On January 12 a 7.0 earthquake rocked Haiti, devastating the nation’s capital and surrounding areas.  International Faith Missions has functioned as a resident work in Haiti for the past 23 plus years and has rushed in to help as much as possible. The very night of the quake, a load of IFM personnel went to the city after dark to help in search and rescue from the rubble and to treat many medically.  The medical supplies carried with them were exhausted a couple times, and new stocks were obtained from the mission supply an hour away.  By 7:30 a.m. the staff was exhausted and needed sleep, but leaving the scene was difficult with so many still awaiting help.  John, IFM Children’s Home staff, describes that first night like this: “We pulled a secretary from under a small space that was left of a second floor. She was in maybe 15 feet, and bent double on the chair she was sitting on. Her lower half was unresponsive. The remainder of the night was spent cleaning and bandaging everything imaginable. As word spread, the people flocked in, and when we left at 7:30 this morning the crowd was larger than ever. We walked away from pleading people; much of our medical supplies were depleted, and we were ready to drop.  Thousands of people were sitting in the streets, either homeless or not trusting to return to their damaged shelters with the continuing aftershocks. Amazingly, as we drove the streets, you could hear singing from some groups of people thanking God that they were alive. The Haitian with us said, "On nights like these, everyone becomes a Christian!" The damage is absolutely unimaginable; one wonders if Port-au-Prince will ever resemble itself again. Tons and tons of collapsed concrete..... “

           The needs are enormous!  IFM is working 24 hours a day.  At present the most pressing crisis is medicine, water, and food.  Later when the emergency has passed IFM purposes to be involved in rebuilding as funds permit.  Via mobile clinics many of the wounded are being helped in the streets of Port-au-Prince.  Sheila, work team member, shares about one of these clinics: “We parked in the court yard of a 3-story school that had collapsed - giving us walls and a gate to control who and how many could enter the gate (important for safety and room to work).  Within a few minutes we did a quick sweep job on the cement, hung up a few tarps for shade, arranged small 'tables' and chairs, and people began to come in - soon we had people waiting for help. The injuries were anything from scrapes needing washed and bandaged to crushed and twisted limbs - people with incredible pain, yet so patient and thankful.   Keep in mind their injuries were from Tuesday night, and this is Thursday.   They are swollen and infected.   Some of the flesh has begun to rot, and you can smell it before you see it.   Many needed stitched - large, open gashes.   A few came with no family member to help them - perhaps all their family had died. “  It has been three days since the quake, and for many the option of stitching gashes and cleansing wounds has passed as infections set in.  Many may need amputation instead.  With all hospitals in the city full or destroyed, IFM is transporting many with broken bones, etc. to outlying areas such as the neighboring Dominican Republic.