More Than 1,000 Dead in Typhoon

Just about two weeks ago the Philippines was hit by a typhoon that has killed more than 1,000 and left hundreds of thousands homeless.

Philippine Typhoon Deaths Reach 1,249

Child Slavery in Haiti

Just one story of the horrifying reality in Haiti.

New Industrial Park Development Comes to Haiti

Investment in Haiti continues to increase. I hope this is a good deal for the Haitian people.

Here's a bit more:

A 250ha full-service industrial park: The Park offers factory shells at competitive rental rates built to international standards. Phase 1 is comprised of 350,000m2 of roofed factory floor space, of which 120,000m2 currently remain available for rent. The Park will be managed by a private management company, and owned by the Haitian Government. A dedicated onsite power plant with sufficient backup capacity will ensure consistent power supply at competitive tariffs. The Park also offers appropriate water to support the needs of industrial laundries and fabric dye houses and state of the art waste water treatment plants built to the highest environmental standards. Contracts for the park construction and the power plant have been awarded in September after open, competitive international bidding."

New housing: To accommodate potential migration to the area and provide adequate and affordable housing, 5,000 new homes will be built in surrounding communities in convenient commuting distance of the Park, with access to services such as water and electricity.

Electrification: The Park's power plant will provide electricity to nearby towns and villages that are currently not connected to the electric grid, significantly improving the quality of life of local residents and the competitiveness of small and medium sized businesses in the region.

Direct access to global markets: The projects contains significant investments in modernized port facilities in the North that meet the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS) and offer short transit times of 3-4 days to the U.S. with frequent vessels.

Laying of the foundation stone for the Caracol Industrial Park

Somalia's Man-made Famine

The terror group "Al-Shabab" has turned Somalia's drought into man-made disaster where a child dies every six minutes.

Learn more about these terrorists:

Who are al-Shabab?

Al-Shabab Backgrounder

Watch news reports of the crisis:

Somali famine 'a crisis without a foreseeable end'

UN declares famine in parts of Somalia

The Toll in Turkey

At least 640 dead in two major quakes. More than 2,000 buildings destroyed. Thousands homeless.

Turkish PM visits earthquake victims

Turkey Rattled Again

A 5.7 aftershock rocked Turkey. Three reported killed in the already shaken area.

OK Earthquakes

Oklahoma has seen a series of quakes this week. One was the largest on record for that area.

Track the quakes here: Latest Earthquakes

Did the UN Bring Cholera to Haiti?

This report says yes and a class action law suit has been filed on behalf of a group of Haitians.

UN peacekeepers introduced cholera to Haiti

Turkey Quake Death Toll Tops 600

The offical death toll from the recent earthquake in Turkey continues to raise.

Death toll from Turkey quake more than 600

Flooding in Thailand

Thailand is being devastated by months of massive flooding. The water spreads over more than two thirds of the country.

Thai flood frustration grows

Home Ownership in Haiti

Bringing home ownership to Haiti is not an easy task. Loans are a new concept, but some organizations pushing forward.

Haiti creating home loan system to help in crisis

Turkey Earthquake

Yesterday, a 7.2 earthquake rocked parts of Eastern Turkey.
264 confirmed dead. 1,000's injured.

BBC News Report

Timeline of earthquakes in Turkey

How Social Media is changing disaster response

Have I Set My Heart on the Lord?

I wrote this on May 14th, 2009:

No Bargains with God  

This may sound strange, but in preparing to go to Haiti I felt the Lord wanted me to ask for something. I fumbled. I struggled. I thought it was arrogance making me want to ask for something. So I told myself I wouldn’t ask for anything.

Yet, I grew concerned. I recalled this passage:

"Ask the LORD your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights." But Ahaz said, "I will not ask; I will not put the LORD to the test."
Then Isaiah said, "Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God also?
Isaiah 7:11-13 (NIV) 

If the Lord wanted me to ask then I needed to ask. So I asked the Lord for something very personal and close to my heart. And as the words passed my lips I knew I had asked for the wrong thing.  

