March 2010 Newsletter

 

Founder,

Donald Douglas DeHart

2/3/1935—4/15/2006

 

Legacy of serving Haiti began

the winter of 1968-69.

 

 

Eva’s sister continues…

 

 

This is hard for me to settle on a theme for my part of the newsletter.  I’m heading home (Indiana) tomorrow with mixed emotions.  Roseline came back to Florida last Saturday. She can help Eva some, but she needs to get cargo ready, supplies ordered, get them all packed and ready to go to the small commuter airline on the east coast of Florida that will fly them with her directly to Cap Haitien, Haiti.

 

On the Florida home front… I don’t know how Eva can handle all the “things” that change sometimes more than once a day. You talk on the phone try to keep up with e-mails, shipments, fundraisers and a lot of details concerning each one.

 

We are so thankful for all who have worked so hard to make the fundraisers successful.  Please keep praying for Haiti and all of the people there: Haitians, doctors, nurses, and FOR HAITI WITH LOVE for wisdom, knowledge, resources and most of all be to sensitive to the Will of God.  God Bless you all,

                                                                   Linda

 

Just one of the many appreciated notes:

 

Dear Eva,

   You have been serving so faithfully in Haiti long before the earthquake.  So our donation goes to you. I know it will be used where there is most need.              Love,  Pat & Rick

 

 

NATURE

 

First Haiti with her capital city and so many others buried in debris covering hundreds of thousands of loved ones; then Japan and before I even read how much damage there; now Chili has 8.8 quake with 9’ Tsunami?  The world has poured so many resources in to Haiti and the need is still so great…

 

We understand there will be needs elsewhere, but for 40 years we have tried to help the Haitian people become independent, to find ways of supporting their families and caring for their own.  Hurricanes, floods, droughts, then the devastating quake that destroyed their capital and other cities in the south… now the rains come.  Will people continue to focus on helping Haiti re-build? Or will the challenge be overcome by the other disasters?  Only time will tell.  God is big enough to have folks for everywhere… is mankind wise enough to be effective in helping?

 

BACK TO BETTER NEWS

 

For the first time in 40 years we have had people stepping forward to help us help Haiti.  People from our past, Joe and Diana Marks have Castle Winery in Tarpon Springs and called to say they were dedicating two Saturdays in February to help raise funds for this Lord’s work in the North.

 

Ronnie called from Reign Fest Ministries… he was choosing with a bunch of really good volunteer musicians, to hold a Christian concert fundraising event in the park in Dunedin… he had chosen the Saturday between the Winery’s dates.  What are the odds?

 

Sweet Tomatoes restaurant was having their 20th Anniversary in Palm Harbor and chose us from the Internet as the Haiti recipient of their fundraiser day… a Tuesday, Feb 23.

 

All of these events to help us help Haiti and no date conflicts and they all chose their own dates—another God Thing for sure.  Working hard, meeting lots of new folks, and getting cargo money for Haiti.

 

Feed My Starving Children sent a 38-pallet load of food packets that we pay shipping on to Miami and Royal Caribbean is taking on down… they arrive 3/2;   We have 7 pallets of mosquito netting and hygiene packs that will arrive from BluSource on Monday 3/1 along with a donation of 22 pallets of Kids Against Hunger  food packs.

 

Believe it or not, there is also a down side to all this generosity, we have the remains of 42 pallets of things like crutches, canes and walkers, not something a burn clinic has a lot of call for and the hospitals say they have been given so much they are renting space to hold it… like us, a lot of what they have not asked for and don’t need or want.  So this is a little reminder when your heart tugs to help—be sure to ask what is needed and don’t second guess the recipient.  Too much of the wrong help only creates more challenges.

 

OTHER NEAT THINGS

 

We got a call from Pastor Jack Harper from CrossRoads Church in Antioch, Tennessee. They were all geared up to go down south in Haiti and the airlines had cancelled their flight.  They Googled Cap Haitien and found us… they were prepared to help and having done this sort of thing before they were totally equipped to be self sufficient.  There were twelve of them and I told him we could only sleep 6—no problem, they had their sleeping bags.

 

 

They made their own reservations, called back and told us when they would arrive.  Presume and Roseline met them at the airport, took them to the headquarters and started passing out food to the people. This is only the beginning of the waiting crowd on food distribution day...

 

This team went down for business.  They had a plumber who repaired the headquarters toilets, a computer guy who fixed computers and even made a trade-off of services for a modem to get Roseline’s internet back online. Can’t help our H.Q. until the company replaces the disk again.  They were there to help when the 42 pallets had to be picked up in Labadee from Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and moved to the headquarters; helped also with a great gift of mattresses from the wharf for the headquarters and orphanage.

 

They loved the hands on experience of the food program where we package one day and distribute the next.  They came back with the burning desire to help us get more food as they saw the thousands of people at the gate pleading for food.

 

After they left and went home to be snowed in in Nashville,  Nancy Wagner’s “Sam” with Compatible Technologies arrived with the gift of an industrial strength non-electric grinder.  He too got caught up in the food program, a trip to the airport to pickup cargo, a quick trip to the orphanage and came back after a trip to Port au Prince to get pictures and video of the food program… Nancy will share that with us when it gets back stateside.  I am sure Sam will tell Nancy all about a day keeping up with Presume.

 

Rob Hess had a visit and dinner with Presume somewhere in that week.  He gave us 20 bags of rice from his purchase to pass out for relief.  His organization Hearts for the Hungry are the ones we split loads of beans with so we can both have fresh supplies more frequently, the black bean splits don’t hold up quite as well as whole beans, but cost a LOT less. In fact we are waiting for a shipment coming in via D.R, erroneously routed through Port au Prince; they have yet to arrive in Cap Haitien.

 

ROSELINE

 

Roseline was there with the team but back here when Rob Hess and Sam were with Presume.  She was gathering needed medical supplies for the clinic, helping with details after Linda slipped back up to the snow and cold of Indiana (only to get sick… we told her she should have stayed here).

 

With all that is happening in Haiti and with supplies pretty well renewed, Roseline didn’t make her return reservation yet so she could be flexible to the needs.

 

BABY SAMUEL

It was love at first sight for Jim K. from the Tennessee team. When he heard the story of how this 3 month old baby is now alone in the world he named him, made the commitment to support him and asked Presume to put things in motion so that when the governments allow—he will adopt Baby Samuel and bring him to America.  Meanwhile,  Wedge (Roseline and Résumé's adopted toddler) is helping care for (spoil) this new (temporary) family member.

                        More soon…….. God Bless you ALL!

 

MEMORIALS

 

Suzelle & Dr Pierre Conze

             In Memory of  DR GHISLAINE HEURTELOU GRAHAM

Shelly Ann Smith

Sandra and Stanley Wolff

Marjorie Armston Dimmitt

             In Memory of the EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS of Haiti

Brandon Byrne

              In Memory of  STOLIE

Roseline & Eva

              In Memory of JACKSON L. “JACK” POPE      

Ann Barnett

              In Memory of  JOHNNY, wonderful son

 

HONORARIUMS

Alice L. Weber

                To honor and remember DON’s birthday 2/3/35

Sandra Wolff

              Thanking God that Stanley’s son w/Digicel survived 

                      Quake

Gus and Sonja Stefanadis

                In Honor of  EVA DeHART

Ann Barnett

                In Honor of son, DR JOHN BARNETTE’s first

                        anniversary in his heavenly home  3/4/09