Yesterday, Friday, we learned the horrific news that a three story school building with roughly 500 children and teenagers collapsed while the school was in session.  The incident took place in the city of Petionville which is located in the hillsides above the capital city of Port-au-Prince.  The school, La Promesse, is a church operated school under whose denomination we do not know at the moment. 

As of this morning, Saturday, the death toll has risen up to 75, and great concern is that it will rise considerably as rescue workers continue to dig through the rubble looking for survivors.  Debris from the collapsed school building crushed neighboring residences in the Nerettes community located in the hillside between Petionville and Port-au-Prince.

For clarification, the two schools that the Holy Innocents’ church and school have helped build in Haiti are located in Mathieu / Leogane [St. Matthieu School], and Jac Jac [St. Jean Baptiste School] which are areas located ca. 19 miles west of Port-au-Prince.

Please continue to pray for the people of Haiti as they face one devastation after another.    

… … … these were the words from our friends in Haiti as they greeted us upon our arrival to Toussaint L’Ouverture Int’l Airport in Port-au-Prince toady for our first Haiti journey this 2008-2009 pilgrimage year: a VERY BIG and heartfelt THANK YOU which they asked us to extend to you for your generous response to John Porter’s e-mail-letter plea for immediate financial support for our Haiti partnership and efforts to aid in their recovery from devastations caused by resent storms sweeping their country.

The entourage greeting us were our friend / priest, Fr. Jean Berthol Phanord, along with Wilford, our driver, as well as translator Louise from Residence Filariose. Tomorrow, as we celebrate with the parishioners of St. Matthieu the Feast Day of St. Matthew, there certainly will be the whole congregation of St. Matthieu saying THANK YOU. All this is to say, again and again: Mèsi Ampil Ampil Ampil which from Creole translates to English:  Thank You So Much, So Much, So Much!!!

Because of your compassion and deep hearts, we were able to offer immediately $ 15,000 for aid and relieve efforts and we continue to receive more donations from you which will continue to go directly and undivided to St. Matthieu and her aid efforts at her different missions. The most pressing needs have been to make sure that everyone has food. With your generosity, most of the 2,500+ people under the pastorate of Jean Berthol have secure food supplies provided to them right now, and many families whose homes were swept away in floods and mudslides have now shelter for the time being; most notably in the two schools which you – our wonderful parish / school community – made possible to build at St. Matthieu and St. Jean Baptiste. Also and as we have noted before, despite of structural damage to the two mission churches of St. Marguerite and St. Bartolome, up in the mountains above Leogane, whatever is left and deemed structurally safe of these two houses of worship now serves as shelters for the homeless families in those areas.  At St. Saint Jacques mission parish where the church was demolished as well as many homes, those having lost their homes have been moved down the mountain to sheltering at St. Jean Baptiste school for the time being.

On our pilgrimage journey there will be limited areas that we will be able to survey and visit with, but it is very clear that need for help is great … as if it wasn’t already.  Please continue to pray for the people of Haiti.

Peace, Tryggvi.

Earlier this week, we welcomed our friends from the Les Petits Chanteurs – Holy Trinity Cathedral School Boy’s Choir as they arrived to Atlanta from Port-au-Prince. Tuesday morning, the choir performed during Middle School chapel, and then performed for the students of the Lower School. Wednesday night, the thirty member choir and five members of the Haiti Philharmonic Orchestra performed for us here in the nave … what a wonderful night it was … and “thank you” to all of you who came.

Early Thursday morning, the group left Atlanta for Chattanooga which is the second leg of their month long East Coast tour which will eventually take them to Washington D.C.

The group is led by the Rev. David Cesar, director of Holy Trinity School.

At dinner with two members of the group on Monday night, we had conversation about the challenges which the Haitian people have had to endure this early in the Hurricane Season. “Very very difficult.” “Life is so difficult in Haiti now” … as if it wasn’t already to extremes. The choir’s plan for this year’s tour has been a long time in the making. However, as recent storms have devastated Haiti, Fr. Cesar began to question if the tour could take place. “We all need to help each other right now. I was concerned for us to leave when our people need us so much.” Two days before the group was to leave Port-au-Prince, Fr. Cesar wrote an e-mail to Bishop Duracin and Haiti’s President, Mr. Rene Preval. Both told him that the group had to go to the U.S. … the best thing the boy’s choir could do for their people would be to sing for friends of Haiti in the U.S. … and did they ever sing.

