Jodie Tiede, from Thrivent Financial, has reported that $2 million has been donated by members and an additional $1 million matched from Thrivent Financial. The $3 million will go to support the Haiti earthquake survivors. This goal was reached in little over three weeks.

Thrivent Fianncial will continue to offer online donation opportunities for members who still wish to donate to Haiti through Sun., Feb. 28, 2010.

CARE distributed mattresses and hygiene kits to earthquake affected populations outside of Leogane. Photo credit: Evelyn Hockstein/CARE.

Many WELS members were pleased to see that our synod responded quickly to assist in the massive relief efforts taking place in Haiti. . . . Read more in Together.

Join Pastor Phil Schupmann as he addresses the work of WELS Relief in Haiti after the recent earthquake.

> Watch the video on Streams

Some tidbits of information came in this morning.  In my previous letter, I had indicated that one of the Haitian members, Obed Bazin, who is also a former seminary student was working on a cruise ship at the time of the earthquake in Haiti.  Pastor Alex Torres informed me this morning that Obed showed up at the service in Moca yesterday morning.  My wife and I were not there because we had gone on our monthly scheduled trip to San Pedro on the south side of the island to visit the congregation there.  I had mentioned that Obed’s parents live in Port au Prince right near the epicenter of the earthquake.  When Obed heard about the earthquake, he called right away and somehow was able to get his mother on the line and talked with her for about three minutes.  Then the phone went dead and he was not able to make contact with her or with any other relatives in Haiti again.  The good news is that his parents were not in Port au Prince at the time of the earthquake and were not harmed by it.  Their home, however, was completely destroyed.

Rona Abraham has now gone to Haiti to try to find his relatives.  As of this morning, his wife, Manette had still not received any communication from him.  He very much needs everyone’s continued prayers because he is entering into a very dangerous situation even for him as a Haitian going to look for relatives.

Kathy also spoke with Nelia again this morning to see if she had heard anything more from her husband Elvin, the truck driver who had been in or near Port au Prince at the time of the earthquake.  Elvin drives for a construction company called “Estrella”.  The branch of the company he works for constructs roads in Haiti.  A person would think that this is exactly what is needed at this time in Haiti, since they are using the company equipment to search for victims beneath the rubble.  However, the company is going to withdraw all 800 of its employees who are located in Haiti from the country because it has become too dangerous for them to stay there.  The people are starting to become desperate because of the lack of food and water.  Those who intend to bring them these supplies or help to make it possible for the supplies to get to their destination are often attacked and sometimes even killed.  A pastor from Utah called me on Friday and indicated that a couple of his members wanted to go into Haiti on their own to help with the relief effort.  Though we appreciate the love and concern that would make our people want to do something like this, it is something that should absolutely NOT be done at this time.

After my seminary classes this morning, Kathy and I visited the Red Cross here in Santiago and spoke to the executive director of the Santiago branch, Ignacio Pérez.  He also indicated that individuals should NOT try to get into Haiti on their own.  In fact, if individuals tried to do this, they would not even be allowed to enter the country.  The only ones who can get in at this time are those who have official permission by the government to go in, such as the U.S. State department or the Red Cross.  The only exceptions are those who are able to identify themselves as Haitian citizens.  However, even a Haitian citizen would not be able to get in with a truck loaded with supplies, because they would have no protection.

Ignacio also gave us the following information.  The Santiago branch of the Red Cross is responsible for getting needed supplies to the north side of the island, specifically Cap Haitian, where many of the injured are being taken in order to receive medical care.  Therefore, the donations that he is most interested in would be items such as bandages of all kinds and materials to make casts for broken bones.  Food and water supplies can be received, but they would be sent first to the central Red Cross office in Santo Domingo and from there would be sent directly to Port au Prince.  That is what is most needed there.  We have heard on the news stations that not nearly enough food and water is actually getting to the people that need it, which is why the anger and frustration is mounting.  In part it could be because many of the roads leading into the city are still damaged as Elvin had also indicated.  Ignacio insisted that in spite of the reports, supplies from the Red Cross are getting to the people who need them.

Mark Vance called me again this morning and indicated that representatives of the COR would like to come to Santiago to have a face-to-face meeting with us here once Rona Abraham returns from Haiti.  One thing to take into consideration with regard to such a meeting is that I am going to be going on a regularly scheduled trip to Colombia from Jan 26 through Feb. 8.

That’s all the information we have for you at this time.  Thanks once again to all for prayers and other offers of support.

In Christ,
Pastor Phil Strackbein

Related Links:

1. Jan. 18, 2010,  Together article

2. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans

Dear friends,

I know you are all interested in receiving information regarding the situation in Haiti after the earthquake.  First of all, we thank the Lord that no members here in the DR neither Haitian nor Dominican were physically harmed by the earthquakes.  One former member that many of you know, Elvin, the husband of Nelia, who has a job as a truck driver, was working in Port au Prince at the time of the earthquake, but was not injured.  He called Nelia this morning to indicate that he is ok and that he and his crew are now helping where they are needed.

One of the ways that all Haitians, whether they live in Haiti or in the DR will be negatively affected is with their documentation.  All official documents, such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, deeds to properties, diplomas, etc., are all located in Port au Prince.  The government building that houses these documents was one of the buildings that was destroyed.  This will contribute greatly to the chaos and instability in the country for many years to come.

The only Haitian member living in Haiti at this moment is Helve Robert, a former sem student.  He does not live in Port au Prince, but makes frequent trips there.  My last contact with him was three days ago.  There has been no contact with him since the earthquake.  Rona Abraham’s parents live in Cap Haitian which is located to the north of Port au Prince.  His brother Nabeau was also there at the time of the earthquake.  According to news reports, Cap Haitian was not hit nearly as hard as Port au Prince.  Rona also has some aunts, uncles, and cousins who live in Port au Prince, some very close to the epicenter of the earthquake.  The parents of Obed Basin, a former sem student, live right at the epicenter of the earthquake.  As far as we know from last reports, Obed was working on a cruise ship and was not in Haiti at the time of the earthquake.

Kathy and I spent most of the afternoon with Rona.  He says that he has been unable to make contact with his parents or with his brothers in Cap Haitian.  In the local news many other Haitians were interviewed and they all said the same thing – they have not been able to communicate with their family members in Haiti.  Rona is planning to make a trip to Haiti this coming Saturday in order to assess the situation first hand.  He will first go to Cap Haitian to check up on his parents and other immediate family.  After that he will travel down to Port au Prince to try to find other relatives.  It goes without saying that he intends to witness about His faith in the Savior whenever he has opportunity to do so.  We supplied him with sufficient funding for the trip.

We asked if there was any other way we (the local church here) could be of help.  We have also received offers of help from others in WELS.  Mark Vance from the Committee on Relief called this morning with an offer to provide financial aid as it is needed.  Rona said that he thought it best that he first make this trip and when he gets back he will hopefully be able to better plan what to do.  He said that his initial preference would be to hold off with any humanitarian aid at this moment, since much international aid is already being sent.  Then, after a few weeks when the international aid starts to diminish, he feels that there will still be much aid that is needed, and that would be a good time to send some aid ourselves.  He may have a different feeling about it once he returns from the trip.

That is the situation as it stands at this moment.  We know you will all be including Rona and the country of Haiti in your prayers.  This situation has been especially difficult for Rona not only because it affects his family members, but especially because of his deep concern for the spiritual welfare of his fellow countrymen.

In Christ,
Phil