Haiti Earthquake Relief Mission - Emmanuel TV

8/9/2019 Haiti Earthquake Relief Mission - Emmanuel TV

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WORKING WITH GODS PROJECTSTHE EMMANUEL TV HAITI EARTHQUAKE RELIEF TEAM

OVER 230,000 dead, 300,000 injured, 280,000 buildings collapsed, 1,000,000 homelessand 3,000,000 affected. The stats are staggering. On Tuesday 12th January 2010 atapproximately 16:53, parts of the Caribbean island of Haiti literally crumbled to pieces atthe mercy of the 6th most fatal earthquake of all time. With irrecoverable damage done

to communication systems, major transport facilities, electrical networks and hospitalsbodies of the dead strewn on the streets and thousands more trapped inside collapsedbuildings, it was a scene of utter chaos and confusion.

Deemed the worstearthquake of themodern era,compounding alreadyexisting problems in thepoverty-stricken isle ofHaiti, the world watched

in horror as images ofdestruction anddevastation filteredthrough to internationalmedia. Thus began oneof the largest aid reliefoperations in recenthistory, with humanityuniting together for thecommon purpose ofassisting the homeless

and helpless in Haiti.

Here is the story of one such relief mission which began in the humble office of a pastorwho watched the distressing images of the Haitian suffering and could not afford to lookthe other way, whose passion and vision to help the Haitians overwhelmed theseemingly insurmountable odds. And as T.B. Joshua watched, The Emmanuel TV HaitEarthquake Relief Team was born - a mission to bring hope to the orphans, relief to thesick and comfort to the suffering in the faraway nation of Haiti.

Going inThe task seemed impossible on the outside, but an instruction in righteousness from T.B.

Joshua had come, and thus the divine provision, protection and enablement to achieve itMerely two days after the earthquake struck, SCOAN Evangelists in both America and theUnited Kingdom were preparing themselves for a journey into the unknown. It wasclearly a God-directed mission, a God directed venture,recalled Nick Holmes, a memberof SCOAN UK and part of the initial relief team. This was 48 hours after the event whenthe world was still reeling. Consistent with its name, Church Of All Nations, thepreliminary team consisted of people spanning three continents and with a broad rangeof skills and expertise doctors, nurses, engineers, pilots, humanitarian workers andevangelists inclusive.


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Merely a week later, planes were boarded and the team touched down in Cap Hatien,one of the few airports unaffected by the quake, located in the north of Haiti. A cargoplane, chartered from Florida and boldly emblazoned with the emblem of Emmanuel TV,arrived shortly afterwards and unloaded essential medical supplies and foodstuffs withthe assistance of the United Nations. Carrying only a rucksack of personal necessitiesand a resolve to meet needs and solve problems, the team had arrived and the visionwas nearing reality. Whereas most aid organizations had set up base in Port-au-Prince,the nations capital and scene of most carnage at the time of the quake, the ETV team

decided to choose a location slightly away from the capital. Upon the advice of a localcharity, Konpay, they chose Arcahaie, a small rural town of roughly 100,000 inhabitants40km north-west of Port-au-Prince, a place many earthquake victims had run to forshelter. It was a ten hour journey along bumpy roads and over steep mountain pathswith a jeep and two large trucks carrying the life-saving supplies and equipment.

For every member of the team, this was the first time they had ever entered a disasterzone of such magnitude. It was a journey of faith where obstacles did not dictate the

direction. We were told that we have no experience and that we should not go - but wewent anyway,declared Cara Lauchland, a SCOAN evangelist from the USA. We weretold that no flights are going in to Port-au-Prince so we flew in to Cap Haitien in thenorth. We were told that the roads were too damaged to drive on; we drove all the waywithout any problem down to Arcahaie.They arrived on January 26th 2010.

Arcahaie: A Shocking RealityAlthough Arcahaie was not as close to the quakes epicenter and not as affected as thenations capital, the disaster had nonetheless taken its deadly toll on the primitive town,both physically and mentally. The people were absolutely petrified after the quake,explained Rachel Holmes, a SCOAN Evangelist from the United Kingdom and also part ofthe first team. They thought that the end of the world had come. We met many withpsychological problems. They kept thinking that the ground was always moving. And thegovernment issued a warning that no one should sleep inside their house, so everyonewas sleeping on the road or in their yard under sheeting or rough plastic. People werefrightened to be inside.

