  (7.69 US) then they would double amount to 600 gourdes for the 300 gourde price.  This has been very helpful.

 

More and more of the international aid is getting out there.

 

Heartline has never before done what we are now doing in this time of emergency.  We have had perhaps 2000 requests from medical and non-medical people to come and help us.  It has been hard to coordinate this and we at times have done well and at other times, not so well.  EVERYONE who is working in coordinating our efforts here are volunteers and we value and appreciate them.  THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND UNDERSTANDING.

 

I on January 15th had an appointment with the owner of the house that we have rented for 12 years.  We had the earthquake on the 12th and I have been too busy to give much thought to meeting with her and I presumed that she as well has been too busy to meet with me as she is a doctor and her services would very much be needed.

Today her daughter called me to come and look at the house to see what damage it sustained because of the earthquake.  While we had a lot of dishes and glass things break as they fell on the ceramic floor, it was only our wall in the front and the back that was damaged and not the house.

I asked her about her mother and she paused for a moment and said that she had been killed as the house that she lived in fell down on her.  I expressed my condolences and she simply said that, “such is life,” and she made an appointment to come see me tomorrow.

 

Daily there is talk on the radio about another BIG earthquake that will hit us.  This keeps the people on edge and certainly not willing anytime soon to live in their homes.

 

Heartline is doing its best to make a difference here.  Click here to donate and help us make a difference.

 

John McHoul

Living in Port au Prince, Haiti since 1989

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 




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January 30

HEARTLINE STILL IN THE TRENCHES
It is 5:00 PM but feels more like 10:00 PM.  It has been a busy day and in addition to going to the inner city and bringing in people for the clinic, we have been busy getting and giving supplies, taking people to a hospital located at the airport, and transporting patients between the clinic (women's center) and field hospital (boys' house).  We also are fixing broken things, of which there is a lot. We have a couple of people who daily are spending much time at the U.S. Consulate, trying to get the remainder of our children into the States.  Please pray that this happens.

I took a some pictures today and one in particular is a bit unsettling.


The first picture is of a young lady that was cooking during the earthquake and she sustained some painful burns.

The second picture is of a little girl who just today has blocks fall on her feet.  I know the third picture is hard to look at, but it is what happen when the cement blocks fell on her feet.



We have been able to get some items donated and have made up 60 packets for our workers.  Each packets contained: Rice, beans, canned tuna and canned meat, juice, milk, toilet tissue and each person received two tarps.

Check out Beth's pictures by clicking here

Heartline continues to bring healing and hope to the people that enter our door.
Thank you for making this possible. 
Click here to us help financially as we keep moving forward.

John McHoul











2:57 PM GMT  |  Read comments(4)

January 29

NO RETREAT

A friend Chris Plourde sent me the following scriptures.  WOW, what good stuff, and I already feel strengthened as I have read and meditated on it several times.

Isaiah 58:10.11
10. Feed the hungry and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as day.
11. The LORD will guide you continually, watering your life when you are dry and keeping you healthy, too. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring.


CLINIC PHOTOS


Both of these men were injured by falling cement block walls
This boy had his arm and hand  injured by falling blocks

This student pictured above was trapped under debris when the school she was attending collapsed.  She spent three days trapped before she was discovered and rescued. She sustained damage to her hand and nerve damage to one of her legs when a friend who died in the collapsing building fell on this girl and she stayed trapped with her dead friend on her until she was rescued.


HEARTLINE IS MAKING A DIFFERENCE. YOU CAN HELP BY DONATING AS WE ARE FACING RISING COSTS AS WE RUN THE CLINIC/HOSPITAL AND GIVE DAILY CARE TO THE PATIENTS.
CLICK HERE TO DONATE!



OUR CHILDREN

Beth and I were blessed to have our daughter Morgan here for several days.  She is an emergency room nurse and she did just great.  She, of course, is fluent in French and Creole and so she could communicate easily with the people.

And now our son Sam came in yesterday.  He is a chef and cooks meals that I can't pronounce and am not always sure how to eat.   He is cooking meals for the group, which is a tremendous blessing.  He, of course, speaks Creole which enables him to communicate easily with the people.
At the end of a very long day the Heartline crew is glad to be able to sit and talk about the day and have a delicious meal cooked by Chef Sam.

