posting pic's on facebook, so much easier than blogger. went to Port yesterday, couldn't get to the worst parts of the city, what pic's I have will show the nature of the damage. some places it is sporadic damage, around Delmas area, many homes and businesses are gone. went to Matthew 25 mission, took medical supplies and food, they will distribute to the locals who are coordinating the effort there. it was fairly quiet there when we showed up, I think everyone was tired, it was middle afternoon and people rest. we returned home as there was no urgent need for hands there. will post video's on facebook also.
last night people panicked here, someone waking everyone up saying the earthquake is coming. panic in the streets. it is amazing how superstitious people will react in fear. so, we go on today, getting ready for school next week and what is going on currently.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Thursday, Jan 14, 2010
we are preparing to go to Port today to pick up Nancy and the medical team. the site for pick up, Matthew 25 mission, is damaged but operational and has become a triage center. we will take all avaialble medical supplies. I am planning on taking my backpack and staying to do what I can, if they have the space. the need is staggering. anyone who wished to donate can do so thru the paypal on the Walkers blogspot at touchstmarchaiti.blogspot.com or sending to Touch Ministries, 417 Rebecca St, New Martinsville, W VA, 26155.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
January 13, 2010 9pm
just heard from Yvesner, our staff member who went to Port today. the area where his family lived is gone. he found his family, injured but ok with exception of his sister who is missing. He said he see's no way she could have survived. all landmarks are gone. I fear that the good people at Matthew 25 are injured or worse. all we can do is pray and see what we find. we are planning on bringing what food and water we can carry in, as all reports are of people w/o either.
Bondye benis ou
Dan Joshu
Bondye benis ou
Dan Joshu
January 13, 2010 4pm
and so it starts. Rose, our cook, just came in and told us she has 4 cousins dead in Port. we are sure to have many more like this. Haiti is about to come to a standstill, looking for and burying the dead. school will likely be closed for a period of time, though we have not made a final determination of this. for those who want to come to school it would be helpful, but we don't know how many staff we will have available.
Wednesday, January, 13, 2010
at the school opening today, I explained to the kids what an earthquake is, how it happens, and how fragile our lives really are. we prayed and got thru school. Yvesner had to leave early, he has family he can't contact, which is the same for most of the staff. I don't know if we will have school Friday or not. Life goes on in the streets here, but few know about the death estimates. I have no recollection of any event in human history where it is possible a half million people may have died at once. I am too stunned to feel or think at this point. all I know is that God reigns, all things happen towards a purpose. I know many agnostics and atheists will be angry at such a statement. Believe me, I would have been when I was one of them. All I know now is that I can't get thru such things without God. Please pray for the people of Haiti.
Bondye benis ou
Dan Joshu
Bondye benis ou
Dan Joshu
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Tuesday, September 12, 2010
earthquake several hours ago. lasted for about 45 seconds here. fairly strong, far worse in Port au Prince area. no obvious damage visible here, reports of homes, buildings and a hospital collapsing in the Port area. everyone I know of as far as missionaries are ok, but have not heard from everyone. we cannot contact Nancy Hibbard, who is in the Jacmel area on a medical mission up in the mountains. the strongest aftershock apparently was in that area. phones are down, but the 'net is ok for now. what can we do right now but pray, for the Haitians injured during this, for the mission teams in what kind of conditions? will update as more is known, most of you llikely know more than I do now.
Bondye benis ou
Dan Joshu
Bondye benis ou
Dan Joshu
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Sunday, January 10, 2010
hello to everyone. yes, blogging has become a chore for me recently and I have little motivation in it. however, I will endeavor to persevere until the writers block reaches a conclusion.
warm, cloudy, some afternoon sun, intermittent rain even though we are in dry season. read it is 1 deg in St. Louis this morning....glad I am here. cold weather does not appeal to me much anymore, not that it really ever did. I admit it is fun at times to get the snow thing going, but zero temps are beyond what this old body wants to go thru.
