Our Pursuit in 2010

The family of NC4 greatly mourns the loss of life and devastation from the tragic earthquake in Haiti.  NC4 has had a near 20 year relationship with the people of Haiti, helping to plant a church and sending medical misson teams annually.
Here is the latest update:

• Mar 11 - Part of the team, including Dr. Steve Frei, went to Galette Chambon, about an hour outside of Port au Prince, where they treated almost 60 people. Please continue to uphold them all for encouragement and peace, and for a safe trip home.
• Mar 9 - The team is well. John LaRose and Nadene Salvodon are great translators! Bekah Bachman and Nadene are seeing women and pregnant ladies and that's going very well. They all need prayer for encouragement, tho--there are some technological issues with the clinic's new computer system, and it's taking up a lot of time and causing frustration because it is not user-friendly at all. Also, the earthquake has caused unprecedented psychological trauma, to the point that they are beginning to mass-broadcast a form of therapy by radio. Please pray for God's peace to be over the people there, as well as on our team.
• Mar 8 - The team arrived safely and reported a good trip with no delays or baggage issues. On Sunday they enjoyed worship at Siloe Baptist, and said the service was attended by about 400 people; Marjorie (Pastor Bienne's wife) is doing a little better and visited with them. The weather is cooler than usual for this time of year, which is a blessing, and they think they'll be able to see all the people they need to for this mission.
• Feb 10 - An additonal emergency team will NOT be traveling to Haiti this week due to the difficulty in getting on a flight to Port-au-Prince.  The Haiti Council recommended that the already scheduled medical trip in March 6-13 by New Covenant be the next team to travel to run a medical clinic at Siloe Baptiste church.
• Feb 1 - The team was able to get a flight into Chicago yesterday, and Michael Sobetsky is on a flight into Newark this afternoon.
• Jan 29 - The team feels that they have made a difference.    They have treated mostly untreated injuries – fractures, infected wounds, and lacerations. They’ve also spent a lot of the time setting fractures and cleaning/debrieding wounds. Today   they treated hypertension, diabetes, headaches, etc.  Mike said that they really feel like they have done something for the community.
• Jan 28 - The team had a good day.  They had a nice visit with Marjorie (Bienne’s wife) and said she looked good and that the kids are doing fine. They (Marjorie and the kids) are staying with neighbors across the street from where their house once stood. The team went with her and tried to help her retrieve a few things – after seeing the house, they said it was truly a miracle that she and the kids were able to get out.
• Jan 28 - Clinic update  -The team saw 45 patients today.  One was a four-year-old girl with a broken left foot, broken left tibia and fibula, broken left shoulder blade, and possible a broken right foot.  All of these injuries were suffered in the quake, and she had not yet received any medical attention.  They sent her to the CDTI hospital and are praying that she will not lose her left leg – but if that should happen, that her life would be spared.  They are also continuing to treat wounds and re-dress some of the wounds they treated earlier in the week.
• Jan 28 - Team update - Everybody on the team is feeling better.  Michael was feeling a bit better by noon today, but still needs to regain full strength. The team was told that, because of the work they’re doing and how they have worked this week, people from Grace Network will be welcome to stay at the school (as long as they are “in business” there).  They will have a place for the second team  (from Fredericksburg) if they would like to stay there.
• Jan 28 - Prayer requests - The team is still trying to get return flights and they would appreciate continued prayer for those details to work out.  Please also continue to pray for restored and good health.
• Jan 25 - Crisis Response International is an organization that provides logistics in situations like this. They are at the school helping to care for those who have come to minister, and are providing all that is needed (i.e. meals, transportation, etc.) to keep teams comfortable and going strong.
• Jan 25 - There are approximately 250-300 people staying at the school,  and an army group is based there too, so they are feeling quite safe, and will be well-cared for, which really helps them to carry on the ministry to those in need.
• Jan 25 - Once settled in at the school, the team went to meet with the leaders and health workers at the church.
