Jack sends us another dispatch from Haiti. Just as a reminder, if we receive information that your child has been affected, we will contact you.

For the people near Limbe, ground zero for cholera is Garde Cognac, a small community where many of our registered children live. Today we had to walk through it to get to the place they fear is even worse – a village called Somon. We walked about 45 minutes along a river heavily used by the people for everything: washing clothes, bathing, dishes, and general cleaning. They claim they don't drink it, yet we caught a young child doing just that.

We went to Somon because we wanted to visit the home where a boy from the project lives. Last week his mother and sister both died from cholera (he and his dad are pictured in the header). All we seemed to find in Somon was hopelessness. We interviewed some women at a water pump and they were visibly afraid, saying they don't trust any water. They pointed to other homes where the people are all in the hospital. A simple sheet and sticks hid the shallow toilet by the river. 

When we reached the home where the boy lived, several relatives were there. We asked his aunt, uncle, older sister and her 3 small children what they planned to do to protect themselves and the children. "Nothing, what can we do?" We told his sister if she wants to do something come to the project (not so coincidentally named Place of Hope) the next day and get bleach and soap. Her children can also have porridge and the special water.

Today was an important day – critical in fact. Pastors and project workers trained mothers and fathers how to detect, prevent and treat cholera. Today the boy's father was at the project with his son. He was there to see us and to be trained how to clean the water.  

In addition to training,  the fathers and mothers will receive bleach (which our Haitian director is pictured with above), soap, and oral rehydration salts (ORS). We told them now that they have the information, they are responsible for sharing it with their neighbors. We’re here to equip them to fight for their children and others. Over 2,000 people now equipped to fight. We pray they are evangelistic about it.

This is what we're all about. Mission of Mercy and local churches working together to meet the spiritual and physical needs of those God has put in our path. Sounds like we're right where we need to be –  facing it head on and bringing back the smiles to the faces of Haiti’s children.

Dr. Beyda has arrived in Haiti and is beginning to blog about his assessment. You can follow his blog here. To help us continue to provide crucial supplies like bleach and soap, please consider donating to the Children's Crisis Fund.