Hi Friends,
I began blogging back in May of 2008 so that people could keep up with my summer preaching sabbatical. Once I returned from my sabbatical in September, the upheaval with hurricanes Ike and Gustav overcame Haiti, and I felt it necessary to keep Haiti needs up to date. If you haven't already noticed for a number of months now, I have been on a hiatus from blogging. I call it a hiatus because I could always return to it; however, for now will not. What a bloggy treat it has been to do the Hsu bloggy blog. Thanks for reading and the Lord bless and keep you . . . until we bloggy blog again!
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Monday, November 17, 2008
Back from Haiti
We just returned from Haiti. We had an amazing week traveling to seven orphanages, seeing around 500-700 children. We were able to provide medical attention at 5 of the 7 orphanages. So that we understand the great need for medical missions trips, these orphans see doctors maybe once every year or two (I emphasize maybe), and they see doctors only when medical missions teams come through their villages.
From my perspective, our team of 14 accomplished an incredibly significant task, giving to these little ones medical attention. While we may only take our own children 1-2xs a year for “well-child” checks, I think the main difference here is that these children are not “well” but severely malnourished and starved for affection and attention (averages are that about 4 women provide care for every 150 children in these orphanages).
I was very proud to be associated with a Grace Chapel medical team that provided not only a knowledgeable and skilled group of providers but also poured out love onto these children kissing them, hugging them, playing with them, singing with them and bringing so much joy to them (and they to us) for a 2-3 hour period. It seems like such a small effort, but for these children, this kind of effort means everything and is of the greatest significance to our Father in heaven (see Psa. 68:5ff. and especially v. 5).
From my perspective, our team of 14 accomplished an incredibly significant task, giving to these little ones medical attention. While we may only take our own children 1-2xs a year for “well-child” checks, I think the main difference here is that these children are not “well” but severely malnourished and starved for affection and attention (averages are that about 4 women provide care for every 150 children in these orphanages).
I was very proud to be associated with a Grace Chapel medical team that provided not only a knowledgeable and skilled group of providers but also poured out love onto these children kissing them, hugging them, playing with them, singing with them and bringing so much joy to them (and they to us) for a 2-3 hour period. It seems like such a small effort, but for these children, this kind of effort means everything and is of the greatest significance to our Father in heaven (see Psa. 68:5ff. and especially v. 5).
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Grace Chapel Medical Team
Tomorrow, Nov. 7th, Grace Chapel sends a fourteen person medical team to Haiti. Pray for our work in Haiti that we would be a blessing to our friends and that we would go in the posture of servants and learners. Our fourteen team members are as follows:
Rich Kacere
Matt Jacobsen
Ann Seacrest
Meg Robison
Bryan Becker
Chad Hall
Amy Geraets
Craig Moore
Elijah Knight
Mike Callen
Jason Schafer
Carla Pisel-Nixon
Gene Summerlin
Mike Hsu
Rich Kacere
Matt Jacobsen
Ann Seacrest
Meg Robison
Bryan Becker
Chad Hall
Amy Geraets
Craig Moore
Elijah Knight
Mike Callen
Jason Schafer
Carla Pisel-Nixon
Gene Summerlin
Mike Hsu
Thursday, October 16, 2008
16,000 lbs. of Clothes
16,000 lbs. of clothes went out from the Peoples City Mission in Lincoln at 10am this morning and the shipment is now headed to our friends in Haiti!
An article from KOLN as well as a news clip on the project is available under "Haiti Related Links."
An article from KOLN as well as a news clip on the project is available under "Haiti Related Links."
Oct. 15th Press Release on Clothing Project
For Immediate Release
October 15, 2008
LINCOLN, Neb. – Beginning at 10 a.m. Thursday, October 16, a semi-truck full of children’s clothing will begin a journey from Lincoln to a Haitian orphanage. Lincoln’s Grace Chapel is leading an effort to help children left homeless after four deadly hurricanes ravaged the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere earlier this year. Crete Carrier Corporation will pack a semi-truck with clothing donated by the Peoples City Mission then transported to Kansas City then on to Miami where they will be loaded on a cargo ship bound for Haiti. The clothes will be loaded Thursday at 10 a.m. at the People’s City Mission Distribution Center, 2101 N Street.
Backgrounder:
Grace Chapel has been sending missions teams to Haiti for the past 4 years, most recently in August right before the first of four deadly hurricanes swept through the country. The storms left Haiti, which was already the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, with a death toll in excess of 800 and swept away the homes and possessions of thousands. The Peoples City Mission offered to donate a semi-truck load of clothes to bring to the Haitian orphanages that the team would be serving.
The problem, however, was the cost of getting the clothes shipped from Lincoln to Haiti. The initial estimate of shipping costs exceeded $10,000. C3 Missions International offered to provide half of a shipping container they were loading with relief supplies destined for Haiti. Crete Carrier then agreed to donate the trucking to get the clothes from Lincoln to the shipping container in Kansas City.
The Grace Chapel medical team will be leaving for Haiti on November 7th and consists of 14 members including doctors, nurses, medical students, assistants and a pharmacist. Tax-deductible donations to help cover the expenses of sending a medical team to Haiti can be made to Grace Chapel.
