Cholera and Agriculture

A short article on food security and the dangers of spreading Cholera from Haiti Libre.

Read the article here.
The photo is mine.

Civil War?

Here's a disturbing take on the elections in Haiti. Could the faulty elections lead to civil war?

Read the article here.
Photograph by: Hector Retamal, AFP/Getty Image

New Finance Minisry Building

Here's a good story. Another video from the World Bank that shows a good use of funds. Though, people from all over Port-au-Prince still have to come to Tabarre and wait in line all to try and pay their taxes.

Video on Canal Clean Up

This is from the World Bank. It shows progress on the trash clean up in Port-au-Prince. It has some interesting video and a few interviews. I've seen the organization that clears rubble working where I lived twice, but I've never seen the heavy equipment at work.

Looking Back

Here are two articles that give a look back on the year in Haiti. The first is a broad overview. The second gives a wrap-up then looks at the current situation.

The Year in Review: A Haiti earthquake in the time of cholera and lethal poverty

"Christmas of misery" for many in calamity-hit Haiti

Photo by PA

$102m Approved for Projects

Here's another story on the recovery efforts in Haiti.

Read the article here.
The photo is mine.

Sunday the 26th

I'll be sharing at Bethel Community Church on Sunday morning, December 26th. For more information on Bethel or for directions visit their website: Bethelstl.com.

The Cost of Cholera in Haiti

This is a photo piece from the LA Times. BEWARE several are very graphic.

The cost of cholera in Haiti

Haiti Recovery

Everyone asks me about the money the US sent to Haiti. Here are three articles concerning the recovery efforts.

US Embassy Press Release

Who is calling the shots in Haiti? Reflections on the 4th meeting of the Reconstruction Commission

Clinton struggles on with Interim Reconstruction Commission

The photo is mine.

Cholera Beyond Haiti

Here's an informative (and scary) article about Cholera from Harvard Medical School.

Read the article here.
Photo by Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times

Brisenault's Fire

These are pictures of the fire damage to Brisenault's home. As you can see the house is built of block, so their clothing and furniture is what burned. Please be praying for him and his family.

If you would like to help financially Valley Park Chapel is garthering a collection to send to his family. Just make the check out to Valley Park Chapel and write "Fire" in the memo section. The mailing address is:
Valley Park Chapel
P.O. Box 327
Valley Park, MO 63088

Thank you so much for your prayers and support.

Several Videos

Here are a couple videos from UNICEF. They're not very well produced, but they do show some powerful scenes from the country.

This one is mostly raw footage with a few interviews in French, Creole and English.

Awareness Campaign for Cholera Prevention in Haiti

This one is more of a news package with narration and interviews in English.

Working to Contain the Cholera Outbreak in Haiti

Media Coverage of Haiti

This is a fascinating article by Stanley Lucas. He questions the media coverage of Haiti as well as gives an in depth view of the real situation in the country.

"Over the past few months, the major cable news outlets, such as CNN and Fox, have tried to cover the lack of recovery in Haiti and the chaos in the wake of the rigged elections. The coverage has been somewhat inconsistent, however, and has unfortunately missed some key elements of the story," writes Mr. Lucas. Read more by following the link below.

Read the article here.
The photo is mine.

New Numbers on Cholera Toll

2,500 dead. 104,614 infected.

Read the article here.
Photo by Health Care n Diet.

Emergency Prayer Request

My good friend Brisenault's house caught on fire yesterday. His family and he are safe and the house is livable, but the fire destroyed most of their clothing. Please pray for Brisenault, his wife Joseline and their daughter Emma.

The photo is mine of Emma.

CNN iReport on Cholera

An update on the Cholera situation by an aid worker in Cite Soleil. Use the viewer above to see some remarkable pictures.

Read the article here.

Haitian OR Dominican?

Here's another sad story. Dominicans of Haitian descent being stripped of citizenship even though they were born there and their families came there legally.

Read the article here.
Photo by Stephanie Hanes for USA TODAY.

