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CFI FAQQ
(Frequently Asked Quake Questions)
Following are answers to some of the questions we have been getting by phone and email.
We are doing our best to keep these current but keep in mind a lot of this info is changing quickly.
Thanks to all of you who have helped keep us updated.

Are Trips Into Haiti Affected?
Currently we plan for trips to take place as scheduled, with some flight changes. Eddie's Feb. 8 Team flew into the Dominican Republic and drove across the border to Cap Hatian, Haiti and then south to Ranquitte. Scott's March 2 Team is currently still planning to fly into PAP and it was reported Feb. 16 that American Airlines will again be flying into PAP airport starting Friday, Feb. 19.

Also, MAF has has now allowed Scott's Mar. 2 team to schedule MAF flights from PAP to Pignon. They have added a fourth plane, a long-awaited larger plane -- a Zodiak. More Info

We still have not heard back from Tortug.

How Will CFI Donations Be Used?
 Responding to this unprecedented disaster is requiring an unprecedented response to help people begin to put their lives back together.

CFI is responding to both urgent and the ongoing needs with our people, our resources and our finances. This includes partnering with other ministries in helping those in Port-au-Prince while primarily targeting the needs of those we can most efficiently and effectively reach.
  • CFI Team Leader Dr. Tom McKnight flew to Haiti with medical supplies and helped with an emergency clinic established there to respond to the overwhelming medical needs of the area.
     
  • To help those still in PAP, we have sent down down medicine and medical supplies with friend of CFI, pastor Choubert Remy, of Haiti Christian Mission. Choubert leads a school and pastors a church in the the PAP community of Gallete Gourou, two miles east of the PAP airport. We will be bringing additional medical and food supplies to Choubert via our next team.
     
  • To help quake victims who are arriving in Ranquitte, CFI will be endeavor to finance provide food and clothing to those hardest hit, as we are able. CFI Leader and Ranquitte Mayor George Derval reports over 600 earthquake victims have arrived from Port-au-Prince. Most lost everything. George has requested CFI's help in providing emergency food and even clothes for those hardest hit and most in need. We have already sent down special finances to help with this and expect to send more over the coming months.
     

  • As you have no doubt heard, a key strategy of helping earthquake victims in and around Port-au-Prince is for anyone who can return to their hometown or the town where they have family to do so.

    While we know the needs will be far beyond our ability to help, smaller NGOs (non-governmental organizations) like CFI are playing a key role in relief efforts by providing extra care to those affected from their communities. This will lessen the strain on the "big dogs"... the U.N., government, military personnel, and global-level relief agencies like the Red Cross etc. who have a huge job of providing adequate food and water.
    And because CFI aid will be distributed by Haitians on the ground who know the people, the area and the needs -- we have the advantage of being both efficient and effective.
     

  • We also want to make extra resources available to our key leaders who will be called upon to provide extra transportation, communication and other means of assistance.

It is not our intent as a mission to "take credit" for some of the examples of care listed above. Instead we are thankful to God for the people involved who have given of their time, talent and resources so that God's people may help His children at a time of incredible need. If you are one of those who has helped us help Haiti, we offer you our sincere thanks. If you are considering helping us help Haiti, we appreciate your consideration.

If you have further questions, please feel free to call us at the office: 859-623-6402. During the week, at least, you will not reach a recording or computer!
 

How are various CFI Leaders and "friends of CFI" doing?

                                                                               CFI Staff/Leadership
 Ivy
Ivy arrived back on campus earlier this month and is doing fine and her home was not damaged. Everyone living and working on campus appears OK.

CFI Staff & Leaders
No staff or leadership of CFI was in PAP at the time of the quake. We do ask your prayers for the friends and family of those connected with our ministry and also for those that will be going to PAP to help.

Teams
The visiting team of Andy, Anna and Thaddeus Long came out Saturday before the quake and we had no US Team Members in Haiti/on campus at the time the quake hit.

Scott
Scott is in the states and fine.