For more information please contact:
Grace Chapel Missions Team - Mike Hsu, 484-8555 ext. 202, mikehsu@gracepca.com
Peoples City Mission - Tom Barber, 475-1303 ext. 108, tbarber@peoplescitymission.org
Crete Carrier - Brent Brown, Operations Manager, 475-9521, bbrown@cretecarrier.com
C3 Missions International - Mike Fox, (816) 550-5990, mikefox@c3missions.org
October 15, 2008
LINCOLN, Neb. – Beginning at 10 a.m. Thursday, October 16, a semi-truck full of children’s clothing will begin a journey from Lincoln to a Haitian orphanage. Lincoln’s Grace Chapel is leading an effort to help children left homeless after four deadly hurricanes ravaged the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere earlier this year. Crete Carrier Corporation will pack a semi-truck with clothing donated by the Peoples City Mission then transported to Kansas City then on to Miami where they will be loaded on a cargo ship bound for Haiti. The clothes will be loaded Thursday at 10 a.m. at the People’s City Mission Distribution Center, 2101 N Street.
Backgrounder:
Grace Chapel has been sending missions teams to Haiti for the past 4 years, most recently in August right before the first of four deadly hurricanes swept through the country. The storms left Haiti, which was already the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, with a death toll in excess of 800 and swept away the homes and possessions of thousands. The Peoples City Mission offered to donate a semi-truck load of clothes to bring to the Haitian orphanages that the team would be serving.
The problem, however, was the cost of getting the clothes shipped from Lincoln to Haiti. The initial estimate of shipping costs exceeded $10,000. C3 Missions International offered to provide half of a shipping container they were loading with relief supplies destined for Haiti. Crete Carrier then agreed to donate the trucking to get the clothes from Lincoln to the shipping container in Kansas City.
The Grace Chapel medical team will be leaving for Haiti on November 7th and consists of 14 members including doctors, nurses, medical students, assistants and a pharmacist. Tax-deductible donations to help cover the expenses of sending a medical team to Haiti can be made to Grace Chapel.
For more information please contact:
Grace Chapel Missions Team - Mike Hsu, 484-8555 ext. 202, mikehsu@gracepca.com
Peoples City Mission - Tom Barber, 475-1303 ext. 108, tbarber@peoplescitymission.org
Crete Carrier - Brent Brown, Operations Manager, 475-9521, bbrown@cretecarrier.com
C3 Missions International - Mike Fox, (816) 550-5990, mikefox@c3missions.org
Monday, September 29, 2008
$100 Million of Pledged Aid to Haiti
Bill Clinton, actor Matt Damon and rap artist Wyclef Jean join together for a philanthrophy conference where gathered are pledges of $100 million of aid to Haiti. Wow. See article under my "Haiti Related Links."
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Sharon St. Germain Update (Sept. 24th)
Networking-Thank You
We cannot begin to say "Thank you" to so many who have been networking to help us get the needed help to Haiti. We have brothers and sisters in the DR who coordinated flying in bags of rice to the Les Cayes Airport; brothers and sisters in Columbia, SC partnering with PCA and non-PCA churches in SC and NC to drive down an 18-wheeler truck of donated items; brothers and sisters in Boca Raton, Ft. Lauderdale, S. Miami, FL planning to do their own container; and the list goes on and on.
There are two containers currently on the El Shaddai Presbyterian Church property. The word is that we may need to order another.
Gonaives
Yesterday, the ESMI team visited Gonaives again. The water has receded in most areas. However, the entrance into the city from the south still has a huge lake. After Hurricane Jeanne in 2004, the lake that was formed in this same area took over 12 months to dry out. The current lake is about three times bigger. There is no telling how long this new lake will take.
What the people are now contending with is the mud. Lots of it. And everywhere! Mountains, hills, piles of mud are left to clear. Then there are the flies. Swarms of huge green flies. And then, there were the funerals. These are a sad reminder of the effects of the hurricanes. The smell is also there. The citizens of Gonaives are totally dependent on help from the outside. There is nothing and no one in their city to help them. This is the story for most of Haiti. We are happy to see a couple organizations focusing on giving clean drinking water to the people.
God's willing, in a few weeks we should have about 4 containers with clothing and medicine to distribute to the people. Thank you again for all that you are doing to make this possible.
Southern Haiti
The water at Miraguane has now risen higher than 5ft. This is the lake that was formed separating the road from Port-au-Prince to the South. Last week we took a chance in our rental when it was about 4-5ft. Now it is impossible to cross. You have to rent a boat/canoe to take you on the other side. This is how we have to get food supplies to the south.
Yesterday, Louis and a team drove further south from Port Salut. They found several villages that were totally destroyed by the hurricanes. Some villages in Port-a-Piment coastal area were totally washed away. He knows that when he returns, he will find many orphaned children. The cities around the southern coast such as Les Irois, Aux Coyeaux, Chardonierre, suffered great damage. These are cities dependent on the land and livestock. Land and livestock are no more. You won't hear about these cities and villages on the local radio station or on TV. There is no way to get to these places unless you have a very good vehicle. Some areas, have only motorcycle access; others, by boat only. Louis and the team are out today again.
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