most recent information is at top; comments from webmaster in [brackets] Earthquake updates5/17/10 - update from Chuck - land given to Damou for housing from Mayror 4/14/10 - update from Tina with details on the 15 children in her home 2/10/10 - semi loaded 2/8/10 - Chuck Heinhold - supplies gathered so far 2/1/10 - Supply List for Shipping, deadline extended 1/31/10 - Chuck visits CCC 1/24/10 - Chuck - list of stuff to collect
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Packing InstructionsItems that are brought in to the church will be placed in a wooden bin in the south hallway. Whenever you have time, drop by the church and from the bin:
A second boxing of medical supplies will occur at HOPE FAMILY CARE CLINIC, located at 270 West Jackson Street (just across the street from our previous church location) on Wednesday, February 10 . First boxing session will be from 10a to noon. |
Tina Isenhower is a missionary to Haiti working through Damou Christian Mission near Jacmel on the southern coast of Haiti. Chuck and Donna Heinhold are Tina's sister and brother-in-law who are her forwarding agents working in Indiana. Tina is a graduate of Hamilton Heights High School and has been on the mission field for 25 years.
Chuck Heinhold reports back from Haiti -
I want to share with all of you what God is doing in Haiti. Last Thursday Damou and a group from Kentucky was delivering clothes, food and other items to the Tent Camp in Jacmel. The camp has over 1,500 families (based on the information from the director of the camp) and during that week they lost 5 people to death that probably could have been prevented in different living conditions and medical help.
We unloaded the clothes and other items and everything went great and headed back to load the large truck we rented to bring in the food. (2 cases of formula also) We got to the camp and everyone was happy to see us and we got the food unloaded with no problem and put in the tent to be distributed. But then the crowd saw the formula and things got a little crazy.
Men and women started coming by the seemed like hundreds with their babies wanting the formula. We did not have enough for everyone and the thought process was to give it to the most needy. I asked the minister from the Church in Kentucky to take one box (he is 6'4" and weighs over 250 punds) to the tent and I grabbed the other box. He made if with little trouble, but my box was open on each end and two cans fell out.
Before I could get to them 2 men had grabbed them and were fighting over them and the rest of the crowd was joining in. I carried my box to the tent and before I could get back the security (members of the camp) had gotten the cans back and things were calming down.
Then a little girl of 11 or 12 came up to me and asked for 5 guades or 13 cents in US money. I started to reach in my pocket and realized hundreds of eyes were on me and if I gave her money I would have to give everyone money or be in for more unrest. I looked at her and told her I could not and she just looked at me with those big brown eyes and said nothing but she did not have to.
I found the camp director that I had given money to early that day and asked her to use some of it for this young girl. She informed me that both her mother and father are dead and she needs help. (Tina is going to work on that)
Things finally calmed down enough that we could leave. As soon as I got in the truck I looked at Tina and said something has to be done. These people can not live like this with the hot summer coming up and then hurricane season after that. She agreed and asked what. My mouth opened and these words came out, "talk to the Mayor and if he will donate land we will build homes".
Not sure what exactly what I was thinking building homes for over 2,000 families but that was what I said. Tina arranged a meeting with the Mayor for Friday (He could not meet us that day) and Tina said he was like a little kid. He was so excited that we were asking him to be part of the solution.
He told Tina that Damou had been a good friend to the Haitian people and he would do what ever he could to help. He told Tina that he had land in the mountains and that he would donated it. (He did and signed over a large piece of land. He put it in the missions name so no one could touch it. Gave us rights to build what we felt needed to be built and started the paper work to get us a license so we can build and operate a school, church and medical center on this property. His way of saying that is what he thought needed to be built.) He told Tina there was more to come and he would start working on it on Monday.
Well that brings me to this email. All of you have been such great supporters and I am not looking from MONEY from all of you. What I am looking for is help! I will be putting together a letter that can be used to asked individuals, organizations, and small or large business to ask them to help with building homes for these people in Jacmel.
This is going to be a huge undertaking and will need hundreds of thousands of dollars and a team of people to coordinate. I am convinced that God has put this in front of us to take on and that He will help us (or lead us) if we allow HIm. Please let me know if you have any ideas or suggestion or if you would like to be part of the team to get this all put together. This will be an on going things for many months and will constant attention so it is done right.
The Mayor is doing his part and that was an answered prayer. He will expect to see progress on our end or will loose trust in us. Please help us deliver this miracle to the people of Haiti. Because it will be a miracle and a great testimony to God and His ability to do all things.
For the Love of Haiti
Chuck Heinold
Dear friends and family:
Sorry I have not been in touch for awhile, but my internet has been down for almost 2 months. (One of the perks of living in a foreign country.) I just got it fixed! I am thankful it is up and running again. So many things have happened since my last update I do not know where to begin.
Since the earthquake, Rachel and my life has changed drastically. We now have 15 kids at our house. Stephanie is going home tomorrow. We kept her for awhile to get her built back up. We are going to miss her, but she has a Mommy and Daddy who love her. I hope we were able to give her a good start. I will continue to take food and milk to her family to make sure she is being fed. She lives in one of the tent camps. She cried a lot when we first got her but I think it was because she had ear infections and was hungry.
Rosie is 2 years old and she is the boss of the house. She is the only one of them that claps her hands and laughs at Rachel when she tells her to stop doing something or to do something. She sleeps with me most of the time. She is so funny. She took a bath the other day and when I tried to put a diaper on her she ran to my dresser and got a pair of my underwear and put them on. I laughed. I decided it was time to start pody training her. She loves her new panties (her size not mine) and shows them to everyone. Of course like most 2 year olds it is a big deal when he does use her pody chair. She lets everyone know.
Daphne is 18 months old and Rosie’s partner in crime. She does everything Rosie does. Now that Rosie is using the pody she takes Daphne with her and makes her sit on the pody also. Daphne also wanted big girl panties and doesn’t like wearing her diaper anymore. Daphne woke me up at 3:00 a.m. clapping her hands and singing the Barney song “I Love You”. She was in bed with me. I told her to go back to sleep, but she just kept singing and giving me kisses. So I got up and played with her for awhile. When I finally got her wore out enough to go back to sleep she didn’t get up until 11:00 a.m. I had to get up at 6:30 a.m. to take the kids to school.
Kervens is 4. Her is Daphne’s brother. He is the only older boy we have, so 4 oldest girls really keep him in line. LOL Poor little guy he doesn’t have a chance with the girls. He seems to be enjoying school and adjusting well at our house.
Shirlie whom I call Shirlie Berlie is a riot. She is 4 and my tom boy. The first day of school she came home covered in dust from head to toe. I think she played ball with the boys at recess. The next day she came home with her uniform all unbuttoned. I told her “we don’t undo our clothes for people to see our bodies, so don’t do that again or you will be in trouble.: The next day she came home with her dress buttoned up the wrong way. She was also missing hair barettes and ribbons. I just laughed. Whatever is going on at my house she is in the middle of it and will tell on anyone including herself.
Jonathon is 2 years old and he is our little copy cat. He just does what the other kids do, but he is smart. He sits and watches to make sure that the other kids are not going to get in trouble and if they don’t he joins them. He is very quiet. He does not like nap time.
Jamesly (James Lee) is 6 months old and he is our Moose. He is a big baby, but he has the sweetest personality. He is cutting teeth right now. Boy can he put away the baby food and milk!