FYI:
  • We have not had city electricity since January 12th, the day of the earthquake.  We are going through a lot of diesel so we can function at the clinic, field hospital, the girls' home and our houses.
  • We have had 12 children leave for the States and now have 5 that we are trying to get to the States.  PLEASE PRAY THAT THIS WILL HAPPEN.
  • About 80% of the wall at the boys' house fell down during the earthquake.  It has now been rebuilt.  We lost about 50% of the wall at the girls' house and the  workers started on that wall  today.  They will also rebuild the chicken coop that we had built about a month ago.  It was partially destroyed during the earthquake.
  • The remarkable Heartline Sewing ladies started sewing yesterday for the first time since the earthquake.  They have already created some beautiful handmade purses which we will ship out to the States next week.  You can order a purse and by doing so help a Heartline sewing lady and her family by going to Haitian Creations and ordering a handmade in Haiti purse.  We have since the earthquake shipped out to the Haitian Creations people four bins of purses which represented our entire stock.
  • Many people are simply afraid to sleep inside a house and are choosing to sleep outside on mats or some in tents and of course there are perhaps several dozen tent cities where thousands of people are living.    Read about A Day in the Life of a Haiti Tent City
It is after 7:00 PM and I am alone at the office.  I think that I will go meet the rest of the group for some of Sam's delicious cooking.

John







4:05 PM GMT  |  Read comments(3)

January 28

THOUGHTS, HATS ON, SEWING LADIES, PICTURES


SEVERAL THOUGHTS AND OBSERVATIONS

 4:35 AM

 

·      Heartline is not a large organization and yet we have received hundreds if not thousands of requests from people that want to come and help.  This runs from medical, to construction, to grunt work, to childcare, to whatever we need.  People have been amazing.

·      The outpouring of encouraging e-mails has been amazing and humbling.

·      The generosity of those that have given has amazed and humbled us.

·      The on-ground Heartline people are amazing (I seem to be using the word “amazing” a lot) and endeavoring to love, serve, and obey God.

·      The US based Heartline Board is super amazing.

·      The US volunteers have been incredible.

·      The care of friends in the US military who come to visit us with supplies and good words has been helpful and humbling.

·      The cooperation among so many of the missionaries is special.

·      Heartline has a lot of friends, old and new.

·      The Brothers of Charity with whom we have developed a working relationship makes me feel small by their commitment and lives.

·      The Haitian people are incredibly resilient.

·      The generosity of those that are making their planes and jets available to fly volunteers and supplies into Haiti and the volunteers out at no charge is wonderful.

·      So many churches have taken offerings and offered to send groups.

·      It is difficult to comprehend and describe the damage and destruction that has occurred in this country.

·      The group truck, which we have had less than two months, has been a blessing as we daily are using it to go into the slums areas to bring in patients and also making a couple of trips to bring people back home.  We today also will use it to pick up about 15 people and supplies that are coming in. To those that helped us get it, we did not know and neither did you that it would be used for such work.  Thank you for helping us purchase this vehicle.

 

 

A PLUG FOR AN APPLE APP

 

I have been using an apple app called ‘Spending’ which I downloaded into my iphone.  I started with the freebie app called ‘Spending Lite’ but after a few days I downloaded ‘Spending’ which cost $2.99.  It may be the best $2.99 I have ever spent, as it is helping me keep an accurate record of money received and money spent. 

Although it may not have been good for Tom White, our bean counters, as I think he came close to fainting or falling off his chair when he started to receive nightly reports, which I export to him.

 

 

OUR HATS STAY ON FOR THE STUDENTS OF RESURRECTION CHRISTIAN SCHOOL IN LOVELAND, COLORADO. 

 

READ BELOW

 

Dear John and Beth McHoul,

 

My name is Trish Buxman. My husband Ron, is Don's brother in Loveland, CO. 

 

Our children go to a private school, Resurrection Christian School (RCS).  RCS is big on encouraging children to have a servant’s heart.

 

Thus, my reason for sending this email is to let you know that RCS held a fund raiser to benefit the Haitian people. Earlier this week my husband was contacted and our student counsel chose your ministry (Heartline Ministries), to help during this time of need.

 

At RCS the students are not allowed to wear hats during school hours. But today an exception was made, and they could pay five dollars or more to wear a hat of their choice all day long. The school called it "HAT'S FOR HAITI". I just talked with the office and they told me they still had to get the numbers in from the elementary department, but aside from that, they had well over $4000.00. God is so good!!!!!!

