"The Lord has done great things for us and we are filled with joy." Ps. 126:3

Wes and Heidi arrived in Florida last night and I was able to talk to my dad for the first time since he became ill. It was so good to hear his voice and he sounded great. Their trip to Florida consisted of a boatride back to Haiti, time waiting in an air-conditioned tent, driving by van to the airport and flying on a C17 military plane into the US. There they were met by an ambulance and police escort which took them right to a hospital in Tampa where a room was waiting. Praise the Lord for the way He worked all things out to save Dad's life. As I talked with Heidi on the phone I could already see the way circumstances fell into place that made the difference between life and death for him. There was a doctor who should have left for the night to sleep, but chose to stay and check on Dad. He ended up saving his life. The couple days we were frustrated because we couldn't get Heidi to the ship to be with dad was actually when the ship had to go offshore to refuel and couldn't contact me. If Heidi had made it to the ship when we wanted, she would have been there to see Dad almost die. The doctors said he was "minutes from death." It was definitely better that we had not known about that at the time. We are not suprised that God was holding Dad carefully in his hand through it all.

Back to the US

Heidi and Wes are on their way back to the United States. They left the ship late this morning. Wes will be admitted to a hospital in Florida, where we hope to hear more details on his condition. If I know him, he will try to escape before being admitted to another hospital. If you see someone hitchhiking between Florida and Indiana who looks a lot like Wes with a good tan, pick him up and bring him home. :)
(By the way, the picture above was added after Dad read the blog and then posed for the picture. Notice the attractive hospital gown showing beneath the coat.)

Even though the last blogs have been updates on Dad's condition, remember the Haitian people are still suffering and in need of basic supplies. Lisa and Bryan have said that flights are very difficult to come by now, and the bureaucratic red tape is worse than ever. Everyone wants a bribe and the process is very slow and frustrating. Pray that they can find efficient routes for the food and supplies.

Wes Improves

Wes' condition continues to improve and he is so happy to have Heidi with him. Before she arrived there were several times he thought he heard her voice in the hallway and would call out to her. That makes us sad but we know he won't be alone any longer. He is scheduled to fly off the ship on Thursday. We are still unsure where he will be taken from there. Heidi needs to get back to work after being in Haiti for a couple weeks, so she may tag-team with April who will take her place. We are just taking one day at a time to see what unfolds.

Tremors

Haiti had two more large tremors this morning. In fact, they have had five tremors in the last 24 hours. It seems that can happen for as much as a year after a big earthquake. As you can imagine, each tremor brings back memories of the "big one" and it makes the Haitians nervous and afraid of more buildings collapsing.
Heidi was still on land this morning during the tremors, but left about 8:00am to see Dad. She was taken by boat to the USNS Comfort to visit him. The good news is that Wes is off the ventilator and is able to talk, although he's a little hoarse. He could be released in just a few days. Thank you for your prayers.

Complications

I received news this morning from a doctor aboard The Comfort that Wes is in stable condition but on a ventilator. He actually had a heart attack, possibly from the overload of fluids he was given to save his life. The bacterial infection he contracted, Shigella, is a dangerous bacteria that is responsible for many deaths in third world countries. The doctor couldn't tell me how much damage was done to his heart; additional testing may have to be done when he gets home. Heidi has not been able to be with him yet, but we are in the process of linking her with Dad and hopefully escorting him back to the US, compliments of the military. They don't expect Wes to be discharged until the weekend. Please pray for healing and encouragement for Dad, since he has been three days without any family and he doesn't have a fondness for hospitals. Thank you.
Konda

Wes Enjoying The Comfort of Haiti

Here's the latest on Wes' condition. After Dad was medevac'd to The Comfort, the US Navy military medical ship, one of their doctors called me and confirmed that Wes is doing well and has been moved out of the ICU. His vitals are almost normal and he should be released in a few days. He had contracted a bacterial infection and was very dehydrated. His fever had actually peaked at 105.7. The doctor was so kind and took so much time on the phone with me. He treated me like I was the most important person in the world. He was on the deck of the ship calling me from his Satellite phone and said he would call again tomorrow. I was thrilled to hear of Dad's good condition and was relieved to let all my sisters know that he was on the mend. Heidi stayed behind in Carrefour but the doctor said they will send a helicopter to pick her up and take her to the ship to visit Dad and she can stay there until he is discharged. They will also call me sometime today so I can talk to Dad, too. The doctor had spent a good deal of time with Dad and found out about our mission in Haiti and the history of Full Life Crusade over the years. He was telling me how wonderful it was how our family has been involved in helping Haiti. It seemed to me that he was doing quite a bit to help the Haitians as well and I told him so. He laughed and said, "Well, it's your tax dollars at work."