With plantain farming and fishing providing the main source of income for the people ofArcahaie and a staple diet of bananas, the community was already in abject povertybefore the quake hit. There is no central water supply, limited electricity and nosewage,Rachel continued. Most people drink water from dirty wells, from the gutterby the road, or water which collects on the roof of their house. Most of them have neverhad simple advice such as the need to boil the water before drinking it. Due to this manyare very sick, especially the children.

The privilege of free health care that many enjoy is merely an illusion for the majority ofHaitians. Speaking of the teams initial surveillance of the area soon to become their newabode, Rachel added: When walking around town, we came to notice that the childrenwould play with no pants on and sit in the gutters - so they got infections, even tinybabies. This was a big problem - no hygiene at all, no awareness of dirt bringing germsand sickness. There has been no community health care. They just lived or died withtheir complaints. Getting to hospital was impossible for most people because it was sofar and they couldn't pay. Plus there was no transport. The need is very dire.Clinique Emmanuel


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With the help of community leaders, a plot of land in the outskirts of the town and anearby well was located. Physical eyes beheld an abandoned piece of land with someuncompleted buildings, but faith saw a thriving medical clinic providing primary healthcare for an entire community. With the sea as their shower, a hole as their toilet andbanana leaves as their mattress, tents were pitched on the stony ground and CliniqueEmmanuel was born. Almost immediately following their arrival, people found out andcrowds of sick and suffering began swarming to the area. Both injuries inflicted duringthe earthquake and longstanding illnesses that before had no source of treatment were

brought and the clinic began its work. As Fiona Tonge, a SCOAN Evangelist from Englandwith nursing experience put it, Out of a heart of compassion and an instruction inrighteousness, things which seemed impossible became possible. From nothing, from anidea, a concept came people, medical and food supplies, a plane, vehicles to navigatethe mountain roads and a piece of land to pitch our tents.

Working almost non-stop in the sweltering heat from dawn until dusk, with the doctorsand nurses attending up to 80 people on a daily basis, the team worked selflessly tomeet the needs of the Haitian people. Local support for the mission thrived and peoplewillingly volunteered to serve as translators, the main language of the locals beingHaitian Creole. A number of native nurses also joined the mission and volunteered their

services. Gods provision and direction was evident right from the onset. Grace justabounded, said Nick when recalling the beginnings of the clinic. I saw practically thatwhere God directs, He provides. There are countless little stories of almost impossiblesituations where God took control.

Life Amidst DeathWith the project still in its earliest stages,one story stands out as a testament toClinique Emmanuels vision and mission. Amother was rushed to the camp, already inlabour and extreme pain. She came whenwe were not properly set up, Rachelremembers. We had no beds set up, soshe delivered on the concrete. It was verytouching because she was so grateful tohave medical staff there and to be able tosay she had given birth in a 'safe'environment - an environment which to usneeded to be seriously worked on! Oncethe baby was born, she told the translatorthat she would call her Emmanuella afterClinique Emmanuel. A testimony to thenew life Clinique Emmanuel was breathinginto a community distraught with deathand despair, Baby Emmanuella was thefirst of countless babies to be born safely inthe clinic in the coming months.

T.B. Joshuas Passionate AppealWith Clinique Emmanuel firmly established,T.B. Joshua made a passionate appeal tothe viewers of Emmanuel TV to support


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Gods project in Haiti. As regards what is happening in Haiti, we cannot pretend not tosee,he admonished. We are one anothers strength. Remember Christ says, all ourdoings without love are nothing. A true Christian is known by his love. Ultimately, we arecalled to respond to all human needs for that is what love entails.

The people of Haiti need you at this time. They are homeless, like sheep without ashepherd. God has no hands but only our hands to reach them. Love the children of Haitifor Gods sake and you will be loved. Give to the people of Haiti for Gods sake and you

will receive the mercy and favour of God. Looking the other way when your neighbour inHaiti is in trouble is tantamount to rejecting Christ himself. Whatever is in your hand nowis a solution to the people of Haiti. Remember, whatever you do to the people of Haiti,that you do unto God. Therefore, help the people of Haiti. Help the children of Haiti; theyare the future of Haiti.