On Wednesday night, I noted that we were not gathered for the concert to talk about the poverty and the horrific misery which plagues the Haitian people, but to see her beautiful people who were there to share with us their rich hearts and souls, and their angelic voices.

Yesterday, John Porter wrote a letter to our parish making note of the devastating situation in Haiti and appealing for financial support for our sisters and brothers in Haiti. God knows, they are in need.

We continue to be in contact with our friend, Priest Jean Berthol Phanord, when telecommunications allow. As of yet and thanks be to God, of his pastorate, we know of no deaths among his 2500+ congregants. Regarding structures, we already know of 13 families who completely lost their “houses.” However, this only applies to the parishioners of St. Matthieu. The church of St. Jacques is destroyed, and the churches of St. Marguerite and St. Bartolome are damaged. Jean Berthol has not been able visit with his mission churches and priest stations. In short and due to floods and mudslides, apart from knowing the destruction and damages of the mission churches themselves, the only area we know for sure regarding families and homes is around St. Matthieu and St. Jean Baptiste. Families without homes in Mathieu are staying in the classrooms of St. Matthieu school. Since the church building at St. Matthieu is under construction, there is little shelter there at the moment. Both the church building as well as the school building at St. Jean Baptiste are housing families.

For your prayers, concerns and questions regarding Haiti, Jean Berthol has asked me to extend deep gratitude from himself and the people of Haiti.

So far, we know that the most significant damage caused by recent storms was north-west of Port-au-Prince, in particular, the port city of Gonaives, (population 300,000+), where a large section was flooded, slammed by walls of water as high as 6’5. The interstate – Nationale 1 – leads due north from Port-au-Prince to Gonaives; the interstate – Nationale 2 – leads due west/south from Port-au-Prince. During our pilgrimages in Haiti, we take Nationale 2 which takes us directly west to Leogane and St. Matthieu. Nationale 1 towards Gonaives was seriously damaged during recent storms. From the beginning of rescue work, aid, and need, road structural damages have brought about major difficulty. Nationale 2 west/south was damaged on the south part of the peninsula blocking transit routs to Les Cayes and Jacmel. The roadway from Port-au-Prince to Leogane / St. Matthieu is undamaged.

It is intentional that I only call Jean Berthol once a week; we agree on dates when it is best for him that I call. He knows that we are praying for him and desiring to help, but for him, there is work to do. There are two primary needs which he must attend to right now: provide rice for the people and provide shelter for those in need. Thankfully, there is a well on St. Matthieu’s property so water is available. Thus far, Jean Berthol has been able to buy rice, but his funds are running out fast.

Thus far, we are still scheduled and plan to go on our Haiti Pilgrimage September 20 and celebrate with our Haitian sisters and brothers the Fest Day of St. Matthew. The Residencie Filariose, where we always stay, is open and operating. There is food and there is water. This is going to be an important journey if for nothing other than experiencing, first-hand, how our Haitian sisters and brothers are doing.

As always, peace to you,

Tryggvi+

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I greet you at a very sad and hard time for the country of Haiti.  I hope to give you a brief but informative update regarding our dire situation.  We have been hit hard by a series of hurricanes, including Fay, Gustav, and Hanna.  Hanna was particularly devastating, due to extensive flooding in Les Cayes, Cap-Haitian Gonaives, Hinche, Port de Paix, Leogane, Port au Prince, Croix des Bouquets, Bainet, Petit Trou de Nippes, Jacmel, Torbeck and many other regions.  Numerous homes were completely underwater during the worst parts of the storm as rivers overflowed their banks, becoming massive walls of water.  Communication is difficult or impossible in many locations.  There is infrequent or complete lack of electricity, many roads are destroyed, and rivers continue to overflow. Many bridges are unsafe to cross due to high waters, debris, and possible mud slides.

