Catastrophic Earthquake Hits Haiti [Samaritan's Purse]

The first Samaritan’s Purse cargo plane arrived in Haiti Wednesday with emergency relief supplies for victims of the massive earthquake that rocked the country on Tuesday. The initial shipment included shelter material, hygiene kits, and water purification kits, as well as members of our disaster response team.

Our team is comprised of veterans of many disaster responses, but even they were shocked by what they encountered when they arrived.

“The streets are full of people that have no home to go back to,” said Dr. David Gettle, medical advisor. “They’re running out of food, fuel, and water. The situation is desperate and tense, and there is tremendous suffering.”

Samaritan’s Purse deployed a disaster response team just hours after one of the strongest earthquakes to hit the Caribbean in decades to help with water, shelter, medical care, and other emergency needs.

“The damage is staggering in a nation where three out of four people live on less than $2 a day,” Samaritan's Purse President Franklin Graham said. “The people of Haiti need our help like never before.”

We are partnering with HCJB Global, a medical ministry out of Ecuador that will be sending six doctors to join Dr. Gettle. The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association is deploying chaplains from its Rapid Response Team to help our team meet spiritual needs.

I am so encouraged to see the response by the church in general to this horrific situation.

Most powerful I believe are those Christian organizations that were on the ground BEFORE the earthquake, doing relief work. They are less hampered by organization and transportation and basic supply issues.

Our local news and other coverage has highlit the Salvation Army, Samaritan’s Purse, Operation Blessing, a seminary of some kind, and local pastors with orphanages. Tonight we saw a local obviously Christian family who had three adopted Haitian kids, and a 7th day Adventist church preparing to send a team of 20 apparently Haitian members.

Our small denomination had a missionary and a visiting pastor there already doing mission work. They were critical in pulling several teenage girls out from a collapsed school today. They had the manpower and equipment, already there, not needing to be flown in and set up.

The Red Cross, although not a Christian organization, seems to be prominently involved as well. Also a local organization of RNs is gathering together volunteer nurses.

I was proud to see our poor state getting it together to send a specially trained team of rescue and medical personnel with trained dogs; also local techies organizing sites to help with identification of victims/survivors and map work for relief agencies.

Better to have been there in advance; and more help is on the way. Godspeed to all of them.

“Our small denomination had a missionary and a visiting pastor there already doing mission work. They were critical in pulling several teenage girls out from a collapsed school today.”

Thank God for those in His service down there. I am familiar with World Vision that has 130+ folks in Haiti. They were out immediatly delivery the medical supplies they have on-hand to the various hosptials. A large shipment of supplies from their warehouse in Denver is scheduled for arrival Friday morning. I hope they can get in.

Prayers for these workers in country as they help others, while they no doubt have their own troubles with damaged/destroyed homes, hurt or missing loved ones, etc.

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