Missions of Love

Posted By Amy Wolf on February 3, 2010

Annie Tichenor Desmond:  I recieved a couple of texts from Matt Peech tonight from Haiti. He said “Hello. All is well! WE worked our butts off today!! We are at General Hospital and see hundreds a day. It is great. Love u guys.”   The second one said “Mark and I sleep on the roof of a house.. I’m here now. The stars are beautiful, the Haitians are singing… Life is good.”

Annie Tichenor Desmond:  This may seem odd thinking of where they are, but it seems as the group in Haiti are truly amazed by the Haitian spirit. There are hundreds of Haitians singing in the streets below them and they are singing praises to God!! WOW!! If the Haitian people can find joy and thanks giving for God during such devistation, do any of us have anything to complain about?

Patricia Duarte:  New text from Matthew Peech who is in Haiti: The Doctors and Nurses in the group treated over 400 people today, and will be working at General Hsp again tomorrow…that is on the street under a tent.

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Posted By Amy Wolf on February 3, 2010

Just received a message that Joe Sanock will be doing a live radio interview with Dr. Bob from PAP on Thursday Morning, 8 am central time.

“If you’d like, feel free to listen to my interview with Dr. Bob from Missions of Love, the interview will be with him from Port-Au-Prince, tomorrow morning at 8 am on 106.7 FM in Traverse City, or streaming live http://www.1067youfm.com/pages/671887.php“.

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Posted By Amy Wolf on January 30, 2010

This is Dr. Guerry’s Update to Dr. Bob – just received this morning…….

I’m so happy today to find this opportunity to write to you.  God bless you for everything.  I think that my work is about to be done.  About 14 nights without sleeping trying to keep our patients on good care as soon as it was possible.

General Hospital, as Vanessa suggested me, was the best place for me to work, even though the first time it was a little bit desorganized because of many different medical teams working in there.  But it was the emergency of the time.  Now each team has a tent on the responsibility of a medical supervisor.  I’ve been with lots of teams trying to do my best to cover the most patients possible exclusively at night.  Sometimes I enter at 5 pm (signing out time until 8 in the next morning).  I always have a wrink of sleep in the back seat of a car.  Some of my patients die ( about 7 of them), many amputated, homeless, large wounds and so forth.  My emergency kit is over after giving away the last box of medication to a camping at Turgeau (Miss Manouchka is the reference).

I’ ll have time to make a complete report about the wonderful help that Missions of Love has been to Haiti just some days after the earthquake.  We’ve done more than money can do just because of your prayers and your willingness to help our nation.  I’ve been feeling bad, with an allergic conjonctivitis and my flu in the last two days. But nothing worse.

The power of the Lord was upon us and in your heart too.   I’m sorry that I have to be back to the USA on Wednesday to continue with my procedure for my residency. I’ve bought the bus and the plane tickets.  I must be in the DR on Monday.  I don’t know how we can meet or will I have enough time to make my full report before I leave.  I dont have a computer here.  I still feel happy to be part of your blessing help toward Haiti.  I’ll always be with no matter what it costs to help you fulfill all your plans for our nation.

I’ll try to give you a call before monday. I’ven’t been able to talk to Christoph and the others, but I hope that they are fine. Vanessa promised me the transportation to DR, if she doesn’t accomplish, I’ll let you know. God bless you!

Dr Guerry CENORD, helping you serve the poor and the sick in Haiti

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Posted By Amy Wolf on January 30, 2010

We are nearly complete in our preparations to enter Haiti on the 2nd of February.  We had hoped it would be on the 1st, but find that we will arrive in Santo Domingo too late to cross the border into Haiti on that date. Betty is working with an agent in Haiti who is arranging for our travel by bus from Santo Domingo to PAP at 9 AM on Tueday, the 2nd.