Andy (Andrew Scott Isenhower) is also 6 months old. We call him chunk cheeks or sweet cheeks. He is so cute. He is Linda’s baby. She has taken care of him since we got him. He is really bonded to her. He is doing all the cute baby things like trying to roll over looking out over the top of his crib , etc.
Michelle is 6 years old and in kindergarten. She is one of our first girls that we took. She is a big helper. She loves to be doing whatever Linda or I are doing. She is got in trouble the other day at school. She didn’t know her lesson well so she tore her book up so she wouldn’t have to recite it to the teacher. She found out real quick that didn’t work at my house.
Landy is almost 7. She will be 7 in May. She loves to cuddle. She is in first grade. I had not planned on taking her because she has a mother and father. She is one of 7 children and she has only been to school 2 months in her whole life. She loves going to school. When I went up to get Daphne she ran to me and wanted to know if she could go too. I said no honey you cannot go home with me. Well she ran home told her dad, and had them fix her hair and changed her clothes. In the meantime we went further down the road to pick up Daniella. On the way back down the mountain her Dad stopped us. While I was explaining to him why I was not going to take her, she ran past me, around our vehicle, got in on the other side, and go in the very back. I opened the door and said honey you cannot go. She said “I choose you for my Mom”. I shut the door and had the Dad sign the papers and brought her home.
Chrisna is 5 and in Kindergarten. She is also a big helper. She loves to mother the 2 year olds. She thinks she is in charge of them. She makes sure they don’t get into things they shouldn’t. We have to remind her occasionally that she is not in charge J She loves school and wants to be involved in anything and everything going on. She is a sharp little girl.
Joseph “Joe Joe” is 2 ½. He is our smiler. He is a happy little guy and smiles most of the time. He hates nap time and bed time. He is starting to do everything Rosie does and she loves it. She loves doing something and then pointing at Joe Joe and say “do it”. He smiles and does it.
Abriella “Abby” is our new little girl. We are guessing she is between 15 months and 2 years. She is not able to walk yet. She was so malnourished and weak when we got her. She is just now starting to gain her strength back and we are exercising her legs daily. She is Rachel’s baby. This is about the only baby or child we have that Rachel really makes over or carries around. When she sees Rachel she lifts her arms up for Rachel to take her. Rachel always says I just held you, but then Rachel picks her up.
Daniella is 3 years old. I think she has been abused. She is so withdrawn and into herself. I have been really concerned aobut her. But she is starting to come out of it. She loves Linda and one of the nannies Vivian. So this is encouraging. She is gaining weight and we had to cut off her hair because it was so red from being malnourished. It is starting to grow back in black. Which is good.
Mariely (Mary Lee) is one of our nannies daughter. I caught Suze crying one day and I asked her what her problem was and she said she missed her daughter. I asked her “Where is she” and she said I had to leave her at my Mom’s in order to take this job. That broke my heart so I told her to go and get her. What was one more child. She is will be 7 in September and is in 1st grade. She is a great addition to our growing family and a big helper. She gets along great with Michelle and Landy.
It breaks my heart to go to the camps. We are in the rainy season and there is mud ankle deep. People are still getting wet in their tents. Children are sick with colds, typhoid, scabies, lice, and malaria. I still cry at times the needs are so overwhelming. They have over 200 babies under the age of 1 year. I am trying to take formula and milk to them but it is never enough for everyone. The sad thing is that there doesn’t seem to be any hope for these people to get out of this situation anytime soon. They have lost everything. It is going to take years to rebuild Haiti. I just have to try and keep my focus on what I can do or I get overwhelmed. I dread leaving my house most times because there is so much need and devastation.
There have been several groups in the past couple of weeks. They have been a great help working on the first home for the children. It will house 6-8 children with Christian House parents.
We have also been repairing and building new huts for the people in the area. We are concentrating on our workers and Church members first. Then as funds are available we will reach out to the families in the tent camps.
I appreciate you prayers and financial support.
In His Service
God Bless
Tina Isenhower
Missionary to Haiti
The semi trailer was loaded this morning with 135 boxes from Hope Family Care Center and Cicero Christian Church and an additional 300+ boxes at Arcadia Christian Church.
From Chuck Heinhold, forwarding agent
Where do I start.
Tina has been feeding 600 to 900 families that have lost there homes every other day. She has 7 children already and she is being asked on a regular basis to take on more.
We have purchased the following items:
Projects:
Please thank everyone for us on the generous donations that you all have already given!
For the love of Haiti,
Chuck Heinold
click here for a printable list
items will be inventoried, boxed, weighed and labeled for tentative pickup Thursday
Supplies will then trucked to Fort Lauderdale, Florida and sent free of charge to Tina Isenhower and Damou Christian Mission for distribution in Jacmel, Haiti and surrounding areas.
if you can assist now through February 11 with packing, contact the church office or Mike Jenkins
rice & beans in bulk 20 pound bags or smaller; or bags must be broken down
bottled water
canned meats large sizes are better
powdered milk
evaporated foods like potatoes, mac & cheese
baby formula
diapers
baby food
clothes (lightweight) babies & kids to 6 years
shoes and sandals for children
underwear and socks
baby blankets
baby beds pack and go types
bottles and nipples, baby spoons
soap
toothpaste
tooth brushes
shampoo
toilet paper
soap anti bacterial hand, dish, laundry
bleach
cleaning supplies
plastic bowls & plates
metal spoons and forks
tents
tarps
blankets
sheets for twin beds
pillows
bath and kitchen towels
food processors
refrigerators, stoves in original boxes or crated
bandages
rubbing alcohol
pain relievers
disinfectant
antibiotic ointment
any item you can think of from bandages to hospital equipment is need
Chuck Heinhold presented and update to our church on Sunday morning.
January 22, 2010
Today was overwhelming. Linda Roller, Mom, Dad, and I went to the school to help distribute food. I felt with the after shocks that we are still having that we would just give out food instead of trying to cook it and serve it. We gave food out to about 1500 families today. We gave them enough supplies for a week. A lot of my staff at school and former students helped us package and distribute the food. We had to turn a lot of people away. We were exhausted when we finished. I was able to get a couple hours sleep this afternoon. I was so tired I was starting to loose my balance. I am so thankful that God is in control and continues to watch over us here in Haiti. Tomorrow I am hoping to sleep in.
January 23, 2010
Well I didn’t get to sleep in today. I phone rang about 6:30 a.m. It was Pastor Roro stating he had a plane coming into Jacmel and wanted to know if I could go with his driver and keep a log of what they gave for his mission. Well I thought that would take a couple of hours. Boy was I wrong. Dad and I arrived at the airport around 9:30 a.m. We wanted to see them unload the C130 military planes land and unload relief supplies for the hospitals and camps that they had set up in town. Dad went home to get my camera and brought Mom and Linda back so that they could see how busy the airport was in Jacmel. Linda and I passed the time checking out the Canadian soliders. Some hurt your eyes to look at and some soothed your eyes when you looked at them.
