The general surgery team will be working in NWHCM’s two operating wings, bringing with them a well-rounded group of surgeons, nurses, and other volunteers. Qualified anesthesiologists need not have been on previous missions trips.

Interested applicants should contact travel@nwhcm.org for more information.

Simply sponsor a child or adult in any Northwest Haiti Christian Mission program, and a short-term missionary of your choice will earn points toward his or her trip. They can convert those points into a scholarship for their trip, funded through a special mission scholarship program.

Your sponsorship will change the future for a child forever. And it may just change the life of a traveler, too.

How it Works

1. Sponsor a child or adult online at nwhcm.org in any mission program. The greater the sponsorship amount, the more points a traveler earns.

2. When creating a sponsorship, be sure to include the words “Points Sponsorship” and the traveler’s name in the notes field.

3.The traveler specified in the notes field will automatically earn points for your sponsorship, and those points will be automatically credited toward a scholarship for their upcoming mission trip. Unused credits can be used by the traveler on future mission trips.

4. Enjoy the relationship you will begin building with your sponsored child or adult, and remember to pray for the traveler your sponsorship is supporting.

To qualify for Points, a sponsorship must be:

• Established online at nwhcm.org, or made over the phone
• Established with an automatic donation plan via credit card or Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT)
• Established indefinitely or for a minimum of one year
• Established for the full amount of the Sponsorship Need, except for Miriam Center sponsorships. Partial points will be awarded if Sponsorship Need is less than the program amount.

For Travelers

Earning Points

You can earn Points for every new sponsorship of a child or adult that a sponsor designates as credit toward your trip. You can also earn Points for medical sponsorships, as outlined below. Note: Points may not be earned for mission trips departing before May 30, 2010.

Sponsorship Point Values

*Click here to learn more about NWHCM Medical Sponsorships

Click here to sponsor a child or adult in Northwest Haiti today.

Redeeming Points

It takes almost no time at all to begin benefiting from Points. You can cash in your Points for large or small amounts toward the cost of your mission trip. When the amount of points you’ve earned reaches any of the benchmarks below, NWHCM will automatically credit your Points toward your upcoming trip.

Point Benchmarks

FAQs

How is the Points program funded?
Points is paid for through a dedicated scholarship fund that NWHCM has established. This money has been generously set aside by donors to provide scholarships for people traveling on mission trips with NWHCM. The goal of the scholarships is to make overseas missions more accessible and to encourage lasting investments in the lives of children and adults in Haiti.

How can I check my Points balance if I’m going on an upcoming NWHCM trip?
Remember that your Points will be automatically applied to your trip cost when your accumulated Points reach one of the redemption benchmarks, so no action is required on your part. NWHCM will notify you of your trip balance 30 days prior to your travel date.

If necessary, you may check your Points balance and the balance for your trip anytime by e-mailing us at travel@nwhcm.org. Please do not phone our U.S. business office to check you Points balance. Thank you.

Do my Points expire?
Yes. Points expire 18 months after the date of the trip for which they were accumulated. For example: If you are awarded Points for a particular sponsorship two months before your mission trip on June 1, 2010, and you do not use them for that trip, those Points would expire on December 1, 2011.

Can Points be applied to our group as a whole?
Yes. If your church or group is handling trip costs as a lump sum instead of as individuals, then Points may be earned for and applied to the group’s total trip cost. However, any Points earned for that group will expire after the group’s travel date and may not be used for future travel. In addition, those Points may not be transferred to individuals. If you wish to inquire about handling trip costs as a lump sum or are unsure of your group’s status, please contact NWHCM’s travel manager.

Can I start a new sponsorship and credit the Points toward my own upcoming trip?
Yes. If it’s a new sponsorship, you can earn Points for it!

How can I start taking advantage of Points?
If you are planning an upcoming mission trip with NWHCM and you have not already received a brochure about Points and about NWHCM sponsorships, please contact us. We encourage you to use these valuable materials as you serve as a sponsorship advocate for NWHCM.