Now that the threat of Dad dying has passed (and I really did think he might die), I have contemplated the initial thoughts that went through my mind. The first thing I thought was that this might be a great way for dad to go out...serving the Haitians and teaching the Bible, free to just be himself. He was having a great time in Haiti without any constraints.
You would think that my second thought would have been, "Oh, I wish I would have said..." or "I wish I would have done..." for Dad before he left for Haiti. But to be honest, I had no regrets with Dad. There wasn't one thing that I wanted to tell him. You see, I love him every day. He's not perfect and neither am I. But I live near him and we have him for dinner regularly and watch movies and I'm able to show him how much I care about him. He is a pillar in my life and the lives of my children. He is a spiritual giant. You don't have to spend more than a minute with dad before his conversation turns to God. He can't help it, because he loves Jesus. My husband, Bryan, has found dad a great encouragement over the years. He can discuss deep ideas, God's working in his life and end time events. They both look with anticipation for the next great move of God. Dad's excitement for God is unending and contagious.
Dad has never catered to my children and doesn't shower them with gifts, but he has a strength about him that demands respect and they love all the intangible things about him. They love to gather around him as he tells stories about his mission trips and the miracles God has done in his life. They love that he can still run fast and ride a bike even at 71 years old. He often brings a movie from the library, or junk food (when I let him) or pizza for dinner so I don't have to cook. Just a few weeks ago I asked Dad to share some wisdom about about life that my girls might not learn in the world since they are homeschooled. He gave the older girls some great wisdom and examples from his life.
So Dad can come home and he can read this blog. Maybe he'll learn something he didn't know about us and what we think of him, but I doubt it. He always has known that I love him.
Konda

Please Pray for Dad - Flight needed ASAP

Last night Heidi called me from Haiti saying that she thought Dad might have caught Malaria. He had started feeling bad in the early afternoon and within a couple hours his fever had spiked to 105 degrees. She gave him some Ibuprofen and took him to the hospital where she has worked as a nurse and they began giving him IV fluids. His fever began to come down and things seemed better. She asked me to find them a flight out of Haiti. After hanging up I called American Airlines, which had just started commercial flights back into Haiti this week, but they were booked until March 1.
I was awakened this morning before 5:00am and it was Heidi again. Dad had taken a turn for the worse and she needed to get him out of Haiti ASAP. Please take some time as you read this to pray for Dad. He is very ill and needs medical care that he cannot get there in Carrefour. If anyone knows a quick way to fly out of Port-au-Prince or has a helicopter that could pick dad up, please contact me. We know that dad is in God's hands and nothing will happen to him that is outside God's will. Pray for healing for dad's body and a way home.
Konda

UPDATE: Wes has been helicoptered to The Comfort, the military medical ship. This ship is amazing! If you have seen it documented on the news, it is a floating hospital with all the latest medical eqiupment. I'm sure they will be able to give Dad the care he needs. Heidi is accompanying Dad and its even possible that they will travel back to the U.S. on that ship, since it is scheduled to leave Haiti now anyway.
I have to say that immediately after Heidi called me with the bad news, I felt so helpless and I knew that I didn't have the means to get Dad out of Haiti. I felt such great responsibility. So then I did what I had learned so well to do when I was going through cancer a couple years ago - I prayed. I know that God can do so much more than I can ever do on my own. I am so thankful to have Him and that He hears me. He is such a good God. Then I made a few phone calls (none of which got dad out) and e-mailed the only military man I know. In my e-mail to him I made the comment that I didn't know anyone else in authority. I had to correct myself, because that's not true. I do know someone in authority and it is Jesus. Wes has served Jesus his whole life, and He will care for him now like he always has. Praise the Lord! Thank you all for your prayers. And thank you to Heidi for caring for Dad and for Lloyd & Darlene Smoker for helping to organize his flight out. Thank you to Bryan & Lisa Bartow for their calls to Haiti and everyone else who helped to get Dad medical care.
Konda

Haitians Praying and Fasting

Last night it poured rain! My tent has no sides and the rainwater blew onto everything in the tent. This morning the sky cleared and we had a chance to lay out all our belongings in the sun to dry. The Haitian sun worked wonders and dried everything out in no time.