By 11:30 we still had no word from airport personnel or the Canadian Army that the plane had arrived. I called Pastor Roro and he told me that they had verification the plane had landed at 10:00 a.m. I talked to one of the Canadian Air Traffic Controllers and he told me the plane had crashed because of faulty landing gear. We were so thankful that no one was hurt and that they were able to retrieve all the stuff off of the airplane. However, they said they were giving the food to another mission because they said it was for them. I could not convince them that it was for Pastor Roro and they took the food. Then an hour later they called and told me that they were sorry that it was suppose to go to Pastor Roro but they had all ready given it away. They would give us another plane on Monday. I sent Pastor Roro’s driver home. I laid down at 10 minutes to 4:00 p.m. and at 4:00 my phone rang again. It was Pastor Roro again. He said he had received word that they had loaded another plane in the Dominican Republic for him and it should arrive within ½ hour. I had to call his driver to bring the truck back. Dad and I went back to the airport. This time we were able to get the supplies for his mission. We got home around 6:30 p.m. We were beat.
We have had 2 tremors this evening. One was pretty strong and the other one was pretty light. Again, I am so thankful I have food, water, and a roof over my head. A lot of people in Haiti has lost everything.
January 24, 2010
Today while I was getting ready for Church my phone rang. It was Pastor Roro again. He said another plane was coming in for him, could I go meet it. He was leaving Port-au-Prince and should be in Jacmel by 11:30 or 12:00. I sent Mom, Linda, Rachel, LeLein, and the other children on to Church and Dad and I went to the airport. We unloaded the plane and returned around 12:00. Roro arrived along with 4 other Americans and spent the night with us. That night for supper I fed around 20 people. Rachel, LeeLein, Linda and I cooked. I was the Chef and they were my Sous Chefs. We had 2 strong tremors this evening. Everyone runs outside when they feels they or runs to find out where everyone else is in the house and make sure they are okay. I finally went to bed around 11:00 p.m. I thank God every night for what he has provided for us.
January 25, 2010
Today we all went to the school to pass out food again to about 500 families. Again we had to turn people away. In 2 days we have passed out food to about 2,000 families. It was sad because people were upset when we closed down because they were fighting among themselves. I was beat physically and emotionally. I went home around 12:00 noon. I had a house guest waiting on me. 18 month old Wilna. Her Mommy died rescuing her from their house and her Daddy was severely injured trying to rescue her Mother. She was very lethargic. It was amazing the change in her with some food, water, and TLC. She had no strength to walk on her own. She needed help. I feel she would have only lasted a couple more days. We agreed to keep her until her Daddy gets off the floating Naval hospital. This is his only child and he loves her very much. We told her grandpa to tell him to get well and we will take care of his precious little girl. Linda agreed to let her sleep with her during the night. I don’t think “Grandma Linda” got much sleep that night. Wilna loves my Mom. It broke my heart this evening when I gave Wilna her medicine, she cried for her “Mama”. She doesn’t understand what is going on.
January 26, 2010
I was amazed how much Wilna has improved this morning. She keeps an eye to see where Grandma Ike is at all time. Mom, Dad, Linda and I finally got to go out and visit some of the homes of Church members and mission employees as well as some school kids. All I could do was wipe the tears away that kept falling down my cheeks. I felt so overwhelmed with sadness I quit around 11:00 a.m. I am going to continue to try and visit all our employees. So far we have approximately 46 homes that were damaged or destroyed by the quake out of 84 employees. Every time I think I have seen it all I see something even worse. When I returned home I had a couple of ladies with babies waiting on me. One just wanted milk for her niece whose Mommy had died in the earthquake, but the other one wanted me to keep the baby for a few days. His name was Andy, weighs 9 lbs and is 3 months old. The old lady said that his Mom had abandoned him before the earthquake. He looked like he wouldn’t last too much longer. I agreed until I could check out her story. Grandma agreed to keep Wilna and Linda took over the care of baby Andy. He did not know how to suck because he had never been breast fed or had a bottle. The old woman who brought him had been feeding him with a spoon. Linda had to teach him to suck on the nipple by massaging his checks. I was emotionally drained so I laid down around 12:00 noon without eating lunch. I woke up around 3:30. Refreshed and ready to go again. The babies are so sweet. Grandpa Ike babysat for Wilna for awhile. I think she likes Dad because he shares his snacks with her. It is amazing how much she has improved and is walking on her own. Boy can she eat! Grandma Ike is sleeping with Wilna tonight and Linda is keeping baby Andy. I am thankful. I hope I get a good night’s sleep because I am sure they will not.
January 27, 2010
Today Dad and I went to the school and worked for a little while in the morning. Then we decided to go to town and visit the camps that people are staying at who lost their homes. I could not handle it. I kept looking away so Dad would not see me cry. People made little shelters out of cloth. People were begging Dad and I to help them. I just had a hard time seeing the children suffer. We watched them unload a food truck. Dad and I continued walking thru the camp and talking to people and I heard a little voice saying “Blan, Blan” (which means foreigner) I turned around and a little girl about 3 years old was running towards me with her hands out stretched and 2 little boys about the same age were right behind her. One smacked Dad on the rear. I bent down to talk to the children and one of the little boys placed his hand on my cheek and rubbed it gently. Both he and the little girl had the biggest smiles on their faces. I thought to myself if these children can be happy in their horrible circumstances I must not cry, I must find a way to help them. Dad and I then finished our tour and went to the second camp.
As Dad and I waked thru the camp I could hear some little children crying and others were running around playing. I was appalled at the conditions. This camp was worse than the other one. One lady begged me to take her 2 little children (3 yr old girl, and 5 yr old boy). She said her husband had been killed in the quake and they had lost everything but the clothes on their backs. Another family was letting them sleep under their make shift shelter. I thought that was amazing. I told her I couldn’t because she would never see her children again. She told me that if I didn’t take them they would die a slow death. She could not take care of them. I looked at the little boy and he had a nasty gash on his forehead. It needed stitches. She had no money to get him stitched up. I made sure he got the medical treatment he needed. She followed me to the jeep and kept begging me to take them. I told her she would have to sign before a judge and the mayor (thinking she would walk away) and she said let’s go. I told her to think about it and I would be back on Friday. I made sure she had food for her children.
Around 11:00 a.m. and Dad and I headed for a community in the mountains called Cape Rouge. We took food up to the mountain people. They were so appreciative and kept waving as we drove off and yelling Mesi, Mesi (thank you, thank you). I told Dad I had to return to the second camp again and show Mom and Linda. I also wanted to check on some of the people I had seen that morning. We took enough food to provide 2,160 meals. We also took empty rice sacks so the people could open them up and would not have to sleep directly on the ground. We also went and bought medicine for some of the people. They had seen Doctors who had come to the camp but they did not have all the medicine that they needed. Again, it was so overwhelming. I talked to one of the leaders over the camp and we are going to take cases of soap, tooth paste, tooth brushes, deodorant, and laundry soap to the camp tomorrow. I am so thankful my parents and Linda are here. Dad runs most of the errands with me while Mom and Linda take care of the children.
I have decided after talking with some people in the States and Haiti that we definitely are going to start “Damou Christian Mission Haitian Family Homes”. We will try and help as many children who have not only lost their parents but also who only have one parent and that parent is unable to take care of them. We will build small house and put 6-8 children in a home with a Christian Haitian Family. We are not doing any adoptions. Please pray about the land next to the mission house. I am going to ask the owners tomorrow if they will sell it to me. Even though it is not for sale. I know if God wants this project to work he will put it in the owners heart to sell it to me.