Click here to download a Points flyer to help you as you raise support for your trip.

Rules and Details

1) Points may only be earned for new sponsorships. Existing sponsorships or increases to existing sponsorship amounts are not eligible.
2) The cutoff for earning Points for a particular trip is 30 days prior to the travel date. New sponsorships created 30 or fewer days prior to the travel date will earn Points for a future trip.
3) Unused points expire 18 months after the trip date for which the points were initially earned.
4) Points may not be applied toward trips of other travelers or family members.
5) Points are redeemed automatically by NWHCM, and may only be redeemed when the total point amount reaches one of the Point Redemption Benchmarks. Unused points will be counted as surplus toward a future trip.
6) Sponsors who are identified as intentionally closing existing sponsorships and replacing them with new ones, with the intent of earning extra Points, will be disqualified from participation in the Points program. NWHCM reserves the right to disqualify sponsors and Points at anytime, at its discretion, without prior notice.
7) Points have no cash value and may not be redeemed for any goods or services other than NWHCM trip scholarships, as defined above.

Sawyer Products, a Florida-based water filter manufacturer, has donated 269 water filters to Northwest Haiti Christian Mission’s earthquake relief efforts. The filters will provide vital clean water to communities in Northwest Haiti and in the Port-au-Prince area.

Children at NWHCM's orphanage in Saline Mayette use a Sawyer pointONE water filter. Courtesy Amy Reed / Sawyer Products

Thanks to a special matching program by Sawyer, the filters were provided through a combination of individual gifts, and generous donations from Messiah College students and the congregation of First Church of Christ in Burlington, Kentucky.

After the earthquake struck Haiti, Amy Reed, a Sawyer employee and Messiah College alumna, got in touch with Messiah’s women’s basketball team to raise funds for filters. Both the men’s and women’s basketball teams made appeals at four home games and raised over $3,800 for filters.

“Clean water is of critical importance after a natural disaster because existing water sources can very easily become contaminated and an epidemic of waterborne diseases can be just as deadly as the natural disaster itself,” Reed said. “The Sawyer filters that were donated to NWHCM take literally minutes to install, are easy to maintain, require no chemicals and are powered by gravity. They are not just a short-term solution, they will be providing clean water to the Haitians weeks, months and years down the road.”

The Sawyer pointONE filter is the official water filter for NWHCM development projects. The filters will be distributed through NWHCM’s partners in Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas to help those who were affected by the earthquake, as well as in communities in Northwest Haiti to provide badly needed clean water for poor families and refugees.

Learn more about pointONE filters by clicking here.

To donate to NWHCM’s earthquake relief efforts, click here.

February 4, 2010
Dear Friends,

In the last three weeks, more than 31,000 people in Port-au-Prince have pieced together their last few possessions the earthquake spared, packed them in tattered bags, and piled into buses, trucks and cars headed to Haiti’s dusty Northwest Department.

Janeil Owen, Executive Director

Many of these refugees’ only connection there is an aunt, a cousin, or perhaps a brother. What awaits them are overcrowded homes or a patch of dirt outside to sleep on. But they are arriving anyway because they have no other options, because they are looking for a chance to rebuild their lives from the ruins.

It will be a long road, and Northwest Haiti Christian Mission is in it for the long haul to help them find hope.

I’m so thankful for all of those who have partnered with NWHCM through this devastating time. L’union fait la force (”unity makes strength”) is the declaration on the Haitian flag. I’m watching this come to pass as families and organizations draw together and strengthen each other with prayer, sharing every resource.

Northwest Haiti Christian Mission is in this for the long haul to help refugees find hope.

We have been blessed to work with great organizations like G.O. Ministries, Operation Blessing, Orphan’s Promise, IDES, and many others highlighted below — not to mention the thousands of individuals and countless churches and a humble, high-profile partner in Indianapolis Colts receiver Pierre Garcon. Everyone is uniting to show the strength of this nation and the body of Christ.