I cannot say to the Lord give me personal safety then I’ll go to Haiti. I cannot say to the Lord give me a wife then I’ll go to Haiti. I cannot say to the Lord give me success then I’ll go to Haiti. He is the Master. I am the servant. He is the King. I am the subject. He says go. I go. He says come. I come. There is no bargaining with God. 

The Lord says go to Haiti. So I go to Haiti. It does not matter if I get sick or I am lonely or even if I die. The command has been given and it must be obeyed.
I asked for forgiveness. But I still felt I should ask for something. I didn’t know what to ask for. I was fearful. This time I prayed. And I prayed.  

In January I was reading the Psalms and I found it. What did I ask for?
One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.
Psalm 27:4 (NIV)

I didn't know why the Lord brought this to my mind this morning. But He did. So, I began to think about it.

It's still true.

The Lord is God. I am not. He knows what is best for me. He is to be obeyed. What I asked for is still my prayer.

Or was it?

I know the Lord had answered my request. He is faithful and just. But had I even remembered what I asked for? Unfortunately, no.

I had forgotten my goal. I had set my heart on something and I had let it slip away. The cares of this world had crept in and I was a slave to them once again.

Seeking the Lord and dwelling with Him is my goal. So when was the last time I prayed for strength to seek Him? When was the last time I made plans to bring myself closer to Him? When was the last time I rejoiced in obeying His Word? Do I crave to pray each day? Do I seek out His Word?

Or have I been seeking other things? Have let my fears and weaknesses run my life?

The Lord made it clear to me to I needed to focus again on seeking Him. And He brought this passage to mind:

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. ² Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. ³ For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ, who is your^[a] life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

⁵ Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. ⁶ Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.^{[b] 7} You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. ⁸ But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. ⁹ Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices ¹⁰ and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. ¹¹ Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

¹² Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³ Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴ And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

¹⁵ Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. ¹⁷ And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Colossians 3:1-17 (NIV)

Cross-Cultural Training

I ventured up to the frozen North to participate in cross-cultural training at the EFCA headquarters last week. Except it wasn't frozen or even cool. The coolest day in Minneapolis while I was there was about 85 degrees.

EFCA requires all missionaries to receive training before entering the field. A good plan, by the way. I wish I would have had training before I went to Haiti.

We read articles and had experienced missionaries give us insights into the issues we would face. I meet a number of awesome Christians who will be standing up for Christ in some dangerous places.

The training was a great opportunity to get a feel for the heart of EFCA and my place with them.

Haiti Soaked

Last week tropical storm Emily dumped 20 inches of rain on Haiti. Please pray for the Haitian people. The country is flood-prone and many hundreds of thousands still live in tents.

Tropical Storm Emily Breaks Up After Soaking Haiti

Famine Update

As you may know by now, a famine is sweeping across the Horn of Africa. Here are some figures out of the UK.

Somalia famine appeal raises far less than previous disasters

July Update

For those for you who don't receive my email newsletter here's a bit from the July issue:

Everything Shook

Yuka’s eyes widened with fear as she searched for English words. The earthquake and the tsunami were still fresh. But, she desperately wanted to tell her story.

“Everything shook and shook, “ she said. “The tsunami sirens started and we took the children and ran.”

The kindergarten where Yuka worked was completely submerged. Yet, all the children and staff made it to safety.

Many thousands around her that day weren’t as fortunate as you may know. The tsunami devoured everything.

Spreading the Word

It is a huge task and the Japanese church is small.

In Yuka’s town of more than two hundred thousand there is no church. There wasn’t even a known believer. Not one.

Crisis Response is now striving to send work teams and missionaries, so Yuka and her family can hear the gospel for the first time.

What I’m Doing

In May, I had the opportunity to travel to Japan and see the devastation and the hear the survival stories first hand.

I’m not on staff yet as I’m still raising support. But, I was able to get a taste of the job I’ll be doing in the future.

I shot more than twelve hours of video footage, which I am currently editing. The footage includes interviews with survivors and Christian workers as well as scenes that truly show the power of the tsunami.

Please pray for me as I continue my work for the Lord.

The Shaking Earth...

The earth continues to move. Here's a bit of what happened last week.