Well it is 11:00 p.m. so I think I will go to bed. I have a busy day ahead of me tomorrow.
We have a new website www.damouhaiti.org I will write again in a couple of days.
God is working in great ways and he has opened another door for us. With several people working we have been able to secure a flight into Jacmel to deliver supplies. All we will need to do is get a trailer [40-foot semi?] down to Fort Lauderdale. I was wondering if Cicero would like to team up with Lebanon Christian Church and fill up a trailer. Once we do and get it to Fort Lauderdale, they will fly the goods for a month into Haiti for free. They will warehouse it also. Let me know. We will need a detailed list of everything that is being sent. Each box needs to be labeled for Tina, what is in it and a weight on it. Bulk items like rice and beans need to be on pallets. Actually if we could put everything on pallets I think it would arrive in better shape. The following are items that are needed:
Rice and beans: the more the better. What we do not get on the first trailer we will put in the container. These will have to be broken down, so don't buy 50 pound bags, but do buy in quantity.
Supplies for orphans: Again what Tina can not use it will be given to someone that can so I do not think that we can receive to many.
Food for the Mission house: All the major discount stores in Port-au-Prince have been destroyed but one. So Tina is in need of the following for her house and to give to people from the church:
From Chuck Heinold, forwarding agent for Tina and Damou Christian Mission
this update includes ITEMS BEING COLLECTED for shipment.
To our Brothers and Sisters at Cicero Christian Church,
It has been a crazy couple of weeks. Donna [Chuck's wife and Tina's sister] and I have been bombarded with emails, phone calls and mail. We have talked to Chanel 13, The Indianapolis Star, CNN, and our local Congressman. None of that is as important as the pouring out of compassion from our Christian Brothers and sisters. In less that a week we have received over $55,000 dollars in support. It is unbelievable the love that has been expressed to help Tina and the people in Haiti. We have been working hard to get a newsletter out and it should be mailed early next week. (I am having computer problems so pray that we can recover the mailing list). It will have several updates, projects that we are working on and information about the new website (Thanks to Matt Wallace – www.Damouhaiti.org) and our facebook site (Has grown from 20 friends to over 150 friends in a week).
Somethings you won’t see in the newsletter is the bank in Lebanon that has donated 500 dollars to Damou and has allowed a given box to be placed in the lobby. The company that is going to match any donation made to Haiti by their employees, the young lady in Columbus Indiana that has started a "Change to Make a Change" and has gotten national attention. People and Churches that I have no idea who they are calling to see what they can do to help. I have more but you get the idea.
I have sent notes to people to ask that the hearts of the government be softened so we could send a container in with supplies. Well it only took God a day to answer that one. Tina called me and said that she and the Mayor of Jacmel have worked out a deal for us to get a container in and he would do something about the cost and the time delay it takes to get it in. I am working on getting everything set up and if you know of anyone that might be able to lend a hand let me know. (This is my first one to organize). I have a contact that is working on getting it to Haiti but we will need people to help us get it move from place to place. We have had a 3 wheel utility vehicle donated so it will be going and I am going to put some needed items on the bottom of this note.
One last thing that I would like to challenge your church family with is that many of the churches in Jacmel have been damaged. I want to challenge you and others to think about coming along side one of these churches and become a sister church and help them get back on their feet. Maybe send money through Damou, send a work team to help build or what ever might come of it. Tina is going to put a list together of these churches and I will send them along in the near future.
OK one more last thing: I am taking a group in on the February 10th and will return on the 24th. Please pray that we will be safe and that we will allow the Lord to work through us and that he will be glorified in everything we do.
Needs are listed in the 1/24/2010 update:
Items that will be needed that cannot go on the shipped containers:
We would like to challenge you to plan a trip. It looks like we are going to have a lot of houses to build and other projects this year.
God Bless
For the Love of Haiti
Chuck Heinold
letter from Tina on events in Haiti 1/18 through 1/21/10
Dad, a couple of my workers. and Iwent into Jacmel today to look for food to buy. We were able to find some. But it took us all day. We were not able to find what we needed to feed the kids all in one place. We could not find more than a couple 100 lb. bags of rice or beans at any one place. But we are thankful that we were able to make 4 trips to town today with food.
Dad and I went to the hospital today to visit people. We still have no foreign aid or Doctors at the hospital. People are still sleeping outside because the hospital is so damaged. Everyone has a story of how they survived or of people that they have lost.
The lady with the fractured arm still hasn’t had it amputated. Her flesh is literally rottening off and there is nothing worse than smelling rotten flesh except burning flesh.
The little baby who is about 26 days old is barely hanging on. They can not find oxygen for him. His grandma was holding him and tears was running down his mother’s face. This is their first child. The only thing the Haitian Doctors and Cuban doctors can do it give him IV’s to keep him hydrated and hope help will arrive soon.
I am so overwhelmed I do not know what to do. I feel exhausted mentally and physically. It is hard to sleep. When I close my eyes I keep seeing images of demolished buildings, dead people laying on the street, and faces of little children. We are still experiencing tremors from the earthquake almost daily. People are still sleeping in the streets and in open lots.
Tomorrow is another day of service for the King. I pray God will lead me to the people who need it the most. I am trying to access the damage done to my workers homes, but the saddest thing is that I haven’t found a family yet who has not lost someone in the earthquake either in Jacmel or Port-au-Prince.
I am so thankful to have my parents and Linda Roller here right now helping me. Dad and I go out in search of food to buy to give to the people while Mom and Linda sort and repackage it, getting it ready to distribute.
Today Dad and I got up at 5:00 a.m. and went to Marigot where the merchant ships come in 2 times a week to sell in bulk to businesses. We were not able to get rice or beans but we were able to flour, sugar, oil, fish, and salami. We were very thankful! This took most of the morning. It still amazes me how God has been providing for us.
We almost all of our staple items in 100lb bags. Mom and Linda Roller and the little girls who are staying with us temporarily, repackaged all the food we have gotten so far into smaller packages to give away.
Dad and I went back to Jacmel to try and find more beans and rice. We didn’t make it back until around 3:00 p.m. I was exhausted. I went straight to bed and slept for a couple of hours.
I did not go to the hospital today because I just couldn’t handle it emotionally.
Tomorrow is a new day.
Between 5:30 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. this morning my dogs and all the other dogs started howling. The first thought that ran thru my mind was someone else has died in the area, but then the whole house started shaking again. I jumped out of bed and was met in the hallway by Rachel, LeeLein (her friend), and Linda. I ran to check on Mom and Dad and Rachel and LeeLein ran to check on the little girls. I heard Rachel calling them. She said why did you stay in your room, Jeanette (9 years old) told her the only thing we knew to do was get on our knees on our bed and pray.
So our day began early again. I helped distribute some food from our mission house to employees and people in our area who needed it.
Mom and Linda finished packing up the food boxes with the help of our littlest house guests.
I felt so overwhelmed today that I snuck off by myself and went to the hospital. I was very excited to see that the Canadian Army had arrived the night before and had started putting up hospital tents to protect the people from the rain and sun. The Doctors were trying to do what they could. Some of the platoon was sorting supplies but still waiting on other supplies to arrive. I talked to them a little bit and offered to translate for them if they needed me. They said they were in good shape for right now but wanted to keep in touch with me, so I gave them my cell phone number.