This destruction has made the day to day survival of the poorest people increasingly difficult.  The storms have destroyed crops and homes, closed businesses, and prevented the people from obtaining clean water.  Without these activities, the poor do not have the ability to obtain the daily money necessary for food or access to a healthy living situation.  The destruction of the season’s crops will intensify the food crisis with significantly less produce available for sale at market.

Haiti’s children, in particular, will be greatly affected by the recent events in Haiti.  Not only is there civil unrest, but the storms have ruined the livelihoods of their parents.  With no money to buy food and future income producing crops destroyed, many children will not be able to attend school this fall.  In such desperate situations as this, families must make choices as to who will be saved in a flood and who will eat each day.  These are choices no person ever desires to make but even as I write this letter to you, the people of Haiti face this reality.

I would like to thank all of you for your prayers and support.  Prayer is a powerful force against trouble, darkness, and trials.  Thank you as well to those who are supporting us spiritually during this time of sorrow.   Please know, too, that Haiti is also in great need of direct material support.   The people have great courage and staunch hearts in the face of these events; however, they cannot live on courage alone.  They must have sufficient food and clean water.  Please pray and consider how you may help the Haitian people in these troubling times.

May God bless you,

The Rev. Kesner Ajax, Partnership Program Coordinator -Episcopal Diocese of Haiti.

]]> http://tryggviga.wordpress.com/2008/09/06/we-received-the-following-e-mail-today-from-our-friend-pere-kesner-ajax-partnership-program-coordinator-episcopal-diocese-of-haiti/feed/ 0 Tryggvi http://tryggviga.wordpress.com/2008/09/06/devastated-by-three-storms-hispaniola-braces-for-more/ http://tryggviga.wordpress.com/2008/09/06/devastated-by-three-storms-hispaniola-braces-for-more/#comments Sat, 06 Sep 2008 22:39:48 +0000 tryggvigarnason http://tryggviga.wordpress.com/?p=28 ]]>

Following is a news article from episcopallife online [Episcopal News Service].

Peace, Tryggvi+

” ‘Know that you are in our prayers, and those of this whole Church,” Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori wrote September 5 in a message emailed to Diocese of Haiti Bishop Zache Duracin. “God never abandons us, even though the night seems long and dark.’

The one-two-three punch that has hit the Caribbean with more to come, is “pretty unprecedented,”said Matthew St. John, Episcopal Relief and Development’s program officer for Latin America and the Caribbean.

“The situation in Haiti is extremely serious and there’s a possibility for it to get even more serious,” he told ENS on September 5.

The situation is also severely hampering relief efforts, ERD said in a news release, which also contains information about how to help those efforts.

Hurricane Ike, which was a Category 3 hurricane as of 5:00 p.m. EDT September 5, is currently projected to sideswipe northern Haiti early on September 7 before it barrels toward the Bahamas, Cuba, south Florida or the Gulf of Mexico.

Behind Ike is Tropical Storm Josephine, which at 5:00 p.m. EDT September 5 was about 725 miles west of the southernmost Cape Verde Islands and moving northwest at eight miles an hour.

Hispaniola was still trying to assess the damage caused by Tropical Storm Fay on August 15 and Hurricane Gustav on August 26 when then-Hurricane Hanna arrived and stalled over the island earlier this week. At least 50 people died in Haiti from Fay’s destruction. Gustav is said to have caused more than 70 death and September 5 estimates place the Haiti death toll from Hanna at 137.

St. John said that the Rev. Frantz Cole, the Haitian diocese’s development officer, had been updating him as information reached Cole about Hanna’s impact. With no power and widespread flooding, assessing needs has been hard, St. John said.

“In times like these, getting good information is always difficult,” he said.

ERD has already helped its local partners care for 1,000 people in southern Haiti who were affected by Gustav, St. John said.

Gustav hit hard in the Haitian capital of Port au Prince. Sharon Babe, who teaches at the Episcopal University in Port-au-Prince, emailed ERD’s senior marketing and communications director, Malaika Kamunanwire, on September 2 to report that the capital had lost many of its few remaining trees and that much of the city is without power. Babe noted that electricity often goes out in the city, but said, “Haiti is definitely having some real problems at the moment.”

