Haiti Update

Last night I was able to speak with our SMART team as they were assembled at our compound in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Yesterday they purchased some $3,000.00 worth of basic food items and water which were loaded into a 30 passenger bus for land transport to Haiti.

There is a man in the church there who is a government official and he has taken care of the border crossing for them. Thank the Lord! This morning at 7:26 they text me to say they were departing for Haiti.

As always, let’s keep them in our prayers. The news is reporting that because of the desperate situation there are gangs attacking the convoys for food. On a good day Haiti is pretty wild and I cannot imagine what it must be like now.

This morning we sent several Med-Packs and boxes of medical supplies to Med Express in Alexandria, LA for shipment to Haiti next week. A big thank you to Cherry Air and Med Express for making this happen!

In the coming weeks we will send medical teams and probably construction teams to Haiti. If you are interested in participating in these trips, please monitor our website at www.compassionservices.org for upcoming information there.

We are getting inundated with phone calls, text messages and emails from people wanting to help with the Haiti relief effort so let me list some ways that you can help.

1. Pray for the people of Haiti, the SMART team and everyone involved in the relief effort.

2. Spread the word to everyone you know to get involved on some level.

3. Give – via www.compassionservices.org or send a check to CSI/Haiti 8855 Dunn Road, Hazelwood, MO 63042

4. Gallon Ziploc bags (personal care kits)– You can fill these with the items below. – This is a good project for a school or Sunday School class.

· 1 Toothbrush

· 1 tube of Toothpaste

· 1 Bar of soap

· 1 Small wash cloth

· 1 Pack of matches

· 1 Small Hand Sanitizer

· 1 Pack of gum

· 1 Pack of sweetened Kool-Aid

· 1 Small bottle of Aspirin, Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen, etc.

· 1 tube of antibiotic cream

· 1 tube of anti-fungal cream

· 1 pack of disposable wipes


5. Five Gallon buckets (for families) – You can fill these with the following items:

· 1-3 Toothbrushes

· 1 Tube of Toothpaste

· 1-2 Bars of soap

· 1 tube of antibiotic cream

· 1 tube of anti-fungal cream

· 1 pack of disposable wipes

· 1-5 Packs of sweetened Kool-Aid

· Small bottle of cooking oil

· 1-2 Bags of rice

· 1-2 Bags of dried beans

· Pasta – Raman Noodles, etc.

· 1-2 Packs of matches

· Pack of candles (plain white ones to be used for lighting)

· Hand towel

· Bath towel

· Pack of gum

· Candy for kids (not chocolate as it will melt)

· Hand Sanitizer

· Beef Jerky


6. Donate supplies for the medical teams:

· Ibuprofen

· Aspirin

· Acetaminophen

· Betadine

· Hydrogen Peroxide

· Syringes for ear cleaning

· Cold Medicine – Adult and Child

· Cough Syrup – Adult and Child

· Alka-Seltzer

· Pepto-Bismol

· Band-Aids (latex free if possible)

· Rubber gloves (latex free if possible)

· Ace bandages

· Gauze – Rolls or squares

· Medical tape

· Triple antibiotic ointment

· Vitamins – Adult and Child

· Imodium AD

· Hand sanitizer

· Wet wipes

Please write CSI in permanent marker on the Ziploc bags and five gallon buckets and ship these along with medical supplies to the following address:

Med Express Ambulance Service, Inc
7525 Hwy 71
Alexandria, LA 71302
Attn CSI Haiti Relief