I was sad to learn the little boy who needed oxygen died right before they arrived. I saw another baby about a month old and talked to her mother. The mother told me the little girl was only 15 days old when the earthquake hit. Her mom put her on her bed and went outside to get water. When the earthquake hit she ran to get her baby and saw her house crumble before her. She was devastated. She thought her baby was dead. Eight days later later when they started removing the rubble, they found the baby still on the bed and alive!!!! Her Mom said she was a gift from God and she had to have a Bible name. She named her Elizabeth. The baby was barely breathing but she was put on IV’s and the only other thing wrong with her is her private areas had diaper rash because there was no one to change her. This story brought tears to my eyes.
I talked to a lady whose sister and 8 month old baby girl were pulled from a collapsed house. The baby has severe head injuries and a broken leg. I am hoping the baby will make it now that the Canadian Army is here. The mother is not doing well either. The Aunt is staying with the baby.
Every where I look there are injured people. What is hardest for me to handle is the children. I saw a 4 year old today and he also had severe head injuries as well as several broken bones. He also was in a house that collapsed.
I am so thankful to have my parents and Linda here helping me right now. They are a big blessing. Tomorrow we are expecting around 1,500 children to feed.
Today all of us got up early and went to the school by 6:00 a.m. to help get food ready since we were feeding extra children and adults. I was in town (Jacmel) by 8:00 a.m. with Dad and Linda looking for spoons and bowls. We were not very successful. We had so many children we did not have room for them. We gave out tickets so we wouldn’t have a mob. Everything went well until a little after 12 noon. Another tremor hit and moved cafeteria tables and other furniture in the school. I thought we were having another earthquake. Everyone ran outside. Food went everywhere in the kitchen and Linda got knocked down by people trying to run out of the building. Thankfully she just hurt her leg and her injuries were not more serious. While we were all gathered in the yard about 10 minutes later, another tremor came thru. Everyone ran out into the road.
I decided not to feed the kids at school any more because we are still having bad tremors. We gave out tickets again and tomorrow we will give everyone rice, beans, oil, canned herring and other food items to cook at their house.
Supplies are running low in Jacmel. It is very difficult to find rice.
I came home played with the little girls who are staying with us, ate, and then I was finally able to get a couple hours sleep today and woke up less tired and my mind is a little clearer.
I think at least 75% of the schools we had in Jacmel have now been destroyed or damaged to the point they need to come down and be rebuilt.
Many of you have asked what is needed. I am still accessing everything. After the bad tremors we have had this week we have even more damage. Houses that were damaged before are no longer standing and houses that were not damaged are now damaged. We all feel like we can’t even start cleaning up because you start and then a tremor goes thru and you have more damage.
I was happy to see that the Canadian Army and other organizations gave out pup tents. So now the people who are sleeping outside and in the streets have something to keep the rain off of them.
I am overwhelmed by the prayers and e-mails we have received. I will try to get to everyone’s e-mails as soon as I can.
God Bless, Tina Isenhower
Missionary to Haiti
1/20/2010
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, this is a quick update on what is going on in Haiti and also to let you know what type of needs we have. Tina, Rachel, Harold and Donna Isenhower and Linda Roller (a good friend) are all OK. The mission lost 2 teachers and one of Tina’s best workers, Mary, lost her home. Tina has not been able to access the Village and will do so very soon so we know how many of our church family have lost their homes.
Tina has been contacted by a woman from the mountains, (her village has been destroyed) and the Mayor from Jacmel asking her to take orphans. We are making sure that everything is legal with each child and once all the papers are processed we are going to be starting an orphanage of 12 to 15 children from age newborn to 6 years old.
Over the last couple of days Tina has been going from market to market buying up as much food as she can. She is planning on feeding up to 3,200 people (mostly children) for as long as we have to. At this time there is very little aid if any coming in.
The mission is doing OK. All the buildings are standing with a little cosmetic damage but so far we have not detected any structural damage that would not allow us to use it. We are thinking about cleaning up the Village of Hope and use it for temporary housing for those that have lost their homes.
The following is a list of needs that go with the information above:
From Tina Isenhower, near Jacmel, Haiti; missionary at Damou Christian Mission
I was so thankful to be able to attend Church today. We had one big praise ceremony. Everyone was so glad to see me as well as the rest of my family & Linda Roller. Everyone was giving testimonies about how God had spared their lives. One little boy about 8 years old pushed his way past everyone and put his arms around me and gave me the biggest hug, then he looked into my eyes and said “I been praying for you Miss Tina.”
The situation is still bad in Jacmel. We do not have the medical supplies or Doctors needed to take care of the injured. Mom, Linda, and I went back to the hospital today and it was sad, 2 people died while we were there (they are all out in the yard) for lack of medical care and medicine. One lady is waiting to have her arm amputated and you cannot stand to be around her, she smells so bad. Her arm is literally rotting off. I saw a baby boy 26 days old in his mother’s arms barely breathing. He needs oxygen and they cannot find it. There is none to be found in Jacmel. This broke my heart.
We are going to start feeding people on Tuesday. Many of our Church people and mission employees have lost their homes or they are damaged and not safe to live in. Houses are being assessed. A big red circle on your house means it can be repaired and a big red X means your house has to be demolished and rebuilt because it is not safe. Everyone is still sleeping in the streets and any vacant lots.
We lost a couple of teachers in the earthquake. The school is not damaged just a couple of cracks in a couple of walls. The mission house has 2 small cracks in a wall that can be repaired. I am so thankful that we did not sustain major damage, just minor damage. Because we are still recovering from the hurricanes of 2007 and 2008. I will continue to try and keep you updated.
Many of you have asked how you can help and right now the best way you can help is thru prayers and financial contributions.
We are going to visit Church members, mission employees as well as the make shift hospital again tomorrow.
Please continue to pray.
God Bless
Tina Isenhower
Missionary to Haiti
Message from Tina Isenhower, Missionary to Haiti
Jacmel, Haiti 6:00 p.m. January 16, 2010
Dear Friends and family:
I want to thank you for all your prayers and e-mails. Here is an account of the past few days here in Haiti since the earthquake hit. All these miracles and events happened because of prayer, God watching over us, and trusting in Him. Throughout all our ordeal my parents and I were praying and putting our trust in God.
