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Notes from the field

Laughter and joy

March 9, 2010 | foundation report

Joy has been hard to come by for many people in Haiti during the past two months. But yesterday – International Women’s Day – brought smiles, dancing and laughter to some of the people in Terre Blanche as well as a few of the team members working at the clinic in the village.

A group of health agents from another part of Haiti had come to Terre Blanche to share “good health practices,” especially related to HIV. The group presented the information with song, dance and theater. The women, and some men and children, who were at the gathering laughed and had a good time.

As one of our volunteers, who has been in Haiti since the earthquake, said, “After seeing so much suffering, it was a JOY to experience some JOY!”

To read more about the women’s day event, check out Sarah Case’s blog.

Finding a frame of reference

March 8, 2010 | foundation report

Sarah Case, a member of the medical team currently in Haiti, is blogging about her experiences. Here are some of her reflections:

It was hard to know what to expect as the airplane descended into Port au Prince. Such a familiar experience, and yet after seven weeks of continuous media coverage depicting a Haiti split apart at the seams, I no longer had a frame of reference...

We wound our way through one side of the capital city, noticing how much was the same: roadside markets with trinkets for sale, barefoot children, cinder block houses with tattered metal roofs, colorful tap-taps laden with one too many passengers. And then, in the midst of what would seem to be an average Port au Prince street, the remnants of a two story building, pancaked and abandoned. Or an ad hoc encampment with a few dozen tents and a sign posted at the entrance asking for food, water, medicine. In the midst of ongoing city life were these severe reminders of the destruction that is around every corner. Our route took us through the “better” side of Port au Prince, and we’ve had no opportunity to see what the worst truly looks like.

Farther out into the countryside in barren, hilly fields we saw hundreds of tents spread out for acres and acres. Along the national highway, countless truckloads of rubble, just piled mound after mound after mound. What does one do with the remains of a city? What can be done with an ocean of crumbled concrete?

Fingerprints of God

March 7, 2010 | foundation report

A pregnant woman was carried on a board by family and friends to the clinic early Saturday morning. The more than 15 family and friends had carried her for three hours. The woman delivered her baby before getting into the clinic in the covered waiting area outside. They were brought into the clinic and seen by Dr. Joe and Dr. Rachelle. Both the mother and baby were doing well. It was the woman’s first baby, a boy.

After about 45 minutes, the mother, baby, father, grandma and a friend were transported home in the backseat of a pickup. The family was given a full sack of rice and about a third of a bag of beans.

As one team member wrote, “In this one story I see the fingerprints of God on this woman and her family. The fingerprints come from the team members involved, Haitian staff who assisted, generous donors back home who have given to provide beans and rice, and several others who had donated baby items. Our prayer has been that we would be the hands of Jesus to those who come – this morning we saw that.”

Photo: Grandmother and baby.

Blogging from Haiti

March 6, 2010 | foundation report

Kacy Cox, RN, is blogging about her experiences as part of a Haiti Foundation of Hope medical team. Here is some of her writing:

When we were in the Portland airport, waiting at the terminal with our boxes of medical supplies crowded around us, a lady looked at us as she rushed by, stopped walking, and asked, “Hey, where are you guys going?”

“We‘re going to Haiti.”

She paused and with this look of purpose in her eyes said “I thought you might be…Thank you.”

Every time we have said those words, “We’re going to Haiti,” I kind of feel like a celebrity. Strange difference. Like I’ve said before, in the past I’ve found myself more often than not reminding people that Haiti wasn’t some kind of tropical resort island.

This time we got off the plane and were taken by bus to a different building than the airport, because the main building is damaged. This year, we walked outside to the audience of Haitian men and women staring, their arms hanging over the fence. I’m still not sure what their stoic expressions meant...

Team arrives in Haiti

March 5, 2010 | foundation report

The March medical team has safely arrived in Terre Blanche. Most of the team is from the Northwest and one team member, from Ohio, joined them at the Miami airport before the flight into Port-au-Prince. All the team’s baggage, including supplies for the week ahead, arrived without any problem.

As they traveled out of the city, team members didn’t see huge areas of devastation from the earthquake but they did notice a large number of tents or tarps set up in the yards of people’s houses – a reminder that people are still fearful of staying indoors. Earthquake tremors continue to be felt in Haiti.

Once in Terre Blanche, the team was greeted with singing and a prayer of thanksgiving.

March newsletter

March 3, 2010 | foundation report

March newsletter: Read stories about the impact of the earthquake in Haiti, see pictures, and find out what we are doing to help.

Parched fields

March 2, 2010 | Ray Van der Pol, HFH board member

The February medical team has returned home safely. This report is written by team member and HFH board member Ray Van der Pol.

Walking through the parched fields of millet down by the river I was struck by the undeveloped heads of grain that lie on the ground. Only a few kernels were visible and they were too immature to harvest. The rest of the kernels never even developed due to lack of rain.

This is the third year in a row that the people in the Terre Blanche area have had no crops because of drought. Now many of them have additional mouths to feed, family members that have come to stay with them because they lost everything they had in the Port-au Prince earthquake. No wonder the people are so hungry. And people that don’t have adequate nourishment are more susceptible to illness.

Thanks to the generosity of individuals and churches in North America we were able to give rice and beans to everyone who came through the clinic. Even though everyone who wanted to be seen in the medical clinic was not, they know that there are caring national health care providers at the Clinic of Hope when the medical teams aren’t there.

Enduring faith

Feb. 28, 2010 | Dr. Steve Sethi, HFH board member

The situation all around Haiti is so incredible that it’s hard to express in words. The sheer enormity of the destruction can hardly be conveyed adequately by words or pictures, and the emotional trauma is even more hidden. There are fallen buildings for miles, thousands of people living in the open, and many Haitians just struggling to keep their families alive. I was privileged to contribute a tiny fraction to the work many are doing to help relieve and reconstruct.

For a week, I worked with a public health specialist with our partner organization MTI, interviewing people in earthquake affected villages around Leogane to find out their longer term needs. We did hear that health care is very hard to find, but most people are just struggling to get enough water or find a usable latrine. The early recovery needs will certainly include the basic necessities of water and sanitation.

Beyond the physical needs, the emotional catastrophe is widespread. Nearly every person I saw, either in the villages or in clinics, talked about how fearful they were. They talked about being easily startled, quickly forgetful, preoccupied by a feeling of shaking, and a sense that they just weren’t the same person anymore. They are worried about their families and how to take care of them. They are going to need the support of churches, counselors, and our prayers.

The second week was spent with our partners in Terre Blanche. While the physical destruction can’t be seen after 20 miles out of the capital, the impact of the earthquake is unmistakable. I spent a day interviewing patients at our clinic and visiting homes in the village, and found that earthquake survivors are in every community, usually doubling the household sizes. Just as in Port-au-Prince, people everywhere are traumatized.

A Haitian friend at the clinic told me that 99 percent of the country has been affected — either a family member or a friend or a distant relative was killed. Even more than 100 miles away from the earthquake, he carries the burden of thinking his family might die at any moment. But he also sees this as a wake up call from God — an indication of his power and a call to turn to him. It is true that things have changed — Carnival (with the loud ra-ra bands and dangerous alcoholic crowds) was cancelled and instead there was a three-day period of prayer. Along the roads in every town, whole churches went out marching, singing hymns and praying.

It was this commitment to prayer that gave me hope. In the midst of tragedy, people are praising God! Could I have that kind of faith? Our friends in Terre Blanche, the volunteers we’ve trained in health promotion, are still eager and active, visiting homes to teach families how to prevent diarrhea and referring sick children to the clinic. These brothers and sisters are a testament to enduring faith and, as Pastor Delamy says, a personification of grace. And people here at home are giving hope as well, by praying and caring about Haiti. Thank you.

Pictures from Steve's trip...

Steve and other workers in Haiti.

Collapsed house in Leogane.

Ruined house in Port-au-Prince.

Church members singing on a street corner.

The challenges

Feb. 27, 2010 | foundation report

Haiti Foundation of Hope has had a volunteer medical team in Haiti this past week. The team is scheduled to return home tomorrow and another team will leave for Haiti on Thursday.

“This past week has been very hard in Terre Blanche,” writes team leader Linda Markee. “One reason is the unexpected number of young mothers who died in the earthquake, leaving infants and newborns with no means of nutrition. Obviously the families are trying to find help anywhere they can.”

Another difficulty is the large number of patients who had been receiving care from Port-au-Prince physicians who died in the quake. It’s hard to know where to turn to find referrals for patients needing more treatment than is available at the Clinic of Hope. “It was difficult to find consultants in the past,” Linda writes. “Now it is overwhelming.”

One example of this problem is a 4-year-old girl who had had a shunt placed for hydrocephalus, or swelling in the brain, last November. By the time she came to the clinic she was not very responsive due to the shunt having become infected. The neurosurgeon who had placed the shunt and who had been treating the girl was killed in the earthquake.

Earthquake slideshow

Feb. 26, 2010 | foundation report

View photos taken in the days and weeks after Haiti was struck by the earthquake on January 12:

WATCH SLIDESHOW

First day of flights

Feb. 21, 2010 | foundation report

Our first full-scale medical team since the earthquake – a team that had been planned since last year – arrived in Port-au-Prince on Friday, the first day that commercial flights had resumed their travels in and out of the capital city since January 12.

One of the team members said that news crews were at the Miami airport as they boarded their plane. Once in Haiti, they were greeted by a Haitian band and made it through customs without any trouble. The team then left the city and headed north to where they are now, the Clinic of Hope. They will be working all this week and will most likely see more than 1,000 patients. In addition to medical care, Haiti Foundation of Hope and its supporters are making it possible for every patient to receive food.

