Friends & Partners of Communityfor,

Many of you have probably followed the news of the 7.3 magnitude earthquake that struck Haiti on Tuesday. As you probably know, Communityfor has begun to partner with Walter Dort and Raymond Nacius, pastors and community leaders in Croix-des-Bouquets, a suburb of Port-au-Price.

At this point we have yet to hear from Walter and Raymond, and we ask for your prayers. Please pray for their safety, for the safety of their families (especially Raymond's newborn), for their congregation in Croix-des-Bouquets, and for all Haitians. Many stateside Haitians are unable to reach their loved ones, so do keep them in your prayers as well.

UPDATE (01/13/10): We have heard today from contacts in the RDC Network (http://www.lareddelcamino.net/en/ updates found here http://www.delcaminoconnection.org/en/) in the Dominican Republic that our friends Pastors Walter Dort and Raymond Nacius, their wives Marie Sone and Dor Guerda and their children are all safe! Their homes suffered only minimal damage! Please continue to pray for them as they assist in relief efforts in their communities.

The RDC Network asks that you please pray for also the World Vision National Director in Haiti who is still trying to locate his wife and two daughters.

UPDATE (01/14/10): We've made contact with Pastor Raymond! He and his family are safe, and they're taking care of a group of local children. The group is sleeping outside, prey to mosquitos and the weather, along Airport Road in Port Au Prince. They have yet to receive any assistance from the local government, and need medicine, food, water, and other supplies. Pastors Raymond and Walter have yet to see each other, but they have communicated by phone, and Walter finds himself in a similar situation in his town of Croix-des-Bouquets (a suburb of PAP).

Donations given here are being used to purchase and transport goods to Haiti from the Dominican Republic through our long-term partners at Del Camino Connection. The supplies will be used to equip local pastors, including our friends Raymond and Walter, to offer aid in their communities. A portion will be earmarked for later stages of relief work and reconstruction. Because of DCC's strategic presence in the Dominican Republic, they're currently able to transport volunteers and resources across the DR-Haitian land border, one of the few channels for distribution of much-needed supplies. For those that are interested, you can read the DCC plan here.

We'll continue to keep you updated as we receive new news. In the meantime, continue to pray. Communityfor friend Travis Reed has put together a powerful video, which you can watch or download here.

UPDATE (01/15/10): We've been working today to connect Walter and Raymond with the on-the-ground staff of Del Camino Connection. Raymond has sent his wife and children, including his newborn infant, upcountry, to stay with family. Unfortunately that means that they're currently out of communication. Walter asks that you pray for his family's safety. Raymond and the children he's watching in Port-au-Prince have had to sleep outside again in unfavorable conditions. They have interacted with the Haitian government, which was unable to provide them with any relief supplies.

Walter is at his home in Croix-des-Bouquets, but is sleeping outside with others. He has been fortunate to access his email, at local guesthouse Mamica, in order to communicate his situation to a DCC friend, Eladia Gesto, who is coordinating relief for them and other Haitian pastors in PAP. Walter has been able to reassemble the solar panel that he and Raymond learned to use in Oaxaca with our Country Director Miguel Johnson, so he is now able to power small electronic devices.

Both pastors ask for your continued prayer. They're very thankful for your donations, and we're optimistic that supplies purchased with your funds will reach them very soon. You can specifically pray that the DCC workers can connect with Walter, Raymond & other pastors quickly on the ground in Haiti, for their continued safety, and for their emotional and physical strength as they continue to lead others through this difficult time.

UPDATE (01/19/10): Walter and Raymond are together in Croix-des-Bouquets. They and their families are safe but sound very weary. They've made arrangements with the local hospital director and developed a distribution scheme for when supplies arrive. I saw that a medical organization (one we are not affiliated with) is planning to move into their area beginning tomorrow. Please pray that that move would be successful. The DCC & their parters are nearing success in securing local pastors with supplies to serve the needs of their communities. You've all heard of the difficulties surrounding aid distribution in Haiti so please pray for the logistics of those connections.

Walter and Raymond ask for your prayers of protection.

UPDATE (01/21/10): The communication between the DR and Haiti has finally opened and the DCC has been in direct contact with Walter and Raymond to get them supplies. Their first shipment arrived in Delmas and the aid is being distributed to local pastors. Tom Yaccino of the DCC is traveling to Haiti today and will be in Croix-des-Bouquet with Walter and Raymond. Please pray for his safe passage as he works to distribute aid an make assessments for future distribution.

Please continue to be in prayer for Walter & Raymond, their families, the people of their church & their community in Croix-des-Bouquet and all those suffering now in Haiti.

Thank you for your care and support for the people of Haiti.

UPDATE (01/22/10): Please take a moment to read an update here from our partners at Del Camino Connection. In it you will find futher details on relief efforts including info about medical outreach, water purification, distribution and relief kit contents and ways you can continue to pray. You can also check their home page for updates. You may also continue to check here in Communityfor news section for updates as well.

Del Camino Connection is working directly with our partners Pastor Walter Dort and Raymond Nacius along with other trustworthy local pastors. I heard today from Raymond that Tom Yaccino from the DCC is there with him in Croix-des-Bouquet.

UPDATE (01/25/10): Tom was able to meet up with Walter and Raymond over the weekend and the supplies were transfered and stored for distribution at the police station. A FEMA trained medical group will also soon be arriving in Haiti from Chicago (faciliated by the DCC) and another medical facility has been established in the area. We are expecting a report on the distribution of goods tomorrow! Thank you for following the story, for your continued support and your prayers.

UPDATE (1/26/10): We have received a report from Walter and Raymond with information about 26 communities in and around Croix-des-Bouquet who have received aid from them. They distributed 1785 food kits and 368 gallons of water. You donated to COF/Communityfor, the DCC and their partners purchased and transported supplies from the Dominican Republic and Walter and Raymond distributed in their local communities. They have asked us to pass on a very BIG THANK YOU to all of you who have been willing to share with them during this difficult time! The need is still great in their area and they have assessed that still 3237 families in their area are in need of basic supplies. We will keep you updated on plans to address those needs. As you have probably seen on the news, obtaining supplies, transporting them and storing them safely is still a big challenge in Haiti.

We at Communityfor are so very impressed with Walter and Raymond. Our friends have remained calm, smart and well organized in the midst of great chaos. We thank you so much for your financial support and your prayers. Please continue to pray for Walter and Raymond, their communities and for all of our Haitian brothers and sisters.

Please click here (the Del Camino Connection News site) for Tom Yaccino's most recent up update on his trip to Haiti, DCC aid distibution efforts and his time with Walter and Raymond.

 

You can give a donation to be sent to our partners in Haiti to be used especially for earthquake relief using the button below. 100% of your donations will go directly to our trusted partners in Haiti for the benefit of their communities.

Please continue to pray. We'll keep you as up to date as we are.