4/26/19
Dear friends of Haiti,
We hope this finds you all well.
So much has happened over the past month few months that it is almost impossible to keep track of it all.
In summary:
Travel Advisory
The biggest news is that the US State Department Travel Advisory remains at a Level 4. Given the relative calm that has been in place over the past month or so, there has been a great deal of speculation as to when the advisory might be lowered.
This is the word received from Brulan Jean Michel several days ago:
“The US Embassy in Haiti is waiting to see how the month of May will go as far as demonstrations are concerned. So we might have to wait for some time before the security level is lowered. We''ll keep watching and monitoring…My contacts at the airport are saying that teams are starting to come back. It is a good sign. I hope and pray that the State Department makes the right decision in the near future.”
The other major travel consideration is insurance. At a Level 4 Advisory there are many variations and restrictions on coverage so it is best that anyone considering traveling check carefully with their provider.
Furcy News
Unfortunately, given the travel concerns, 4 MHH teams had to cancel. We will be working with them to see about rescheduling.
On the other hand, we are so pleased to report that, through the generosity of our partners, MHH was able to provide funding to cover teacher salary arrears through January for teachers at both the primary and secondary schools. Funds were provided to assist farmers with seeds and fertilizer for the spring planting season; and, in addition, funds were provided to purchase emergency food for villagers. That is wonderful, and the community is incredibly grateful for the support. Please see the attached photos.
Jean Philippe is a great resource for keeping us all informed about life in the greater Furcy community.
Dental Clinic
In the absence of our dental team traveling to Haiti, the EMH Health Board was able to send a dentist to Furcy for a day.
NEJ Academy
Sarah Sandsted, International Director for Rebuild Globally, and a friend of Mountains of Hope, was a plenary speaker and workshop leader at the Northeast Jurisdiction UMVIM Academy in April. Her message focused on both the creation and growth of Rebuild as well as developing strategies for sustainable mission.
Guest House Support
Brulan Jean Michel reports that, as there are no volunteer teams coming to the Guest House, most of the staff has been furloughed. He is attempting to provide them with some form of assistance but that is becoming more and more difficult. We are thinking about providing some emergency financial support for the staff. If you would like to support this effort, please let us know and send your gift to the Frontier Foundation, 20 Soundview Avenue, White Plains, NY, 10606.
Wendy and I will be traveling to Haiti during the month of May (5/20/19 - 5/24/19). We feel it’s necessary to meet with the Furcy community and church leaders to discuss future plans. We will continue to be in touch with people within Haiti to asses the situation for our travel.
Thank you for your continued friendship, prayers, and support.
May God bless us in our mission together.
Tom and Wendy