May 2009 Newsletter

Mayday! Mayday! Mayday! We need your help!

Sorry, I could not resist! I was just sitting here beginning the newsletter and it just seemed like a great way to get your attention. Of course Mayday is from the French phrase “venez m'aider”, which means “come help me”, and we do need your help! Not only your donations that are used to purchase food, medical supplies, and pay for shipping to Haiti, but also your prayers. We need your prayers that the food that has been sitting on the docks in Cap Haitien since January will be released by customs. We have beans and formula sitting on the dock, and  we are out of food at the headquarters and buying bulgur so we have “something” to help them. One of the major problems is that the Haitian government has decided to try and automate the customs processing by computerizing it. Now, in this country and many other places in the world that might seem like an obvious and really good idea; however, automating a process like that requires some infrastructure, and skills, that are not necessarily in large supply in Haiti.

First, you need a constant and consistent source of electricity! Once you have that, you can begin to work on the network infrastructure to allow data communications between the customs officers in Cap Haitien and the central office in Port au Prince. Once you have both of those things, then you need to buy the computers and software necessary to automate the customs processing. And there might not be available software, which means hiring somebody to develop it. Finally, when you have all those pieces (and have identified the people with the skills to work on this large project), you need to install it and find people who are capable of running the computers and using the software developed, which would mean people who can read, write and have basic computer skills.

As you can tell, it is a large project, and in reality, Haiti doesn't have even some of the basic infrastructure necessary to automate customs processing. I would be all for it happening, because FHL, and others shipping goods to Haiti, would benefit immensely. However, I am a bit skeptical that this will all happen anytime soon. And in the meantime, we wait for the manual process to move slowly forward and release our shipments.  It will also help if they can decide what they need and stop asking for information document by document further slowing the process.

In other areas, we needed to make repairs on the water system that supplies the headquarters, and that meant getting some replacement pipe. Now I have said before that you can't just run to the local hardware store to pick things up. Many of the repairs and maintenance we do there are of the “improvised” variety. However, improvising pipe to carry water under pressure down the mountain is something that you can't improvise, so we had to head out to get some pipe. In this case, that meant driving to the Dominican Republic to find and buy the pipe, then driving back to Cap and up the mountain to the headquarters, where we unloaded the pipe and carried it up the mountain to the spot that needed repairs. And it seems like every plumbing project leads to another. In this case, the waste water for the sinks and showers was running down the hill, and eventually out to the harbor (yes, intentionally, that is the Haitian version of a gray water sewage system!). Well, it seems somebody built a house directly in the path of the outflow down the mountain and their solution was to block our pipe, we have not figured out what to do about this yet.

And it seems oddly appropriate that as I am writing this, we are just finishing up tax season in the US, and what do we get from the Haitian government but a bill for back taxes! It appears that it is a tax bill from 2003 to 2009.  2003 was when Don started having health issues, and since they don’t “send bills” … he was the only one aware of what was due and when. If anyone is getting a refund and would like to make a special donation to help pay these taxes, please send it our way.

Clinic Update

Just thought I would include some pictures of some children that have been treated in the clinic recently. In the first picture, you can see that they have cut the bandages that wrap around her chest so that they can remove them and take a look at the burns. The next picture shows the burns, which are healing nicely. One thing that struck me as I was viewing these pictures is how much bandaging and other clinical supplies get used, even for what is a burn over a small area.

 FHL is 40 years old this year!!!

Yes, I am going to remind you of that every month! We have a 40 year legacy of serving those in Haiti and I think it is something wonderful to celebrate and praise God for His support and guidance in serving the people of Haiti. I do want to encourage you again to help us to continue for another 40 years by continuing to give generously. And if you have the means and ability, maybe include a little 40^th anniversary gift!

And what is a special anniversary without a special anniversary project? So we have our 40^th Anniversary Truck Project! The old truck is still going, but it is only a matter of time before it gives up the ghost for good, it is definitely beyond hauling 110# bags of rice up the mountain. I have to say that I am impressed with the mechanics in Haiti. They manage to keep vehicles going far longer than they were ever designed for, and in far worse conditions than they were designed for. We have discussed before that if makers of trucks and SUV's really wanted to show how tough there vehicles are, they should bring one to Haiti and let us use it for a year. If it can handle that kind of punishment, mileage, and poor road conditions, then they would really have something to boast about. So far, nobody has come forward to take us up on the offer. So if you know the CEO of any of the car manufacturers see if you can run this by them and get them to agree. Hey, as bad a shape as they are in, it might be a way for them to get some good publicity.

Anyway, we still need more funds to purchase this much needed resource for the mission. If you have the means and want to help us in a very direct and meaningful way so that we can better help and serve the people of Haiti, consider a direct donation to purchase this truck. Below is a truck similar to what we are trying to purchase.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FAVOR?

We need to ask you to please watch and let us know if your contribution checks have NOT cleared. We think we have had some mail go missing, but the only way we can confirm that is when you let us know that your checks haven’t cleared. Marion asked because it had been two months and the memorial for her husband hadn’t been in the newsletter… her check was M.I.A. (missing in action)  let us know, please?

Annual Fundraiser!

All right, mark your calendars! The annual Christmas in August Fundraiser will be August 10^th this year. We will have more details as we get closer, but wanted to make sure everyone had plenty of notice about this wonderful, annual event to benefit the people of Haiti.

 

Blessings!

Well, I am going to bring this newsletter to a close. I had fully intended to provide more in this newsletter, but time slips away so fast, that I have not had the chance. I want to thank all of you for your support of FHL, and if you have ideas on what to cover in future newsletters, please sent us a note. Keep us in your prayers, and please remember those who have fallen in their service to their country this Memorial Day.

God Bless,

Rob