January 12, 2010
Tuesday the 12th of January was a normal day for me. I got up and left early and did a few things before heading off to Port-au-Prince about 11:00 a.m. to pick up my parents who were scheduled to arrive on AA at 4:15 p.m. I left Rachel with Linda Roller (a friend who is spending a few months with us) in Jacmel and set off for Port-au-Prince. A good friend a co worker Pastor Gerard Eustache had come to drive me to Port-au-Prince. We arrived about 2:00 p.m. I have Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome and it was acting up so he dropped me off at LeKaribe Hotel and was going to send a driver with my vehicle to pick up my parents. He was going to go get ready and go to Bible Study at his Church. Mom & Dad’s plane arrive at 3:53 and they were out of the airport by 4:20. I talked to them via cell phone and they were on their way to the hotel. At 4:40 p.m. I talked to them again and they were less than 10 minutes from the hotel @ 4:44 an earthquake hit Haiti. I had just hung up from talking to another friend on my cell phone. It threw me off of the bed and onto the floor. I hit my shoulder hard on the bedside table. Immediately a huge portrait fell off the wall on to the bed where I had been sitting. The television landed by my right foot and a mirror landed by my left foot shattering glass all over me. Praise God I was not cut. I did not know what to do. To try and jump from my balcony or try and get out the door. I finally decided on the door because there was 2 floors below me (lobby and 1st floor). It took me about 10 minutes to get my door open. I was the first door on the floor on our wing of the hotel. I looked to my right and you could not see any other rooms for all the debris and plaster falling. I crawled over debris and made it to the landing on our floor by the elevators and crawled down the emergency stairs. I made it to the 1st floor but could not make it to the lobby because it was caved in and you could not see it. I remembered a back stairway on 1st floor and crawled and walked over debris to get there. Once I got to the back stairway leading outside I was able to safely escape the hotel. Many people were injured and hurt from broken glass and fallen debris. Once outside it was terrible. I could hear people screaming and could still see houses falling off the mountainsides. People began rescuing people still stuck in the hotel. One of the rescue people climbed in my hotel window and retrieved a small overnight bag which had my purse in it.
I had my cell phone in my pocket. I tried calling Mom & Dad and Gerard and I could not get thru to anyone because all the cell phone towers in our area had fallen down. Everyone was in the street waiting on rescue teams. No one came. About 9:00 they finally made us all go to the tennis court because the after shocks were so strong that they were afraid that the hotel was going to finish collapsing the rest of the way.
We were given a glass of water and appetizers that was suppose to have been for a conference that night. Everyone was given 4 small cracker size appetizers with smoked salmon and caviar. Boy did it taste good. I felt sorry for the children crying. They had let people who had lost their houses in the neighborhood sleep on the tennis court also. I used my overnight bag as a pillow. I am so amazed how God takes care of us. I was cold. A man named Antoine brought me his coat. He had just flown in from Washington D.C. that morning. He had a suit on plus a coat. He gave me his coat to cover up with. I kept praying for Mom, Dad, and Gerard’s safety.
January 13, 2010
I dozed on and off all night until 5:00 a.m. Security tried to make me stay on the tennis court or by the pool but I went and sat on the curb in front of the hotel. I had decided to wait until 8 a.m. and If I could not get a hold of Mom and Dad then I was going to try and get a motorcycle taxi to take me to Gerard’s and down the street where I knew they were traveling down when the earthquake hit. At 7:46 my Nissan Patrol pulled up with Mom, Dad, and Gerard’s driver. They had been trying to get to me all night. They finally gave up at midnight. They had been able to connect up with Gerard. They all slept in the car on the street in front of Gerard’s house. Gerard lost everything except his Bible, clothes on his back and his vehicle. If it has not been a church night he would have most likely have been in the house when it collapsed. He was only 1 block from his house when the earthquake hit on his way to Bible Study.
I was never so glad to see anyone in my life. I ran towards the car and Dad jumped out and ran towards me. Mom was so overwhelmed she laid her head on the window and cried. We decided to go back to Gerard’s and try a small 15-20 bed hotel near Gerard’s. Because all the big hotels in out area had collapsed. The El Rancho, Montana, Hotel Christopher just to name a few. It should have taken us 10 minutes to get to where Gerard’s house use to be it took us 3 hours. I have never saw so much destruction. I felt like I was in a war zone. People walking everywhere in the Streets. Children sitting beside the roads with no adults in sight. We went by one of the hospitals and they had tied sheets on poles in the yard to handle the injured. Dad and I saw a lady die right in front of our eyes. You could not look at a building without seeing a foot, arm, leg, or head sticking out from under the collapsed buildings. Dead bodies stacked 2 and 3 high in some places. I saw 4 little children laying dead beside the road. Someone had covered them with a sheet. Mothers were stopping by the bodies and lifting up the sheet to see if it was their missing child. This broke my heart. There were dead bodies lined up along the streets.
We finally made it to the Coconut Villa Hotel. The walls surrounding the hotel had fallen down but the hotel itself was still intact. Most foreigners do not stay there so we were able to get a room. They wre dipping water out of the pool to clean the rooms and for people to bathe in. Lots of people were sleeping in the yard of the hotel by the pool. We collapsed on our beds and fell asleep we were awaken a few times by tremors (after shock). We got up around 5:00 and was offered some goulash. I didn’t ask what was in it, nor did my parents we were just thankful to have food. Gerard walked to the hotel to check on us around 6:00 p.m. He had been at his Church. He was going to sleep in his car again and watch his house because people were starting to loot houses. He was going to wait until the after shocks were over to see if they couldn’t dig their way in and retrieve some things. I was so thankful he was safe. He did not want to stay with us. He and some of his Church people were going to help with the night vigil in his neighborhood to keep people from looting.
I still had not been able to make contact with Rachel and Linda in Jacmel. Finally, my phone rang and it was a neighbor stating Rachel wanted to talk to me. She wanted to know when I was coming because the road to Jacmel was broken. She said Linda and her were sleeping outside in a field behind our house and then the line went dead.
We were finally able to get out to the States for 2 minutes until we were cut off and let my brother-in-law and sister know we were okay. Chuck was able to e-mail Rachel and let me know she was okay.
January 14, 2010
We were offered bread for breakfast. Again, we were thankful for what we could find. We were told we would have chicken and rice around 1:00 or 2:00. We were excited to hear this.
We were advised not to try and travel to Jacmel. Dad and I walked around the neighborhood of the hotel we were at. It was horrible. People were literally sleeping in the streets.
I was finally able to make contact with Rachel and Linda again and the States.
Gerard stopped by around 2:00 p.m. and said he would send a driver to drive us to Jacmel the next day. We were eleated.
January 15, 2010
O Cap, Gerard’s driver came at 5:46 a.m. and we headed for Jacmel. I was overwhelmed by what I saw. They were starting to burn bodies in the streets. I saw dead bodies tied to pieces of tin and being pulled behind vehicles to burn sites. I saw 5 heads that were still burning the rest of the bodies had all ready burned. I cannot clear my sinuses of the smell of burning flesh. I passed by the ruins of the Palace National of Haiti, the downtown prison, the Palace of Justice and many other government buildings in ruins. There was not an open space that people had not made make shift housing on. This was done by driving poles in the ground and covering them with a shirt, towel, sheet, or any other type of cloth they could find.
There was a mass exodus from the city. People were exiting Port-au-Prince on foot, carrying what little belongings they had salvaged along with their children and other family members. Some had not been able to salvage anything they just carried their children. One man carried a child on his shoulders and another in his arms. They were heading for the country. As we traveled outside of Port-au-Prince towards the mountains I was still overwhelmed by the devastation.
We finally made it 1/3 of the way over the mountain to Jacmel and encountered a rock slide, or so we thought. Actually the road had caved in. At the bottom of the cave in was 3 busses that had been full of people and no survivors. We would not even get across the deep ravine by motorcycle. We had to turn around and go back to Port-au-Prince. We tried to go to the small airport to see if we could get a charter to Jacmel but was told that the small airport was closed and we were turned back at the gate. We finally arrived back at the Hotel again around noon and the room we had vacated that morning was the only room they had left. We were thankful and once again thanked our heavenly Father for providing for us.