Videos on Cholera

I thought I'd post a few videos about the cholera outbreak. Unfortunately, there is nothing all that recent. The story seems to be dying out in the press.

Please pray for Haitian people. If you want more information or have questions please leave a comment.

Just a Day Downtown

In Haiti it seems I’m always waiting for something. Waiting in line. Waiting for friends. Waiting to eat. Waiting for transportation. Waiting for the Internet. Well, one day I was waiting downtown for a tap-tap.

Now, when I wait on the street I always draw a crowd. Needless to say, I stand out. People gather to try out their English, shake my hand or ask for money. Usually, I enjoy these times. I get to talk and interact with some great people. I always end up laughing and smiling. And, of course, I get to practice my Creole.

Little did I know that learning the language could be a double-edged sword.

This day, while I waited on a street corner, there was a young girl among the crowd. She was maybe 12 years old or so and I heard her say something. She said, “I could be your daughter. If you send me to school I promise I’d be a good student.”

I stopped joking.

She continued, “I know how to cook. I know how to do laundry. I could clean your house.”

She had my full attention now.

She went on, “If you don’t want a daughter I could be like your wife. But you don’t have to marry me.”

What did I do?

I drove away. My ride had come and I left. I drove away. What could I have done? I can’t support a child. I don’t have a place to live, so how could I provide a child one? Of course, I was saddened. It makes me sick that children have to live like she does. But I couldn’t do anything. I wasn’t in the position to help. So I left.

A few weeks later I realized something. I realized that I had lied to myself. I deceived myself into thinking I was justified. I felt bad for the girl and so I was excused of any action.

The truth is I didn’t want to be bothered. By feeling sorry for her I figured that let me off the hook. But a feeling can never take the place of action. The Lord has reminded me of that truth.

Now, the question becomes can I really live out the command of, “Love your neighbor as yourself?”

Cholera Spreads

Here's an article from Doctors Without Borders. It reports that Cholera is spreading even farther in the South.

Read the article here.
The photo is from Aurelie Baumel/MSF

Election Price Tag

More on the election situation. I've talked to a number of my friends and things have calmed down. Nobody is happy about the election, though.

Read the article here.
The photo is from St-Felix Evens/ Reuters.

Clinton Calls for Recount

More on the Haitian election. I'd be surprised if this gets sorted out any time soon.

Read the article here.
The photo is from the AFP

Doctors on How to Stop the Chorela

More news on the cholera outbreak. The official death toll is more than 2,000 and the number of people infected has climbed to about 100,000.

Read the article here.
The photo is from Antonio Bolfo/Newsweek

Haitian Companies Miss Out on Aid

Most of the money given to rebuild Haiti is going to US based companies.

Read the article here.
The photo is from Dieu Nalio Chery/AP

Election Concerns

No one believes Haiti's elections reflect the views of the people. This includes the official press release from the US embassy.

Read the article here.
The photo is from Kevin Pina.

Sen. Leahy is asking for a freeze on aid to Haiti until there can be fair elections.

Read the article here.

Run-off Set for January

More election stories. Protests seem to stem from Martelly's supporters feeling he should be in the run-off. Most of my friends supported a man named Ceant, but he didn't come close to the votes needed.

Read the article here.
The photo is from the AFP.

American Airlines Cancels Flights to Haiti

American Airlines cancelled all flights into Port-au-Prince for 12-8 and 12-9 because of unrest.

Read the article here.
The photo is mine.

Riots

Rioting has spread in Port-au-Prince as people protest the first-round election results.

Read the article here.
The photo is from Reuters.

US Cholera Response

Here's a press release from the US State Department concerning US efforts to fight Cholera in Haiti.

Read the artictle here.
The photo is from Reuters UK.

Elections Results?

Confusion and uncertainty fuel tensions as candidates and supporters threaten protests concerning the results of the first round of voting in Haiti.

Read the article here.
The photo is from the Miami Herald.

NGOs Fail to Help Haiti

This article looks into NGOs and thier failure to help Haiti. It gives a lot of insight into what is really going on.

