This is so much worse than we could have ever imagined...

To all,

We are sending this email to give an update on the information we've received so far. We spoke with Kevin McClellan right after the earthquake struck yesterday as he was traveling from Grace Village in Titanyen, where we are building the new orphanages and feeding center. He was OK and unhurt. He told us there was a lot of houses completely destroyed in Titanyen and cracks in the new highway being built on the west cost of Haiti. I don't think he understood the extent of destruction in Port au Prince and became concerned about getting back to his house to check on his daughter. We have been unable to reach him since then.

I was able to call Jean Fils-Aime, HealingHaiti.org's director in Haiti this morning around 6am. His house collapsed but none of the 12 people who live with him were injured. They all slept out on the streets and said most people would not go back into buildings even if the were still standing because of the fear and aftershocks. He told us he had talked to our orphanage director at our orphanage in Cite Soleil. One of the children had a piece of concrete land on her and she was taken to the hospital... the other 29 children and caretakers were OK. The school that they stay in had substantial damage.

We have not been able to get ahold of the director from our orphanage in Titanyen so we have no word on the 23 children there. We also have been unable to contact our ElderCare director or the directors of the school in Cite Soleil or Lespinasse so we have no word. I have tried multiple ways and have called hundreds of times today but with no success.

We have received word that the Providence Guest House has been destroyed. Providence guest house was run by Gertrude Bien Aime, who ran the Notre Maison Home for handicapped children that we visited over Christmas. We've been told that the guest house collapsed. Notre Maison home for the Handicapped children and St. Joseph's for abandoned children suffered heavy damage - there is no word on the children's condition. At this time, Gertrude is still looking for her daughter who was in school at the time of the earthquake. We have heard that Joanna, who was staying at the guest house is OK.

This is so much worse that we could have ever imagined and the information we continue to receive is not getting any better. This is truly an unbelievable event that we still cannot comprehend. Before the quake, only 30% of the people in Haiti had access to clean drinking water and now there is even less water available. We have one water truck staffed and will be running again when the roads are passable and we have another water truck that was shipped down last year that we want to put into service. We are also working with Feed My Starving Children to ship an emergency container of food to Haiti. I will be leading a small contingent of volunteers to Haiti hopefully in the next week.

We are asking all our friends, families and supporter to please pray for Haiti. Pray for strength, pray for healing, pray for mercy, pray for relief. Pray that God uses this horrible situation to shine His light on the poorest country in the western hemisphere. Pray that through their suffering, God will provide hope and a future for the people of Haiti.

We are in desperate need for additional support and ask that you will consider a sacrificial gift for the least of these. All donations are tax deductible and can be made on line at http://www.healinghaiti.org or by mail at Healing Haiti, 2629 South Shore Blvd, White Bear Lake, MN 55110.

Thank you... please pass this on to your friends, families and coworkers.

Ke Bondye Beni'ou

Blessings...

Jeffrey Gacek and Alyn Shannon