 

The children of RCS extend their compassion in their giving to the Haitians that you are caring for during this crisis. We are certain the need for medical supplies, fuel, food, etc., are great so please accept this gift of love to help the people of Haiti.

 

On Monday the school will cut the check and send it to the Washington address from your email site.

 

If you have any question please contact me.

 

May the Lord bless you both abundantly,

 

Trish & Ron Buxman




Heartline has been blessed with an abundance of supplies as they just seems to keep on coming. 

 


 Today our sewing ladies started to sew for the first time since the earthquake on January 12th.  They refused to work in the house on even on the upstairs porch.  So we set the sewing machines up in a neighbor's yard and put a tarp over the area so the ladies will out of the hot sun.  If you haven't already, check out the homemade in Haiti purses that the ladies make by clicking here.


A NEW GROUP

This afternoon we had a new group of volunteers come all loaded up with hope and supplies.  They are seen in the photo above pulling in front of the clinic.  We are so thankful for all that come and give of themselves.


6:32 PM


We about 45 minutes ago had a group of 18 come in on the group truck.  This group had much of what we have been seeing: open wounds, infected wounds, swollen limbs, and malnutrition.  The rooms are busy as the health care professionals move quickly to get medicines and treat their patients.  There is some crying as a couple of the children have infected wounds that must be cleaned out and re-bandaged.

Please pray for these volunteers as they over the next several days will work tirelessly to bring healing and health to those who have been injured as a result of the earthquake.


The above four pictures are some of what we are seeing with this late arriving group.

Please pray and please help us continue to reach into the inner city in search of the hurting, injured, and forgotten.

Please click here to donate.

John McHoul








 

 

 

 

 






4:01 PM GMT  |  Read comments(0)

January 27

MOVING FORWARD / EXPANDING OUR FIELD HOSPITAL

I thought that today would be a quieter day and that we could begin the transition to aftercare.  I was wrong, very wrong.  Wet again are  seeing some who have not been treated elsewhere even though it has been 15 days since the earthquake.  We as well are seeing infections, some with maggots.  One young boy had maggots in his ear canal and a man who had his leg amputated days ago  had maggots in his raw stump. 

 

Some of the people we are seeing had an initial treatment at another place but no follow up.  So we are seeing people with infections who were not followed up and now they are with us. 

 

I just saw a young boy being treated who had deep, open wounds in his head.  The wounds seemed so fresh and so raw.  I feel a certain amount of anger as I continue to see such cases.

 

We had a boy that came with an abscess behind his eye and a doctor just showed up who could help this boy.  Jen, one of the doctors here, just kept saying, “This doctor saved this boy’s eye.

 

IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO REMEMBER AND WRITE OF ALL THE HEROIC DEEDS BEING DONE BY THESE HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS THAT HAVE COME TO WORK AT HEARTLINE!

 

We are home early tonight (8:00): yet one of the docs staying with us just said that today was a hard day.   I have to agree.

 

The Heartline crew here on the ground: Byron, Don, Megan, Troy, Tara, Beth, and me met today with some of the docs and Ed Lord the consultant that has been with us to decide if we have reached our max (WE HAVE 44 PEOPLE SLEEPING AT THE BOYS’ HOUSE OR PERHAPS I SHOULD SAY ON THE GROUND AT THE BOYS’ HOUSE.  THESE ARE PATIENTS, NANNIES AND FOR THE CHILDREN, FAMILY MEMBERS) or can we take in more patients that may require more patients staying for days and perhaps weeks.  Do we just accept patients that have relatively minor injuries because we have no room for them if they have serious injuries?

 

Now perhaps you are thinking that this is a no brainer, of course you should take whoever comes to you.   Well the Heartline crew unanimously made that decision even though they are stretched sometimes to what seems our limit and it will mean more work and being pulled even more so in several directions at once.

 

We have decided to now open the Girls’ house or I should say the Girls’ house yard to as many patients as we can fit.  This means that it is conceivable that we will each night have up to 100 or more people sleeping at the two homes.

 

The people of Heartline are committed to give quality care as long as the Lord entrusts the injured to us.

We like Gideon of the Old Testament and his army are weary but moving forward.

 

Please pray for us as we endeavor to be the healing touch of Jesus to those that have been injured.  We estimate that we have seen about 1000 people with earthquake related injuries in the past 10 days.

 

I today took a few pictures of some of the patients that we saw.




SLIDE SHOW


EARTHQUAKE DEVASTATES HAITI




God has blessed the efforts of Heartline and it seems that daily people just show up at our clinic with medicines, medical supplies, bottles of drinking water, diesel, and even medical people show up and offer to help.