Read the article here.
The photo is from Lucas Oleniuk/Toronto Star.

Article on Haiti's Government

Here's a good article on the state of Haiti's government. It also talks about the donated money after the earthquake.

Read the article here.
The photo is mine.

A Plea for Nurses

Officals are asking more nurses to come to Haiti and help battle the Cholera outbreak. Here are two articles which give an update on the situation.

Read the article here.
Read the other article here.
The photo is from Emilio Morenatti/Associated Press.

12 Murdered in Mob Attacks

Confusion and fear are conquering many Haitians concerning the outbreak of Cholera. 12 people were killed because they were believed to be spreading the disease on purpose. This article reports even more alarming figures of infection rate.

Read the article here. The picture is from the AFP.

Elections Amid Chaos

Haiti held presidential elections on Nov. 28th. But it was far from a smooth process. I know many people who didn't vote, because they know it will not be counted. Here's an article that holds out a bit of hope.

Read the article here. The picture is from the AP.

Cholera Spreads to More Than 72,000 People

According to this article the death rate is dropping, but the infection rate is climbing past 72,000.

Read the article here. The picture is from the AP.

Article on the UN's role in Haiti

This is a very transparent article delving into the budget of the UN peacekeepers in Haiti.

Read the article here. The picture is mine.

Haitian-American News Producer Visits Haiti

This is a web only story from 60 Minutes. The images are powerful. It's almost surreal to me that I've seen most of these things. Listen to the worldview revealed by the producer.

Be warned: it's graphic.

Cholera in Haiti - 60 Minutes

Tomas

Even if this storm weakens it will dump a ton of rain on Haiti. The rain will devastate the tent cities as well as spread the cholera outbreak. Please pray for the people of Haiti.

Back in St. Louis

I just got back in the States yesterday and I'll be staying for two months. I would greatly enjoy sharing what the Lord is doing in Haiti. Just drop me a note if you would like me to share at your church or Bible study group. More updates will follow with pictures and video.

A Quick Update

We had a terrible storm on Friday with wind gusts more than 80 miles per hour. A few people were killed in the tent city that is just down the road from where I’m staying. Many tents were destroyed and people left without shelter. Please pray for Haiti. We haven’t had power since then, so I’m updating from a friend’s office at the General Hospital.

I’ll be returning to the States Oct. 28th and I’m planning on coming back to Haiti in January. If anyone would like me to speak at a church or Bible study please feel free to contact me.

A couple items of prayer:

When I return in January I must find a new place to live. Please pray that I will be able to find a place close to the church and that I’ll be able to pay the rent.

My church here is having revival meetings every night until the middle of October. There are large crowds each night and a number of people have accepted Christ. Please pray that it continues to go well and that more people hear the Gospel.

Thank you all for your continued support.

"Be Still" - A Short Video

I shot and edited this very quickly. But it shows off some of the places I was able to go to.

The Summer of Haiti

I apologize for the lack of updates throughout the summer. My Internet access is very limited now, so it’s difficult to post anything that’s thought out or coherent. So while I have unlimited electricity and Internet here in the States I’m going to give a rundown of my summer.

In June, I taught an intensive two-week English course at Christianville University located in Leogane. Leogane was the epicenter of the earthquake and the university buildings were destroyed. The university has no running water and the students live in tents. Classes are held in hastily constructed wooden shacks. If it rains you get soaked and it is impossible hear what anyone is saying because of the pounding on the tin roof. But we had class everyday and the students come to work hard.

I was concerned about teaching the class because this was a first for me. My only experience teaching up to this point was teaching small children. Now, I was teaching university students. But in the end found it to be a rewarding experience. I was able to meet and get to know some truly awesome people.

Everyone has an earthquake story, of course. All are powerful but some stay with you longer. One 20 year-old student named Sepora is particularly hard to forget. In the blink of an eye on January 12th she lost her father, mother, five brothers and sisters, home and all financial support. When the semester ended she didn’t know where she was going to live let alone how she was going to live. Can you imagine that? What would you do if the same thing happened to you? What would I do? I don’t know what I’d do. But I know what Sepora did. Every morning she would be smiling and singing praises to her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. She would stop and encourage me when I was struggling with attitude problems. How could she have so much joy with so much sorrow in her life? Jesus died for her sins and she has put her trust in him. Everything in this world will pass away. Everything.