We have received free airplane shuttle service for our doctors, staff, and cargo. We have received many tons of medical equipment and medicines, hundreds of thousands of rice-based meals, water purifiers, and hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash donations. The outpouring has been unbelievable, and I know even more is coming.

Northwest Haiti is in the top three departments in Haiti receiving refugees. I want to share with you what we have done so far and what we are working on for the short and long terms to address the massive challenges this will present.

First, a review. In the last few weeks, we have:

• Used thousands of dollars in medicines and equipment in our hospital, treating earthquake victims and victims of life-threatening illnesses left vulnerable by Haiti’s overall lack of medical care in this crisis. We have organized dozens of medical personal in the states to come and provide care.
• Staged an emergency response team of medical professionals in the early hours after the quake that served in Port-au-Prince with a partner ministry, Mission of Hope. Along with the care, we provided a truckload of medical supplies, medicine, a generator and a large army tent to house refugees and patients.
• Assisted the two major hospitals in our zone with trucks full of medicine and equipment, along with 50 mattresses to help handle the overflow of earthquake victims.
• Partnered with 12 churches in the Saint-Louis du Nord area to provide food for hungry refugees.
• Partnered with the mayors of Saint-Louis du Nord and Port-de-Paix to provide thousands of dollars of assistance to victims and their families, along with thousands of servings of food.
• Given over $30,000 in cash to help more than 500 families with the increased expense of feeding and lodging refugees in our area.

Relief workers passed out bags of food from Feed My Starving Children at a church in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Saturday, January 16, 2010. Andy Olsen / NWHCM staff

In the next few months, we will:

• Begin delivering shipments of relief goods in a project we’ve dubbed “Operation SHrImP IT.” NWHCM has procured two shrimp boats that will be leaving Florida this month for Port-de-Paix, on the northern coast, carrying supplies we have collected from centers across the United States. The ships will also deliver more than half a million servings of food given by our partner, Feed My Starving Children, and 10,000 gallons of much-needed and hard-to-find diesel fuel to continue running our hospital. This is the first of multiple planned trips for the boats.
• Distribute more than 200 Sawyer water filters to provide clean water for refugees throughout the Northwest Department. We will also provide these filters for our ministry partners in the Port-au-Prince area.
• Double the number of meals NWHCM provides for hungry families, to 20,000 a day. With the increased need across Haiti, we are working with our partners Feed My Starving Children and Kids Against Hunger to provide more than 5 million meals. We ship the food to Haiti for a nickel a meal, or roughly $250,000 for this year.
• Assist our partner Haitian Christian Outreach in Port-au-Prince with shipping, receiving, and transporting relief goods. We will also provide them with short-term medical teams over the next year.
• Provide comprehensive healthcare and emergency services in a time when Haiti’s healthcare system is overwhelmed. We are assembling teams of medical professionals to come into Haiti, along with supplies, on a weekly basis.

Of course, the hardest work in Haiti is yet to come. The task of rebuilding the nation, strengthening rural areas like the Northwest Department, and caring for refugees will demand a sustained long-term commitment that NWHCM is going to provide. Some of the ways we’ll be doing that over the next year are:

• Finishing the renovation of our Saint-Louis du Nord campus into a fully functioning hospital, thanks in large part to the partnership we have with the medical resourcing ministry FAME. Though this ongoing renovation has not yet been completed, we are already functioning as a hospital with the limited space we currently have.
• Building an aquaponics program as a pilot for a much larger program to follow. The program is an agri-business venture that, through fish farms, will provide fish and fresh vegetables to feed dozens of families a day and create more than 100 jobs in the northwest region.
• Working with our reputable partner, C3 Missions International, to address the needs of Haitian children left orphaned by the earthquake. NWHCM has always worked closely with the Haitian government to provide care for children who are registered orphans. These partnerships have already helped fund several NWHCM orphanages and are helping us prepare for a possible influx of as many as 3,000 at-risk or orphaned children in Northwest Haiti.

