Associated Press journalists based in Port-au-Prince said the damage from the quake – the most powerful to hit Haiti in more than 200 years – is staggering even in a country accustomed to tragedy and disaster.

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      Healing Hands Responds (click here)
 

There are occurrences in all of our lives that defy logic. There are moments that define our day as well as moments that define our purpose. I would like to share with you one such moment.

Wednesday in Shoreacres was a “normal” day as relief work goes. After almost 2 weeks of trying to synchronize our schedules we finally got to assist Terri with cleaning out her house and yard. A very stoic and self-sufficient woman, Terri’s heart was softened considerably by the Southeast coC (Aurora, CO) youth group’s enthusiasm. The work went quickly and it was evident that we would finish by lunchtime. My full intention was to use this time to pre-run ahead of the team’s job schedule to insure that the upcoming jobs were as reported.
As I ran (yes, ran) to the truck  my cell phone rang. I paused to answer so that the oh-so-very annoying warning alarm of the truck wouldn’t disturb the caller (or me) only to notice that during this pause that one of the kids had an item that Terri wanted to save. After correcting this I started once more for the truck. Sitting on the seat was the Release form for the homeowner to sign. I ran back to the house again to get the signature. Sprinting to the truck like a man half my age (cough, cough) I reached for the keys when I remembered that Terri had some new shovels that we were using and they would surely be mixed up with our tools. Terri said as I entered the house “Ain’t you gone yet?” No, but I asked her to watch for her shovels and hugged her once more. On my way at last -except that I turned left out of the driveway instead of right and was going the wrong way. Sigh.

About 4 doors down I spotted a semi-clear driveway to turn around in but there stood a short woman pushing a very full wheelbarrow of moldy drywall. I hit the brakes, rolled down the CRANK windows on the truck (none of them fancy push-button things for us) and asked if she was the homeowner. Yes, she said, with sweat rolling off her face.
Would she like some help with her house, I asked?
“No, I couldn’t afford that.”
“But this help is free, there is a gaggle of teenagers a few doors down.”
As the look on her face turned to disbelief, I backed up the street to ask the kids and sponsors if they would help, and help they did. As I finished my errands they moved furniture, took out drywall and cleaned up the mess. Only later did I learn that her young daughter was very seriously ill and  in the hospital. It is my understanding that she and her husband and family take turns staying with her and cleaning up the house from the flood, in which they lost most everything. The kids were touched deeply and one later offered a book she had brought as a gift to take to the daughter, since all hers were ruined. Grateful tears came to this woman and the volunteers alike.
My point is this: Had my grand plan of getting these IMPORTANT things done for the Lord gone even remotely like I envisioned, I never would have met Edith Sanchez. Five seconds in any direction would have caused our paths to miss.
At least now I know who is really making out my itinerary!
Praise to the One whose ways are higher than our ways!
Ed Perry

I don’t want to go back to church and dress up and everything be nice and pretty. What we’ve been doing here is real church, it’s getting dirty and helping people.

–Angie G.

Hilltop has been on the ground since right after the storm. We surveyed the area and and found a definite need for outside volunteers. The local community has responded amazingly well, but local volunteers are drying up as people get back to their lives after giving days or weeks of their time. The need is greater now for outside volunteers. Between our own requests for help and those going unmet by other relief organizations in the area there are hundreds of work orders to fulfill.

This past weekend, we had 62 volunteers in from Harding University in Searcy Arkansas, Northside Christian Church. in Tulsa, Prestoncrest Church of Christ in Dallas, and Lubbock Christian University. They were awesome workers and amazing people to work with. Some would have been happy working day and night.

We completed 14 jobs mucking houses and clearing downed trees from yards over the weekend as well as getting a lot of small side jobs done for neighbors of those we were working with, or just driving down the street and asking who needs help.

The worst hit areas where we can work are Galveston, San Leon, and Shore Acres. Areas on the Bolivar Peninsula (across the mouth of the bay from Galveston) are still off limits and most homes were completely washed away in those towns. Those areas are marked by yellow and red on this map respectively.

Damage Area

Wind damage to trees covers a much broader area, but is pretty much confined to the Galveston Bay area.

Our operations in Houston are being hosted by the Clear Lake Church of Christ. We are 20 minutes from most of the hardest hit areas. We have 42 real mattresses, 6 showers, plenty of bathrooms, a huge kitchen, and a gym we can use if it isn’t being used for other purposes. We have a pool table, fooseball, and air hockey! We have plenty of tools for volunteers to use in their work, a 15 passenger van, a pickup truck, and two tool trailers to haul tools around in as well. This place rates 4 stars compared to the flooded school buildings, tents, and MASH showers we’ve had in the past. The church has basically turned over the back third of their building, their youth area, to us to use as long as there is a need.

The church has been awesome! The elders and church leadership have been overwhelmingly supportive of our operations to help them reach out to their community and responsibly spend the funds they have collected for the work. This is a place where “real Christians” prevail as the hands and feet of Christ. We are only supplementing what they are doing in their community. The youth group continues to work mucking houses in the area and church members made some fabulous dinners for our volunteers this weekend. I am personally quite impressed with our partners here.

Like the man said “Come on in boys! The water’s fine!”

Servants Unite!

John McGuire

Mick and I spent the afternoon with the church youth group cleaning out Stennie’s (like Jennie’s) house in San Leon. The waves had washed the front wall in (facing Galveston Bay), washed the contents against the kitchen in the back of the house (towards the street) and pushed the bottom of the back wall out.

We had to tear loose the hinges on the door and force it out to get the refrigerator and other debris out of the house.

Her daughter, son-in-law, and grand kids got there after we started and she arrived from Batton Rouge just as the crew got in the church van to come back for Sunday evening activities.

John McGuire