• Jan 25 - The meeting with the deacons at Siloe Baptiste went well.  It was emotional at times – more lives have been lost than we first heard. Many have lost their homes and are living in tents or under tarps in the streets  – they seem to be facing sheer destruction. However, the church leadership and health workers have put together a plan to help those in need, and have developed committees to handle funds and help people in the churches at Siloe and LaRousse.  The church leaders do not want to hand out money to everyone in the church, but instead, want to handle the funds with discretion to meet the greater need. They have been working hard to assess the church members’ needs and have a good idea as to what they need to do. Our team worked to affirm them in their role as leaders and gave the leaders and health workers the water treatment supplies, solar radios and water that had been donated.
• Jan 25 - The church is damaged far more than they anticipated and they are now unsure as to whether it can be salvaged.  Delmas 19 (SeTata’s block) and Delmas 30 (the street by the church) appear to be part of the worst hit areas. As a result, they will have to hold the clinic outside – not in the church building.  The first clinic tomorrow will be for the leaders and health workers who are seriously injured and sick.
• Jan 25 - The church has already held the funeral for Pastor Bienne.  PLEASE PRAY FOR MARJORIE – she is not handling his death well and really needs the Lord’s help.  She is still staying with one of the assistant pastors and the team has not had a chance to see her yet.
• Jan 25 - As for the team, they are extremely tired; mostly due to the early start, not sleeping well, and the emotional aspect of this trip. However, they are doing well.  They will be working each day from 8:00AM-4:30PM, after which they will return to the school to meet as a team and rest.
• Jan 25 - Prayer point:  The team needs wisdom in handling a request by the deacons that they be split up (along with the meds) into 3 teams with 2 of the teams working with groups that are already there, including Haitian doctors.  Two teams would be outside the church; the third would be at the church.  The team is uneasy about this, but is seeking God’s wisdom as to whether or not they should do this – and how to respond back to the deacons.
• It is confirmed that Pastor Bienne L'Amerique, 46, perished in the earthquake but his wife and children are alive.  When the earthquake started, he immediately fell to his knees in prayer in his home and moments later the house collapsed on him.  His mother-in-law also died in the house but his wife and 3 children were able to get out.
• About half of the church building (L’Eglese Baptiste Siloe) is standing, the bottom floor of classrooms where our medical clinics are held is in tact. The top floor of classrooms sustained severe damage.  We do not yet know how much of any of what is standing is structurally sound or safe for use.
• Many people in the church are presumed to be dead.
• The church at LaRousse, a smaller, second church plant, withstood the quake much better than originally feared.  Leaders there are coordinating care efforts.
• Se Tata Demosthenes (approx. 80 years old) was the goldly woman who opened her home as a safe house for visiting missionary teams where she would feed and care for them.  Her house sustained severe damage and she too perished.  She was known for awakening everyone before dawn each morning with her singing of hymns at the top of her lungs.  She would regularly go off preaching the gospel out in the town or country side.  More recently, she had been living with her son who is a pastor in Boston and she would return when needed to Haiti to house the missions teams, which she was doing when the earthquake struck.  Several days after the earthquake, Se Tata's body was dug out from the rubble and she was buried by those who love her.
• NC4 member Christine Bielefeld Dewhurst left for Haiti on 1/17 with a team from LifeChurch to assist with medical care.
• A team of 8, including Michael Sobetsky from NC4,  is confirmed on an American Airlines Humanitarian Flight out of Miami on Monday 1/25/10.
• The team will provide medical assistance and assess the structural soundness of facilities to develop both short and long-term rebuilding plans.
• The GN team has been given a safe place to stay at a school in Delmas which has been determined to be structurally sound. There is water and a generator there, and the school has also offered to meet the team at the airport, transport them to Siloe each day, and feed them one meal a day.
• All GN churches have taken a special offering for Haiti Relief which will go directly to meet the needs of our church family at Siloe Baptiste.
• New Covenant took this offering 1/16 & 17 but contributions can be made at any time.
• NC4 member John LaRose's brother in Haiti is safe, along with his brother's family.
• NC4 member Roseline LaRose's brother is still missing.
• NC4 member Nadene Salvodon has many family members in Haiti; many are still unaccounted for.
• Checks can me made payable to NC4 with Haiti Fund in the memo line.

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Please pray for Haiti and we will keep you posted as we learn more.