Update from Joan

Day 42 Sis. Joan Reinhard Six weeks ago…. Forty two days into this catastrophic event! Six weeks ago, life in Haiti changed far beyond our comprehension then and even now. The world as we know it turned upside down. Those who were more established and would have been able to offer assistance, were some of the hardest hit. The UN and the Haitian government both suffered paralyzing losses and communication with in the country stopped. What economy there was in Port-au-Prince was turned into rubble with many stores, hotels, universities, and hospitals flattened. Over 200,000 confirmed dead. With God, all things are possible This is the news you have been hearing for over a month. This desperate situation would seem to be unrecoverable. But…..with God all things are possible. We here have been witnessing an amazing turning to the Lord from all spectrum of people including a young US doctor and his wife. People are praising and thanking God for sparing their lives even as they lay in hospital beds. God definitely is at work. All of us remain in a whirlwind of emotions However the ups and down of conditions here keep us in a constant whirlwind of emotions. Friday afternoon a patient came into the Cite Lumiere clinic who had stepped on a nail 8 days before. He had two problems. First he had a very severe case of tetanus. Second he was officially not an “earthquake victim”. To sustain a tetanus patient you need to be able to give him an antiserum which we have here at the clinic. However the patient needs to be on a ventilator during this time because his body would relax so much that he would stop breathing. No where in Haiti could we find an available ventilator. Many phone calls later, to the USS Comfort, the U of Miami Med. Center in Port, the Bahamas to try to find a portable ventilator, and any where else we could think of, the bottom line was there was nothing available for him because he was not an earthquake victim. All of Haiti are earthquake victims. What these people don’t realize is that ALL OF HAITI are earthquake victims because their already poor lives have now become destitute. There is still not enough food in the area and what little there is for sale is very expensive. Many, many of the families here are supporting friends and relatives who have escaped from Port and are staying here in the Cayes area with some vowing never to go back to Port! Without a ventilator, the man with tetanus died Saturday afternoon this man died and I went and hugged and cried with his widow who is expecting their fourth child. All I could say was that I was sorry. We tried to find the machine that could have saved his life, but we failed. The frustration of resources not available is a constant thing here, but now, with the earthquake, it just got a lot worse. Please continue to pray and help We ask that you continue to pray for this country and as you have resources available continue to donate your time, money, and stuff to further help Haiti. We don’t pretend to know God’s plan here, but we just work on serving Him and being obedient to His call one step at a time. May God bless you all for all you have done already. In Christ, Tim & Joan Reinhard