We are stepping out into new territory but are comforted by knowing that we are not alone and that Christ is with us. And you are with us as well.

Your prayers and support are really making a difference.  Your financial help is needed and we thank you for all that you already have done and have giving.

You can make a difference by donating.
Press here to donate.

A little over two weeks ago these two houses had about 17 children in them and things were running smoothly and we knew what we were doing.  Now all but 5 of the children have left for the States and we will by the next day or two have up to 100 people at these two house.  The expense is quite large and we honestly do need your help.

John McHoul








6:58 PM GMT  |  Read comments(3)

January 26

THE DEATH OF A CHILD
Yesterday was a crazy busy day with some pretty serious injuries and today we had a rough start.  When we arrived at the clinic there was a young woman holding a baby girl and a young man waiting for us.  I am not a doctor but I could tell that the child was in serious condition.  I had to leave for several minutes and when I came back I could tell that something was up.  I entered the yard to find several people milling around but no one spoke.  I walked onto the front porch and found several people peering into the front door and to the right.  I walked into the house and stood among a few people who, with deep concern, were looking into the room where the doctors work.  I looked into this room and saw several doctors working on the infant child that I had seen several minutes earlier,  and she was lying on one of the tables that we are using for the patients.  No one was saying much, but they each seemed to know what to do and for over twenty minutes they worked to revive the child , but it was not to be and the child died.  There was sadness and tears among all involved.

A few minutes after the child was declared dead one of our Haitian security guys asked why some of the medical people were crying.  I told him that it was because the child had died and he told me that she hadn't really died but the werewolf, which it seems most Haitians believe in, ate the child's soul and that is why she died.

I started to disagree with him, but I have been here only twenty years and the belief in the child eating werewolf has been here for hundreds of years.  And so I didn't say much.

The rest of the day was busy but not crazy busy like the day before.

My thoughts are turning toward the long term care that we will be giving to a number of patients and to other things.  Things such as how will we help those who have lost homes, possessions and for some family.

Yesterday  a mother that I have known for several years came to see me with five of her children.  She had lost two children, killed by falling walls during the earthquake, and now she and her children are on the street.  They do not even have clothes to wear, other than what is on their bodies.

This morning at 6:10 a mother came to me whose child we had adopted into the States.  She, in tears, said that if her son calls to tell him that she has lost her house but she is alive and sleeping on the street and that God spared her life.

I look at our faithful nannies who are still coming to work and I wonder what they may have lost.  I have yet to sit and ask them, but I will do so soon.

I will be working and praying with the board of Heartline Ministries to discover how we can best help those that God has entrusted to us.

You can help by praying and by giving.  We will be working on giving you the opportunity to sponsor a family for one year, who may have lost everything in the earthquake.  This will help put shelter over their heads and food on their table and to help them start to rebuild their lives.  WOW, that seems like that will cost a lot. You would be surprised at how little this will cost.  Stay with us and over the next 7-10 days check in daily as we look to God for His plan and direction for Heartline to glorify Him by helping others.

In the meantime you can help with our ongoing expenses of getting supplies to Haiti and of caring for the injured by clicking here and following the link to donate.

Thank you from the top of my heart,

John McHoul




4:12 PM GMT  |  Read comments(1)

January 25

THINGS I SAY, HEAR, AND SEE / HEARTLINE FIELD HOSPITAL PHOTOS AND MORE

We thought that today would be a less busy day and that we would see less patients with less severe injuries that we have been used to seeing.  Boy, were we ever wrong.  The first truck load of 22 injured people, arrived with injuries ranging from deep lacerations, puncture wounds, infections, botched amputations, broken bones and blunt trauma due to falling cement blocks.  I heard one person, who called  home tell his wife that it was like a field hospital as he was seeing such unbelievable injuries.

Today I took a couple of minutes to take some pictures of some who are recovering in what has become our field hospital at the Boy's House.  No one there will sleep inside as they are afraid that the house will fall on them during an aftershock.

I did take a couple of minutes to take some pictures of some of the people at the Heartline field hospital.






