01/24/10

I had written before about support for the earthquake relief. Many had asked what they could do. Since we didn't have any need here I had suggested that anyone who would like to help could support Missions of Love, an organization working in Port au Prince where the help is needed. To read more about this, see my earlier blog entry (01/17/10).

However, as time passes, some refugees have been making their way here. We have visited a couple hospitals in the area and are trying to support some of the refugees who are here. On Saturday, we bought 100 pounds of rice and 50 pounds of black beans. We divided it up into about 36 bags. Our plan is to figure out who is of need, who came directly from PaP, and set up a schedule for them to receive supplies. We aren't in the position to have a food line by any means as we would run out in minutes. We want this effort to be exclusive to those who were directly affected and have come from PaP. Other than food, we also sorted several bins of t-shirts, dress shirts, pants, underwear, and socks for various ages. We also put together bags with towels and soap. Some clothes were donated by the missionaries here and a good deal of the clothing had been sent in. Though we may not be able to help everyone who comes, it is reassuring that we will be able to help some.

At the moment, we really aren't sure how many will show up here. Many have come already. Because we are seeing refugees who are in need, we do want to let you know that you may send support directly to us. If you prefer to support an organization in PaP instead of here, that's great. We realize that you may not feel comfortable supporting an organization you do not know, so if you are more comfortable with supporting the earthquake victims through Sonlight, please send financial support to the following address: P.O. Box 8031, Evansville, IN 47716. If you do decide to send support for earthquake relief, please make sure that you write "Earthquake Relief" in the memo field of your check. 100% of those donations will be used in supporting refugees who come to Port de Paix from Port au Prince.

Thank you all for your concerns and for your prayers over the past two weeks. It is greatly appreciated. Also, thank you all who have updated us on what is going on in PaP since we do not have access to televised news and have limited access to the internet. It's a bit strange to say that we are 100 miles from PaP, but most likely know less about the situation than you do. We have talked to a few who came from PaP, however it is still difficult to grasp the damage and the progress they are making as I haven't seen more than two images (and those weren't of great quality).