We are also blessed by the family of Edny Chavannes, (husband of Retha, a nurse who is going in with us) as they are donating a private residence with a large yard very near where we will be working near the epicenter of the quake. We are blessed to have access to running water, toilets, and ladies who will prepare our meals while we work. Vanessa Carpenter of Angel Missions Haiti wishes all of us to work with her and Dr Guerry at her clinic on Delmas 24, not far from downtown.

Drs. Arrafat and Chilukuri, two surgeons of Evansville, Indiana have obtained a huge supply of surgical instruments, anesthetic agents, and other crucial supplies and we are taking in two duffels of supplies with each person. We will rendezvous at the motel in Miami at 8 PM Sunday, 1-31-10 for a final briefing.

To all our supporters and prayer warriors, we say thanks once more for all you have done. Your generous gifts are sufficient to help continue with the clothing, housing and feeding of these unfortunate victims for months to come. In the meantime they have purchased hundreds of pounds of stock bottles of crucial medicines that we carry in tomorrow.  If I have an opportunity I will give a follow-up report while in Hait.

Pray for us! In His love, Dr. Bob, Saturday, 1-30-10

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Posted By Amy Wolf on January 30, 2010

It all began with a nickel……..  Last summer, MOL put out a plea for VBS programs to collect nickels to pay for shipping costs for meals from Feed My Starving Children.  The kids at Blue Grass Church in Evansville, IN were so enthusiastic about raising money that they challenged the adults to MATCH whatever they raised.  When all the donations were counted it totaled over $2,000 paying for shipping more than 40,000 meals!

This nickel drive prompted Blue Grass to seek more information about Feed My Starving Children.  We discovered that for just 17 cents a meals, Blue Grass could host a Mobile Packing Event.   A few phone calls later, Blue Grass has signed up to pack 100,00 meals as their kick off event for a Year of Service.  Beginning in January, Pastor Doug Heiman began his sermon series with A Hole in the Gospel and kicked off the FMSC Packing Event to be held Feb. 5th – 7th.  Just a few weeks after the kickoff, the congregation had so many volunteers and had raised nearly $13,000 of the $17,000 needed for the event.  Pastor Doug then challenged the congregation to step out in faith and commit to 700 volunteers, 150,000 meals, and $25,500 to pay for the meals.

As we all know, disaster struck in Haiti soon after.  Once again, the congregation was moved to do more and help in anyway that they could.  Next weekend, over 1000 volunteers will pack 200,000 meals at Blue Grass Church.  All of these meals will be distributed in Haiti.

MOL has seen first hand how the FMSC meals can make a difference in the life of a hungry child.  MOL distributes the meals at the school in Marotier and in the Jolivert community.  FMSC has already sent 6 million meals to Haiti and more are on the way.  Visit FMSC Haiti Relief for more information on how your church/organization can host a Mobile Packing Event.

Blue Grass has raised nearly $30,000 of the $34,000 needed to pay for the meals.  Additional packing events are currently in the planning stages.  Visit the Blue Grass website for additional information.

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Posted By Amy Wolf on January 30, 2010

Dr. Bob received this update from Haiti….

On Jan 30, 2010, at 7:00 AM, Kathryn Johnston wrote:

There are no words to describe what has happened, what I have seen even pictures or video cannot depict the magnitude of the crisis. Forget CNN, there is no way that any news team could cover this in any way that would allow you to understand 10% of what is going on.

The Haitian people are wonderful, loving, appreciative in spite of what has happened to completely destroy their country — they are universally worried about being good hosts and everywhere we go we hear “Merci, Merci” (thank you, thank you). They have made us very welcome and have the utmost concern for our safety they have given us “gourmet” food when they have not eaten for days.

I will write more later when I have time. We are back to work now going to another remote area that has yet to receive ANY medical attention despite the earthquake being 2+ weeks ago. Yesterday we went to a remote village 2 hours from Port au Prince. We were the first team of medical relief that had reached that region.