Help by shopping at local toy store

Feb. 19, 2010 | foundation report

Kazoodles, a locally owned and independent toy store in Vancouver, WA, will donate 10 percent of sale proceeds to Haiti Foundation of Hope on Thursday, February 25. The event is part of the store’s “Share Your Heart” month.

Kazoodles is located at 575 W 8th St., Vancouver, WA 98660. Store hours on Thursday are 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, visit www.kazoodlestoys.com.

Finding a home

Feb. 16, 2010 | foundation report

Haiti has become a place where many people no longer have a house to call home.

Many earthquake victims in Port-au-Prince and other hard-hit cities, have moved to other parts of the country. The United Nations estimates that nearly half a million people have fled the capital city since Jan. 12. Some of those people have made their way to the rural communities served by Haiti Foundation of Hope in the northern part of the country.

The Clinic of Hope, supported by Haiti Foundation of Hope and located north of Gonaives, has been seeing an increased number of patients since the earthquake. Some of those patients are among those without a home and others are those who have opened their houses to friends and family in need.

At the clinic, one woman, who lives in Gonaives, told us she has 19 people staying at her home. Sixteen of those people came to her after the earthquake. At another woman’s home there are eight people. Three of them came from Port-au-Prince. A man told us five people moved into his home after the quake, making it now 11 people under his roof.

With more people — people with great needs — moving into northern Haiti, our ongoing programs such as providing medical care, clean water and food are more important than ever. We can't do our work without you so thank you for joining with us and making a difference.

Feeling the impact

Feb. 13, 2010 | foundation report

Haiti Foundation of Hope has a number of ongoing programs in northern rural Haiti, which will help people as they move forward from the devastating earthquake.

The Clinic of Hope, the school and the new church building in Terre Blanche were not damaged and people living in the community were not injured when the earthquake struck on Jan. 12. But the impact of the quake was still felt and continues to be felt there.

One of our partners in Haiti says, “Port-au-Prince is the center of the country, sort of like our heart is the center of our bodies … not one family is untouched by the death and destruction in Port-au-Prince.” People all throughout the country have lost family members.

Earthquake victims are still coming to the Clinic of Hope. They are suffering emotionally as well as physically. Haiti Foundation of Hope has two medical teams scheduled to work at the clinic in the coming weeks and three of our board members are currently on the ground working in Haiti.

Food is a struggle for the earthquake survivors in Port-au-Prince as well as for people living in places like Terre Blanche, where floods and drought have destroyed crops for the past year and a half. The price of food is rising but with generous donations from supporters like you, we have been able to purchase beans and rice and distribute them to people in need. Every patient at the clinic is leaving with food.

Thank you for joining with us in helping the people of Haiti.

Photo: One of the many tent cities in Port-au-Prince.

Find us on Twitter

Feb. 12, 2010 | foundation report

For all you Twitter fans out there:

You can now find Haiti Foundation of Hope at www.twitter.com/HaitiFH.

'Returning to life'

Feb. 6, 2010 | foundation report

Haiti Foundation of Hope board member Linda Markee, who is in Port-au-Prince with her husband, Dr. Joe Markee, sent this update on the earthquake recovery:

Port-au-Prince is returning to life. The banks are open, there are lots of fresh fruits and vegetables in the local outdoor markets, fuel is once again available, although the price is high. Along with the availability of fuel there are many traffic jams. People are beginning to clean up rubble.

I did go to the University of Miami Hospital, which has been set up by the airport. It is an amazing operation. One of the tents probably had over 100 patients on cots. Lots of people recovering from surgery. I did hear, however, that it is now almost too late to set fractures as the wounds are now old, so after a while people will need to have a different type of surgery.

Lots of people are talking about building a “New Haiti.” Once again I see hope in the eyes of Haitians, which to me, personally, is amazing. Joe and I also experienced this sense of hope as we worshipped with the Haitians last Sunday.

Joe and Linda plan early next week to go to Terre Blanche, a village north of Port-au-Prince, where Haiti Foundation of Hope has ongoing programs including a medical clinic. Another foundation board member, Dr. Steve Sethi, is also in Haiti.

Thank you, again

Feb. 3, 2010 | foundation report

Thank you for all your donations, gifts, thoughts and prayers for the people of Haiti. Your help is making a difference in the lives of people struggling in the aftermath of the earthquake. Donations made to Haiti Foundation of Hope are being used to purchase live-saving supplies such as food, clean water and medicine as well as the fuel needed to transport supplies to where they are needed the most. We know there is much work to be done and are grateful for your support as we move forward.

Reminder: 100 percent of donations made to Haiti Foundation of Hope and marked for disaster relief will go to helping the people in Haiti.

A million stories

Feb. 1, 2010 | foundation report

Every person living in Port-au-Prince has a story to tell about how the earthquake has impacted them. One of those people is Claudine, a Haitian pharmacist working in the capital city alongside disaster relief volunteers. In a city now covered in dust and debris, Claudine arrives at work looking clean and lovely, with a well-pressed lab coat. But beneath the exterior is a life filled with difficulties. Like so many people, Claudine’s house collapsed in the earthquake and she now sleeps on the streets, where they is a lot of fear of robbery and assault, and where no one gets much rest.

Claudine is just one of millions of people in Haiti whose lives have been changed by this recent disaster. It's with your support that we are working to help the people in Haiti. Thank you.

Sunday morning

Jan. 31, 2010 | foundation report

In a Port-au-Prince neighborhood, a Sunday morning church service is held under a makeshift outdoor cover. While the church building still stands, people are too afraid to be indoors so the congregation met in a school yard behind the church. About 300 people gathered in a circle for the service.

Sights in Haiti

Jan. 30, 2010 | foundation report

Among the sights in Port-au-Prince more than two weeks after the earthquake are crowds of people lined up for food and water. Linda Markee, a board member for Haiti Foundation of Hope, saw a crowd one morning as water in small plastic bags was being distributed off a truck. Military personnel arrived and some fighting broke out as people desperately tried to get the supplies. Once the water was gone, things calmed down and people left. For many people in Port-au-Prince, days are now spent looking for food and water.

We have new photos from Port-au-Prince. To view them, go to the photo gallery.

In Terre Blanche

Jan. 28, 2010 | foundation report

In Terre Blanche, a community north of Port-au-Prince, our in-country partners are distributing rice and beans and the Clinic of Hope is staying busy. On just one day this week, the Haitian staff treated 75 patients. Visiting medical teams are scheduled to work at the clinic throughout February and crowds of people seeking medical care are expected.

The school at Terre Blanche is in session, however, schools were closed on Monday for a day of national prayer in remembrance of the many Haitian children who died in the earthquake.

Medical care

Jan. 26, 2010 | foundation report

From Haiti: "The number of people with amputations is staggering."

Haiti Foundation of Hope board members Dr. Joe and Linda Markee continue to work at a hospital in Port-au-Prince. They are volunteering with our partner agency, Medical Teams International. Two weeks after the earthquake, victims are still being treated for their injuries and many of them have received amputations.

Earlier this week, five patients being treated at the facility where the Markee are working were loaded into vans and transported to the USNS Comfort, the U.S. military hospital ship off the shore of Haiti.

The importance of food

Jan. 25, 2010 | foundation report

Pastor Delamy and his wife Elvire, in-country partners with Haiti Foundation of Hope, have been working alongside international aid workers following the earthquake and are preparing for the arrival of more medical teams in February. The upcoming teams plan to work at the Clinic of Hope, north of Port-au-Prince.

Delamy reports that help is needed everywhere in Haiti but that the situation in Port-au-Prince is the worst and many people are leaving the capital city. The hospitals in Gonaives, a city north of Port-au-Prince, are full and having visiting medical teams nearby at the Clinic of Hope is a necessity.

In addition to medical care, food has become a critical need. Prior to the earthquake, having enough food had been a struggle for many people in Haiti. Whether offering school lunches or handing out beans and rice to patients at the Clinic of Hope, food distribution has been a part of the work of Haiti Foundation of Hope and will continue as we help people in the aftermath of the earthquake.

Photo: Prior to this month's earthquake, workers unload bags of rice and beans to be distributed at the Clinic of Hope.

The view from Haiti

Jan. 24, 2010 | foundation report

We've put together a photo collection of some of the pictures we've received from volunteer medical workers in Port-au-Prince.

To view the pictures, click here.

To view photo galleries and video of the other ongoing work done by Haiti Foundation of Hope, click here.

The joy of a newborn

Jan. 23, 2010 | foundation report

Among the earthquake victims being seen by Dr. Joe, his wife Linda and other medical volunteers working in Port-au-Prince was this pregnant woman who gave birth to a baby girl. The baby was named Jesula, which mean “Jesus is there.” Linda wrote of the new mother, “Her joy brings some relief to all of us.”

The woman’s leg was injured in the earthquake but aid workers were able to find crutches to give her so she can get around as she takes care of her newborn.

'Smiling with hope'

Jan. 22, 2010 | foundation report

Some of the latest news we’re hearing from Haiti:

We’ve received a report that the clinics, hospitals and labs in the area of Gonaives, a city north of Port-au-Prince, have been "bursting at the seams." This is the same area where the Clinic of Hope is located. The Clinic of Hope is supported by Haiti Foundation of Hope and is staffed by Haitian medical personnel. It is also able to house visiting medical teams.
Pastor Delamy, an in-country partner with Haiti Foundation of Hope, has been working in Port-au-Prince, buying and distributing supplies such as beans and rice. He plans to purchase more supplies in Gonaives and bring them back to the people in Port-au-Prince.
Linda Markee, a board member for the foundation, who is volunteering in the capital city, sent this photo of a patient along with these words: "How great to see people leave the hospital after surgery, smiling with hope."