Thank you again for your generosity, and we ask for your continued support and prayers during these troubling times and for the years to come as we meet the incredible needs left by the earthquake. We will continue to seek God’s guidance as he has entrusted us with many resources to help the nearly half a million people in Northwest Haiti.


Your fellow bondservant,
Janeil Owen

Executive Director
Northwest Haiti Christian Mission

ABOUT THE PHOTO: Jean Yvena Charlles, 11, is one of thousands of displaced people from Port-au-Prince living in tent cities like this one downtown in front of the remains of the national palace. Andy Olsen / NWHCM Staff

Garcon, a second-year receiver and the son of Haitian parents, has worked overtime between Colts practices to raise money for earthquake relief ever since the magnitude 7.0 earthquake last month that rocked Haiti and destroyed most of his family’s hometown of Léogane.

Garcon aims to raise $150,000 and provide more than 500,000 meals for needy Haitians in the Léogane area and in Northwest Haiti.

Learn more about Pierre Garcon’s relief work here.

Read The New York Times article here.

GIVE NOW TO GARCON’S RELEIF WORK

We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and we are truly grateful for the God-given desire to help. Haiti’s need is greater than ever, and will continue to be for years to come. There will be ample opportunities to serve on NWHCM medical teams later this year and in future years, and we encourage anyone interested in serving to consider applying for one of those teams. — The NWHCM medical staff

Internal Revenue Service special provision allows taxpayers to claim Haiti earthquake relief giving on their 2009 tax returns

Wednesday, January 22 — Gifts made to Northwest Haiti Christian Mission for earthquake relief before March 1 can be claimed as a deduction on 2009 tax returns, according to the Internal Revenue Service.

A special provision announced Jan. 22 allows taxpayers who itemize deductions on their 2009 return to claim contributions made to earthquake relief as if they were made in 2009. Gifts made to other non-profits operating in Haiti also qualify. Only cash contributions made to these charities after Jan. 11, 2010, and before March 1, 2010, are eligible. This includes contributions made by text message, check, credit card or debit card.

“Americans have opened their hearts to help those affected by the Haiti earthquake,” said IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman. “This new law provides an immediate tax benefit for the many taxpayers who have made generous donations.”

The contributions must be made specifically for the relief of victims in areas affected by the Jan. 12 earthquake in Haiti. Taxpayers have the option of deducting these contributions on either their 2009 or 2010 returns, but not both.

To get a tax benefit, taxpayers must itemize their deductions on Schedule A. Those who claim the standard deduction, including all short-form filers, are not eligible.

As always, please consult your tax professional for the best answers. For more information, please visit the IRS webpage for Haiti relief.

Click here to make a gift today.

NWHCM medical teams continue their work at the hospital in Saint-Louis du Nord, particularly performing orthopedic surgeries. NWHCM is blessed to have a gifted hand surgeon on-site to focus on hand injuries, as well. The hospital remains in full swing and bustling with activity.

NWHCM staff met recently with local pastors who are experiencing high demand for relief food within their congregations. The mission is now distributing corn and fortified meals to needy families through more than a dozen churches, in addition to its already established food distributions sites across Northwest Haiti.

Wednesday, January 27 – 8:50 a.m.

NWHCM is shifting some attention to badly needed long-term rehab and therapy services. In coming months, NWHCM will be asking for the services of physical therapists and prothesis professionals. Qualified volunteers may contact us to inquire about serving on a therapy/prothesis trip later this year. Note: NWHCM is unable to bring in additional medical teams for the next few weeks.

Other medical teams are continuing to run clinics in outlying areas of Northwest Haiti

Tuesday, January 26 – 10:25 a.m.

