Vince Coakley Update From Haiti

None — Sunday Jan. 31, 2010

Ending another incredible day... our last here.

We started at a church outside Port Au Prince. A couple of hundred people worshiped outside because their building was damaged. The pastor told us, members of his church haven't had food in 3 days. This is yet another community we've encountered that has not received aid. Fortunately a ministry installed a water pump for them several months ago.

Over lunch we encountered people handling aid from ministries (Mostly from the U.S.) They told us they're sitting on 1.5 tons of aid at the airport, and they need to connect with trustworthy churches and ministries who can do the distribution. Otherwise, the UN may try to take over the effort, and they could not guarantee it would get to the people it should go to.

This afternoon we visited a site north of Port Au Prince where a group of ministers plan to set up temporary shelter before the rainy season, and set up schools, job training, and other programs long term. There was an incredible sense of destiny as we walked the property, discussed the logistics and prayed together. Lord willing, we will see needy people on that property very soon.

Tonight we met with ministers in the area. (Most of them were with us on the visit to the property) Jean Telfort challenged them to work together to access this aid from the airport. We ended with their commitment to attend a meeting with the missionary agency on Tuesday to advance the relief effort. Truthfully the challenge here is trust. It's hard to get people of different agencies and churches to trust each other. Clearly people do not trust the government or the UN. The relief agencies say UN workers are afraid of the Haitians so they aren't making the trips they should make out to the outlying areas to deliver aid. The fear is supposedly about rioting and violence. (Though we have seen no evidence of this behavior among any of the Haitians we've met at water and food stations in Port Au Prince) The key here will have to be the faith community. Jean did a great job challenging the people we met with to put their differences aside for the sake of the Haitian people. His leadership in this has been very helpful.

Tonight we're debriefing to discuss the immediate and long term needs and how we will be involved. Our priority will be getting local leaders to take the lead and we will stand behind them with financial and other support.

Barring any surprises this will probably be my last update. No other visits or meetings are scheduled.

See you all soon. Vince Coakley In Haiti

Sunday Jan. 31, 2010

In sharp contrast to the upbeat meeting with a Haitian mayor this morning, this afternoon we experienced:

- More sad images of homeless families on the street, living in the streets in filthy conditions, others living outside their collapsed homes or homes that aren't even damaged out of fear the earth will shake again and trap them.

- During a visit to the airport, people begging for jobs, anything to help them support their families.

- An overwhelmed hospital in Port Au Prince with an overflow of patients getting treatment (or not getting it yet) in tents. I saw a lot of people of all ages who've had amputations.

-I heard a disturbing story from a missionary who was getting a ride out to a rural area. His driver drastically slowed down so he asked why. It seems there was a trash compactor in front of them loaded with bodies headed to a mass grave. The smell was so strong, the driver was forced to slow way down and keep a more significant distance. The missionary told us this story still haunts him. The government is doing what it has to do to protect people from the danger of unburied bodies, and yet many of these families will never know what happened to loved ones. Some of the churches here are offering memorial services for neighbors who lost relatives and were unable to recover their bodies.

- Another friend from Atlanta described a visit to a community outside Port Au Prince where UN soldiers were SELLING the free food given to them to distribute. He and those with him were furious but clearly unable to do anything about the situation since those soldiers were armed. Government officials and relief workers are well aware of these practices, but have been unable to get any traction to put a stop to it.

Tonight as I go to sleep, I will remember the little children I saw sleeping in the plaza under tents across from the Presidential Palace. No one knows how long they will have to stay in that densely populated homeless camp without basic necessities. Hopefully as a world community we can help change that before the upcoming rainy season in a couple of months.

Haiti needs your prayers and your contributions during this dire emergency.

Saturday Jan. 30, 2010

Everyone is enjoying their Winter Wonderland in the Charlotte Metro area.

As I write this, it is a balmy 88 degrees outside.

Saturday we had an extraordinary meeting with the Mayor of Delmas. Google Maps says the population is 382,920.

We discussed how best to help Delmas, Port Au Prince and Haiti in general. delmas Delmas mayor, right, and his assistant, Gilbert Hippolyte

Wilson Jeudy has a grand vision to build up his city better than ever (even before the earthquake. He actually anticipated a calamity first.)

That vision includes homes, schools, even an amphitheater.

Saturday we will try to confirm our return flight through the missionary air service.

Friday, Jan. 29, 2010

The group I am with is led by Jean (French pronunciation) Telford.

Jean is on the pastoral team at Steele Creek Church in Charlotte.

He was born and raised in Haiti and has a ministry to Haitians in Charlotte.

Our trip is designed to assess the situation/needs here and begin planning for long term investment and engagement to help the Haitian people recover and rebuild.

In extensive conversation with Jean on the flight, he communicated a broad vision that will extend well beyond his own church to engage people citywide to pour time, energy, and resources into Haiti to help turn things around.

I also expect we will assist in some way with relief efforts while here, especially since its likely (Rick) Hendrick's plane is carrying supplies as it also takes people like us into the country.

We've spent the last couple of days visiting different villages in and around Port au Prince.

We see a lot of UN trucks traveling the streets to patrol with machine guns.

There are tent cities everywhere with people who either lost their homes or they're afraid to stay in them.

We also went with Ferrell Burton from Harrisburg to deliver thousands of medical supplies... syringes, bandages, scrub kits, surgical masks.... iv tubing. There were people in tents outside because there's not enough room in the hospital.

Amazingly the people here are resilient.

They keep going like they're used to adversity. Sadly they've had to be.

I will also see, with the exception of a water line and another line for rice, we have not seen the distribution of supplies to people who need them ... at least away from the airport.

there are rumors/concerns that the UN is actually SELLING supplies and the U.S. is holding theirs in some sort of turf war between the two agencies.

We met with a group of pastors who hope to get involved to break the logjam of supplies ... to get them to people who need them.

I also should add ... we are safe. Every place we stay has at least 1 armed guard (with a shotgun).

I'm anxious to share some images from our travels here.

Be in touch soon.

Vince Coakley

WSOC