                                                                                 PAP Friends of CFI
John & Beth McHoul, Heartline Ministries
John and everyone seem to be OK. They lost a lot of walls and had some damage but apparently no injuries. Beth, daughter Morgan (now an E.R. nurse) and others with them made it back to Haiti to help with their temporary clinic and Morgan returned to the US after a busy week in PAP. Heartline was featured on ABC News. Some orphans are having their paperwork expedited, and I believe all Heartline children have now made it to the US to be with their new families. More Info

Adoption Note: We have been contacted by a number of couples wanting to foster and/or adopt to help with the huge population of Haitian orphans. At this time, the McHoul's Heartline Ministry has decided not to become involved with placing children not already in their adoption process, due to numerous questions yet to be answered by both US and Haitian governments. If we find an agency helping with this, we will let you know in this space...
Meanwhile, Heartline folks have suggested you check here: Info on Adopting Haitian Orphans

Choubert Remy, Haiti Christian Mission
Choubert and his family are all safe. His son Mickael and Bernadette's immediate family were not injured However Bernadette lost an uncle and Choubert had a cousin die in the earthquake. Choubert's house appears undamaged, while his sister-in-law's house was damaged. The school and church escaped damage. Choubert received news that two sisters near PAP are OK, with one have her house destroyed, and the other having her house spared. Choubert was interviewed by (at least) Herald-Leader and Channel 27 in Lexington, KY. Video link follows: Video Link . Choubert has left KY for Haiti.

Norwhich Guest House
This guesthouse, which has been used by CFI teams was demolished by the quake. There were some injuries, but it seems everyone was saved, including two people that were trapped after the collapse. More Info

CSI House
I talked with Gifta Snyder, aunt to CSI director Greg Benson, and she reports the CSI house has been damaged by the quake to the point it is not considered safe to live in. Greg and Kathy are OK and there were no serious injuries of any staff, visitors or others served by the ministry. Several guests in the guesthouse during the quake escaped unhurt.

Wall's Guest House
We received an email from Wall's that one of their two guesthouses collapsed, killing two employees and three guests. Manager Veniel Jean closed with: "WE NEED YOU PRAY FOR HAITI."

Cazeau House
CFI Team Leader believes he saw news footage of Cazeau House standing and apparently in good shape and we have confirmed that it made it through the quake in good shape. We still have not confirmed when they will reopen.

Hospice St. Joseph
The clinic and guesthouse was destroyed. More Info Even More Info
 

                                                                               Translators/Students
Johnson, John-Smith & Andronique
 Johnson, John Smith and Andronique are alive and uninjured. Their friend Stevenson has been located and is OK. They also said that some friends of theirs from Ranquitte were killed.

Louis Faranot
Faranot has called a couple of CFI leaders to report he is OK and was not injured.

Ernst
We have heard that Ernst, a senior college student majoring in computers, received a minor back injury, but is safely back in Ranquitte.

Gaddy Damas
We are extremely sad to report that it appears Gaddy did not survive the earthquake. Gaddy was reported to be studying in his school shortly before the earthquake hit, collapsing that PAP building. His father Jerome traveled to see the school and said that rescue personnel determined late in the week that the earthquake struck that there were no survivors.

Gaddy was Karen Salamon Ndzi's brother and Fedrina's son. Karen, Ivy's adopted daughter, said the whole family was close and was finding it hard to believe he is truly gone. "He was a very loving brother," she said. "He loved my mom and was a good brother." She noted he was somewhat the jokester in the family. "He always liked to make us laugh." Gaddy's brother Jeanjean was in PAP but escaped injury. He is also survived by another sister Deena.

Karen, Rene and their children Prisca and Rael will join Scott Mandl's March 2 team to visit their family in Ranquitte for a week. Gaddy was due to graduate in June with a degree in Linguistics and was fluent in four languages: English, Spanish, French and Creole.


              Gaddy Damas
                1988-2010

Please be in prayer for Karen and Fedrina's family and all who were affected by this terrible disaster.
 

                                          Compiled by Scott Mandl / CFI -- Updated Tue Feb 16, 2010 / 7pm

 

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02/16/2010