We saw babies, old people, everyone you can imagine, with badly infected wounds, lacerations, broken bones and other serious injuries that have been untreated for more than 2 weeks now.

Some we could not treat because we did not have the necessary facilities but we were able to secure transportation for the most seriously injured to the few operating hospitals. We did manage to see more than 250 people in 11 hours, I’m guessing, we lost track. There were more people to see but we had to leave because it was getting dark and there is no electricity.

One young woman with multiple severe injuries had been trapped and she lost her entire family in the earthquake. They were all inside a church when the quake happened. She had a 6 yr old daughter who was killed but she still thanked us and hugged us for trying to help her.

Incredible, I’m still crying now, thinking of her.

I AM COMING BACK, THESE PEOPLE NEED AND DESERVE HELP, THE SOONER THE BETTER!

We also need to help them rebuild their schools. We visited several schools on the way back – I will send video and pictures later. One report is that more than 6000 schools have been totally destroyed, many with students and teachers inside. Please see www.haitipartners.org for work that a man from Vero Beach (John Engle) is doing here to help in this regard.

Love to everyone in my family, and my dear friends, you are all the more precious to me now. We take so much for granted in the USA.

P.S. Still now idea when I will be able to get a ride home, may know more later today.

Kathryn Johnston

Haiti Partners Web Site

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Posted By Amy Wolf on January 28, 2010

Volunteers with Missions of Love, under the direction of Dr. Bob and Betty Johnson, met Thursday night at Reflections of Christ Church in Hartford, KY to prepare for the upcoming trip to Haiti Feb. 1.  What was originally planned as an evangelical and construction trip to the MOL compound in Jolivert has changed to providing emergency medical aid to earthquake victims at hospitals in Port Au Prince.  Non-medical members of the group have postponed their trip to Jolivert due to grounded flights in country, secondary to lack of fuel.  Logistics of the Feb. 1 trip are still in progress.   A group of 2 surgeons, 1 MD and 6 nurses will be joining Guerry Cenord, a Haitian physician that MOL sent in earlier in this week.  Dr. Guerry has been providing medical aid to earthquake victims, working 18 hours a day, dividing his time between PAP General Hospital and Father Rick Frechette’s hospital, St. Damien.

Many medical supplies have been generously donated over the last week from individuals and business’s in IN, KY and FL.   Six hundred pounds of urgently needed medical supplies were packed Thursday night for the team to carry in.   The bags contain an assortment of supplies which include IV sets, infant formula, peroxide, syringes, surgical gloves, bandages, ACE wraps, analgesics, sutures and antibiotics.  A jar of peanut butter and a few MRE’s were also tucked in due to the lack of available food in PAP.

Thousands of pounds of supplies are being shipped next week to our medical clinic in Jolivert.  MOL will help support hospitals in Port De Paix and Gros Morne as the influx of injured refugees pour into the countryside.

Please continue to pray for all those affected by this monumental disaster.  We are so thankful for you’re out poring of financial support.

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Posted By Amy Wolf on January 21, 2010

Mehsi Bondye!!! (Thank you God in Kreyol). I just received this message from Handson this morning on facebook and he is alive! Thank you so much for all of your prayers! It looks like God was before him and protected him from going inside his university building to study and delayed him going into his home before the earthquake hit. Handson is a man of strong faith and I am so happy he is safe!!! Here is his message below…

Re: Bonsoir

“Yes, i am ok. Thank you for praying for me. I am alive and i am safe. God was there with me. It’s unbelievable what i have witnessed. God proved me once again that he is able, great and faithful to me. I saw Blaud this morning and he told me how much you worried. Thanks a lot for caring so much for me and for the haitian people as well. Normally i sholud have been in school but for some reason i didn’t go. Right after i finished teaching i went straight to college (Law school). Instead of going there i went somewhere else and finally i decided to go home. On my way home i sat on a park and i was asking myself what am i doing here? I need to go home to prepare classes for tomorrow, ijust didn’t feel like going. When i was about to go home definitely i saw a friend passing by and i called him. while we were talking here came the earthquake and here i am. I had to spend all night long there lying on the grown till the morning. I never got to go back into my house even though it’s not completely crashed down. the most important thing for me is that i am alive and safe. because of yoru prayers and everybody elses’s prayres i am alive. Glory B 2 God!!!”