NWHCM medical teams are spreading out across the northwest region this week to run clinics at the mission’s campuses in La Baie des Moustiques and Beauchamp, focusing on general and pediatric care. Haiti’s entire medical system is strained and as such, health care nationwide is in a fragile state. NWHCM’s medical response strategy is to triage and assist all patients needing care, regardless of whether or not they are earthquake victims.

NWHCM Assistant Medical Director Melissa Curtice and orthopedic surgeon Del Worthington, of Arizona, have been assessing patients at nearby hospitals in La Pointe and Port-de-Paix. Earthquake victims with fractured bones have arrived at the mission’s main medical facility in Saint-Louis du Nord and are being treated.

A special thanks to G.O. Ministries for providing chartered flights to transport NWHCM medical teams within Haiti.

Sunday, January 24 – 5:15 p.m.
A 22-member medical team has arrived in Northwest Haiti and is developing a plan to respond to medical needs in the area. NWHCM is also working closely with the government in Saint-Louis du Nord to provide financial and food assistance for refugees arriving in the city.

Wednesday, January 20 – 10:15 a.m.

A magnitude 6.1 aftershock struck Haiti early this morning near Port-au-Prince, the strongest yet since the devastating earthquake that ravaged the capital city eight days ago. Though nerves were rattled, little to no additional damage has been reported. In Northwest Haiti, the quake was felt strongly and many were woken from their sleep, but all NWHCM staff and travelers are safe. NWHCM’s main campus in Saint-Louis du Nord is roughly 100 miles from where the aftershock was centered.

Tuesday, January 19 – 9:00 p.m.

NWHCM medical staff traveled to the main hospital in Port-de-Paix today to assess the situation there. The hospital is full, having taken on many patients from Port-au-Prince in addition to their normally heavy load. Lack of basic medicines and medical supplies, along with challenges in coordinating medical care for so many people, are serious problems.

NWHCM has been providing supplies and medicines to the hospital in Port-de-Paix and in La Pointe, and will continue to do so as we’re able. We will provide increasing support with medical personnel over the coming weeks.

Monday, January 18 – 7:55 p.m.

All of NWHCM’s regular ministries are running normally today, though our generators are being run limited hours to conserve diesel fuel, a commodity which is becoming difficult to find in Haiti. To date, NWHCM has secured enough diesel fuel to meet our basic water needs and provide electricity for our clinic through February, and we are expecting to receive more.

NWHCM medical staff will travel to the primary hospital in Port-de-Paix tomorrow to assist the hospital staff there, which have been stretched to their limits treating patients.

Sunday, January 17 – 10:20 p.m.

NWHCM’s medical team returned safely to the mission’s main campus in Saint-Louis du Nord, along with missionary Jose Castillo and staff member Andy Olsen. Some family members of NWHCM’s Haitian medical staff also arrived with them from Port-au-Prince. Other mission staff and missionaries attended church this morning at their respective campuses.

Saturday, January 16 – 8:05 p.m.

NWHCM lab and pharmacy director Maureen Moore treats a dehydrated baby at a clinic in Port-au-Prince on Saturday.Andy Olsen / NWHCM staff

NWHCM doctor Simon Marc treats a girl with a broken arm at makeshift clinic in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Saturday. Mission staff established the outdoor clinic along with medical staff from Mission of Hope at a church in the Delmas area of Port-au-Prince.Andy Olsen / NWHCM staff

Along with missionaries from Mission of Hope in southern Haiti, NWHCM medical staff set up a clinic today at a church in the Delmas area of Port-au-Prince. They treated patients there throughout the day and also assisted at an emergency orthopedic care center nearby. Staff involved included Assistant Medical Director Melissa Curtice, Dr. Simon Marc, Magdala Remy, Lab and Pharmacy Director Maureen Moore and Miss Sylveste.

Most NWHC staff plan to return Sunday to Saint-Louis du Nord, where NWHCM has been notified it will be a treatment center for overflow patients being brought from Port-au-Prince.

Friday, January 15 – 9:35 p.m.