Latest Earthquakes Magnitude 5.0 and Greater in the World - Last 7 days

Latest Earthquakes Magnitude 2.5 or Greater in the United States and Adjacent Areas and Magnitude 4.5 or Greater in the Rest of the World - Last 7 days

Here's an earthquake and volcano update from YouTube for today:

Doctors Without Borders Adjusts Efforts in Haiti

Doctors Without Borders (known as MSF in Haiti) is changing how they are working in Haiti.

Haiti: MSF Reorganizes Post-Earthquake Medical Services

Cholera Around the World

Does the weather affect where cholera spreads? Here's an interesting look behind how weather may help us track outbreaks of the deadly disease.

Weather data may predict cholera outbreaks

Haiti and WikiLeaks?

Some interesting things here. See what diplomatic cables say about Haiti.

Haiti: what WikiLeaks' US embassy cables reveal

My Journey to Japan

I had the opportunity to travel to Japan as a videographer with Crisis Response. I thought I'd just post some pictures and let them speak.

Rains Spark Jump in Cholera Cases

The rainy season sees a increase in Cholera cases in Haiti. Official numbers have yet to be released, but doctors on the ground report a "significant jump" in people contracting the disease.

Cholera cases spike in Haiti due to rainy season

Tornados 4-27-11

Many tornados struck all cross the US yesterday. Hundreds killed. Thousands left homeless.

Tuscaloosa Tornado


Birmingham Tornado (WARNING: Strong Language)


Terry, MS


Tornado Damage (Not sure where)


News Footage of a tornado in AL.


Rose Hill, MS


Tornado damage (Not sure where)

Video of Tornado - St. Louis Airport - 4-22-11

CC footage from Lambert St. Louis Airport 4-22-11.




Cell phone of the tornado.


An edited video of the tornado.


A look inside the airport after the storm.


Interviews and video of damage.

Martelly Wants New Taxes for Schools

President-elect Martelly has laid out plans for taxes on international phone calls that would benefit schools in Haiti. The plan would raise about $36 million dollars every year.

Haiti's Martelly seeks new taxes to help schools

The Shaking Earth...

In the past week there has been several earthquakes over a 6.0. Most off Japan or around Indonesia.

Latest Earthquakes in the World - Past 7 days


A short video pointing out the earthquakes from this week.


A longer video detailing earthquakes on 4-27-11.


New footage from the Japan earthquake. A fireman flees the tsunami and tries to get other people to safety.


Many clips of the Japan earthquake as it happened. Many haven't been seen before.

Secretary of State Clinton Meets President-elect Michel "Sweet Micky" Martelly

Martelly traveled to Washington to have some key meetings. Haiti's future hangs in the balance.

Clinton gives US support for Haiti's new president

KRAZE Wins "Award of Merit"

Kraze has won the "Award of Merit" at The Accolade Competition! I'm very pleased to say the least. The movie has performed very well at every festival that I have entered it.

Check out the award laurels and watch the trailer:

The Shaking Earth...

The earth continues to be restless. Here's more on earthquakes and aftermath of earthquakes around the world.

Latest Earthquakes in the World - Past 7 days


Driving into the Fukushima nuclear danger zone.
 

 
Aftershock rattles Japanese newsroom.
 

 
New video of the tsunami.
 

 
Short update on the Japan earthquake. Some powerful images.
 

Final Vote Confirmation Delayed

The final vote comfirmation delayed in Haiti's contested election. Now, the election will not be certified until April 18.

Final Haiti vote results delayed by two days

Rebuilding Haiti

An in depth look at the recovery situation in Haiti.

"A new Haitian government under Michel Martelly is unlikely to resolve the Caribbean country's myriad reconstruction and development challenges. What Haiti urgently needs now is better governance. Haitians and their international counterparts have to work together to create legitimate public authority for rebuilding a country that does not rest primarily on formal, rules-based institutions."

Rebuilding on Quicksand: Haiti After the Run-off Polls

Martelly Wins

"Sweet Micky" set to become the next president of Haiti.

Newsmaker: Haiti's Michel Martelly: from pop star to president

Interim Haiti Recovery Commission Needs Review

The Secretary General of the Organization of American States, José Miguel Insulza, suggests that the IHRC needs a review of working methods.

