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HAITI UPDATES ARCHIVE

April 12, 2010

Dear Friends,
It is now April 12 – three months to the day that the magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti. With the media’s watchful eye, people across the globe saw and felt the catastrophic level of destruction and suffering. Yet, with the media’s eye having moved on to other events, so too most people’s attention has moved on. Even so, the reality remains that this earthquake “is the largest in proportional impact that any country has ever experienced.” It will likely require “US$13.9 Billion and take 10 years to rebuild the country” estimates Oxfam International (Oxfam.org). The need is ever present for your support.

The Work Must Go On!
The Mission of Hope in Haiti, where Sturbridge Worship Center has been working for 7 years, and more intensely so since the earthquake, has been a busy and productive place. Today as you read, Maike Kraft from Sturbridge Worship Center is leading a team, which includes 3 Germans, down to Haiti for the remainder of the month. And since the earthquake, we have sent down different waves of volunteers from Germany and from the U.S., including medical help that has provided care and treatment to hundreds of patients who would otherwise likely not receive professional care.

Certainly the work must go on! We have seen the beach property of the mission, which hosts incoming volunteers, gradually being transformed. It now has a fully functioning washhouse with running water, a kitchen set up, electricity wired throughout the property, and the foundation built for the new main structure. On the church and school site, we have also built a temporary wood and tarp structure, quite durable, to serve as the church gathering place and location for the Mission of Hope’s Primary and Secondary Schools. Along with thousands of pounds of food being distributed, we have seen tents and 2200 tarps handed out to those who desperately need better shelter, before the rainy season arrives.

The Orphans Are Doing Great!
The 31 orphans at the Mission of Hope are doing very well. Even in the midst of such a difficult season, these kids are filled with life, no doubt from the outpouring of love and support from all over the world. And their joy and excitement were abounding as we set up new tents for them in February, just as when work began in March to erect their new transitional wood shelter – which was just completed this last week! Just in time for the rainy season.

And these precious children love having visitors! Imagine this scene: you arrive at the orphanage for the first time, and before you have barely stepped off the vehicle, you have 2 or 3 bright-eyed, joy-filled, beautiful little faces surrounding you hugging your waist. They look inquisitively at this new visitor and in their soft and innocent voice, ask your name, and repeat it with a mixture of humor and affection. Even after just a few minutes, you know they have already won your hearts. And when you approach the next day, before you even get off the vehicle, they are running out to meet you, calling your name. That reality is but a future trip that awaits you! And your impact could influence the next generation. Consider joining an upcoming trip!

You Can Still Help!
Thank you for following our updates over the past couple months, and for your continued support of the Haitian people. Along with your prayers, your financial support has especially made a big impact, helping materials to be bought, and structures re-built. On this three month remembrance, we are amazed at all that has been accomplished and look forward with anticipation to all that is still to be done! Financial support is still certainly needed, and we would welcome anyone’s application to join an upcoming trip.

Thank You,
The Haiti Relief Team at Sturbridge Worship Center

Come to Haiti!


Earthquake Rubble Removal:


Emergency Tarp Distribution:


Joyful Haitian Children:

March 15, 2010

Here is a list of video updates from Stuart in Haiti
Remembering the incredible destruction caused by the January 12, 2010 earthquake:

Up close view of destruction - and lanslides from the mountain:

A panoramic view of a camp in Haiti:

29,000 familes beng fed with earthquake food relief!

Distributing much needed shelter before the rainy season:

The Beach Property, where once two buildings stood, a wall, and a pavilion:

February 19, 2010

Dear Friends, A lot of good things have happened here since the massive earthquake hit Haiti on January 12, 2010. Since our team was evacuated on January 17, Sturbridge Worship Center (SWC), located in Sturbridge, MA, suddenly took on the challenge of organizing Haiti relief work, next to our regular tasks. During the past few weeks we have answered about a thousand emails; many people, businesses and organizations have contacted us, wanting to help with the work in Haiti in various ways. We want to say THANK YOU to all of you who have raised funds and donated to this significant work! Besides the update below, we are considering strategic purchases and various investments to help local Haitian industry in their own recovery – which we will keep you posted on. Even yet, the ongoing needs are greater than available resources, and so we appreciate your continued financial support to help recovery efforts in Haiti.

Mission of Hope – Chosen as Regional Distribution Site for International Aid
As the international relief effort began to mobilize, the affected regions in Haiti were divided into 8 distinct districts, with regional distributors being chosen for each district. Mission of Hope, in Grand Goave, whom we have been working with over the past seven years, has been selected as the distributor in their region. This means significant amounts of relief supplies from international organizations and NGO’s such as USAID, IOM, UNICEF, and the World Food Program (WFP), are flowing through the Mission of Hope for ongoing distribution. This is an incredible opportunity to make a huge impact in this ravaged area. Already, the distribution of food, blankets, tarps and tents has begun and continues. The latest post at the time of this writing was a delivery of 218 metric tons of food from the WFP to feed 29,000 people.