I was really down because we could not communicate with Rachel or Jacmel. Finally, some of my staff got thru for a minute or two. I learned Rachel and Linda were still sleeping outside. The island was still getting after shocks. My friends Carol and Glyn Price were able to get thru from the States. They were such an encouragement.
Gerard came by and said we couldn’t try again until Monday. We were thankful to have chicken and rice again for supper. Only meal of the day. But he would be by the next morning.
January 16, 2010
By 11:00 a.m. we still had not seen Gerard. We continue to feel the after shocks of the earthquake. Buildings that were standing but unstable are continuing to fall from the tremors. I decided to drive the 8 blocks to Gerard’s house. I knew they were going to try and see if they couldn’t get some stuff out. I saw that he was busy with some of his Church people trying to see if they could get anything out of the ruins of his house.
I told him I was going to the small airport again to see if I could get a charter to Jacmel. He said I would not be able too. Once again when I got to the small airport I was told no planes were flying. I told them I would check for myself (I said it with a smile) and went on thru the gate. I told Mom & Dad to wait in the SUV. I went inside and the airport was deserted except for a few people. The few people who were there told me that the airport was closed. No flights. I saw a mechanics who works with Missionary Aviation Flights (MAF) outside messing with one of the planes. I asked a security guard to go get him for me. He said he was not cleared to go out to the planes. I asked him to find someone who was authorized. He found someone. Todd came inside to talk to me. I explained my situation and he said I would have to talk to one of the pilots by the name of Will, but it didn’t look promising. Will one of the pilots came in and I explained by situation to him. He looked at his watch and it was 12:40. He said if you can be back here by 2:00 p.m. I will try but I heard the runway in Jacmel is damaged but we will try it. Going to the airport we experienced a bad traffic jam. Took us over an hour to get there. We made it back to Gerard’s house within 10 minutes and picked up a driver to return my SUV to Gerard, swung by the hotel and picked up Mom and Dad’s luggage and was back at the airport by 1:20. We did not encounter any traffic jam. We were in the air by 2:15 p.m. I prayed all the way to Jacmel. By 2:45 we were on the ground in Jacmel. They had just fixed the runway and 3 planes from the Dominican Republic had landed with supplies for Jacmel. If we had left that morning or the day before we would not have been able to land. All these miracles happened because of prayer and trusting in God.
Boss Telefant picked us up and took us to Cyvadier. We were stopped by so many people in our village running towards the truck and stopping us. So many people were glad to see us. We all got lots of hugs and kisses and many others were dancing in the street.
Rachel was extremely excited to see us. She ran outside to meet us and jumped in the truck and starting hugging and kissing everyone. LeeLein and Esther (Rachel’s friends) grabbed me as soon as I got out of the truck.
We dropped the luggage off and then Boss Telefant, Met Tony, Dad, Linda, Rachel, and I went to Jacmel to survey the damage. It was bad but not as bad as Port-au-Prince. They recovered 2,000 bodies in one day and many more are still missing and presumed dead. The hospital collapsed. We went by and there were people every where in the yard. Children with no parents. I told them I would be back tomorrow to help as much as I could.
I talked with the Mayor of Jacmel and told him we would take up to 12 children under the age of 6 who had lost their parents. He was relieved and very thankful. I was exhausted and told him I would see him tomorrow.
It is now 8:30 p.m. I just felt a huge tremor from the earthquake. I am going to close. I am so overwhelmed I do not know what to do or where to start. Tomorrow I am going back to the hospital and the mayor’s office and see what I can do to help. Linda, Mom, Dad, and Rachel will also go to help.
Here are short term plans:
We are going to feed additional children besides our school children.
There is a possibility we will start a small orphanage if the need is there.
Here are some specific prayer requests:
1. Pray for the children who lost parents.
2. Pray God will guide us in helping the neediest children.
3. Pray for wisdom for us in choosing children who need help.
4. Pray God will provide the needed funds to help
God Bless
Tina Isenhower
Missionary to Haiti
Email From Chuck Heinhold, forwarding agent and brother-in-law of Tina Isenhower
I just go off the phone with Tina and she has made it to Jacmel and then home. The mission house has some cracks in it but should stand. Jacmel got hit hard and many people have lost their lives. Tina and the group made a tour through Jacmel and as they were going through, the mayor stopped Tina and asked if she could take on children. She said she could take 12 and he said they would have them there by Monday. So we will have an orphanage, wish is fine that was one of our long term goals but instead of our time frame the Lord has help us make the decision sooner. (Praise God)
We are going to need funds to buy clothes, food, medicine and other supplies for the children. We are also needing funds to help us get a container of food sitting in Jacmel released. It has been sitting their for some time and they are saying we need $10,000 dollars to get it released. This food will go first to the school and to other missions, then the balance will be used to help those in the church and school that have lost homes and family members. So please help us get this released. We will also start an earthquake relief fund that will be used to build houses, help families bury their loved ones, and other needs as they come up. We are talking to a group about matching funds and hope to be one of the lucky ones to receive it. (please pray for this)
For those that are on facebook we have a site under Damou Christian Mission. We will also have the website up and running soon. (God Willing). I know this sounds like I am rambling, and it because I am. I just want to thank all of you for your calls emails, prayers and support. It means so much to us each time we have someone call or send a note. God has blessed us with such great supporters. Please be in prayer for all of Haiti because this is just the beginning for several of these people.
God Bless all of you!
Chuck Heinold
Word from Chuck & Donna (Tina Isenhower's sister and bro-in-law and Damou forwarding agents in Boone County Indiana)
Damou school at Jacmel, Haiti is standing, as is Tina's house. Tina's daughter Rachel is at their house with Linda Roller, a woman from the US. They have been sleeping outside in an open field at night along with 150 or so other people because of the recurring tremors and the damaged buildings which could collapse. They only go in the house to get necessities. There have been no reports of injuries at Damou, Hands and Feet, or Haitian Christian Outreach, all close to each other in or near Jacmel. Food and supplies will become critical, as is a way to get them to Jacmel. Reports from other missions tell that the tremors continue to cause issues on the already poor road conditions.
It is assumed from the messages seen that Tina is still trying to get from Port au Prince to Jacmel with her parents and Gerard from Haitian Christian Outreach, another mission near Damou.
Damou Christian Mission
is located in the village of Cavydier, 15 minutes or so outside Jacmel, Haiti, and it doesn't show up on any maps I've looked at. Jacmel is located in a coastal plain on the southern coast of Haiti. Port-au-Prince is on the other side of the narrow portion of the island to the north and a bit east. Jacmel has the ocean to it's south and a large river to it's west. There is a small airport to the east of town. As the crow flies, it may be 30 miles across the island to Port-au-Prince, but just take a look at a map online and you'll see that the route by car is indirect and through mountains.
Hands and Feet Project reports that Tina is safe, that they are safe and also sleeping outside, and that a venture into the town of Jacmel was quite depressing. There has been no help for the village, no heavy equipment, no help with the bodies.
To the right is a before and after image of the presidential palace in Port-au-Prince. Kind of puts things into perspective.
Tina escaped through a second floor window of the collapsed Hotel Montana in Port-au-Prince. Trying to read between the threads of information, I'm presuming that she had already picked up her parents from the morning flight, and they were all at the Montana and they were able to find each other after the quake.