The response was truly overwhelming, as viewers worldwide called to pledge support forthe project in Haiti. This was Gods project, and He was providing for every need. It wasan example of the church feeling other peoples pain,added Nick. That was clearly thedriver. I think you could say this is really an example of faith working through love.

Miraculous StoriesEvidence of Gods miraculous power and provision were seen recurrently, mirrored in thestory of an incredible birth at Clinique Emmanuel. His mother came in the early eveningin the 2nd stage of labour,Rachel explained. This was her second child - her first hadbeen stillborn. Around 11pm the baby was born - he was stillborn. The black baby wasblue and totally lifeless. It was a boy. The mother was just staring at us and the doctorwas holding the baby upside down trying to see if there was any mucus in the lungs - noresponse. Then mouth to mouth was applied. The baby would not come around - he wasgone. We rushed to get the Anointing Water and we sprayed it on the little boy. Slowlybut surely he began to turn pink and started breathing. Eventually he cried and hismother just stared at us! He came back the next day very happy and healthy. It was anabsolute miracle. In honour of the man who actually inspired Clinique Emmanuel, themiracle baby was named Joshua.

Such example echoed that of hundreds whose lives were saved through the interventionof Clinique Emmanuel. Literally, everyday there were situations where lives were saved,and that made any personal inconvenience seem so trivial, explained Gary Tongeanother member of the first Haiti team and a SCOAN Evangelist. We are actuallymaking a difference, Daniel Koots, an Australian, passionately told Read Us. Thepeople we meet, the people we give tents to and the people treated in the clinic theirlives have changed. Clinique Emmanuel is actually saving lives.

Wounds have been dressed, sicknesses have been treated, babies have been born,water has been purified, tents have been installed, children have been sponsored toschool, empty stomachs have been filled, and many individuals have chosen to makeGods Word the standard for their lives,wrote Angela Brandt, a SCOAN Evangelist fromAmerica. Each morning brings new challenges, new problems, new difficulties buteach evening sees new plans, new projects and new solutions. Jesus is the solution.

Communal ApprovalWeeks turned to months and Clinique Emmanuel forged ahead, driven by theunprecedented need around and the realisation that each gift and strength God had


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given were meant to meet such needs. This was a long-term commitment. Differentinternational doctors and nurses who had taken up the call to assist came and left, witha rotational system in operation. The clinic was having such an impact on the communitythat the local mayor decided to give the land they had established to Emmanuel TV freeof charge, in response to their relentless efforts to aid the community.

Jean Elie, a local carpenter voiced the opinion of the people in a community meeting heldto discuss Emmanuel TVs future in Haiti. I believe that Emmanuel TV is the biggest

blessing God could send to us. The earthquake did a lot of damage to us, but the biggestsupport it sent to us is Emmanuel TV. Its the biggest gift given to us. Its a privilege tohave Emmanuel TV. If not, many people in Arcahaie would not have survived. EmmanuelTV, we love you very much because you love us very much. We are ready to do all wecan to make you stay with us. You dont know how your help is benefitting the people ofArcahaie. We are not able to give you back. God alone can reward you.

Speaking on Clinique Emmanuels remarkable impact, Elvis Buquo, a Greek assistantnurse who was in Haiti for five weeks, said, Clinique Emmanuel is an oasis in the desert.It is there so that people would not lose hope. It is for the people to calm their pain,regain their strength and to start rebuilding their life on a better foundation with God

Almighty.

Another pivotal moment in the journey of Clinique Emmanuel, epitomising the impact ithas had so far on the Haitian nation, was the visit of Haitis President Rene Preval on May17th. He came to thank Emmanuel TV for their selfless efforts and pledge his support tothe clinics future.

Supporting Other OrganisationsBound by a common bond to help the Haitians, Emmanuel TV also worked with otherorganizations to spread practical and medical support to the orphans and homeless ofHaiti. With a number of make-shift camps springing up sporadically around the affected-areas, many were sleeping out in the open or under improvised coverings, like bedsheets held up with sticks, and urgently needed shelter, especially in view of theimpending rainy season.

The Emmanuel TV Haiti Earthquake Relief Team worked with aid organizations such asShelter Box and OIM, visiting different orphanages and refugee camps around Haitiproviding aid, large tents and medical care as well as educational supplies for thechildren. Another organisation they have lent their support to is Love A Child EarthquakeRelief Centre in Fond Parisien,Haiti to which many earthquakevictims have been transferredfrom Port-au-Prince to receivefollow-up treatment.