EVERYDAY

THINGS I SAY:

  • "Why are we still seeing people with such severe injuries?  It shouldn't be like this."
  • "People shouldn't have to live like this." I say this seemingly every time I pass some of the rusted tin shacks that some call home.
  • "My chickens have a better house than these people."
  • "Is there any more coffee?"
  • "Thank you for being here." What I say to those that have come to help us.  I try to say this at least a hundred times a day.
  • "One minute please." What I say countless times a day when someones wants me but I am  going in five directions already.
  • "I can't find my keys."
  • "I can't believe it." What I say when I go downtown and see the heart of the destruction.
  • "I don't have money for you yet, come back and see me later."
  • "I'm tired."
  • "What day is today?"
  • "What can I do for you?"

THINGS I HEAR
  • The cries and moans of patients.
  • "What do you need?"  From people who have come to help.
  • "What can I do for you?" From people who have come to help."
  • "Are you okay?" From people who care.
  • "Is the water safe to drink?" From visitors
  • "Look at that." From visitors as they see the damage from the earthquake
  • The sound of jets, planes, and helicopters.
  • Police and ambulance sirens
  • "I'm hungry" I hear this perhaps a hundred times a day.
  • "Mesi" (thank you) from countless people
  • Today a boy of about 14 was put under anesthesia and he was swearing up a storm,  his mother who was there was shocked to hear her son say such words and she kept slapping him in the face.
  • "When are you going to get a haircut?" "Your hair is too long." "I like your hair." Not many people say that one.
  • "I could tell that Morgan is your daughter." I am not sure why they say that, other than we both have curly, messy hair.
  • "Have you seen..." 
  • "What day is today?" Said by Heartline people who are exhausted from much work and little sleep.
  • "What do you think this is?"  Ask by visitors that have some type of bug bites or mosquito bites or a rash.  
  • "My house is destroyed"
  • "I can't find some of my children."
  • "I am living on the street."
  • "God bless you."
  • The sound of our diesel generator as we have no city power.
  • People praying
THINGS I SEE
  • Awful wounds and infections
  • Broken and fractured bones
  • Amputations
  • Heartline workers crying as they treat patients
  • Tired faces
  • Brave patients
  • Big planes from many nations
  • Make shift tent cities
  • Graphic pictures on the internet
  • Incredible caring people who have come to volunteer
  • Missionaries who help and share what they have.
  • Slums filled with tens of thousands of people
  • Haitians trying to get on with their lives.
  • Thousands of people from other countries that have come to help.
  • Reporters
  • God's love through the hands and words and lives of caring people.

FEEL SAD

Sometimes it is difficult to understand why you feel particularly touched or saddened by a person's situation.  I have seen things here that I hope never to see again.  Yet for some reason I feel especially sad for a young man that came to us with his hand cut off.  He had survived the earthquake unscathed but he had gotten into a machete fight at a funeral service and he I was told had his hand cut off by his cousin. I could hear him say shortly after our doctors cleaned him up and had to cut more off his arm, "I want to die, I want to die."


FEEL ENCOURAGED
  • By the outpouring of love and support toward Heartline and its missionaries
  • By the generosity of so many
  • By the thousands of e-mails offering help and telling us that we are loved and being prayed for.

FROM A RECENT E-LETTER



Jesus in Luke 14:23 said, " Go out into the highways and along the hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled."
We at Heartline are not waiting for the injured to come to us, but rather we are sending the big truck out on three to four runs daily to find those who have fallen in between the cracks.  These people either haven't been treated or were treated once early on and now they are suffering from severe infections.

I would say that at least 50 percent of those that we are taking back to our clinic have to be carried to the truck.  I am amazed and appalled that we are seeing so many severe injuries so long after the earthquake.

The little girl pictured above who is perhaps three years old has a severely broken leg that her family wrapped with banana leaves. 
These are the type of injuries that we are seeing along with severely infected lacerations.

Our boys' home has become our make shift hospital and we now have a few dozen that we have sent on to a couple of military or civilian hospitals because they needed further treatment.

We expect to be caring for the more severely injured patients for some weeks to come.

Your support and prayers are vital to our ongoing effort to be the hands of Jesus here in Haiti.


OTHER STUFF THAT DOESN'T SEEM IMPORTANT
  • We must still find food for the chickens, fish, and dogs.

