Folks leaving Port au Prince on the highway going northeast, towards the Central Plateau. These folks are on their way up "Mon Kabrit"--Goat Mountain, east and a bit north of Croix de Bouquet.People are pouring in to the Central Plateau from Port au Prince. The local public hospital is reportedly full of folks wounded in the quake, who one way or another made it here. There is a call for donations of blood, which I hope to answer tomorrow. Employees of MPP took up a collection yesterday to help the wounded. There is a call for food as well. The hospitals here are not generally set up to provide meals on a large scale, so families usually fill in the gaps. But these patients have no families.
Banks here are still closed, which is complicating things a bit. MPP's cash funds have been depleted, so they are running on gas fumes, as we used to say when Mom's car showed Empty on the gas gauge. Fortunately, MPP, and Haitians in the countryside in general, have had years of practice running on very little.
The two main cell phone services here are now working, more or less. Both have provided their users free minutes to help them make connections with their loved ones.
Jenny and I are running a little low on readily available cash, but this morning, a neighbor let me know that he can help us out when our supply is really gone.
In general, Jenny and I are doing well, but we are trying to know how to react. We still have our regular work, which definitely is important, but that's not easy to measure right now, on the scale of what has happened.
We also talk with friends, ask what news they have. Many folks do have news. It is a difficult question to ask, but a joy when the answer is "they made it!" Hard to deal with when the answer is "we don't kow."
The people of Hinche, Papay, Bassin Zim, are grieving.
Probably the best we can do is do what we can wherever we can, and whenver we can, pray hard and pray often, and hope that our simple presence can somehow be part of our witness.
Food is not yet a problem, and the supply will probably not be a problem. Food and gas is making it over the border from the Dominican Republic. We put 8 gallons of Dominican diesel in the truck on Saturday. It cost us what we normally would pay for 16 gallons, but we were grateful for the security of having a bit of fuel.
The police are reportedly working on keeping food prices from skyrocketing. Word is that this past Saturday, they went around the marketplace and closed down shops who were charging exhorbitant prices.
That's the news for now. Please continue to keep all of Haiti in your prayers.
In Christ.
Mark, Jenny and Keila
5 comments:
I just discovered your blog from the Warren Wilson web site and wanted you to know you are in my thoughts and prayers. The US press is full of the news of the terrible tragedy, and of relief efforts underway, but also of supply bottlenecks and increasing desperation among the survivors. I know nothing of your work, the MPP, or how to contact you and your fellows, but with so many refugees overwhelming the country's meager resources I wonder if there is a concrete way to help. My church, Rumple Memorial Pres in Blowing Rock, NC, is looking for specific ways to help. A return email would be answered.
God bless
Don Saunders
Blowing Rock NC
You and all of Haiti are in our prayers. Thank you for providing us with your personal insights and observations. We think of you are our personal representative in this catastrophe.
Richard Hunt, St. Mark Presbyterian, Ballwin, MO.
Please, please, do you have any information the village of Bigonet and Bonne Nouvelle school? Will yo post it if you do?
God bless.
Dear Mark and Jenny,
Thanks for the update on the situation where you live. It must be very difficult, but I'm sure you're a great support to your friends and neighbors there.
Peace,
Chris
thanks so much Mark for the posting you are doing letting us know how things are for your friends at MPP. Our prayers and support are with you, Jenny and Keila, as well as the nation of Haiti.
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