Each day I meet with 8 Haitian men for "church." Our Bible class consists of me reading a whole chapter of the Bible in English, then they read the chapter in Creole. Then we go back and read the chapter verse by verse in English then in Creole. They correct my Creole and I do the same for them in English. Then we discuss the passage. They are learning about God's word and also learning more English. Our meetings last 1 1/2 to 2 hours each day. I just found out that none of them had eaten anything in three days. They never told me, I had to ask. It only came about during our discussion after the meeting when I point-blank asked them if they had enough food to eat. Can you imagine going even one day without food and not complaining about it? How about three? I gave them bags of rice to take home to their families and we'll keep them supplied from now on.

Speaking of going without food, the Haitian Christians are taking the next three days to pray and fast for their country. It seems ironic that they've gone without food and water since the earthquake, but aren't afraid to call a nationwide fast. Their fast serves two purposes: in addition to setting aside time to seek God, it also frees up food for others. What amazing sacrifice! The Christians are a beautiful example of Christ. I would encourage you to join them as they seek God.

The men who came from Kentucky, Virginia and Pennsylvania put up a house next to us in only 3 days. It was so impressive! The house will be a base for the the workers to use as storage and also for sleeping quarters. They built 20-25 bunks in it for sleeping, but we all prefer to sleep outside because of the heat. The nurses use the house for storing their supplies and food.

Our only running water is a shower tap and we have an outhouse, too. Today I spent some time cleaning the "bathroom." On some days we had over 30 people sharing one toilet, but we're all glad we have it. We wash our clothes by hand in a bucket of water when we become too filthy. That's about the extent of our ammenities. I'm still sleeping on the roof of a building. Our sleeping arrangements actually worked to our benefit when we were in Port-au-Prince locating more supplies. We were getting the run around until we told them we were all sleeping on the ground/cement roof. It seemed that was turning point. Their attitudes changed and they began treating us like royalty. They gave us all the supplies we needed. Praise the Lord!

So far, the Lord has kept me in good health. A number of people have been sick, probably from drinking the water and also from becoming overheated. The well water that we have access to was just tested and given the green light for drinking. But I've traveled enough in my life to know you don't ever drink the water in a foreign country, without purifying it first. Many of the American's, though, began drinking the water and have felt the consequences of it. Need I say more? I have a water purifier that I use exclusively for drinking water and it is one of the best things I brought with me on the trip.

The nurses continue to go out 2-3 times a day. They go out in the morning to treat the wounded, then come back for lunch and go back out again. In the evening they go to the hospital.

We still see huge open gashes on people and flies are everywhere. There are many amputees. One amputee came to have his bandages changed, but the bandages had healed into the wound. The doctor had to cut into the flesh to remove it. As the doctor prepared to pour antiseptic onto the wound he said, "Hold him, hold him!" knowing how painful it would be. No one stepped forward to hold the man and as the doctor poured it on, the man never even flinched. These Haitians are tough beyond belief.

I have talked to men who have been around the world in places like Bosnia and Sudan. They say this is worse than anything they have ever seen, so much destruction and physical injury.

Bonfires are burning, dogs are running, the mosquitoes are swarming. Maybe I should have taken the malaria pills. Welcome to Haiti.

Wes

Heidi leaves for Haiti

Heidi Smith, my sister, left this morning for Ft. Lauderdale, Florida for her second trip into Haiti since the earthquake. She has been collecting supplies and making stops at local stores in preparation for this trip. We had some bad ice and snow yesterday making the roads precarious, but the girls and I were able to drive to her house and pray over her before she left. She knew a little better how to pack after spending time there already and was excited to show us all her purchases. She was so proud of the black "doctor's bag" she had bought - it was actually a purse, but it worked perfectly as a medical bag. She had clipped seams to make the pockets just the right size for each of her items: iodine, Pedialite, gauze, tape, antibiotics, pain medicine, scissors, stethoscope, flashlight, baby pain reliever...you get the idea. It was pretty impressive. She also had lots of medical supplies from the doctor's office where she works and from donations. She found a lot of tarps at Wal-mart and baby clothes at Goodwill. She also had some baby blankets and bottles and formula. She was to meet up with some friends - one Haitian/American and his friend, a nurse and a doctor and they were all driving together down to Florida to catch a flight. Please pray for them that God guides them each day and protects them.

