Youth With A Mission Haiti

[Isaiah 6:8]

At 5:05pm I was sitting with our leadership team when the room began to tremble. EARTHQUAKE! We quickly realized that this was an abnormal rumbling. We have experienced minor trembles in times past but not like this one. We all bolted to the exit. Soon we saw everyone out in the center of our campus field as the earth continued to tremble. One of our walls had some plaster begin to shack loose, but then it stopped. Thank God!

The city erupted with screams and shouts! Most of our cell companies were down, electric went off, but then one of our new DTS student's cell phone rings. People are telling him that many buildings have fallen. There is much destruction in the capital Port-au-Prince!

Due to phone communication we are unable to reach our YWAM Center in Gonaives north of us, but we feel they are most likely ok as the earthquake's center was 10 miles south south west of Port-au-Prince.

Our survey teams we sent through St. Marc have reported back in with the good report that all looks safe in our city, St. Marc!

Let's pray for the many people in the capital. We have received word that many housing units have collapsed and government buildings as well, but still no clear reports. Everyone only had 45 minutes before the sun set and now they are pretty well in the darkness.

Terry W. Snow

National Director

YWAM Haiti

The Day After

Every 30 minutes to an hour the house rumbled and shook from the after shocks of the earthquake that has divested the capital, Port-au-Prince. It was hard to sleep wondering if you should run, wait or ignore it. All I could think about was the thousands that had no where to sleep in Port-au-Prince 60 miles away from our city, St. Marc.

We were up early to see the video footage and pictures of the Presidential Palace destroyed and so many other buildings we once knew. We feel in some ways as helpless as the victims in Port-au-Prince in the since of shock and not knowing what to do or where to start. Communications are still down, airport is closed for today so we have decided to send in a observation team to see what connections they could make. Haiti has no infrastructure much less a crisis management team. I suspect that PAP is crying even louder this morning as the reality of their situation tumbles on them.

We are thinking through how this impact will affect St. Marc and the population here. Fuel, electric communications, food and construction supplies all route through PAP. Today we are ok, but what about in a few days or week. Where are the refugees going to be going since there is little living space in PAP?

Pray for us and our observation team!

YWAM-Haiti Earthquake update 1/14/10

Dead lay in the streets, possibilities of mass burial sights talked about on the radio. People wandering the streets, city parks now filled with people camping out in them. The situation is worst than dreamed! Yesterday we sent an investigative team to Port-au-Prince (PAP) to take a first hand look at the situation. I will not easily forget what Rodney Gephart and Wayne Snow said when they had returned; "The situation is worse than it has appeared on TV!" My heart sank and instead of crying I felt a numbness come over me as they began telling me of the dead, the buildings that had colapsed and then to hear that they could not find any information on who is doing what as far as cordinated efforts for immediate response and longterm recovery. Our Leadership Team went late into the night trying to assemble all the data and strategies on how to begin with assisting the victims of the earthquake of 1/12/10. Praying for strength and wisdom from God! We know He has a plan. We have seen him take us through many floods and other situations that were greater than we could bare in the past and by GOD's grace, mercy and power we will see this through! How ummeasurable is His love! Nothing is impossible concerning Him! Today's goals are; -Establish Communication Hub- Focus (Connect with US Embassy, cordinate with any known releief teams, communicate with volunteer teams and individuals that are emailing)-Establish routes to recieve and send aid (Money, Supplies and Volunteers)-Check out and establish staging points to House and feed Volunteers (Probably need portable housing)-Immediate Response - Look for opportunities to run street soup kitchens (Use street vendors to make hot meals to give to anyone who needs them, buy purified water for distro)-Prepare for Security concerns (Yesterday the people were stund, today they will be starving!) The ground underneath me just trembled once more as I close this email and I am 60 miles away! Many people have asked how they can help. We need funds to kick in quickly. Until the shipments of additional releif supplies get open money is all we can work with. We have connections to food whole salers in St. Marc that can assist us, but we also need to purchase vehicles to get mobile. Many vehicles were destroyed so we need to find and purchase quickly! If you would like to get involved you may make a contribution over the internet and the following link https://www.ywam.org/secure/donations/donate.asp?project=10. If you would like to send a USA Check you may make it payable to YWAM Haiti, designate it to "Haiti Relief" and mail to;

YWAM HaitiPO Box 236Akron, PA 17501

If you are sending in a contribution we would like to hear from you immediately so we can put those funds into affect before they arrive. Please reply to this email with the amount you are sending.Thank you!Taking the High Places!Terry W. Snow

National DirectorYWAM Haiti

[YWAM-Haiti] Relief Update

Just a quick update, We have been very busy and have made great headway in developing a plan to begin assistance. We would like to begin preparing food and passing out sacks of purified water very soon! Instead of doing this today we focused on staging points to host teams, connect with the US Embassy and develop the infrustructure needed to assist in a positve way! We have located two potential staging points and we are appreciative to our very large Youth With A Mission family world wide. Saturday we will see a YWAM team from D.R. (Boardering nation) drive in with supplies. We have two other teams, one from YWAM Tyler Mercy Works and the other from Lancaster PA, New Danville Mennonite, that will be here Sunday. One team will be building a home in the St.Marc area the other will be setting up for medical relief. We have begun to make arrangements for getting a hold of finances. Please understand that all the banking systems have collapsed due to communications and the main offices destroyed in the capital. Hopefully tomorrow we will see our Haitian bank begin to open or release some funds for our use. We are finding other ways to obtain funds as well. YWAM International is recieving funds from around the world at a internet link https://www.ywam.org/secure/donations/donate.asp?project=10. Others are responding through email making commitments and sending funds to our YWAM Haiti, PO Box 236, Akron, PA 17501. The Haitian government is not funtioning and we have a team working to try and find a way to get the port of St. Marc opened for humanitarian supplies. Our YWAM base has 3 acres of land that we could make available to park containers for unloading, organizing and then shipping on to PAP. We have placed a call to YWAM Volunteers to come and assist in administrative ways to help in organization of the many teams that have already written ready to come. As mentioned we have currently found two staging points that could provide housing for these teams. We have a possibility of up to 10 additional places as well. Airplanes were seen flying in and the US Embassy was still very packed with people trying to leave. The smell of dead bodies is growing stronger and there seemed to be a spirit of dispair crying out through out the city. This is our time to demonstrate the power of the love of God. There is a deep stirring within many Haitians. Especially amongst our staff. Our Haitian staff are proclaiming it is time for change!

[YWAM-Haiti] Attn! Email address!

Hello everyone,

We now have a new email address that will help us coordinate those who are wanting to bring a team, send supplies or help with funds. It is relief@ywamhaiti.orgPlease use this email for inquires concerning helping the relief work in Port-Au-Prince Haiti! Taking the High Places! Terry W. SnowNational DirectorYWAM Haiti

I know of at least one of my YWAM friends who is on there way right now to help.

I will keep updates as I recive them.

I am on the YWAM Haiti Email list.

Edited January 15, 2010 by Isaiah 6:8