Thank you

Jan. 21, 2010 | foundation report

Thank you to everyone who has shown support for the people of Haiti this past week. The generosity being offered around the globe and in our own communities is overwhelming. People are giving money, gifts, time, thoughts and prayers, all of which are translated into love and concern for the victims of the earthquake.

One of our in-country partners, Pastor Delamy, has been working in Port-au-Prince, buying things to help people. He has been purchasing supplies such as rice and beans, and even candy for kids. These purchases of life-saving food are only possible because of contributions from people like you.

Waking to an aftershock

Jan. 20, 2010 | foundation report

Aftershocks continue to rock Haiti. An aftershock with about 6.0 magnitude woke people in the city of Port-au-Prince this morning and created more fear among the injured and homeless.

Linda Markee, a board member for Haiti Foundation of Hope and a volunteer working in Port-au-Prince, writes: "We woke up to cries of 'earthquake'... The women in my room saw the ceiling shaking as well as the top of the bunks… We all ran outside."

Linda and the other volunteers went to the hospital where they have been working and were surprised to find all the patients, including those with amputations, outside. Everyone was afraid to be indoors. After some thought, the volunteers called everyone together to watch as they placed hands on the building and prayed for it. The medical volunteers are now back at work inside the hospital, continuing to care for the many patients they are treating.

Linda concludes: “Please pray for all of us.”

Facebook

Jan. 20, 2010 | foundation report

If you haven't been following us on Facebook, check it out. It's a great way to keep up with what we're doing and spread the word about helping those in Haiti.

First patient

Jan. 19, 2010 | foundation report

Dr. Joe’s first patient was a pregnant woman with a broken leg, which had already been treated. The woman was nine months pregnant with her second child. She was beautiful and had a bright smile. Dr. Joe determined she and baby were fine, and the baby is expected to be born in about two weeks.

Dr. Joe’s wife Linda went into the hall and found the baby’s father standing there. Linda asked the man if he wanted to see the baby on the ultrasound. Linda soon realized that all the man wanted to do was show her a photo of his other child, a boy who looked to be about 3 or 4 years old. The man then told her that his son had died in the earthquake.

Linda writes: “There are so many who have lost loved ones. In fact I imagine this has touched every family in Haiti… Once again I've heard Haitians just thank us for coming. Today someone shared that before there was no hope, but now there is hope!”

Joe and Linda Markee are board member for Haiti Foundation of Hope. They are currently volunteering in Haiti with our partner agency, Medical Teams International.

'Smell of death'

Jan. 18, 2010 | foundation report

Haiti Foundation of Hope board members, Dr. Joe and Linda Markee, are in Port-au-Prince working at a hospital not far from the airport. They are working with our partner agency, Medical Teams International. They have no running water or electricity and fuel is in short supply. Linda writes that “homes look like pancakes, electric wiring hanging in streets, rocks, nose coverings… When we opened our car windows the smell of death was evident… No one in Port-au-Prince is sleeping inside due to fear.”

As part of an assessment team, Linda traveled on Sunday to Leogane, a city outside Port-au-Prince. Leogane was at one time home to Joe and Linda. She writes, “Leogane looks like maybe she has 10 percent standing, while everything else is collapsed.”

News from Terre Blanche

Jan. 17, 2010 | foundation report

Haiti Foundation of Hope has gotten word that all the buildings in Terre Blanche, where many of our ongoing programs are centered, are intact and people there are ok. Among the programs supported by Haiti Foundation of Hope are a school for more than 800 children, a medical clinic, a water filter construction site and a women's trade school.

Thank you again for all the support you have shown for Haiti in the recent days. None of the work we do in Haiti would be possible without you.

Photo: Clinic of Hope

Providing medical care

Jan. 17, 2010 | foundation report

Haiti Foundation of Hope has a number of ongoing programs in Haiti that will be more important than ever in the wake of last Tuesday’s earthquake. One of our projects is supporting a medical clinic that is staffed year-round by Haitian medical personnel and where visiting medical teams work. The facility, called the Clinic of Hope, is located north of Port-au-Prince and was recently used as an overnight stop by a disaster relief team en route to Port-au-Prince. Plans are still moving forward to send an already scheduled medical team to the clinic in mid-February.

At work in Port-au-Prince

Jan. 16, 2010 | foundation report

The disaster relief team sent by Medical Teams International and which includes two board members from Haiti Foundation of Hope has made its way to Port-au-Prince to help in the aftermath of Tuesday’s earthquake. The team flew into Cap-Haitien at the north end of Haiti and took part of two days to drive to the capital, where they began work at Kings Hospital, located about 20 minutes from the airport.

Arriving in Haiti

Jan. 15, 2010 | foundation report

Dr. Joe and Linda Markee, Haiti Foundation of Hope board members, have arrived safely in Haiti with a disaster relief team from Medical Teams International. Their original plan was to land in Port-au-Prince but that was not possible and they instead landed at the north end of the country. They were to travel to Terre Blanche today, meet up with Pastor Delamy, our in-country partner, and go on to Port-au-Prince on Friday. We still have not heard about the condition of things in Terre Blanche but hope to have a report soon.

Thank you again for all your support for the people of Haiti. Your thoughts, prayers and donations are much needed and appreciated.

In the news

Jan. 14, 2010 | foundation report

Haiti Foundation of Hope and board members Joe and Linda Markee were featured in several regional news reports and blogs this week. Here are some of them:

The Oregonian - Tigard-based medical team prepared for hurdles in Haiti
Bambootique - Tragedy Strikes Haiti: You Can Help
KOIN - Local volunteers bring medicine to Haiti
KPTV - Portlanders With Haitian Ties Await Word
The Columbian - Local residents mobilize to give their help in Haiti
Writing Through Life - Haiti, we’re thinking of you

In response to the earthquake

Jan. 13, 2010 | foundation report

Here is some of the latest:

First, we want to say a big thank you to everyone who is keeping Haiti in their thoughts and prayers and to those who have generously given a donation. (To learn more about giving, click here.)
News reports today are describing horrific scenes in Haiti. Much of the capital city of Port-au-Prince is in ruins, many people are dead and there is not enough aid for the surviving. We have not yet heard anything about the Clinic of Hope and the school in Terre Blanche or about the staff who work there.
We have heard from our in-country partner, Pastor Delamy. He and his family are ok. He wrote, "It is very hard everywhere ...What I see I cannot express, a lot of houses collapsed and they cannot take the bodies out. A lot of people died." Delamy asked for prayer.
Dr. Joe and Linda Markee, two Haiti Foundation of Hope board members, are scheduled to arrive in Haiti on Friday to be involved in the disaster relief effort. They will be working with Medical Teams International. Communication is difficult now but we hope to receive reports from them and keep you updated on what they are doing.
Dr. Rolph, a Haitian doctor and a one-time member of a Haiti Foundation of Hope medical team, sent an e-mail today about working at a hospital in Cap-Haitien, at the north end of Haiti. He wrote that at 8 p.m. today, victims from the earthquake began to arrive at the hospital and were still arriving at midnight. "They all come from Port-au-Prince," he wrote. "They went all the way from Port to Cap-Haitian looking for medical care. All hospitals from Port till Cap-Haitian would not have taken care of them cause they were full over with patients. They arrived with dust over their body, some with broken bone, some with bruises and large wounds ... They were all explaining for each of them how awful was their experience and what they saw in Port ... We know that more victims from Port will continue to come."

Sending two volunteers

Jan. 13, 2010 | foundation report

Dr. Joe and Linda Markee, board members for Haiti Foundation of Hope, are scheduled to leave for Haiti on Thursday. They will be working with Medical Teams International.

Check back for more details soon.

Earthquake hits Haiti

Jan. 12, 2010 | foundation report

You may have heard that a 7.0 earthquake hit Haiti this afternoon. The quake was followed by more than a dozen aftershocks and, according to news reports, caused houses to collapse in Port-au-Prince. The extent of the damage is not yet known.

We have not heard from our Haiti Foundation of Hope partners working in country or any reports on the Clinic of Hope and school in Terre Blanche. We will let you know when we have news to share. Please continue to keep Haiti and its people in your thoughts and prayers.

Celebrating a roof

Oct. 24, 2009 | foundation report

When a Haiti Foundation of Hope medical team arrived in Terre Blanche last week, it found community members working to complete the roof on the new church building. The building has been under construction since earlier this year when the congregation decided it had outgrown its former building, located on the same compound as the Clinic of Hope.

By summer, walls had gone up on the new building and church members had hauled rocks from a nearby river to start the foundation.

Just four months later, the building looked even more impressive as the roof went up.

As the medical team treated patients at the clinic this week, workers kept busy across the road as they continued to build the church roof. And by the time time Sunday rolled around, it was done, providing shelter from the sun, wind and rain.

The church was packed with people during a special Sunday service to celebrate the occasion. There was lots of singing, a six-piece band and special music by the children.

A growing church

Sept. 1, 2009 | foundation report

M. Dieu Maitre remembers when going to church in Terre Blanche meant gathering outdoors under palm branches. Today, the Free Methodist congregation of about 300 people fills the concrete building that sits on that same site. It's the only church in the community and some people walk more than an hour to get there.

The church has outgrown its building and earlier this year, members began construction on a new, larger building about two hundred yards from the current church. The walls are up on the new building and church members, including children in Sunday school, have hauled rocks from a nearby riverbed to start the foundation.

M. Dieu Maitre says it brings him joy to see so many people at church and he is excited to have a new building with space for even more people.