NEEDS
  • We continue to need your financial support as our expenses rise.  We expect to have people in our care for several more weeks.  Please help  us give them quality loving care by donating to Heartline.  You can donate by clicking here. 
  • We have people who are doing benefit concerts, garage sales, special church offerings (A church in Colorado recently took a special offering for Heartline and it totaled $30,000), matching donations, Sunday School offerings, office donations... Be creative and just so you know 100% of your donations goes to help the people of Haiti.
  • We have specific needs that range from medical supplies, to tents and cots, to a small prefab building and more.  You can contact Bob Coughlin at bob.coughlin@heartlineministries.org (copy and paste address)  to inquire about our present needs that will better enable us to care for those that God entrusts to us.
It is 1:07 AM and I am heading to bed as I need to be up at 5:00 AM.

God Bless Special,
John McHoul

 














10:19 PM GMT  |  Read comments(0)

January 24

LINKS

DONATE

RAW VIDEO FOOTAGE FROM THE HEARTLINE CLINIC

BUY A HANDMADE IN HAITI PURSE

Community bands together in Haiti's time of need (PHOTOS)







7:26 AM GMT  |  Read comments(1)

January 23

A QUICKIE
5:00 AM: GOT UP

6:30 AM: WENT TO THE CLINIC

9:30 PM: ARRIVED HOME

John



5:49 PM GMT  |  Read comments(2)

THOUGHTS FROM BETH & CLINIC PHOTOS

I've always thought the Haitian people were tough.  This week I stand amazed at their resilience and how they cope with pain and tragedy.  I'm also pretty impressed with the Americans working with us.  Some are missionaries and I already knew they were tough but our visitors - doctors, nurses and  support staff who flew in to help have been tireless in their efforts to make a difference.  A difference is being made every minute, every hour, every day.  People who have not been treated in over a week are finally getting treatment.  The pain they come in with is incomprehensible.  As we question them while they are being treated we find they have lost family members, houses, everything.  Everything.  They had so little to begin with.
Our lives are changed.  Two weeks ago I was running marathons and working at the women's center.  Today there is no women's center - it's morphed into a hospital and my marathons are of another kind.  A rumbling of the earth has changed us forever.  My life as I knew it is gone.  I have a life.  I have a house.  It is full of extra people sleeping everywhere.  This won't change any time soon.
Everywhere I look I see strong people. Amazing medical people working on tough patients who withstand enormous pain.  I marvel at them both.
I am witness.  I have seen suffering, I have seen people work long hours under intense stress and act like it was no big deal. 
My camera clicks non-stop to capture all this.  Smiling children with injuries beyond belief.  A crushed hand that means a crushed house.  But not a crushed spirit.
God lives, miracles are happening and I am reminded of Corie Ten Booms words "There is no pit so deep that God is not deeper still".  He is here - we see Him at every turn.

Beth McHoul

  • Your support has given such encouragement to us as we endeavor to make a difference here in Haiti in the midst of a horrific tragedy.  We are actually going into the slums with our group truck and bringing people to the clinic.  We are horrified at what we are seeing even 10 days after the earthquake.
  • Our struggle now is where to put those that need aftercare.  Right now they are an the yard at the Boys' House as they do not want to sleep inside due to fear of more after shocks.
  • We will continue to need medical personnel.
  • It looks as if we will not have city electricity any time soon and so we are running on generators. 
  • Please pray for Heartline and pray especially for the people of Haiti.
  • Last night all but 6 of our children were able to leave the country on a flight to the States.  Pray as we work to have the remaining children travel.
YOUR CONTINUING SUPPORT IS VERY MUCH NEEDED AS WE WILL SOON BEGIN THE PROCESS OF EVALUATING THE LOSS THAT OUR WORKERS HAVE SUSTAINED AND HOW WE CAN HELP THEM.
YOU CLICK HERE TO DONATE.

John McHoul

PHOTOS BELOW, SOME OF WHICH ARE QUITE GRAPHIC AND ALL WHICH WERE TAKING AT OUR CLINIC







3:54 AM GMT  |  Read comments(6)

January 21

DAY NINE
3:40 PM

It has been a busy day and I am now taking a break to spend some time at the computer.  I this morning and the afternoon did two inner city runs with our group truck to bring people into our clinic.  I still am amazed and bewildered at the condition of the people nine days after the earthquake.  People are coming to us with limbs broken, with major cuts not stitched and big time infections. 

We are so blessed to have a group of caring volunteers that are with us to help the Haitians during this terrible time.  We have about 14 medical people with us and more coming on Friday.  We have started to have some leave as three left today.  We are working to be sure that we have no gaps as we have some leaving and some coming.  The Heartline workers have been great.

