Tuesday, September 9, 2008
An incredible day, you gotta read this
An incrediable day, you gotta read this...
Tom Osbeck
September 9, 2008
Today was one of those days that is so rewarding. We left early this morning loaded with rice and 20 cases of bottled water. The national highway was not flooded so we made it all the way to Cabaret. What we saw was incredible. I have attached a picture of a lot right next to our school and you can see what the flood did to that building.
We lost our entire front wall but other then that, just lots of mud and rocks to clean out of the yard. The president of Haiti has move the start of all schools in Haiti from today to October 6th, to give people time to recover prepare for school. Thanks to about a dozen of you, we were able to give each family of our students $100 Haitian dollars. That can take them nearly a week. You should have seen the faces of the 45 families that received this today. They had nothing and now can eat and have fresh water.
We then headed to the Good Samaritan Orphanage. We could only get to the main road and had to park the truck and walk. For those of you who have driven that, you know it is about 2 miles. The river next to the road was flooding the road so we had to walk loaded with rice and bottled water. A local woman took us to the 4 foot high cement canal wall that runs through the woods. We climbed up and walked that 10 inch wide wall the whole two miles. We arrived at the Good Sam orphanage and wow, it was under mud. 2-3 foot of mud in the church and each room. All of their clothes, shoes and personals were destroyed by the mud. We knew the kids and staff were at the top of the small mountain next to the orphanage. We then grabbed the water and food and began to climb. I was so out of breath by the time I got tot he top but, what a sight to see. The 90+ kids were under a little shelter, (pic included) and sitting on cardboard boxes, which doubled as their beds. WE gave them all bottle of water and they were so happy. We then spent the next two hours playing games, telling Bible stories, making them laugh and singing. I was then able to leave Madam Lucien the director, $5000 Haitian dollars. This is probably more money then she has ever held in her life. She was so happy. Quickly she began to disperse her staff to get different items...charcoal, oil, diapers, soap and much more.
It was so neat, I only had Marco, Claudy, Pierre and Matthew with me when we went but one by one several others on our staff showed up to help, getting there by foot also. While there, Madam told me the story of Saturday night and wow, what an incredible story. The kids were in their beds when the river overflowed, completely knocked out the wall separating the orphanage from the river. Madam Lucien said at one point the water was over her chest. Immediately when the water rushed in, the staff and older kids began to actually throw the kids over the wall towards the road. After tossing them all over, they then took them up the hill, where they have been since Saturday night. What a story, and to think, every one of them, or many could have drowned had the staff not acted so quickly. I felt so bad for those kids today knowing what they had went through. What an experience that must have been. The thing is, when I saw them sitting on those flat cardboard boxes smiling so big, I didn't feel one bit sad. They were safe, they were happy, they had food and water and were surrounded by a staff who loved them. Compared to the carnage all over Haiti, this was not a bad sight.
We then trekked back to the truck and headed home to make 60 tuna fish sandwich's for my gang. What an absolute thrill to know that tonight, over 200 people will be eating and have fresh water because of the love so many of you have for God and these wonderful people. To those of you who so quickly responded, thank you so much. Words can never express my gratitude.
Please picture a family of 5 or 6 including one of our students, sitting around tonight eating a bowl of rice, drinking clean water, knowing that not only did God provide..........somebody loves them. Imagine those 90 kids lying down on those cardboard boxes sleeping soundly, with a full stomach, safe, dry and.................knowing they are so loved, so special. Folks, when I accepted the call to come to Haiti, I did it on faith. I had no idea the team that God would assemble with me, the staff here, and you folks on that side of the ocean. Today as I was walking that 10 inch wall, I actually thought of you, all of you. I did an old trick my dad taught me when praying for people. He would start in Northern Michigan and work his way around the entire country, and world, praying for people in the places he thought about. I did that today. I ran your name over in my head, and thanked God for each of you.