OAS Secretary General at the UN Security Council: "It's time to re-establish confidence between Haiti and the International community"  

The Shaking Earth...

For the latest earthquakes around the world check out the USGS list.

Latest Earthquakes in the World - Past 7 days


An in depth report on the situation in Japan. Great interviews and amazing video footage.
 

Watch the full episode. See more PBS NewsHour.

 
Close-up footage of Fukushima Reactor.


 
Video of clean up and recovery efforts in Japan.
 

 
Some CCTV footage of the Chile and Haiti earthquakes.
 

Cholera Infection Numbers may be Higher

The number of people infected by Cholera in Haiti may continue to raise at a higher rate then first thought according to one study. Though, aid workers on the ground say the infection rate is slowing and no deaths have been reported in more than two months.

Disease model predicts more cholera for Haiti

Haiti Election Results Delayed

Results were supposed to be announced tomorrow, but they have been pushed back unitl April 16. Charges of fraud and other irregularities have slowed the vote counting.

Haiti's presidential election results delayed by fraud

'Baby Doc' Duvalier Leaves Hospital

Baby Doc was released from the hospital yesterday. He was escorted back to his house where he is under house arrest. No word on his condition other than a friend saying he's, okay.

'Baby Doc' Duvalier leaves hospital in Haiti
Photo: AFP

New Technologies Being Used in Disaster Relief

I used Facebook to let my friends and family know I was okay after the earthquake.

Now, UN released a major report on how new technologies can be used in responding to disasters. The article contains a lot of information and a link to the complete report.

REPORT ON HARNESSING NEW TECHNOLOGIES RESPONDS TO A NEW ERA IN EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS

Aristide and the Elections

Here's an interesting look into the return of Aristide and the ongoing election saga in Haiti.
Haiti's movement from below endures
Photo credit: Wadner Pierre

'Quantum Leap' Needed to Overcome Poverty

Some debts have been cancelled and more loans distributed to needed projects in Haiti by the IDB.

"The IDB is focusing on six priority areas of Haiti's Action Plan for National Recovery and Development: education, water and sanitation, transportation, energy, agriculture and private sector development. The Bank plans to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in each of these sectors over the next five years, with special attention to strengthening the institutional capacity of Haitian public sector agencies."

Haiti - Reconstruction : The IDB with Haiti to avoid stagnation

Earthquake in Myanmar

A magnitude 6.8 earthquake rocked the country of Myanmar on Thursday. Death toll stands at 74 with more than a hundred injured.

Aftershocks Continue in Myanmar

Aid to Haiti's Textiles?

Some in the US government appear to be trying to jump start the Haitian textile industry. Though, many challenges still remain.

U.S. lawmakers eye assistance for Dominican-Haiti textile industries

OAS Response to Haiti's Elections

The Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS) responds to Sunday's elections in Haiti. The outcome has yet to be determined.

OAS Secretary General Welcomes Normalcy during Haitian Voting

Jean-Claude Duvalier Taken to Hospital

Baby Doc Duvalier was hospitalized after complaining of stomach pain. The former dictator has been charged in connection with the murder of more than 30,000 people and the theft of nearly $800 million dollars. He remains in the the hospital.

Jean-Claude Duvalier taken to Haiti hospital after falling ill

Photo from the article.

Election Update

Some news on the election. Most observers are happy with the elections, but the people remain concerned. The results won't be known for some time.

US sees encouraging signs in Haiti elections

Photo from the article.

The Shaking Earth...

A new feature I'll be posting each week is about earthquakes around the world.

Here's a link to the USGS detailing recent quakes:
Latest Earthquakes in the World - Past 7 days

Closed circuit television footage from the Haiti quake of the Presidential Palace collapse. Be warned it is distrubing.

Two tsunami videos from Japan.

Adoption: Haiti vs. Japan

Haiti and Japan could not be more different when it comes to how they will respnd to disaster. The foremost difference is that Japan can actually respond. If you were wondering about adoptions know that inquiries into adoption in Japan are being turned away.

Foreigners Looking to Adopt Japanese Earthquake Orphans Need Not Apply
Photo from the article.