A smiling baby

Aug. 6, 2009 | foundation report

Here is a story of how the Clinic of Hope is making a difference, one family at a time:

In February, a newborn named Johndylove was brought to the clinic. He was close to death, severely dehydrated, and weighing less than 6 pounds. He came to the clinic with seizure activity. Johndylove is the 14th child in an extremely poor family. There was no food and the mother lacked breast milk. The family had little hope for him to survive. However with prayer and continued care — including food for the family — Johndylove returned to the clinic in June as a thriving, 11-pound smiling baby, with a grateful mother.

Thank you for supporting Haiti Foundation of Hope and making stories like these possible.

'New life into the world'

July 16, 2009 | Tom Taylor, June vision team

There are so many experiences that I could write about on this truly rewarding trip to Haiti, but the one that stands out the most was my first day as Joe’s helper.

After a long trip from Port-au-Prince to Terre Blanche on Saturday and a relaxing Sunday, highlighted by a church service and a concert, I was chomping at the bit to get going. As an EMT with a high enthusiasm for action, I was ready, willing and hopefully “able.”

My excitement was palpable at 4 a.m. Monday morning when I heard the locals lining up outside the clinic. By the time the clinic opened there were over 100 patients in the courtyard waiting areas. Clinic opens at 8 a.m. and that morning I would be working as Dr. “Papa” Joe’s assistant. The very first patient was a woman in labor.

After a quick inspection, Joe assessed that this Haitian mother was 4 cm dilated and would deliver shortly. He promptly informed me that I would be handling the delivery. My excitement for getting to do something I’d never done before overshadowed the nervousness I was feeling. While the woman progressed through her labor, we saw at least 15 other patients while checking in from time-to-time.

As the frequency and volume of the labor moans increased, we knew the time was getting near. Joe gave me a good overview of what would happen during delivery. He showed me where to stand, how to position myself when the baby came, where my hands would go on the baby's head, what to do when the baby's head breached the birth canal and what to do with the baby once it was born.

The woman had had 11 previous pregnancies, so we assumed this would happen quickly ... and it did. A couple of pushes and the baby's head emerged. I positioned my hands as instructed and Joe said “pull” ... I guess I wasn’t pulling hard enough and he assured me that I wouldn’t hurt the baby. I did as instructed and in less than a minute, with an audience of about eight standing at the door, I helped deliver a healthy 9-plus-pound Haitian baby boy. Wow! You couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. In a country with so much adversity, poverty and death, it was amazing to help bring new life into the world.

Hope for a difficult problem

July 12, 2009 | Dr. Joe Markee, June 2009 team

One of the most difficult problems we face is the persistent chronic starvation in our patients following the disastrous four hurricanes in August and September 2008. Particularly vulnerable are children, especially those under the age of 5.

As we left the country last month, we stopped by the Sisters of Charity Sanitarium, located a few miles north of Gonaives. While their focus is treatment of tuberculosis, we saw children who were also starving, so weak they could hardly hold their heads up. Fortunately, the Sisters were supplying all the children with “Medika Mamba” (medical peanut butter) in an effort to salvage the severely ill children. This is a major medical breakthrough in treating this potentially deadly disorder.

Thanks to Dr. Dave Polage (Westminster Presbyterian Church, Yakima, Wash.) the Clinic of Hope is also involved with this treatment of children who are at risk. Dave is the "Medika Mamba" director in the Terre Blanche area.

Recently, one of the newly trained community health workers in the area found 32 at-risk children for possible treatment. The children continue to return to the clinic each week for ongoing treatment. Today there is more reason for hope, instead of despair, in this Clinic of Hope.

Photo: Some of the 32 kids receiving Medika Mamba at the Clinic of Hope wait for their turn to be weighed.

A finished story

July 10, 2009 | Ann Petersen, June 2009 team

One returns from a medical team to Haiti with many stories. Sometimes those stories have an unfinished ending — meaning one doesn’t know the final outcome for the patient involved. One can hope and pray that the patient lives and thrives.

That was true of my trip to Haiti one year ago.

On our first clinic day, a four-year-old girl named Mercile was brought to the clinic with a severe burn. The burn went completely around her right arm from the elbow to her fingers. I was the one who held her on my lap during the painful process of cleaning the wound each day. Mercile was one tough little girl. At the end of each session, her mother, who couldn’t bear to stay in the treatment room and hear the cries of her daughter, expressed her gratitude for the care and love her daughter was receiving. She would also tell Mercile to “di mesi” — “say thank you” — to those treating her. Hard to believe that little Mercile, in the midst of her pain, would actually thank us. As I left with the team at the end of the week, I only knew that Mercile was being transported to a hospital several hours away for possible skin grafts and I prayed there would be no life-threatening infection and minimal scarring.

Last Thursday, on a return trip to Haiti, just before the lunch break, I felt a tug on my skirt and looked down. It was Mercile. She had a smile a mile wide. I scooped her into my arms and she gave me the biggest hug. I was not expecting the tears that came to my eyes. How awesome to see Mercile healthy and completely healed. Skin grafts had been unnecessary and if I hadn’t seen the original wounds I would not have known the trauma she had been through. I am thankful to have a finished ending to this part of Mercile’s story. May she grow into the lovely person I see in her.

A land of contrast

July 2, 2009 | foundation report

Bob Welch, a member of the recent medical team to Terre Blanche, Haiti, is a columnist for the Register-Guard (Eugene, Ore.) newspaper. This week he is writing about his time in Haiti in two columns and on his blog.

To read the first column, which appeared in Tuesday's newspaper, click here. You can also see the slideshow he made and read more on his blog.

To read Bob's second column, about the challenges of returning to a world of excess, click here.

The return home (and a great video)

July 1, 2009 | foundation report

We recently had two teams in Haiti. Both have returned home safe and sound after much work with our in-country partners.

Members of the vision team were able to see many of the different projects supported by Haiti Foundation of Hope and they also volunteered their time helping at places like the Clinic of Hope. Two of the team members, Jedd and Michelle, blogged about their time in Haiti and also put together a video. To read about their adventure, check out their blog. To see the video, click here.

The medical team returned home Sunday evening after a week of treating patients at the Clinic of Hope in Terre Blanche. Thanks to generous donations from friends, family, church members and people like you, the team was able to give away beans and rice to nearly every patient. All total, the team distributed about 5 tons of rice and 1 ton of beans along with needed medicines.

Simple, but joyful

June 14, 2009 | vision team

Written from Haiti:

Around 4:45am, we (the guys, the girls couldn’t wake up till 7) awoke to a beautiful glowing orange light that shone through the sky and into the bedrooms. After coffee and a group stretch on the roof and a quick instant oatmeal breakfast, we joined the people of Terre Blanche to worship God at Church...

After lunch we toured the surrounding area which included a visit to a neighbor’s newly built home, watching kids play in the river, a mango grove, and greetings from smiling children and residents. All in all, life here is simple, but joyful and we have felt extremely welcomed...

Tonight Justin performs for the people of Terre Blanche at an outdoor concert and tomorrow we will observe the medical clinic in action with Papa Joe and Dr. Janan.

More to come ... Nou dwe ale (we have to go),

J & M

To read more and see pictures from J & M, members of the vision team in Haiti, check out their blog.

Read all about it

April 28, 2009 | foundation report

Haiti Foundation of Hope and board members Dr. Joe and Linda Markee were recently featured in an article in The Columbian (Vancouver, Wash.) newspaper.

To read the story, click here.

Community health update

April 13, 2009 | foundation report

Sometimes it is difficult to look out a window in Haiti and see change but change is happening in Terre Blanche and two surrounding communities. Last month 30 volunteers from the area were trained to conduct a baseline community health survey. This was the next step in the implementation of CHE (Community Health Evangelism), a community development program of LifeWind International.

The survey findings provide a clear set of targets for potentially dramatic improvements in community health during the coming years. The health committee members, from the three communities, will determine the direction the community health program will take. Their willingness to take responsibility for solving identified problems will help to bring change to this area. Stay tuned for further updates.

Photo: Weighing in during the survey.

'I return with hope'

April 2, 2009 | Kacy Cox, public health nurse, March 2009 team

Excerpts from written reflections by a member of a recent medical team to Haiti:

Arrival:

This has been an incredible experience so far. I am surprised that Haiti is on an island in the Caribbean, next to places like the Grand Cayman Island or Aruba or even Jamaica. The flight from Miami to Port-au-Prince was only a few hours and I have never seen poverty like this before: No safe, clean city of refuge. No tourism. Town after town of blank stares, dusty roads, shacks destroyed by the flooding ... When we got to Terre Blanche, the people started to wave with lit up faces. They know the visiting medical team that came to the clinic. It felt like we were friends and not just strange white people. The clinic is bright and welcoming, beautiful clean white floors. There is a small church out front, a soccer field, a school. Truly, there is hope in an area that has a lot of reason to be hopeless.

Clinic:

Today I saw a woman in her 60s, 86 pounds, with a left foot swollen to about three times the size of her right. She has a rare tropical disease called filariasis. There is no cure. Her foot will continue to swell, up until it reaches her groin when it will start to be really painful. She has acid reflux and diarrhea and malaria too. I gave her some different prescriptions and showed her how to wrap her leg to help with the swelling, but I did not heal her. I helped her slip her dusty sandals back on and watched her hobble to the pharmacy, while I raised my hand for the next patient. Some things we see are difficult.

Returning home:

It was quite the week. We saw 1,039 patients in five days. Some notable events: Toward the end of the week, the doctors had to break the news to two of our patients they had HIV/AIDS. We started a number of children on Medika Mamba, a lifesaving supplement for severely malnourished kids. We took turns holding a newborn whose mother died in childbirth this week, the father staring blankly beside a neighbor who brought the baby in. I did two surgeries, prescribed medications, and began to reconsider what my future is in nursing. We nursed a child with malaria on the edge of death back to health. Two babies were born. And in the midst of it all, I experienced a bit of what life is like in this country not so far from our own...