I'd like to pick up where I left off the other day in recounting dad's trip in Haiti so far. One of the first people he saw when he arrived in Haiti was a young boy whose arm had been crushed by the body of his mother. The two of them lay under the rubble for a couple days before they were rescued. The mother was not alive when they reached them, only the boy survived. It is almost too sad to imagine. Another boy he remembers was one who looked a lot like his grandson, Travis. Even though the boy was black, so many of his mannerisms were like Travis' and he was on the street trying to learn a little English from the Americans. Dad got choked up as he recounted it on the phone. It seems people are most deeply affected when they can see their own family members mirrored in some of the Haitians. It becomes so real when you see that they could have been your grandson, or son or daughter, or mother or father. When we are able to put ourselves in other people's shoes, that's when we show true compassion.
Dad is still in Carrefour, but Dieu Donner, a dear friend from Jeremie, Haiti, drove 15 hours by truck to meet with him. The team in Carrefour was able to load Dieu Donner's truck with supplies to take back with him. The refugee situation in Jeremie continues to grow. After Dieu Donner left (by the way, his name means "God Gives"), dad realized he had not given him the money he had intended to give. Dad was very sad that he had missed his opportunity. But God knows all things, and guess who showed up again several hours later? Yes, Dieu Donner. He had not been able to leave as planned and so dad was able to give him the money. Dad felt like that was a great miracle.

There were 65 orphans about 20 minutes from Carrefour that the team had discovered. They informed the U.S. military, who was on its way to care for those orphans.

One of the nurses, Emily, was sick. Pray for her.

The refugee count in Petionville is up to 70,000.

On a bright note - Wes says the stars are so amazingly bright at night in Haiti.

We continue to try coordinating aid to Jeremie. It's not easy when communication is so difficult. Today I missed an important call from Wes because I was out. (For any of you interested, I help teach a homeschool Biology class and today we were dissecting cow eye, heart, liver and kidneys. Yes, life goes on.) I rushed back home hoping dad hadn't called while I was gone, but sure enough, he was on my answering machine. I wasn't able to ask him questions that I needed answered and that was a bit frustrating. All we can do is be patient and know that God is ultimately in control.

Latest Update from Haiti

This morning I got a phone call from my dad who is in Carrefour, Haiti. He sounded very excited and happy to be there, even despite the saddness and destruction. He said the rubble is like nothing he's ever seen before. It looks as though a bomb went off. He is staying with a group of around 30 people who are a mix of nurses and builders, helpers and translators. Initially, they were sleeping on the ground in sleeping bags but had to move to make way for a new house being built. There was a team of workers from Kentucky and Pennsylvania who put up a house there in only two days. Dad said it was amazing to see. So dad and the others moved to the cement roof of an adjacent house - this is now their home. I'm trying to picture my 71 year old father climbing a ladder each night to sleep on the cement under a light tent. He's always been in good shape for his age and this proves it. He has been grouped in a tent with 5 nurses. They didn't want the women being alone without a man for protection. Oh, the sacrifice of serving the Lord. :)
But I'm getting side-tracked...They do have one spigot shower and one toilet. Even so, dad says it takes only about one hour to become filthy again.
Carrefour is still a dangerous area and a man was shot only a block from where the team is staying. Dad relayed one of the saddest things he has seen. They were stopped in traffic halfway between Carrefour and the Port-au-Prince airport and could see the military passing out bags of rice. The recipients were mostly women who would load the bags of rice onto their heads. But as they walked away down the road, bandits would knock them down and steal their rice. Dad said it happened to woman after woman and the bandits were like savage animals. These poor women were trying to get food home to their families and they did not have the strength to fight against these vicous men. He said it was heartbreaking but there was nothing he could do.
Dad has gone on several sorties to round up more supplies, one trip actually took him 9 hours to locate and bring back a truckload of goods.
Believe it or not they are still feeling aftershocks over a month after the initial earthquake. People are still too afraid to go back into the buildings that are standing. Dad met one man who ran quickly out of his house then the earthquake hit. He was saved but his home is just rubble.
Each morning they awaken before the sun rises. If you've ever been to Haiti you know why. The sounds of roosters crowing, people yelling, pastors preaching and dogs barking is better than any alarm clock. The nurses then head off to a new destination where they set up a small clinic and begin treating the wounded. There are many amputees and people with open wounds and infections. Some people arrive yelling from the pain. The nurses are assisted at the clinic by an interpreter and usually another person (like dad) who can keep the crowds organized and peaceful. So often the crowds continue to push in closer and closer on the nurses as they try to work. When it's 90 degrees you can imagine that is not ideal. Some nights the nurses are awakened in the dark for a medical emergency. They get ready quickly and dad lays his hands on each one and prays for them. Dad can't say enough good things about those nurses. He says they are such hard workers and despite the circumstances, there has not been one bit of complaining.
Although dad has spent his time near the capital city, his heart is also with the people of Jeremie, Haiti, the hometown of my mom. Although this city was not damaged by the earthquake it now has 80,000 refugees and the number keeps growing. That more than doubles their population! These poor people are trying to help more poor people. And most of the refugees still do not have food, water, medical assistance or shelter. Please pray that the military and other organizations can get some supplies and assistance to them soon.
Overall, dad was happy and full of joy. He is able to have prayer/teaching meetings each day to encourage the believers and loves it. He is so enriched by being there. He can feel all of your prayers.
I have more to write but I'll stop here for now.