A street in downtown Port-au-Prince on Friday, January 15.Andy Olsen / NWHCM staff

NWHCM medical staff continue to assist at Mission of Hope, one of our partner missions about 10 miles north of Port-au-Prince. Some national NWHCM doctors have continued on to Port-au-Prince to assist with medical work there.

All but a few short-term missionaries who were visiting NWHCM campuses are on their way to catch flights out of Haiti via alternate cities. Jose Castillo, Andy Olsen, and a few other NWHCM staff are still in Port-au-Prince assessing the situation.

Thursday, January 14 – 10:50pm

We did hear that our team arrived safely to Mission of Hope and are looking to provide mobile medical treatment from there.  By the time they arrived, the hospital had completely run out of supplies.  We’ve also heard several times from our staff, Andy and Jose, in Port-au-Prince, and are relieved to know they are well.

Wednesday, January 13 – 11:11pm
Our day was spent loading and unloading trucks. We were blessed with the arrival of the contents of our recent container, including food and other supplies. The driver agreed for us to rent the same truck to load with I.V. fluids, bandages, sutures, antibiotics and other medical supplies.

Early in the morning, we will send a team to assist the disaster relief and provide medical care. Please pray for the group as they travel and serve: Melissa Curtice (NWHCM Assistant Medical Director) Maureen Moore (Pharmacy/Lab Director), Sylveste Rogella (nurse), Magdala Remy (nurse), Dr. Simon, Innocent (security), Benna (security). Especially pray for the driver, that he would have wisdom and that they would be protected in their travels.

They will head for Mission of Hope, one of our partner organizations located about 10 miles north of Port au Prince. Mission of Hope requested help, as earthquake victims have been dying at their gates due to limited medical personnel and insufficient supplies. We just heard from the Mission of Hope medical director, saying they’ve worked 33 hours straight, their supplies are dwindling and they have to close their doors for the night. Pray for strength for our staff as they step into this overwhelming tragedy.

We are also thankful to report that we’ve heard word this afternoon from Jose Castillo, NWHCM staff, who was in Port au Prince during the earthquake. He still does not have phone service, but was able to send a message along to us that he is still fine.

We also have a small group who traveled to Port au Prince this morning. Please pray for Andy Olsen (NWHCM media director), Dr. Joseph, Junior, Edril, Imano and their driver as they look for family and as Andy documents the relief efforts. Pray for safety, wisdom and their safe return.

More than anything, please pray for our national staff and friends. It is heart-breaking to talk with person after person, all aching to know about their family and friends who may be trapped under the rubble. It is hard to find someone on campus who does not have family missing – a son, a wife, parents, aunts, cousins… Pray that God would work miracles in the midst of this tragedy.

Wednesday, January 13 – 10:39 a.m.

Northwest Haiti Christian Mission is responding in the quickest ways possible to respond to the earthquakes that have shaken Haiti.

Currently, NWHCM staff are assessing the situation on the ground to identify the areas of greatest need. By working closely with our Haiti One ministry partners across the country, NWHCM plans to assist in every way it can.

To donate to NWHCM’s earthquake relief efforts, please click here.

Your support will go directly toward relief of the immediate needs in Port-au-Prince and Northwest Haiti, and will go to fund ongoing aid efforts as Haitians struggle to recover and provide for their families in the aftermath.

The destruction left by the earthquakes will most likely affect all of Haiti and its economy for months to come. NWHCM plans for its response to be strategic, responsible and ongoing.  We will first be sending a team of medical personnel along with desperately needed medical supplies.  We will give more information on our next steps as we talk with our partners throughout the country and further assess the situation.

How To Make Your Gift

1) Text the message “Support NWHCM” to the number 20222.* Capitalization does not matter, but spelling does.

2) To confirm your donation, text the word “YES” when prompted to do so.

Thank you for your generous support of Northwest Haiti Christian Mission and our ministry in Haiti.