When I left, I was in a flurry of activity, stressed out by areas of my life that seemed to be spinning out of control. I return humbled, quiet, and broken as I reflect on the magnitude of blessings I have been given. When I came into my house, I locked the door securely behind me and I didn’t have to worry about dirt floors getting muddy from the rain. I slept in a warm bed. This morning, I took a long, hot shower. I chose my breakfast from of a fridge full of food. I washed my clothes by throwing them into a machine. And I don’t really understand how to make sense of the stark contrast...

I feel as though I return with hope, even though I have seen the very edge of despair. God has once again surprised me in the way that He works, in the grace that so often seems too good to be true. I think that the next few weeks, readjusting will be quite challenging, but I say without a doubt that I am so glad to have gone. Will I go back? I hope so and I hope sooner rather than later.

Surely the presence

March 26, 2009 | Susan W. Cook, RN, March 2009 team

Written by a team member of a recent medical team to Haiti:

It’s now been more than a week since my return from Terre Blanche and the reflections of this week are still fresh on my mind. It was an extraordinary week with a lot of miracles from God. Surely the presence of God was in this place.

I felt the mighty power and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. I could feel God’s presence and the touch of angels' wings on morning runs, friendship, devotional times on the rooftop, in the Clinic of Hope as medical care brought hope to many, and smiles from the children in school just from a touch and hug. This brought unexplainable peace and joy amongst our Haitian brothers and sisters.

Simply stating, I prayed to God often for what would be revealed during this week. Within the Clinic of Hope you could hear crying babies and children, loud voices of men and moaning from women as they were getting ready to give birth of a new life.

We were a remarkable team from both the east and west of the United States. Every team member had the same vision to bring comfort, peace, healing and joy to these people. Many physical, emotional and spiritual needs were mended that week. I feel so blessed to have been a part of this amazing team. I was humbled by God’s grace as I saw His glory in others.

I pray ... Yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. (Isaiah 64:8)

'Christ, have mercy'

March 12, 2009 | Sarah Zollner Case, March 2009 team

Written from Haiti:

Three years ago, on my first trip to Haiti, one of the first Haitians I met was Vilcin. As we set up the clinic, we recruited Vilcin to help us package vitamins out of a huge bin into individual Ziploc sandwich baggies. We set up an assembly line and before long we were a vitamin packing factory, cranking out baggies in steady rhythm. Vilcin thought our focus on efficiency was funny, and soon was spurring us on with a jovial “Quick, quick!”

A year later, we were reunited with our friend when we returned to Terre Blanche, and when he saw us he immediately shouted “Quick, quick!” and broke into laughter. Each year, Vilcin is a friendly and familiar face, and over time we have come to consider him a friend ...

I have been watching for Vilcin since we arrived on Saturday, but he hadn’t materialized in the clinic until this morning. My face lit up when I saw him, and I called his name and rushed over to give him a hug. He looked up and said, “Sarah!” As soon as I got close, I could see how gaunt he has become, and when I hugged him I could feel his bony body trembling. Today, this six foot tall man weighs 120 pounds. His bright demeanor has been replaced by the quiet resignation that comes with a serious illness in the third world. After hugging him I had to make a quick exit so he wouldn’t see me crumble. I cried in the corner for a few minutes, composed myself, and went back to work.

Vilcin saw a doctor and was sent to the lab for a blood test which confirmed our worst fears — he is HIV positive and is likely in the advanced stages of full blown AIDS. My friend Vilcin is going to die ... probably soon. We don’t know for sure whether his wife has contracted the virus, but it seems likely that she will receive the same death sentence as Vilcin. Their children, who are students in the Terre Blanche school, may be orphans before they are grown.

Christ, have mercy.

Sarah is a member of the Haiti Foundation of Hope medical team that is currently working in Haiti. To read more, visit Sarah's blog.

Working in clinic

March 11, 2009 | Sarah Zollner Case, March 2009 team

Written from Haiti:

On Monday and Tuesday, we had brisk mornings in the clinic, with a steady stream of patients that kept us busy. But on both afternoons the flow of patients slowed to a trickle and eventually petered out before our normal quitting time at 5 pm. While the slower pace has been surprising, the doctors have been very thankful for the lighter traffic as it has given them time to give some thorough, high quality care to a few patients who really needed the attention.

For example, yesterday a fourteen year old boy was carried into the clinic with his mouth and nose badly cut up and covered with blood. He had apparently had a seizure in the school building and fell and cut himself all of the way down to the cartilage. They had just gotten him situated on the treatment table when he seized again.

A few hours later, with some anti-seizure meds on board, Dr. Chau and Dr. Harold spent at least three hours carefully and painstakingly sewing the boy’s face back together. Chau says that in the states she would have referred a patient with such a complicated laceration to a plastic surgeon, but here we were just thankful there was a team of doctors available to repair his face and medicate him against infection. We can’t imagine how his face would have healed without immediate medical attention.

Sarah is a member of the Haiti Foundation of Hope medical team that is currently working in Haiti. To read more, visit Sarah's blog.

Rebuilding Lives

Feb. 4, 2009 | Foundation Report

It's a new year and we're launching the Rebuilding Lives campaign. We're inviting you to join us as we continue to help those in Haiti who have been affected by the devastating 2008 hurricane season. If you choose to take part in the campaign we will send you monthly updates, for the next six months, about how your financial support and prayer are making a difference.

Haiti Foundation of Hope has been assisting people since the hurricanes and flooding struck several months ago. Many people lost homes, gardens and livestock in the rural area where the foundation has an ongoing presence. Many of those people are still struggling to get back on their feet. By participating in this campaign, you will be an encouragement to those rebuilding their lives. To learn more about the campaign or to join us, click here.

Back from starvation

Nov. 18 , 2008 | Foundation Report

The Clinic of Hope has begun distributing "Medika Mamba," peanut butter fortified with protein and other nutritional supplements, which brought young Edouard back from starvation. This life-saving peanut butter (the Creole word for peanut butter is "manba") is made in Haiti and is similar to Plumpynut, a product used in other areas of the world. This is a major advancement in treating severely malnourished children in Terre Blanche and throughout Haiti. Edouard was treated by visiting medical teams working at the clinic in October. You can see by his pictures and smile that he was doing much better within just weeks.

It used to be that about 80 percent of children who were as malnourished as Edouard died. Now, more than 90 percent of these children, who receive treatment, live. They can grow, learn at school, and play with friends. They have a chance at life.

The cost for a six-week course of the fortified peanut butter given out at the Clinic of Hope is $75. Please consider giving that amount to save a life or consider giving just $25 to help a child get on the road to recovery. To donate, send a check to Haiti Foundation of Hope or give online.

Returning home

Oct. 28, 2008 | Foundation Report

The October medical team has arrived home after 10 days of working and traveling in Haiti.We saw a lot and accomplished many tasks. Here's a recap:

Clinic — We saw 1,170 patients during five days of clinic. We were told there might be fewer patients because travel has been difficult since the flooding and people have been more concerned about finding food, but the clinic stayed busy all week. Our team was made up of four doctors, four nurses and six others as well as many Haitian co-workers.

Rice —We gave out rice to all the patients who came through the clinic doors. We had wanted to give away beans as well but they were difficult to find. We were finally able to track down 15 bags of beans for the final day of clinic. During the week, we gave away 9,800 pounds of rice. Thanks to everyone who donated money for the purchase of rice.

Solar power — One of the team members and a couple Haitian co-workers installed solar panels at the clinic. The panels are up and running, providing enough power to run the clinic while the teams are gone and the staff is smaller. This will be a huge savings in money as fuel for the generator is especially expensive now.

School — We got to spend some time visiting with children at the school in Terre Blanche. For the first time, children are getting breakfast at the school in addition to lunch. This is because food has been difficult to find following the flooding.

Community — We spent lots of time talking with people — patients, co-workers and neighbors — about the recent hurricanes and flooding. We learned a lot about how difficult it is for people who have lost their gardens, livestock and belongings. The need is overwhelming.

Giving hope

Oct. 23, 2008 | Foundation Report

Report written from Haiti:

Despite the difficulties of traveling in Haiti since the flooding, people continue to arrive at the Clinic of Hope. Our 14-member medical team is busy. We've had two babies born at the clinic this week and several over-night patients. A very sick little boy came here and was treated for typhoid. After two nights at the clinic and lots of care, his health improved. And this morning, we said our good-byes and sent him home to continue healing. When one of the doctors told the mother her son was doing better, the mother said she now had hope.

Here's some of what's happening beyond the clinic floor...

On the roof we've almost finished installing the solar panels. We've got much of the clinic running off of solar power rather than the generator which will end up saving money as fuel is expensive here — more than usual since the flooding.

In the school yard children are playing, and fourth, fifth and sixth grade students are studying in their classrooms. School started late this year because teachers couldn't travel from their homes after the hurricanes. On Nov. 4, all the students will return to class. The school feeding program has expanded from lunch to lunch and breakfast because since the flooding it has been extremely difficult for people to find food.

Thanks again for your support. We look forward to sharing more stories after our return home.

Clinic begins

Oct. 20, 2008 | Foundation Report

Clinic is under way. The doctors and nurses are busy treating patients. We are seeing the usual complaints of aches and pains along with other problems. A young girl returned this morning for treatment after being burned in a fire. Some patients are going home with reading glasses. We are giving away rice to patients as they leave. Beans, which we normally provide as well, have proved nearly impossible to find after the flooding.

On the rooftop of the clinic, one of our team members, along with Haitian co-workers, is installing solar panels. This will save money that is being used to purchase fuel for the generator.

Everyone on the team is doing well. We are happy to be here and excited to stay busy all week.