All Will Share Alike

The share of the man who stayed with the supplies is to be the same as that of him who went down to the battle. All will share alike." I Samuel 30:24

Have you ever seen missionaries go out into service and felt guilty that somehow you were staying behind? Have you sometimes wondered whether you measure up because you're just staying home and working a job instead of selling all you own and going abroad? I'll admit I've been feeling some of that. As I've watched my sisters, brother-in-law, a niece and nephew, and now my father head off to Haiti, I've felt like I should be doing the same thing. I love Haiti and the Haitian people. When I was two years old, I lived in Haiti with my grandmother for several months. After that, I would go each year to visit Haiti with my family and it became like my second home. So, after this devastating earthquake shook Haiti I felt like I should be going down to help, too. Even though I may give money or help gather supplies (or cover dad's website while he's gone), somehow it doesn't feel as worthwhile as being right in the middle of the action. Last night I just happened to be reading in
1 Samuel 30 about David going out with his men into battle. A group of the men became too tired to continue and stayed behind with the supplies while the remainder of the men continued on into battle. When they defeated their enemy and returned to the men who had stayed behind, some of the warriors thought the plunder should not be shared with those who did not fight. But David responded with this, "The share of the man who stayed with the supplies is to be the same as that of him who went down to the battle. All will share alike." Isn't that encouraging? It seems relevant today for me and maybe you, too. So if you have given money to Haiti or have gathered supplies to send, you have shared a part in bandaging the wounds and holding the babies and passing out rice. We all can play our part. If you feel like God is telling you to go to Haiti, by all means pack your bags and go. But if you know you are going to stay behind and give in other ways, then know that you are important too. Thank you to all who have helped Haiti in this difficult time. Please continue to pray for my dad, Wes, and my brother-in-law, Bryan, while they are in Haiti now.
Konda Koorey

February 2-3

Tuesday, February 2

Wes Smith left for Haiti this afternoon. He will be arriving in Ft. Lauderdale and then flying on to Port-au-Prince with his good friends Lloyd and Darlene Smoker and their daughter, Kendra. The Smoker's mission was devastated in the earthquake. Wes will be attending services with the Smokers for the many friends who died in the collapsed buildings. Wes hopes to be an encouragement to the believers there and to support the Smoker's in any way he can. He also plans to continue traveling onto Jeremie, Haiti, where Full Life Crusade has supported a mission for over 40 years. We are hearing that travel is being suspended to Jeremie, so we'll see if he can get there. Jeremie has seen up to 30,000 refugees coming into the town. This almost doubles their current population! The people of Jeremie don't have the resources to feed and house so many additional people, as they are so poor themselves. Bryan Bartow (Wes' son-in-law) who is also on the ground in Haiti, has been working to get supplies routed to Jeremie, but has thus far encountered much bureaucracy. (To follow Bryan's progress in Haiti you can visit haitireliefupdates.blogspot.com).Please pray for Wes and Bryan as they try to meet the needs of the Haitian people. We also need to begin praying for good leadership and government in Haiti. The people in Haiti have been poor for generations because of wicked government. Research has shown that humans left to themselves will thrive and succeed. It is only when they are suppressed and exploited that they are unable to become self-sufficient and productive. Pray that God will put honest leaders in place who really care for the people.




While I'm in Haiti (February 2-15) we have teams ready to show the Haiti powerpoint in your church, school or club.

In Ohio, John Miller: jhmiller16@zoominternet.net

In New York, Lisa Bartow: lisabartow@yahoo.com

In Indiana, Tim Yoder: joyinhim@maplenet.net

Booking our teams is a very practical way you can help the Haitian people!