*A one-time donation of $5 will be added to your mobile phone bill or deducted from your prepaid balance. Messaging and Data Rates May Apply. All charges are billed by and payable to your mobile service provider. Service is available on most carriers. Donations are collected for the benefit of the Northwest Haiti Christian Mission by the Mobile Giving Foundation and subject to the terms found at www.hmgf.org/t. You can unsubscribe at any time by replying STOP to short code NWHCM Reply HELP to NWHCM for help.

Saturday, January 16, 2010 – St. Louis du Nord, Haiti

By Erika Olsen, NWHCM staff

Gesner Charles, January 16, 2009

Gesner Charles is a second-year medical student in Port-au-Prince and longtime friend and employee of Northwest Haiti Christian Mission. On Tuesday afternoon, he had left school early with a classmate to make copies of some materials he needed for a lecture. A couple of hours later, he was sitting at home when the earthquake hit. “Many of the people who have died were students, because they were in class,” Gesner said.  He was one of the fortunate.

Gesner stayed in his yard for the next three nights. Although his house survived the original quakes, on the radio they are warning everyone not to go in buildings since there was no way to know if they were safe or if another aftershock would bring them down.

Gesner described people walking from hospital to hospital. “You can’t even get inside the hospitals because there are so many people looking for their family members,” he said.  Everyone walks the streets by day and sleeps in the streets by night. “It’s not raining, but it’s cold” this time of year, and no one has blankets, he said.

People are leaving the city to return to the countryside. “They’ve even sent buses to get some people, because they know what will happen in Port-au-Prince — all the people will get sick. There is no good water to drink…It smells bad in the city…People have to put something on their face” like masks or rags.

“There are bodies in the street everywhere. As they bring them out of buildings they put them there because there is nowhere to put them. Then a tractor comes and puts them in a dump truck and takes them away…Even if someone finds their family, where would they put (the body)?  There is nowhere to put them.”

Gesner shrugged as he described the heartbreak of families trying to search for their missing loved ones. “Nobody can know if they are alive or not…they can’t see them before they are buried.” As people walk through the streets, they hear the cries of those still trapped. “Some people are crying up there and no one can do anything.”

At 5 a.m. on Friday, Gesner began the long journey home to Saint-Louis du Nord — first in a dump truck with more than 300 people “packed like sardines” in the back. The truck went as far as Gonaives, then he hopped from tap tap to tap tap, from motorcycle to motorcycle, tirelessly working to get the rest of the way home. “I paid a lot of money to finally get home. I didn’t eat anything from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. because I didn’t have enough money.”

His wife and young son have still been living in Saint-Louis du Nord while Gesner attends medical school.

When I got home “they jumped on me! And my son, I had to wake him up…he’d been asking his mom ‘where’s dad, where’s dad?’ He didn’t know where I was…he’s just two years old. But he knew there was something wrong.”

Gesner arrived home late on Friday evening and came to visit friends at Northwest Haiti Christian Mission on Saturday morning. Phyllis Van Es, an NWHCM short-term missionary, had been anxiously awaiting Gesner’s return along with his wife, Yvrose.  “I met him several years ago in the ‘dungeon’ depot where they kept donations.  We were sorting clothes.  That’s when I knew I respected him – he was working when he didn’t have to,” Van Es said.

When Gesner walked up and hugged her, she screamed and hugged him tightly. A small group sat at the breakfast table and listened over cold cups of coffee as Gesner showed photos and talked about his experience.

“It’s so hard to describe,” Gesner said. “I don’t feel like I’m in my right skin yet. I only know that I’m very, very glad that I’m home now, that I’m out of Port-au-Prince.  No one wants to stay there.”

As he began the task of finally contacting the many friends and family who’ve been waiting to hear from him, Gesner smiled. “Thanks for all your prayers, for everyone who was worried about me.  Thank you so much.”

Click here for a photo gallery of images Gesner took in Port-au-Prince. Note: Some images contain content that may not be suitable for young children.