SWC Relief Teams to help in Haiti
And with this great opportunity, of course, comes the added challenge of organizing and administrating such a large responsibility. Sturbridge Worship Center sent down Senior Pastor Daniel Lee after the earthquake to help and support the Mission of Hope in this regard. On February 23, he will be returning again for a week, alongside Stuart Rankin, Missions Coordinator for Sturbridge Worship Center, and a relief team from Germany. Stuart will stay for a month to help further in organizing and administrating, along with facilitating incoming teams. Through the course of the year, we will be sending a steady flow of volunteers with various skills from Europe and the U.S. From March 12-20 we are sending down a medical team, and will send another team down in April.

Would you like to help in Haiti?
Those who are skilled and those who are simply willing and able to lend a helping hand are welcome. In addition to skills we have mentioned that are needed in Haiti, there is the need for ongoing mechanical help to service and maintain the different vehicles of the mission. If you have any questions, or would like to join a team in any capacity, please click on the Haiti Relief Link. You’ll find all necessary information and forms for your trip!

We’d love to hear from you!
Be blessed,
The Sturbridge Worship Center (SWC) Team

January 18, 2010, Haiti Missions Team in Grand Goave, Haiti

We are thrilled to let you know that our team from Sturbridge Worship Center arrived home safely from Grand Goave, Haiti on Monday, January 18th. After making their way to the Port-au-Prince airport early Monday morning, they were able to arrange flights for one American to fly on a military transport and the remaining team members to fly through the Dominican Republic into the United States. We greatly appreciate your prayers for the team during their time in Haiti.

Stuart Rankin, Missions Co-ordinator at Sturbridge Worship Center,
made this video while in Haiti after the earthquake.


TO SUPPORT HAITI RELIEF, checks can be written to:
STURBRIDGE WORSHIP CENTER
9 MASHAPAUG ROAD
STURBRIDGE, MA 01566
Please write HAITI RELIEF in the memo.
or you can send money online through our DONATE PAGE.

The time is short and the need is great. Haiti is trembling under the impact of the recent earthquake and multiple aftershocks that have rocked this island nation.

Sturbridge Worship Center is committed to this tiny Island through seven years of ministry, relationship building, medical clinics, food distribution, church planting, establishing schools and more in partnership with Mission of Hope in Grand Goave, Haiti and their network of sister churches throughout southern Haiti.

At this time we have a team still in Haiti helping in the midst of this dark time but as I mentioned before the need is great! On December 29, 2009, we sent a team of 8 people from Sturbridge Worship Center to work with Mission of Hope, located in Grand Goave Haiti. Currently there are 5 people who remain in Haiti: Maike Kraft, Timo Kraft, Christopher With, Stuart Rankin & William Coley. The other 3 team members returned home before the earthquake occurred on Tuesday. We have been in daily contact with the team through Skype. Pastor Dan Lee states, "Conditions continue to be deteriorating with little sleep, food and water depleting quickly. No relief help has been seen in the city yet. Grand Goave, Haiti suffered serious damage, injuries and death with the aftershocks continuing through Thursday from the earthquake that exploded throughout Haiti on Tuesday. We are working to get the team back to the United States as quickly as possible."

Pastor Dan Lee says, "Here at Sturbridge Worship Center we are planning not only for immediate response but for the long term goal of helping in any way we can to bring hope and restoration within our sphere of influence." As a result we need your help.

It is our hope to send teams periodically over the next 3-5 months as the Lord permits to help in this hour of need. Starting sometime within the next one to three weeks we hope to send our first team with a goal of teams heading out for either one or two week commitments as long as the laborers are available and the resources endure.

CAN YOU GO? We need workers. Mature believers with medical skills, construction knowledge or other engineering and communications skills are of greatest value at this time though those with a strong back and a willingness to help will still be valuable. The conditions will be rough and the food limited but the need is pressing. If you have interest in being part of a team please contact us directly. There will be a mandatory application process and orientation for anyone added to the relief teams.

CAN YOU GIVE? We need money! Of greatest importance is the raising of financial support and supplies. Right now in the region we are working at least one of the orphanages has been destroyed, as well as the schools, much housing, the catholic church and so much more. Many are dead and others will die. However, the quicker we can mobilize resources the more impact we will have. There is a team of doctors leaving Tuesday from the North Shore of Boston area as well. We at Sturbridge Worship Center will be taking a special emergency relief offering and encouraged other churches to do the same. If you desire to help with your gift you may do so through the link provided on our church web site. We have also begun to receive commitments of emergency and long term care medical supplies and will be in need of additional funds to see that these are allocated to the priority situations.

CAN YOU PRAY? We need an ongoing cry of prayer to be lifted up before the Lord in response to this pressing situation. Please continue to pray for the communities that have been affected by this earthquake, the teams that are reaching out to them and for the continual flow of laborers and resources that will be needed to provide ongoing assistance.

Pastor Dan Lee