While in Leogane I was able to walk around the countryside and see a side of Haiti I hadn’t seen before. I met many wonderful and simple people living off the land in remote areas. I saw the beauty and variety of the Lord’s creation. I also was able to walk around in downtown Leogane. I never thought I would see such destruction. I had been in Haiti during the earthquake and I had seen the aftermath. But to see this devastation months after the quake was a different experience all together.

I returned to Port-au-Prince and began my normal activities. I teach English two days a week at the church. I teach a beginning class on Tuesday and then on Wednesdays I teach an advanced class. The students always amaze me. They come ready to learn after being in school all day and having to walk miles in 100 degree temperatures. I’ve been able to make some good friends which I’m very thankful for.

Friday nights I lead a Bible study. Some nights we’ll have about 30 or 40 people attend. When it rains we have less because everyone has to walk to the church. We’ve been digging into the life of David and I’ve been enjoying it greatly. The power of the Scriptures is overwhelming. After I give a short lesson people will ask questions for about an hour and a half. It is always a pleasure to spend time in the Word and with fellow believers.

Since I’m a trained filmmaker I decided to write and direct a movie. I had met an actor named Roodly Jules last summer, so I called him and asked if we could shoot a movie. Of course, that’s all I had to say. We gathered some actors and began shooting. It’s called Kraze which means “broken.” It tells the story of a man who lost his family in the earthquake and is now being pressured by some thugs. You can visit the website here. I hope to finish shooting in September. My plan is then to finish editing by December, so I can start entering it in film festivals around the one year anniversary of the quake. Scheduling a film shoot in Haiti has been a learning experience to say the least. I thought guerrilla filmmaking in the States was difficult. I didn’t know what difficult was. It takes so much will to pull everyone together and to give them a vision of what we can accomplish if we do our best.

My short visit to the States will be over soon as I return to Haiti on the 26th of August. Lord willing I’ll pick up where I left off. I thank you all for your support and most importantly your prayers.

The First Teaser for My New Movie

Here's the first teaser trailer for my new movie. It's called Kraze which means "broken." I hope to finish shooting when I return to Haiti in a couple of weeks.

Posting the video on the blog cuts off one side for some reason. Watch it on You Tube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZWUGX1olZA

The Novelist and the House of Death

I went downtown yesterday. Into the heart of Port-au-Prince. I went to meet a man who is a novelist and wants to make a movie of one of his novels. My friend Josue came along because I’m still not able to navigate the tap-tap system by myself. Also, Paul my earthquake brother who is staying at House of Hope came along as well.

We met Johame and discussed his novel. He is also the chief of information services at the General Hospital. We asked for a tour and he gave us one I’ll never forget. The suffering in Haiti seems to know no bounds. We passed through rooms of the sick, injured and the dying. Then he said we were going to the morgue. At first I thought he was joking, but soon I realized he wasn’t. I didn’t want to go there, but I felt I must. What’s a Haitian morgue like? Heaps, piles, stacks and mounds. Mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, sons and daughters. And babies, babies, babies.

I thought of this verse: “It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart.” Ecclesiastes 7:2

Have you thought about death recently? In the States it’s easy to forget about it. We can distract ourselves with so many things. I know people who have never seen a dead body. You can’t escape death in Haiti. It’s here every day. It’s all around you. Just as the verse says we should take it to heart. Have you thought about death? Have you thought about your eternal destiny lately?

If you haven’t there is only one thing you can do. And that is to put your trust in Jesus Christ as your savior. The Lord offers salvation as a free gift and he wants no one to go to Hell.

I’m convinced you can see anything in Haiti. Mansions next to destroyed buildings. Soccer being played in the street next to a soccer field filled with tents. Naked people standing next to men in business suits. A little girl stamping her feet in a puddle of her own blood as her mother pours water into a gash on her head. Anything.