Medical team arrives

Oct. 19, 2008 | Foundation Report

The October medical team has arrived in Haiti safe and sound. Our journey from Port-au-Prince was longer than usual. There was a detour along the coast and another one to get around the lake in the Artibonite Valley — a lake that formed during the recent hurricanes and flooding. The drive through Gonaives was eye-opening for all of us. For some members of our 14-person team this is their first time in Haiti. And for most us, this is the first time we have been here after such a disaster. The streets in Gonaives, which was hit especially hard during the flooding, are lined with mud that has been shoveled out of homes and businesses. Most of the flood water has receded but some residents are still living on their rooftops.

Outside the city, a river near the Clinic of Hope has torn away the land near it. The flooding left behind rocks on what used to be farm soil. One family lost their entire millet crop along with half of their land to grow it on. The good news, which sometimes seems hard to find, is that a new millet crop has been planted on the remaining land and it is growing. A young woman who works at the clinic, cooking meals for the medical team, lost everything when the flood waters struck her home in Gonaives. She had to escape to a friend's house. The good news in this story is that she survived and is well.

These are hard times in Haiti. We hope to provide some encouragement and comfort to people who come through the clinic in the coming week. Thank you so much for your support for this team and for the people living in Haiti. Mesi anpil.

School update

Oct. 8, 2008 | Foundation Report

Because of the severe storms that hit Haiti in late August and September, the start of school was delayed. School in Terre Blanche was scheduled to begin Monday but has been postponed again. The plan is for the fourth, fifth and sixth grade students to begin Oct. 13. The secondary school students will return to class in early November. The startup date for the younger students is unknown at this time. The Terre Blanche school buildings survived the flooding while many of the nearby schools in Gonaives were damaged, destroyed or left full of mud.

Haiti Foundation of Hope helps to financially support the school in Terre Blanche where there are 800 students in kindergarten through eighth grade. Students receive a noon meal each day. The feeding program has been going since 1996 and during that time students have said they can’t wait to return to school on Mondays because food at home is scarce. The program is even more important now that crops have been wiped out due to the recent storms. Food has become hard to find and prices continue to rise making it extremely difficult for many families to afford.

If you would like to help us feed children in Haiti during this coming school year, you can donate by clicking here.

Offering comfort

Sept. 30, 2008 | Melanie Thomas, RN

Written by a member of the disaster relief team now in Haiti:

Hard to believe that just over a week ago we were notified by Medical Teams International that a disaster team would be sent to Haiti, and I'm even more in awe that I would have the opportunity to return to this beautiful country once again to serve. Our team of six made it here after a very LONG and BUMPY trek. Once again I've been blessed to be on a team with such amazing and gifted people.

We could see the damage caused by the hurricanes early in our trip. Roads and bridges were completely wiped out so we had to take lots of detours and "long way arounds." Lots of mud. All over we could see on the houses how high the water got, as they were still wet. As we got closer to Gonaives, our team got quieter...whispers of "Oh my goodness." It is even worse than we could have imagined. Houses still completely submerged under water. I could see just the roofs sticking out of the water. Every rooftop covered in furniture, clothes and belongings. We could see by the way everything was thrown on the roofs, the desperation people had to save what little they have. As we drove into Gonaives, there was mud everywhere, and I'm not talking about a little bit of mud on the road. What I'm describing is four feet of mud in and around houses. Most houses still have water coming out of the front door. Schools, buildings, hospitals, completely destroyed by the flooding.

I am reminded that God has a plan for each of us and a way for us to spread His love. What I saw today in the clinic as the workers showed up with open arms, smiles and an eagerness to serve, this is what loving is all about. Most of these people have lost everything, their homes, their belongings and some family members. But yet they are here, serving. They may have lost everything, but ask any of them, and they will say, "I still have hope. I have a God who loves me and will provide for me and my family. I must help my people."

How do you make sense out of a situation that, quite frankly, makes no sense. And while none of us have the "whys," we have something even greater. We have a blessed hope. We have peace that passes understanding. We have a joy unspeakable and full of glory. It is so important that we, as believers, rise to the situation and be the light to the world....the city that is set on a hill that cannot be hidden. Because we have the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, we CAN be the strength that others need to see. We can and must be Jesus to the world.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Christ Jesus, the Father of compassion and the God of all who comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort those with the comfort we, ourselves, have received from God (2 Cor 1:3-4)

Relief team arrives

Sept. 28, 2008 | Foundation Report

Volunteers with Haiti Foundation of Hope have teamed up with Medical Teams International on a disaster relief mission to Haiti. The team members arrived today in northern Haiti, not far from Gonaives. Here is what they report:

Two days after leaving Portland, Ore., we arrived safely with a wonderful reunion with our friends. Fortunately the building within the campus (where the team is working and which includes a medical clinic, school and church) are in excellent condition, although we saw horrific destruction on the route here. It is shocking to see the water that extends well into Gonaives. There is mud everywhere, many household goods on the roofs, and the feeling of despair and hopelessness of what to do next seems to be all around us in Gonaives. All of our supplies arrived intact, and everyone on the team is healthy. As we prepare to help relieve the suffering that is all around us, we ask for your prayers.

Pictures of flooding

Sept. 13, 2008 | Foundation Report

These pictures were taken earlier this week of the flooding and damage caused by recent hurricanes and tropical storms in and around Gonaives, Haiti.

Damage update

Sept. 8, 2008 | Foundation Report

We are learning more about the destruction caused by the recent tropical storms and hurricanes that struck Haiti in the past few weeks.

Homes have been demolished and many of those left standing are now filled with mud. Some of the staff who work at the Clinic of Hope in Terre Blanche have lost everything. Travel is nearly impossible, especially coming from Port-au-Prince north to Gonaives. Bridges on both routes have been destroyed. The United Nations reported today that more than 500 people were killed in the storms and as many as 800,000 people have been affected. Churches and schools have become places of refuge but are struggling to help all those in need.

The start of school has been postponed until Oct. 6. In Terre Blanche, where Haiti Foundation of Hope helps to support 800 students, text books and uniforms had already been given out. It's likely that many of those supplies were lost in the flooding and will need to be replaced.

Through it all, people are helping one another. The principal at the school in Terre Blanche walked from Gonaives to Terre Blanche to check on people. Pastors and relief workers are helping people as they can and making plans for greater assistance.

Another storm strikes

Sept. 7, 2008 | Foundation Report

Hurricane Ike this weekend became the fourth major storm to hit Haiti in less than a month, causing more damage and taking more lives.

Just four years ago Tropical Storm Jeanne killed some 3,000 people in the city of Gonaives and devastated the region. Damage caused by this year's storms is said to be as bad or worse than what occurred in 2004.

It still remains unclear how many people have died due to the recent tropical storms and hurricanes. But it is certain that thousands of people are now in need of help. Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, has been struggling with skyrocketing food prices, and now food has become more scare. To compound that problem, rice fields in the Artibonite Valley have been destroyed in the floods.

As the storm season passes and the rebuilding of lives begins, we will continue to assist those in need. Please consider joining us in that task — helping to piece lives back together — by giving a tax deductible contribution to support the ongoing medical, education, employment and community health programs of Haiti Foundation of Hope working in rural northern Haiti.

Thank you for taking an interest in what's happening in Haiti. We are keeping Haiti in our prayers as well as the many other countries and communities being affected this hurricane season.

Giving TLC

July 2, 2008 | Foundation Report

The June 2008 medical team has returned home safely after 10 days in Haiti.

Despite having none of the 32 boxes of supplies arrive with them in Port-au-Prince (the boxes arrived two days later), the 16 team members were able to greet Haitian friends in Terre Blanche on Saturday, June 21. The next day, the team participated in a 3½-hour combined church service and one-year celebration of the Clinic of Hope.

That was followed by a week of treating more than 1,000 patients, many of whom were very sick, and supervising more than 400 children in vacation Bible school.

Here are a few other highlights:

Patients who stayed in the clinic while they recovered from minor surgery, trauma and extreme illness received lots of TLC.
The team saw a 14-month-old baby weighing only 11 pounds and a 5-year-old child weighing just 15 pounds. They caused hearts to stir with grief mixed with gratefulness for the many supporters who donated money to purchase rice and beans to give to Haitians in need.
There were frequent walks through the village and debriefing sessions on the clinic roof.
Haitian leaders led team devotions, kept the clinic running smoothly, and fed the team like royalty.

Most importantly, every time Haiti Foundation of Hope sends teams to work in Terre Blanche, relationships blossom and wonderful blessings follow. Thank you all for your faithful prayers.

Open doors

June 25, 2008 | Laura Mackie, June 2008 team

A report written from Haiti:

624 patients.

That's how many we've seen thus far. Thousands of Tylenol and multi-vitamins given out. Hundreds of smiling faces.

It's hard sometimes to grasp if or what kind of difference we are making here. Many of the faces are so stoic it's tough to get a smile. Others soften with a greeting of “bonjour” and the children warm up to you as soon as a lollipop is in their hand.

I once read about a doctor who devoted his life to ministering to health needs in Haiti. He said "Giving people medicine for TB and not giving them food is like washing your hands and drying them in the dirt." That quote struck me because we are here for one week. And teams come here three times a year. The beauty in this clinic is that there is ongoing medical care to meet the ongoing needs of the people here. We can see patients, start a medication, and encourage them to come back in a week or maybe a month to follow up with the nurses who are here routinely.

What a blessing to know that when we leave the clinic, doors do not shut but continue to welcome and treat the everyday needs of Terre Blanche.

We need Haiti

June 25, 2008 | Melanie Thomas, RN, June 2008 Team

A report written from Haiti:

The moment we set foot in Haiti last Friday night our senses went into overload. It reminded me of the very first time I traveled to Haiti. There is so much to absorb.