Nancy is up in the mountains now, doing a dental clinic starting tomorrow. she is in the Jacmel area, nice tourist area, but up in the mountains around it in a village. it can get very cold up in the mountains, and she took a lot of extra clothes for the trip.
school is ready to roll tomorrow. went over yesterday and did some last clean up's in some of the rooms, we are good to go. we will be arranging some teachers and kids differently this year, promoting some, trying to encourage others who don't seem to have much interest in learning. the thing here is that the girls go to school, the boys reluctantly go, and as soon as they can do anything, like drive a taxi, they drop out and seal their future. Haiti is a "today" place. if someone can get a little now, it is worth far more than what may come in the future. reminds me of a story Charles Mellon told in his book about seeing a man chopping down a tree. He tried to stop him, as he knew even then that Haiti was being deforrested at an alarming rate. He asked the man how much money he could get for the crop of the fruit tree each year, and then what he could get for cutting down the tree for charcoal. The answer to both was about $75 Haitian. he tried to convince him to wait for the crop. the man told him he didn't know if his family had a tomorrow, all they had was today, and they needed food now. that mindset is so pervasive here.
on the good side, things do seem to be changing for the better. the new road construction is continuing to come north and it seems will hit St. Marc w/i a few months. the road is already so much better, the trip to Port is MUCH easier than when I started here. it has gone from 3 1/2 hrs, to about 1 1/2 hrs. you can drive highway speed's on most of the road there. the down side to that is that the vehicles are very poorly maintained and overloaded, and the fear is that accidents will increase as speeds increase. many people die each year in road accidents here. there are no traffic laws, speed limits, and big trucks and busses just basically fly down the road and it is your job to get out of their way.
life in Haiti continues, no great changes, but a succession of little ones. the new Delimart store in town has spurred another competitor to spruce up his store. things like that. so as we get ready for the school routine to resume, it is so easy to lose focus on the other things here. but as in everyones life, things work out one way or another. I hope everyone is warm, or at least safe.
Dieu benis ou
Dan Joshu
warm, cloudy, some afternoon sun, intermittent rain even though we are in dry season. read it is 1 deg in St. Louis this morning....glad I am here. cold weather does not appeal to me much anymore, not that it really ever did. I admit it is fun at times to get the snow thing going, but zero temps are beyond what this old body wants to go thru.
Nancy is up in the mountains now, doing a dental clinic starting tomorrow. she is in the Jacmel area, nice tourist area, but up in the mountains around it in a village. it can get very cold up in the mountains, and she took a lot of extra clothes for the trip.
school is ready to roll tomorrow. went over yesterday and did some last clean up's in some of the rooms, we are good to go. we will be arranging some teachers and kids differently this year, promoting some, trying to encourage others who don't seem to have much interest in learning. the thing here is that the girls go to school, the boys reluctantly go, and as soon as they can do anything, like drive a taxi, they drop out and seal their future. Haiti is a "today" place. if someone can get a little now, it is worth far more than what may come in the future. reminds me of a story Charles Mellon told in his book about seeing a man chopping down a tree. He tried to stop him, as he knew even then that Haiti was being deforrested at an alarming rate. He asked the man how much money he could get for the crop of the fruit tree each year, and then what he could get for cutting down the tree for charcoal. The answer to both was about $75 Haitian. he tried to convince him to wait for the crop. the man told him he didn't know if his family had a tomorrow, all they had was today, and they needed food now. that mindset is so pervasive here.
on the good side, things do seem to be changing for the better. the new road construction is continuing to come north and it seems will hit St. Marc w/i a few months. the road is already so much better, the trip to Port is MUCH easier than when I started here. it has gone from 3 1/2 hrs, to about 1 1/2 hrs. you can drive highway speed's on most of the road there. the down side to that is that the vehicles are very poorly maintained and overloaded, and the fear is that accidents will increase as speeds increase. many people die each year in road accidents here. there are no traffic laws, speed limits, and big trucks and busses just basically fly down the road and it is your job to get out of their way.
life in Haiti continues, no great changes, but a succession of little ones. the new Delimart store in town has spurred another competitor to spruce up his store. things like that. so as we get ready for the school routine to resume, it is so easy to lose focus on the other things here. but as in everyones life, things work out one way or another. I hope everyone is warm, or at least safe.
Dieu benis ou
Dan Joshu
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