Hotel Montana is one of the nicer hotels in the capital. On Wednesday, 200 of the 300 people estimated to be in the hotel were unaccounted for. They are pulling survivors out of the hotel ruins even 50 hours after the quake. Our God is a mighty God and praise Him for protecting Tina and her parents!
What are we going to do?At this time, Cicero Christian Church will focus our relief efforts on the missions we support in this area - Damou Christian Mission and IDES (International Disaster Emergency Services). Our missions team will await Tina's advice and requests for aid through Chuck and Donna, how to best supply their needs as part of our challenge to reach, teach and serve....to the ends of the Earth. Isn't it amazing how God brings home Tim's sermon about Mission 2020 last Sunday in such a practical way for us to respond? The hard part is being patient for news and needs.
The CCC missions team met last night for their regular monthly meeting and has released the money collected from the Christmas Card drive, $2,063 to IDES (International Disaster Emergency Service) for emergency relief in Haiti. You may remember the fish bank coin drive from 2009 - those funds went to IDES. IDES is also packing food for Haiti in their Kempton, Indiana location, and you can go help - contact rchapman@ides.org for details or visit their website.
The photo at right is the makeshift campground at the airport in Jacmel, Haiti.
As mentioned before, Tina is a native of Arcadia. She is a Hamilton Heights graduate. She was on furlough this summer and was the summer missionary at Rainbow Christian Camp. She has been in the mission field for around 25 years in Haiti. We made book bags and filled them with school supplies in a Kindness In Progress servant evangelism project in the summer of 2008, and shortly thereafter was a devastating flood in Haiti that brought many buildings on their Damou Christian Mission and School close to ruin, and they were still trying to clean up from that flood. Continue to pray for Haiti and the people in this terrible time of suffering, that God would be glorified.
News article from Channel 13 - click here
We have received some news on Tina Isenhower, missionary to one of our living link missions in Haiti, Damou Christian Mission, and a native of Arcadia. We had heard that her parents had flown into Port au Prince on the morning of the earthquake for a visit and that Tina was in the city to pick them up.
Teresa House spoke with Chuck Heinold (Tina's brother in law) and Tina was in Port au Prince waiting on her parents to fly in when the earthquake hit. Her parents Harold and Donna had just landed and were on their way to meet Tina. Tina was on the 2nd floor of the 8-story Montana Motel, and was able to crawl out. She found Harold and Donna, all are doing well, they slept outside last night in Port au Prince and are going to try to get to the mission on Thursday, which is 3-4 hours away by car in Jacmel. The Montana Motel also housed many UN visitors, many who did not survive. They are with Gerard, with Haitian Christian Outreach.
Arcadia Christian Church has a close relationship and is posting information on their website - this is the news this morning:
Here are some sources for local updates on the earthquake:
www.handsandfeetproject.org. This is a mission launched by the Christian music group Audio Adrenaline. Hands and Feet is next to the Damou school. They've had several posts.
www.haitianchristian.org – mission website of Gerard works closely with Tina - details provided
www.damou.org - Damou Christian Mission website - no new posts at this time
I (Beth Roberts in the church office) am also receiving updates Gretchen serving in Haiti with Lifeline. We used Lifeline and Gretchen was our resource to ship the bookbags we made for Damou filled with supplies from the Kindness in Progress in the summer of 2007. They are also posting updates on www.lifeline.org.
In the midst of this chaos, Gretchen describes time taken out for prayer regularly. They set a fine example for us to follow!
1/25/2008
Dear family and friends: I went to the Cardiologist 1/24 and he released me to go back to Haiti. I just have to see the endocrinologists on the 4th and another Doctor on the 11th. Once I am released by them I will go back to Haiti. I am feeling alot better and the medicine is working. I have not had a spell for 5 days. The cardiologist diagnosed me with Vasodepressor Syncope. My blood pressure drops almost to zero when I stand up and once I faint it goes way up trying to over compensate for passing out. The medicine will take care of this problem. It will also help to keep my heart from going in and out of rhythm. I am hoping to be able to return to Haiti no later than February 19. Well I better go for now.
Thank you for your prayers and support.
In His Service
Tina Isenhower
10/30/2007
Dear friends and family:
Today (October 30) I was suppose to fly to the States for an eye appointment. I was suppose to fly to Port-au-Prince yesterday so I could catch an early flight out this morning. The charter flight was cancelled yesterday due to the threat of tropical storm Noel hitting. So Pasto Roro drove us (Mom, Rachel, and I) to Port-au-Prince. It started raining once we started over the mountains. We ran into alot of fog and rain, and it looked liked mini water falls coming down he sides of the mountains about 5 feet apart. It rained hard all night. This morning about 6:00 a.m. I received a call from some of my workers in jacmel, telling me they had major flooding. The school, bakery, Church, Village of Hope, and the mission house were flooded. There was lots of mud and debris everywhere. It is still raining this evening. I have kept in touch with them thru out the day because the road to Jacmel is blocked by rock and mud slides. Because of the rain we could not catch a flight to Jacmel this afternoon.
I decided to go on to my appointment in Miami, since I could not go back to Jacmel. They called me this afternoon and told me it was pouring again and that there is water covering the seats in the cafeteria. The Church roof is damaged from winds. The bottom floor of my house is flooded. My room on the second floor got flooded also, because I have a small balcony off from it and debris clogged the drainage holes and it flooded my room. We had to evacuate the people at the Village of Hope this afternoon because the water level there has risen and flooded all the rooms. The generator at the school was flooded as well as the first floor of the bakery. We are hoping that none of the stoves, refrigerators and freezers are damaged at the School, my house, and the Village of Hope.
We lost 3/4 of our food for the children at the school from the depot being flooded. We have water and mud on the first floor of the bakery, school, Church, and the mission house. I had some fellow missionaries take pictures for me. Pastor Roro will be trying to fly to Jacmel tomorrow if the weather lets up to supervise the clean up until I can get there on Friday. I feel so bad and helpless because I could hear the desperation in my staff's voices and I could not return to help them.
The elderly people did not want to leave their new home. They said I wouldn't know where they were at when I came back. I had to send word to them that they had to leave for their safety. Two of the elderly are blind and I know they were scared. Having to make 2 moves in one day is proabably really scarey for them. They said that the road in front of the school is like a river. Many people in our area have lost homes. Please pray for us. We have lots of damage at the mission. We will need a tractor to clear the school yard. Once we get the water and mud out of the Church, school, and Village of Hope we will need to paint. We will need to replace the gates at the school and Village of Hope as well as repair the walls. We will need to repair/replace the roof on the Church. Once we can accurately access the damage I will let you know. I will also continue to send you pictures as I receive them. It will proably be at least 2 weeks or more before we will be able to openschool again. Please pray that the rains will let up soon.
In Christ,
Tina Isenhower
Missionary to Haiti
11/1/2007
Dear friends and family:
Here are pictures of the flooding as of this morning. The back wall was knocked down, the gate was washed off of it's hinges, and no we do not have a river running thru the middle of the property. It is still pouring and we had to evacuate all the people at the Village of Hope. Here are pictures of the school and Church as of this morning and now the water is covering the seats in the cafeteria in the school. I will send more pictures later to keep you updated. It is terrible and I feel so bad for the people who have lost their homes or they are damaged. It is going to take a long time to get everything cleaned up. We lost the back wall and the gate at the school.