Traveling up to Terre Blanche on Saturday we saw the overwhelming poverty. We smelled the charcoal fires burning, the garbage burning, and the food cooking all in one spot. You could almost taste the smells.

We passed many small streams and could see people gathering drinking water from the same source their animals were drinking from and defecating in. This is also the same water that the women bathe their children in and wash their clothes and dishes in. I remembered thinking, back in 1994 when I first traveled here, "Why on earth would someone move to Haiti? Let alone go into a community with a compassionate heart and a selfless smile? How can I really make a difference?”

Then I began to understand the compassion and love. I began to understand this driven desire to help a hurting people who seem to have been forgotten. As we drove to Terre Blanche on Saturday my eyes were once again opened to the good of Haiti.

Everyone needs Haiti. Among its poverty is a wealth of faith, a gem of God's goodness and the innocent love of Jesus Christ. Everyone needs Haiti. We need Haiti to remind us of the abundance of God's blessings. We need Haiti to humble us and to bring us closer in our relationship with Jesus. We need Haiti for transformation.

The team is absolutely wonderful. The cohesiveness among everyone here cannot be outdone. As exhausted as everyone was tonight coming upstairs from the busy clinic day, we all are filled and have smiles on our faces.

Much love to all our friends and family.

Bonswa from Haiti

June 23, 2008 | Darcy Patterson, June 2008 Team

A report written from Haiti:

We had our first clinic day today and it went very well. Our team is fabulous and I am so thankful to work with these people. We saw 205 patients with conditions ranging from ob/gyn checks, to burns and sores that needed debridement, to hemorrhoids and hernias.

The worst case of the day broke my heart and I ask for your prayers. A young girl, 10 or 11 years old, came in with a huge mass on her right leg. She was undernourished and very small. It turns out she has terminal bone cancer. It was heart-wrenching to say the least.

Today I had the opportunity to work with Papa Joe (Dr. Joe Markee) in the ob/gyn exam room. What a thrill. I truly missed my calling.

I can't say enough good about Terre Blanche and the people of Haiti. This experience has truly been a blessing and I thank all who helped me get here. We are doing good work and I feel proud to be a part of it.

One year later

June 22, 2008 | Laura Mackie, June 2008 Team

A report written from Haiti:

One year later, my second trip to Haiti. Still no boxes at the airport. Marvelous how 32 boxes can disappear. This exact thing happened to my team last year. But God is still as amazing as ever and our boxes arrived safe and sound to Terre Blanche to an anxiously awaiting team.

The clinic still stands loud and proud in this remote village. Last night on the rooftop we could see nothing but the stars above and the clinic lights reflecting out from under us. This morning, at a three-hour church service, we celebrated the anniversary of the clinic.

Amidst singing, praying and numerous introductions of people, a message was delivered by our very own birthday girl, Ann Petersen. In it she referred to Matthew 5:14 which states, "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lamp stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." With these words she offered encouragement to a village that is flourishing with a church, school and now a clinic that helps to define their community.

I am so excited to be back here, a place that captured my heart one year ago. Tomorrow we start clinic, and I look forward to serving these gracious people that have welcomed us with open arms.

Community health

June 10, 2008 | Foundation Report

Haiti Foundation of Hope is excited to announce plans for implementing CHE (Community Health Evangelism), a community development program of LifeWind International.

In January, Haiti Foundation of Hope in partnership with Medical Teams International sent a team of four people to the area of Terre Blanche, Haiti, to complete a needs assessment. As a result, community leaders identified the top three health concerns as malnutrition, diarrhea and health for pregnant women. Haiti Foundation of Hope is now working toward implementing CHE to address these problems.

CHE uses a community’s willingness to take responsibility for solving problems by providing training and information. The program involves community volunteers, who receive training and help bring change in their community through relationships and teaching.

We're excited about the possibilities of this community-based program and the hope it offers to people living in rural northern Haiti.

Mounds of meds

May 6, 2008 | Linda Markee, Foundation Board Member

A team of five Americans, including three Haiti Foundation of Hope board members, is currently in Terre Blanche. They are working to unload medical supplies from a container sent by Medical Teams International. Here’s a report from one of the team members:

I'm very tired and don't know when the generator will be cut, but I wanted you to know that we made it to Terre Blanche safely. Delamy had no new surprises this time, but we were greatly surprised by the amount of medical equipment and medications that Medical Teams International (MTI) sent on the container. It was almost overwhelming.

Last night after our long bumpy ride up here, we were treated with a delicious dinner by Elvire. Then we were so revived that we put together all the shelving. Today, we put all the equipment in the place where it belonged. We started sorting the mounds of OTCs (over the counter meds like Tylenol and Aspirin). Yes, I said mounds. We think the Lord has a plan for us to help many people so we will be donating medications to some of the area hospitals as well as to some of the other pastors. We feel so grateful to MTI for sending all they sent. The clinic staff is so excited that the clinic is beginning to look like a clinic, rather than just a building. We were all busy putting medications on the shelves.

You may be asking, Are you hot? YES. Are you tired tonight? YES. Are you pleased tonight? YES. We will all sleep well tonight before starting again in the morning with the medical supplies still waiting to be organized.

Thank you for your help with prayers, money and gifts-in-kind.

Food crisis

April 9, 2008 | Foundation Report

An opportunity to give hope

You may have read in the news this past week about the riots and protests in Haiti, where demonstrators are upset about the rising cost of food.

"Haiti is particularly affected by food prices, which have risen 40 percent on average globally since mid-2007. With 80 percent of its population struggling to survive on less than $2 a day, the rising prices pose a real threat to its fragile democracy," according to the Sun-Sentinel.com.

Our thoughts and prayers are with those in Haiti during this time of unrest. We pray for their safety during the violence and we continue to pray for the underlying problem of hunger.

Haiti is considered the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and one of the poorest in the world. Volunteers with Haiti Foundation of Hope have seen over the years that malnutrition is a real concern. They have also seen that hunger has a solution: food.

Haiti Foundation of Hope has an ongoing feeding program for children who attend school in Terre Blanche. Every student receives a hot meal each day. For some students, it's their only meal of the day. Like everything and everyone in Haiti, the feeding program is being affected by the rising cost of food.

We thank those of you who have generously donated money to buy food for the school children in Terre Blanche and ask you to continue. We ask everyone else to consider giving in this time of need. You can donate online or send a check and donation slip by mail.

It doesn't take much

Feb. 7, 2008 | Sarah Zollner Case, Jan/Feb 2008 Team

A report written from Haiti:

The day we flew to Haiti, I had worked until noon. Just before I left, I stopped by the desk of one of my co-workers to say hello. He asked me a few questions about the trip and then pulled out his wallet. "Can you take a cash donation? I'll give you what I have in my wallet," he said, and handed me a twenty. I thanked him and told him I'd make sure it went to good use.

Exactly one week later, I still had that twenty dollar bill tucked in my bag with a Post-It note attached, reminding me that it was intended for "something good" in Terre Blanche.

This afternoon, I was assisting Dr. Shellie, who is completing an infectious diseases fellowship at OHSU. One of our patients was a gaunt-looking 22-year-old woman, who said she had been coughing up blood. According to her chart, she had come to the clinic in October, the last time a team of doctors was here. On that visit, the doctor noted that the patient had been coughing up blood and needed to go to Gonaives (where the nearest hospital is located) for a chest X-ray to rule out tuberculosis.

Today, four months later, she was back at the clinic with the same symptoms but she hadn't gotten an X-ray. When Dr. Shellie asked if the woman could get an X-ray, she replied that she would like to do it but the test would cost about one hundred Haitian dollars, the equivalent of twenty U.S. dollars. I asked, through the interpreter, if she would be able to get transportation to Gonaives if the test fees were taken care of. She nodded.

After checking with a team leader to make sure I wasn't stepping outside of our protocol, I ran upstairs and grabbed that same twenty dollar bill out of my carry-on bag and brought it to Pastor Delamy, who arranged for our patient to go to Gonaives. The patient must have figured out where the money came from because she approached me and, holding the money out in her hand, said, "Mesi anpil" (Thank you very much).

I can't wait to tell my co-worker that his pocket money is buying life-saving diagnostics for a young woman who ought to have a full, healthy life ahead of her.

A young patient in need

Feb. 6, 2008 | Sarah Zollner Case, Jan/Feb 2008 Team

A report written from Haiti:

Some days are more stressful than others. This morning felt calm and (dare I say) predictable; Dr. Joe was heard complaining that he hadn't had any "interesting" cases yet. As is usually the case, the afternoon brought more than its share of activity.

We had a young mother deliver her first child in the clinic — a 7½ pound healthy girl. Just after this precious one entered the world and before the nurses had finished the post-natal cleanup, a man ran into the clinic carrying a limp, unconscious 5-year-old boy. The boy had apparently been caught in a rope trailing behind a mule and had been dragged for a ways. He had a concussion and deep lacerations to his head. Doctors Eric and Dan, flanked by several assistants, went to work cleaning and irrigating the wounds and sewing him back up. Beau sat with the boy's grandmother and held her hand as the doctors worked steadily.

For those of us outside the treatment room, it seemed like forever before we got word that the boy would be ok. We are so thankful that due to skilled doctors, good supplies and God's timing we were able to be here to attend to this little one during a time of crisis.

First days of clinic

Feb. 4, 2008 | Sarah Zollner Case, Jan/Feb 2008 Team

A report written from Haiti:

It was a great joy for all of us to worship together with the community of Terre Blanche Sunday morning. There was plenty of soulful singing in Creole, mostly from the ranks of the locals, but we decided to learn a Creole song that we could contribute to the service to express our enthusiasm for being here.