Also, notice in the pictures the jeans I am wearing. Those are an old pair my dad used to wear to work around the house. They still have paint and oil and other stains from his piddling around. Today, I felt my dad was walking with me, very happy what God has allowed his son to do. I am very tired.
Tomorrow is another big day. We have staff meeting in the morning to continue to put together a plan for these dear folks. You folks gave enough for me to respond again in a few days for these folks with food and water. We will also help with the cost of the cleanup at the orphanage and the building of the wall at our school and between the river and the orphanage. We decided the kids would stay one more night on the hill, while the place is cleaned tomorrow. With no rain today and none in the forecast, we feel they can go back down and be safe tomorrow night.
In the morning our kids director is taking our staff in to do a two hour kids club for the kids complete with candy, balloons and lots of fun, singing and bible teaching. I have never asked you for money before for an emergency like this, how you responded just blew me away. If you plan on helping, please do, I don't think we can get to much. Every cent will go to help these folks survive until they get back on their feet and help us rebuild some things at our points of light.
The orphans alone will need clothes, toiletries and much more. The Haitian people have a wonderful spirit and today we saw that as people in Cabaret were scrapping mud from their houses, the market was going and they were trying to get things back to normal.
Please continue to pray for the many who lost loved ones and so many more who are homeless. We continue on, thanks to God and thanks to his hands, YOU, who have encouraged me so much today, and have given me a real jump in my step. Marco even told DeAnna tonight that she would have been proud of her father for all the walking and work he did today. She should also be proud of her husband. Thank you again, I hope the pictures tell some of the story and if you want to help, any amount, please go to our website jesusinhaiti.org and or send it to our treasurer and mark Cabaret help. Thanks so much, today we did for the least of HIS, so we did for HIM, thank you. tominhaiti
For financial contributions JiHM Suite #155 10214 Chestnut Plaza Dr. Ft. Wayne, IN 46814 Att: Pat Hinen
Next To Our School
The Orphanage Dorm
Temporary Orphanage Home
Marco and Madam Lucien
A stuck UN Truck
Tom Osbeck
September 9, 2008
Today was one of those days that is so rewarding. We left early this morning loaded with rice and 20 cases of bottled water. The national highway was not flooded so we made it all the way to Cabaret. What we saw was incredible. I have attached a picture of a lot right next to our school and you can see what the flood did to that building.
We lost our entire front wall but other then that, just lots of mud and rocks to clean out of the yard. The president of Haiti has move the start of all schools in Haiti from today to October 6th, to give people time to recover prepare for school. Thanks to about a dozen of you, we were able to give each family of our students $100 Haitian dollars. That can take them nearly a week. You should have seen the faces of the 45 families that received this today. They had nothing and now can eat and have fresh water.
We then headed to the Good Samaritan Orphanage. We could only get to the main road and had to park the truck and walk. For those of you who have driven that, you know it is about 2 miles. The river next to the road was flooding the road so we had to walk loaded with rice and bottled water. A local woman took us to the 4 foot high cement canal wall that runs through the woods. We climbed up and walked that 10 inch wide wall the whole two miles. We arrived at the Good Sam orphanage and wow, it was under mud. 2-3 foot of mud in the church and each room. All of their clothes, shoes and personals were destroyed by the mud. We knew the kids and staff were at the top of the small mountain next to the orphanage. We then grabbed the water and food and began to climb. I was so out of breath by the time I got tot he top but, what a sight to see. The 90+ kids were under a little shelter, (pic included) and sitting on cardboard boxes, which doubled as their beds. WE gave them all bottle of water and they were so happy. We then spent the next two hours playing games, telling Bible stories, making them laugh and singing. I was then able to leave Madam Lucien the director, $5000 Haitian dollars. This is probably more money then she has ever held in her life. She was so happy. Quickly she began to disperse her staff to get different items...charcoal, oil, diapers, soap and much more.