ERD and its partners in Haiti know that the normal post-disaster need for immediate food, water and shelter is complicated by the country’s lack of infrastructure and the fact that the storms have come near the annual harvest times. St. John is receiving reports of crops having been severely damaged or destroyed. Such loss comes at a time when Haiti had already been hard-hit by the global food crisis prompted by poor harvests, diversion of crops into biofuels, and high energy prices, among other causes.

The Associated Press reported September 5 that a ship carrying more than 33 tons of food, water and other relief supplies managed to dock in Gonaives, the country’s fourth-largest city. Hurricane Hanna inundated Gonaives. News reports tell of people stranded on rooftops for days. Deforested mountains surrounding the coastal city, which is located on a river plain, suffer from mudslides even in much less severe rainstorms.

UN peacekeepers worked through the night to repair a storm-damaged dock in the flooded city so that soldiers and dock workers could offload 15 metric tons of bottled water, 36,000 water-purification tablets, 16 metric tons of high-energy biscuits and two metric tons of rice, along with other supplies, the AP said. Seventy thousand people are estimated to be in emergency shelters.

St. John said he had reports of UN peacekeepers being instrumental in providing such logistics for the relief effort.

Hanna weakened as it moved out of the Caribbean but was nearing hurricane strength again as it neared the southeast coast of the U.S. Storm warnings are up for the East Coast as far north as Massachusetts.

The Episcopal Church of Haiti is the one of the largest diocese of the Episcopal Church. It has nearly 83,000 baptized members in about 96 congregations. The diocese was founded in 1861 when the Rev. James Theodore Holly, one of the Episcopal Church’s first African-American priests — ordained in 1856 at age 27 — left New Haven, Connecticut, for Haiti with 100 emigrants.

The Haitian church runs primary and secondary schools and a school for handicapped students, as well as vocational and agricultural training efforts, a university and a seminary.

The Episcopal Diocese of the Dominican Republic, in the other Hispaniola nation, also runs schools, a seminary, clinics, camps and other outreach efforts. Some 6,000 Episcopalians worship in about 56 congregations, all of which are missions.

The Haitian diocese is part of Province II of the Episcopal Church, while the Dominican Republic diocese is part of Province IX. The latter’s bishop, Julio Holguin, is a member of the Executive Council

Information on all Atlantic storms is available from NOAA’s National Hurricane Center. A NOAA video loop showing storms in the Atlantic is available here.”

– The Rev. Mary Frances Schjonberg is Episcopal Life Media correspondent for Episcopal Church governance, structure, and trends, as well as news of the dioceses of Province II. She is based in Neptune, New Jersey, and New York City

From tropical storm Fay, to hurricane Gustav, to tropical storm Hanna, heavy winds, rainfalls, floods, and mudslides have devastated the people of Haiti in the past two weeks where there are, at least, 150 confirmed deaths. Sadly, the death toll may raise as rescue and recovery missions are barely underway due to the difficult conditions they are confronted with.

I was able to reach Pere Jean Berthol Phanord this afternoon [Wednesday 9/3]. As always when I speak to him his first question was to ask how we, here at Holy Innocents’, were doing. He then began to tell me how our sisters and brothers are fairing in Haiti. At St. Matthieu, the building structure at the mother church, now under construction, has escaped any damage as has the building structure at Matthieu’s school. Sadly, however, thirteen families of St. Matthieu’s parish have lost their homes. At St. Jean Baptist, both the new church and school buildings are without damage, but no news on family homes and/or lives. At Saint Jacques, located in the mountains above the River Momosa, the church building was completely destroyed in mudslides yesterday. No news of family homes and/or lives.

Pere Phanord will continue to keep us posted as conditions and telecommunications will allow. Floods and mudslides have prevented him from traveling to his mission churches and stations, and all the information he can give us are information from parishioners who have been able to call him or get to the rectory with news.

Please pray for the people of Haiti,

Peace, Tryggvi+

Last year we had three successful pilgrimages to Haiti with a total of 39 Holy Innocents’ parishioners, students from our school, and friends. This year, we have scheduled five pilgrimages set for the following dates: September 20 – 23; October 11-14; November 8-11 ; January 17-20 ; April 18-21. As before, our pilgrimages are open to all members of our Holy Innocents’ community and friends. For further information, please contact me at tarnason@holyinnocents.org. Peace, Tryggvi+