After the noon meal and a brief time to rest, we opened the medical clinic for the second half of the day. We were happy to begin seeing patients (which is, after all, what we came here to do), and also glad for the opportunity to figure out the logistics of patient flow, pace and general operations of the clinic.

This morning we were very thankful we'd had some time Sunday to acclimate to the clinic operations because it was a very eventful morning! Between breakfast and lunch, amidst the normal slew of aches and pains, we treated two men who had been involved in a motorcycle accident and a woman who was semi-comatose. Another patient had a seizure in the clinic, and most importantly, a baby was born!

Earlier in the morning, team members had noticed a woman walking rather uncomfortably outside the clinic. Her belly wasn't big enough to make it apparent that she was ready to give birth — in fact it wasn't even obvious that she was pregnant. By the time it was her turn to be seen by Dr. Joe, she was crouched over as she walked toward his exam room. Once he got her on the table it was time to push! Dr. Joe called in Katie, a registered nurse, to assist him and after five minutes of pushing, a 5½ pound girl with a full head of hair was born.

Katie got to fulfill a lifelong dream of "delivering babies in the bush," as under Dr. Joe's supervision she guided the child into the world, tied off the umbilical cord and delivered the placenta. When Dr. Joe asked the child's father what they would call the baby, he answered, "Katie."

Good to be back

Feb. 3, 2008 | Sarah Zollner Case, Jan/Feb 2008 Team

A report written from Haiti:

Our journey to Terre Blanche gave us many reminders that God is in charge. Cancelled planes, last minute itinerary changes and luggage complications gave us some opportunities to remember that we are not in charge of all of this — and the One who is in charge is worth trusting.

Despite these challenges and after a very long, hot, bumpy ride up country, 17 of us arrived safely in the village Friday around 5 p.m. Those of us who have been here before were amazed by the dramatic road improvements between Gonaives and Terre Blanche — what used to take an hour now takes 15 minutes!

We have had a lovely day of setting up clinic, resting and walking through the village. As always, we have been greeted with warm smiles and hospitality by the villagers and of course by Pastor Delamy, Madame Elvire and the many Haitian brothers and sisters who work behind the scenes to make our time here possible.

At the end of the day, most of us make our way up to the roof of the clinic building, where there is a gentle breeze and a canopy of stars that shines brighter than just about anywhere. It's good to be back in Terre Blanche.

Changing lives

July 23 , 2007 | Bonnie Ward, RN, June 2007 Team

Journal Entry June 24, 2007 — I am falling in love with the Haitian people, and especially the babies. I saw some babies today who were so beautiful and rubbery; they gave me great joy. When they are a little ill, they sit quietly and just look at you with big brown eyes. I also love the older men and women. They are lean as sticks, their faces beautifully chiseled and thin. They have such character and grace. Their smiles are my reward.

June 25, 2007 — After clinic we went for a walk through the village. After being inside all day it's wonderful to be outside, to see the green, green mountains. We walked on trails through town, stopping to visit at a few houses. A skinny female dog snapped at me when I tried to pet it. "Never touch a Haitian dog," someone said, and I believe it now!

July 1, 2007 —We had dinner then gathered in a circle for our final team meeting. Joe led and said some very helpful things to aid us in the transition back to our homes. We all had time to talk about the experience of the past 10 days. I shared that it was so inspiring to be in the presence of people who trust so deeply in God. I realized that not only are Joe and Linda helping the poor here in Haiti, they are also changing the lives of many Americans by providing this experience to serve.

Leaving my heart

July 23 , 2007 | Pat Floersch, RN, June 2007 Team

This little boy is why I left part of my heart in Haiti.

Reflections on dedication

May 15, 2007 | Sandra Van der Pol, February 2007 Team

Have you ever been part of an event that made you think, “this must be a little bit of what heaven will be like?” That is what we experienced the Sunday morning of the worship service/clinic dedication. The clinic was resplendent in paper decorations made by the women’s trade school. Visiting musicians came to play their instruments to the glory of God. Free Methodist pastors and other pastor friends of Pastor Delamy were handsomely dressed in their suits and so proud to be in this beautiful building that God had built for the community. Glorious singing and many words of testimony gave exuberant praise to God. Our hearts were so full with the richness of this experience.

At the end of the service the band started playing the Haitian national anthem with everyone joining in. The anthem is so symbolic of Haitian national dignity, but on this day Ray and I were particularly moved as we watched our Haitian pastor friends, faces beaming, lustily singing with such obvious patriotism. Despite all the hardships and dashed hopes they continue to endure every day of their lives in Haiti with their families, churches and communities, they can still sing about their country with optimistic love and pride and believe that God can deliver Haiti.

Ambrosia

April 26, 2007 | Sarah Zollner Case, March 2007 Team

The biggest mango tree I have ever seen stands over the communal water pump in Terre Blanche, Haiti.
In a remote, dusty village where water is scarce and the one source of well water is contaminated,
Where the ground is craggy and barren
Where the last rain was in November of last year, and drought starves the tender foliage of subsistence farmers,
Where children have no shoes,
Where almost everyone has worms and more than half the population suffers from malaria,
Where cataracts are common place for people in their thirties,
Where a 10′x16′ house is home to a family of seventeen…

Somehow, in that very spot is a monstrous, ancient tree, laden with ripe fruit.

The mangoes in Terre Blanche are like food of the gods.

What a blessing

April 24, 2007 | Susan W. Cook, February 2007 Team

What a blessing it was to be in Terre Blanche for the medical clinic dedication on Feb. 25, 2007.

I had returned to Terre Blanche for the first time since October 2001. I was quite amazed at the work that has continued in this village since that time. I went from tent covers, outhouses and make-shift shower heads to a concrete cover in a nice dormitory, portable/flushable toilets and running water from nice shower heads and ceramic tile and sinks.

The Haitians have so much to be proud of. This is their community with a little help from us. I have never been surrounded by so much love, encouragement, happiness, joy, peace — I can go on without saying more. I know the sorrow and suffering continues but we have so much hope now. This will always hold a special place in my heart. The work of everyone is untouchable. My heart remains forever there. I see a community thriving and striving to work for themselves. The best way I can sum this up is a community that is “supremely elegant and continually relevant.”

The whole community has pulled together to form this union of essentials. We Moravians have drawn a circle large enough to take in a great number of people leaving us this motto — I often think of our brothers and sisters in Haiti:

In essentials, unity

In non essentials, Liberty

In all things, LOVE

In closing, I often refer to this passage from Psalm 19 — This reminds me so much of Terre Blanche, Haiti: “The heavens are telling the glory of God, and the firmament proclaiming His handiwork.”

Clinic building is dedicated

March 4, 2007 | Foundation Report

The newly constructed medical clinic in Terre Blanche, Haiti was dedicated Feb. 25. The ceremony was attended by hundreds of people including Free Methodist pastors from around the country, Haiti Foundation of Hope board members, a visiting medical team from the United States, construction workers and community members. Many people spoke during the dedication. Some talked about how the community of Terre Blanche has been transformed. In a village where there was once nothing, there is now a growing church, a community well, a school with more than 500 students, and now the medical clinic. The clinic, with a second-floor dormitory, will provide a space for visiting medical teams to work and live and a place for Haitian medical personnel to work year-round.

The 16-member medical team, which returned home safely March 4, was the first to use the new clinic. After the dedication and a celebration meal, team members went to work at unpacking supplies and setting up the clinic. During the following four days, the team treated about 850 patients. A second medical team is working in Terre Blanche this month.

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Notes from the field

Laughter and joy

March 9, 2010 | foundation report

Finding a frame of reference

March 8, 2010 | foundation report

Fingerprints of God

March 7, 2010 | foundation report

Blogging from Haiti

March 6, 2010 | foundation report

Team arrives in Haiti

March 5, 2010 | foundation report

March newsletter

March 3, 2010 | foundation report

Parched fields

March 2, 2010 | Ray Van der Pol, HFH board member

Enduring faith

Feb. 28, 2010 | Dr. Steve Sethi, HFH board member

The challenges

Feb. 27, 2010 | foundation report

Earthquake slideshow

Feb. 26, 2010 | foundation report

First day of flights

Feb. 21, 2010 | foundation report

Help by shopping at local toy store

Feb. 19, 2010 | foundation report

Finding a home

Feb. 16, 2010 | foundation report

Feeling the impact

Feb. 13, 2010 | foundation report

Find us on Twitter

Feb. 12, 2010 | foundation report

'Returning to life'

Feb. 6, 2010 | foundation report

Thank you, again

Feb. 3, 2010 | foundation report

A million stories

Feb. 1, 2010 | foundation report

Sunday morning

Jan. 31, 2010 | foundation report

Sights in Haiti

Jan. 30, 2010 | foundation report

In Terre Blanche

Jan. 28, 2010 | foundation report

Medical care

Jan. 26, 2010 | foundation report

The importance of food

Jan. 25, 2010 | foundation report

The view from Haiti

Jan. 24, 2010 | foundation report

The joy of a newborn

Jan. 23, 2010 | foundation report

'Smiling with hope'

Jan. 22, 2010 | foundation report

Thank you

Jan. 21, 2010 | foundation report

Waking to an aftershock

Jan. 20, 2010 | foundation report

Facebook

Jan. 20, 2010 | foundation report

First patient

Jan. 19, 2010 | foundation report

'Smell of death'

Jan. 18, 2010 | foundation report

News from Terre Blanche

Jan. 17, 2010 | foundation report

Providing medical care

Jan. 17, 2010 | foundation report

At work in Port-au-Prince

Jan. 16, 2010 | foundation report

Arriving in Haiti

Jan. 15, 2010 | foundation report

In the news

Jan. 14, 2010 | foundation report

In response to the earthquake

Jan. 13, 2010 | foundation report