Recalling a particular occasionwhen supplying tents to aHaitian community whichremains imprinted in her heartand mind, Rachel said: Onesuch moment, which will notleave me, was when we drove


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onto a piece of wasteland covered with sticks and pieces of plastic sheeting blowingabout in the breeze. These were what people called home. A desperate attempt atforming some kind of shelter from the rubbish left behind after the earthquake. Therewere children everywhere. Children left with no parents. Children just left. They crowdedaround us as if we had the whole world in our hands and could solve every problemunder the sun. Fathers cried out that they had no mothers for their children. Motherspleaded that they had no husbands to take care of their families. A small child tugged atmy trousers and asked me a question. My translator looked at me and said, She asked

if you would be her mummy, can she please, please come home with you? All I couldoffer them was the tents stacked up in the back of our vehicles. It seemed so little incomparison to their needs

These experiences remain in the hearts of the team. Australian lawyer Naomi Karprecalling another sober incident, said: The earthquake while tragic seemed so remotefrom my lounge room in Sydney, Australia but when I arrived, I discovered people sodesperately in need of assistance and so grateful to receive it,she began. What stoodout for me is an orphanage where we ministered much needed shelter, medical andeducational help. I was really touched by a 3 year old boy who was sick with an infection,dressed in just a t-shirt who could no longer walk and had lost his family in the

earthquake. What a blessing to see him transformed after receiving this help, laughingand playing football with the other children.

Selflessness Amidst SufferingIn the midst of their extreme need, the selflessness and community spirit was alsoevident amongst the Haitians, who were pulling together at their time of greatest lack tobuild each other up. I was touched by the way men in a camp for refugees form Port-au-Prince vigorously helped us pitch tents for the aged, infirm and little children, knowingthey would still not be sheltered themselves, noted Peter Karp, an Australian lawyeralso part of the relief team.

Janet Holmes, a member of SCOAN UK who went to Haiti in February 2010 for threeweeks, remembered another experience that made a lasting impression on her: On oneday, one encounter in particular, touched me deeply. We went to visit a local pastor,who, despite having very little by way of material provision himself, has taken as his ownfamily twenty young children orphaned by the earthquake. Like the Good Samaritan inLuke 10, he may not be in the best position to help, but the little he has he is willing togive and share with those in need and what these children most need is the love andsecurity of a family. Their smiling faces and cheerful laughter remain with me. By thegrace of God and through the generosity of Emmanuel TV Partners and viewers, we wereable to erect several tents for the children to sleep in and to supply them with some riceand medical supplies.

Let It RainAnother example of Gods clear intervention and direction in the running of CliniqueEmmanuel was the divine rainfall that occurred following the prayers of Prophet T.B.Joshua. The weather had become extreme and team members were beginning to getrashes because of the heat, explained Angela. People in the town were getting sickand there was need for rain. So, I called the prophet and told him and he said he wouldpray, that there would be rain. I told all the workers that the prophet had said therewould be rain and he would pray. Within a few hours rain poured down in the town!


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When they called Port-au-Prince and asked if they had had any rain there - there wasnone! The rain was only in our town. All the workers were amazed!

What The Future HoldsClinique Emmanuel is committed to rebuilding the Haitian society, and ensuring theirchildren have the opportunity they need to grow to their fullest potential. However, theycannot do it alone. Whether through financial support, the provision of medical suppliesor volunteering your skills and strengths to go out to Haiti, they need you. You too can

be part of this life-saving venture. You too can make a difference. You too can be thehands and feet of Jesus.

What difference have you made today?asks Peter Renner. I will not kid you, the roadto self sufficiency in Haiti will not be an easy one, neither will it be done overnight; thestench of death is so real in Haiti. Clinique Emmanuel is doing wonders. But deep withintheir hearts, the Haitians fear we are going to abandon them, like it has been in the past.Are we committed enough? I ask: Are you in the medical profession? Are you anengineer? Can you cook? Are you a dentist? Can you drive or can you teach? Everyonehas a place in Haiti.

To support the Emmanuel TV Haiti Earthquake Relief Team, visit our websitewww.emmanuel.tv

SOURCE: Read Us Edition 3
http://www.emmanuel.tv/http://www.emmanuel.tv/

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Haiti Earthquake Relief Mission - Emmanuel TV