I CAN'T SAY 'THANK YOU" ENOUGH ABOUT YOUR GENEROSITY IN HELPING US PURCHASE THE GROUP TRUCK.  We are using it to transport sick and injured people from inner city slum areas to our clinic. 



PUTTING THE INJURED IN THE GROUP TRUCK TO TRANSPORT THEM TO OUR CLINIC



WE ARE SEEING TENT CITIES EXCEPT SHEETS AND OLD CLOTHING ARE BEING USED INSTEAD. 
One such tent city must have several thousand tents in it.  Some people are there because they have lost their homes or their homes aren't safe or they may be afraid to enter their homes for fear that a aftershock may occur and they will be killed or injured.



Our Boys' House now has about 15 people staying at it as they are still being cared for but we need the space in the clinic.  Most of the people have been sleeping outside as they are afraid to be inside.  Well today while I was transporting people from the clinic to the Boys' House I saw a rolled up tent that someone dropped off for us.  We will get it up today for the people who are afraid to sleep inside.

YOUR FINANCIAL HELP IS NEEDED MORE THAN EVER. 
PLEASE HELP US TO HELP OTHERS BY DONATING.
PRESS HERE TO DONATE

I have to go to start transporting people.  I hope to be back later tonight.

John

9:53 PM

Just got home a few minutes ago.  Each day is long and we arrive home tired but a good kind of tired in that it is because we are out there making a difference in people's lives.

We especially struggle with trying to be in many places at the same time. 
Tomorrow for example, not counting the unexpected we need to:

  • Get to the clinic by 7:00 AM to examine the patients
  • Be at the airport at 7:00 AM to pick up two doctors and supplies coming in
  • Be back to the clinic by about 9:00 AM with the first truck load of injured people.
  •  At some time be in a  town about 30 minutes from us to pick up 250 gallons of diesel
  • At some point be at a warehouse downtown to pick up boxes of food from Feed the Hungry Children to use and give out.
  • Be at an orphanage several miles away to verify that it has been destroyed and that the children have no food and then to bring them some boxes of the Feed the Starving Children Food.
  • Do another pick up of injured people (Just had a pretty good size after shock) and bring them to the clinic
  • Be at the airport at 12:30 to pick up  four medical people and supplies
  • Several times a day transport people from the clinic to the Boys' House where we have people in recovery
  • Do another pick up in the group truck to bring injured people to the clinic
  • Bring back to the inner city those that have been treated and released.  Sometimes they can go in the group truck when we go to pick up injured people.
  • Be at the American Consulate to try to get the travel documents for all our kids
  • Go (we hope) to the airport to drop off all our Maranatha  kids who we hope will be leaving and the several adult escorts.
  • Do a final transport to the Boys' House and one to the inner city area.
We do this with the group truck and two pick up trucks and sometimes a couple of other vehicles.

And then of course there is the work of the medical people which is quite remarkable.  They are an super group of people.

John

LINKS:

GRAPHIC SLIDE SHOW

400,000 HOMELESS














1:23 PM GMT  |  Read comments(1)

A SHORT UPDATE
5:45 AM

Yesterday morning at about 7:00 I was sitting at this same table trying to answer the many e-mails that I am backed up on when we had a brief but powerful 6.1 aftershock.  The three of us at the table moved somewhat to get out of the house.  The thing about an aftershock is that there have been so many and you can't just get heading for the door every every time you have one and so by the time you realize that the one that you are having now is more than just a little aftershock it could be too late.  The house right across from where we live had the top floor collapse.  The women's center had existing cracks grow wider.  It wasn't a good thing.

Most of my day was spent on the road in heavy traffic and on the tarmac at the Port au Prince airport waiting for planes with supplies that have been sent to us and waiting for the next wave of doctors.  The airport is crazy busy and could be mistaken as a military airport with so many military planes for various countries.  I eventually put in some ear plugs as the sound of the jet engines could be painfully load.

The clinic continues and so many of the cases have been horrific.  I can't help but feel deep sadness that theses people that suffer so much are suffering even more and seemingly just lying  on the ground near their homes without having seen a doctor.  Some had seen a doctor but their injuries are now infected and for some life threatening.

I think that Robert Rice will post some videos some where.  I'll let you know.

We were able to have some of more serious patients transfer by helicopter to the US based Comfort Ship.  That is a big blessing!

Yesterday we had our first death at the clinic.  A woman was brought in that had been hit by a car but he dies shortly after arriving at the clinic.

It is safe to say that we are all extremely tired and I expected that we will live this way for some weeks to come.