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Posted By Amy Wolf on January 20, 2010

Following is an email update from Dr. Guerry who is currently serving in Haiti.

Hi Dr Bob and Miss Betty,

I don’t have a way to explain to you in detail the whole situation but I’m trying to deal with it.  I work in the morning at Hospital General (9am-5pm) in the emergency room and by night in Fr Rick’s Hospital until 2-3 am.  I’m working especially in post operation room.

Tomorrow they will probably give me a room in General Hospital to work with a team.  Pray so that it could be possible that now we could have our own medication and stuff because we cant give anything to anybody.

It’s not safe.  The security is a problem.  Gas stations are closed and the few that are open are 40 haitian $ for a gallon of fuel (approx. $5 US).  In the streets fuel is 80$ a gallon (approx. $10 US).  Taxis (tap-taps) are expensive.

The streets smell bad, hospital are worse.  Today I gave some food and water in the general hospital.  I have the pics.  As soon I see Vanessa we’ll have lots of things to share since she has a computer but I don’t.  I want to buy gas to help move patients around from a place to place depending on the emergency.  I can find a car but the gas is the problem.

I sleep inside a camping bag last night but……. we’re trying to do our best and I’m doing anything in the name of MOL.  They are going to on TV in brazil next week taking care of a very infectious wound.  For now I’m out of money.

Our work is crucial helping people here.  My greetings to all our supporters.  God bless you all.

Dr Guerry CENORD helping you serve the sick poor and the poor in Haiti.

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Posted By Amy Wolf on January 19, 2010

Gentlefolk,

Things are falling into place steadily, though with much frustration over lack of communications, conflicting reports from the field, ect..

Jolivert is safe and apparently no structural damage, but refugees are fleeing northward by the thousands, many with terrible wounds and fractures as yet untreated. Food and fuels are already becoming scarce and in a few days may be non-existence beyond what aid is flowing in from outside the country.

We’re amassing a huge amount of supplies, dressings, meds, etc at several collection points, much of which will be transported by Howard Jenkins’ truck and trailer to some point in Florida for flight into Haiti. Still working on that, plus possibility of cruise ships getting involved.

Our first briefing with team members and other interested parties will take place Thursday the 21st at Reflections of Christ church, Hartford, KY where many donated supplies are accumulating as we speak. Many hospitals and doctor’s offices are sending much needed items.

Our first team is Vanessa Carpenter and Dr Guerry who presumably are working in PAP since yesterday. Guerry says the horror defies description, and the stench over the city is gagging everyone. He’s grabbing naps in a corner or hallway.

Drs Hurley and Milam, orthopedists of Owensboro, KY, flew in yesterday with an anesthesiologist and lots of meds and supplies in coordination of Judy heady, Haiti missionary of Owensboro. They’ll be staying with the Heady’s outside of PAP.

Many more volunteers to go in must be put on a list for our third team, as the second team I’m taking in on Feb. 1st already numbers 18 people. I just can’t deal with more than that just now, especially since the country is overrun with escaped convicts who are already looting, mugging and doing armed robberies. Plus we’ve no idea just yet where we will be working.

We may go straight to Jolivert since huge numbers of refugees are flowing north. Right now, we’re asking for money more than supplies since I know I can purchase everything we need in the DR, whereas the logistics of getting supplies in just now is daunting to say the least.

Send any checks to PO Box 292 Hartford, KY 42347 or donate online at our website. More later.

MOL Website

God bless all! Dr Bob and Betty

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