My First Week Back in Haiti

It’s hard to put in to words what it means to me to be back in Haiti. I’ve gone through almost every emotion possible since the quake. As my return grew near I was filled apprehension. Living in America is so comfortable. I slipped into a good rhythm of speaking at churches and entertaining myself. A return to Haiti meant hardship and –God forbid—work. Also telling people that I was returning is always difficult because they try to fill you with fear. They always talk about crime or natural disasters or the most horrid things their minds can conjure. I don’t understand why. So, I took a deep breath and said I serve the same God that Moses, David and Nehemiah served and still serve. And what happened upon my return? All my apprehension was washed away in a wave of joy. The Lord is so kind and so loving. I can’t believe his provision and his protection. But even if he didn’t provide or protect I still must serve him.

I’m living with a nice family in Tabarre near the church. I don’t have enough money to pay them rent so I would ask that you all pray for them and ask the Lord to bless them for opening their home to me. As Mdm. Maxis returned to the States she charged me with sharing the Gospel to her family that lives at the house. Of course I agreed. Please pray especially for Jessica, Karin and Ezekiel. They are three young people that work at the house and go the church. I’m becoming good friends with all of them as usual they want to learn English so I’m helping them.

I don’t have regular Internet but honestly I don’t miss it. I have so much to do each day that I wouldn’t have time to fool with it anyway. Brisenault’s brother-in-law, Josue, is helping me by walking with me around town and teaching about the culture as well as how the city works. I’ve learned a lot of Creole simply because I need to. But I need more. I found my filmmaker friend, Roodly, living in a tent city not far from where I live. We talked and he wants to make a movie since I brought my equipment down. Should be a great experience if we can pull it off.

Next week I’ll leave the city and teach English for two week at Christianville University. It’s located in a city called Leogane which was the epicenter of the earthquake. I’ll be staying in a tent while I’m there. I’m really excited I’ll also be preaching at the church there as well.

I’m still working out when I’ll start teaching at the church. Most likely it will be when I return from Leogane. I’ve become involved with the youth group at the church and I’m making a lot of new friends. Please continue to pray for me and this little church in Haiti.

Earthquake Slide Show

I just threw this together today. It was a nice rainy day project. It's a slide show of my pictures from the quake set to the girls singing. I used a lot of photos I've never shown before.

Ticket Bought

I purchased the ticket for my return to Haiti on Monday. The date is still May 20th. Now, begins the process of figuring out what I need to take with me. I’m taking my video equipment, so packing is a bit more complicated this time. But I’m sure it will all work out. I can’t wait to get back and get to work.

May 20th!

My return to Haiti has been set for May 20th. I am very excited about being able to return and am looking forward to lending a hand in the earthquake recovery. I will be leading Bible studies, teaching English, rebuilding homes, visiting hospitals and of course sharing the Gospel. Another thing I’m excited about is that I’ll shooting video and creating informational videos about Haiti and what the Lord is doing. Also, I will continue to preach once a month at the church.

I will not be living at House of Hope any longer. Instead, I will be working closely with Pastor Brisenault and the New Christian Church of Tabarre.

I thank you all for support and prayers over the last few months. It has been trying time for the people of Haiti and I pray that you will continue to stand with me as I seek to serve the Lord in this troubled nation.

A Short Update

I apologize for the lack of updates. Everything has been up in the air and is just starting to come together. I’ll be making important announcements on when I’m returning to Haiti and other matters very soon. The Lord has his plans and I’m just following along.

The Lord has taken me to places I would have never thought I would go. I have been speaking about the earthquake and the work in Haiti in churches and schools throughout the area. On St. Patrick’s Day I spoke to several 4th grade classes at an elementary school. I gave my presentation and a simple Gospel message. A little girl raised her hand and began to tell how she accepted Jesus Christ as her savior at her church. That little girl became a witness for Christ. Do we have as much courage as that little girl to share Christ at our school or work?