We have not had city power since the day of the earthquake and so we are running off of generators.  There seems to be fuel available and we should have some coming in that we bought several days ago.

Please continue to pray.

DONATE:

Please continue to donate as our costs are rising.  You can donate here.

Some links:

We are seeing tens of thousands flee to the country side to get out of Port au Prince and now again the Haitians are fleeing by the sea in small boats.  Click here for more information.

Hospital ship greeted by Haiti's stark reality


We will try to give  more complete update, but we are extremely busy and by the time we get home we are tired and try to sleep, but sleep doesn't come easily.

PLEASE PRAY:
  • For the people who have suffered so much.
  • For the families that have not seen their loved ones since the January 10th earthquake.
  • For the Heartline crew as we endeavoring to be the hands of Jesus here in Haiti.
  • For our children and the various government officials that we (Tim, Megan, Ruth, Jennifer) are working with to get our Maranatha children to the States.
  • For finances and support that we need to continue.
More Later,

John





 


3:55 AM GMT  |  Read comments(1)

January 19

Heartline Update
9:35 PM

It has been a busy day and although it is difficult to believe, so many of the injuries that we saw today were worse than what we saw yesterday.  I am amazed at the extent of peoples injuries even after one week after the earth quake shook Haiti.  We are seeing people with severe infections, open wound, and broken and fractured bones.  Today we saw a injury unrelated to the earthquake as a young man was brought to the clinic after having his hand cut off in a machete  fight.  The doctors had to amputate several inches above where the hand used to be.

The Lord continues to bring in supplies and medical people.  We had a good amount of supplies come in today along with some medical people and we have more supplies and medical people coming in tomorrow and on Friday.

Tomorrow we will begin to take people in from the infamous slum Cite Soleil and we expect to continue to see people with severe neglected injuries.
We have a great group of medical people who have joined with Heartline and we are so thrilled to have them.  They are such a blessing to us.  And for most of them they have never seen such injuries yet they continue to work in less than ideal situations and they just go with the flow.

I have encouraged our team to be like teflon  and not like velcro; to be diligent to go with the flow in a difficult situation.

We have lots of pictures to post and some videos as well.  We simply have not yet had the time.

Please pray and thank you for all that you are doing.

You can donate by clicking here, as our expenses are continuing to grow.

John



7:01 PM GMT  |  Read comments(6)

A NEW DAY
It is 5:49 in the morning, I and others are getting ready to go to the clinic to begin our day.  It appears that we are going from a clinic to what Dr. Tom McKnight has called the Heartline Hospital as we now will be housing the patient for a while.

Beth wrote the blog below as well as took the pictures that are posted.  I will try to get her many pictures uploaded on Flickr sometime today.

"The house is quiet.  Morgan and I are up doing night duty so I have time to write.  Patients who are afraid to be inside are sleeping in the driveway.  Others are tucked in on cots for the night.  Some have lost body parts, houses, family, belongings but not hope.  Hope lives. 
A team of doctors, nurses, paramedics and lay people worked from early morning to late at night addressing the needs of the wounded.  Broken bones and open wounds have been untouched for six days.  Hospitals are full.  We sent some to a hospital who were beyond what could be done here and they got sent back to us. 
It was an exhausting day where everyone worked hard using their skills.  I am touched by those who dropped everything and jumped on a plane with me and came to Haiti to help.  Nine of us came in yesterday morning and got right to work.  No one expects comfort and no one is complaining.  We see so many who have lost so much.
Jonna remarked today that so much destruction happened in just one minute of time. One minute of time changed Haiti forever.  It also changed us.   All of us are stunned.  Yesterday afternoon John took all nine of us around the city to see the destruction first hand.  Some wore masks.  I chose not to because I knew the smell of death would make this more real for me.  I had to shake myself into reality.  Piles of broken cement lay where houses used to be, where I used to shop for groceries, where we lived our lives.  Broken cement, broken limbs, broken lives.
And yet the human spirit survives.  God brings light into darkness.  He brings miracles and we weep at His goodness in all of this destruction.  We see answers to prayer.  He is holding us up. 
The country is full of brokenness but in our little corner we have a team of people who care, who are mending bodies and giving hope.  This team is saving lives!  The most critical have died already but these folks would die of infection if their wounds and broken bones were left untreated.  I am grateful to be part of a team that is here to heal.  And that is what we will look for over the days, weeks and months ahead.  Healing."

Beth




 



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