It was so neat, I only had Marco, Claudy, Pierre and Matthew with me when we went but one by one several others on our staff showed up to help, getting there by foot also. While there, Madam told me the story of Saturday night and wow, what an incredible story. The kids were in their beds when the river overflowed, completely knocked out the wall separating the orphanage from the river. Madam Lucien said at one point the water was over her chest. Immediately when the water rushed in, the staff and older kids began to actually throw the kids over the wall towards the road. After tossing them all over, they then took them up the hill, where they have been since Saturday night. What a story, and to think, every one of them, or many could have drowned had the staff not acted so quickly. I felt so bad for those kids today knowing what they had went through. What an experience that must have been. The thing is, when I saw them sitting on those flat cardboard boxes smiling so big, I didn't feel one bit sad. They were safe, they were happy, they had food and water and were surrounded by a staff who loved them. Compared to the carnage all over Haiti, this was not a bad sight.
We then trekked back to the truck and headed home to make 60 tuna fish sandwich's for my gang. What an absolute thrill to know that tonight, over 200 people will be eating and have fresh water because of the love so many of you have for God and these wonderful people. To those of you who so quickly responded, thank you so much. Words can never express my gratitude.
Please picture a family of 5 or 6 including one of our students, sitting around tonight eating a bowl of rice, drinking clean water, knowing that not only did God provide..........somebody loves them. Imagine those 90 kids lying down on those cardboard boxes sleeping soundly, with a full stomach, safe, dry and.................knowing they are so loved, so special. Folks, when I accepted the call to come to Haiti, I did it on faith. I had no idea the team that God would assemble with me, the staff here, and you folks on that side of the ocean. Today as I was walking that 10 inch wall, I actually thought of you, all of you. I did an old trick my dad taught me when praying for people. He would start in Northern Michigan and work his way around the entire country, and world, praying for people in the places he thought about. I did that today. I ran your name over in my head, and thanked God for each of you.
Also, notice in the pictures the jeans I am wearing. Those are an old pair my dad used to wear to work around the house. They still have paint and oil and other stains from his piddling around. Today, I felt my dad was walking with me, very happy what God has allowed his son to do. I am very tired.
Tomorrow is another big day. We have staff meeting in the morning to continue to put together a plan for these dear folks. You folks gave enough for me to respond again in a few days for these folks with food and water. We will also help with the cost of the cleanup at the orphanage and the building of the wall at our school and between the river and the orphanage. We decided the kids would stay one more night on the hill, while the place is cleaned tomorrow. With no rain today and none in the forecast, we feel they can go back down and be safe tomorrow night.
In the morning our kids director is taking our staff in to do a two hour kids club for the kids complete with candy, balloons and lots of fun, singing and bible teaching. I have never asked you for money before for an emergency like this, how you responded just blew me away. If you plan on helping, please do, I don't think we can get to much. Every cent will go to help these folks survive until they get back on their feet and help us rebuild some things at our points of light.
The orphans alone will need clothes, toiletries and much more. The Haitian people have a wonderful spirit and today we saw that as people in Cabaret were scrapping mud from their houses, the market was going and they were trying to get things back to normal.
Please continue to pray for the many who lost loved ones and so many more who are homeless. We continue on, thanks to God and thanks to his hands, YOU, who have encouraged me so much today, and have given me a real jump in my step. Marco even told DeAnna tonight that she would have been proud of her father for all the walking and work he did today. She should also be proud of her husband. Thank you again, I hope the pictures tell some of the story and if you want to help, any amount, please go to our website jesusinhaiti.org and or send it to our treasurer and mark Cabaret help. Thanks so much, today we did for the least of HIS, so we did for HIM, thank you. tominhaiti
For financial contributions JiHM Suite #155 10214 Chestnut Plaza Dr. Ft. Wayne, IN 46814 Att: Pat Hinen
Next To Our School
The Orphanage Dorm
Temporary Orphanage Home
Marco and Madam Lucien
A stuck UN Truck
# posted by Tom Osbeck @ 8:39 AM 
Subscribe to Posts [Atom]
