No News Yet

I don't have words for the past 24 hours. We went to bed last night worrying about our friends in the city in Haiti but thinking that surely the orphanage all the way in the mountains would be fine. A knock on the door at midnight changed everything. After many hours of trying they finally got in touch with one of the workers at the orphanage. In a moment all of our lives were changed. They found out that the majority of the orphanage collapsed during the earthquake & the youngest girl did not get out. Her name was Atanie & I just spent a whole last week loving on her and laughing with her. Then Brian told us that Odette was not there. At this time they thought that she had gone with Eddy & her parents to the city but no one knew where they were. After a sleepless night we got a call from Brian at 5:50 telling us that Eddy's wife had a 20 second conversation with Eddy and he said that "we are ok". I held on to the hope the rest of the morning that "we" meant Odette was with him. Then at 7:00 Brian showed up on our doorstep again to tell us that Odette rode a tap-tap with her parents earlier that afternoon and she was not with Eddy. They were supposed to stay with family in the city that night and then go today for testing. Eddy was headed out this morning to go find them. We have not had any phone service to Haiti since around 7 or 8 this morning so we still do not know any more. Our guys are going to spend the night calling over & over like they did last night until they get through. We are hoping for news by in the morning. Please continue to pray. I feel with everything in me that she is ok & I know that God is in control. I can't wait for a phone call with two words I have been longing to hear all day "HELLO, MOMMY".


Here is the email that was sent out this morning that explains all the details about our other Haitian friends. At this point we have no update on any of this information.

It has been a very long and deadly night for our friends and family in Haiti.

We have now spoken to the leaders at the Coq Chante Orphanage and this is what we know:

- A large portion (up to 1/2 or more) of the building structure at Coq Chante collapsed during the quake.

- ATANIE: the youngest of "our girls", did not make it out of the building. She was coming down the steps at the front of the orphanage when the front end of the building collapsed. They have now recovered her body.

- ODETTE: the adoptive daughter of Andy and Allyson Coleman, is presently unaccounted for. Odette was not at Coq Chante at the time of the quake. She was in Port au Prince with her birth parents for medical tests yesterday. Eddy knows where her family was supposed to be staying last night in Port aP, and is currently on his way to try to find her. We have been unable to make contact with her or her family to this point.

THE REST OF "OUR GIRLS" - The remaining 16 girls made it out with only some minor injuries. They are very frightened. The remaining structure is unsafe and they cannot go back inside at this point. The girls spent the night outside, in the courtyard of the orphanage. All the caregivers who presently live at the orphanage (Agathe, Edwin, Pastor and Madam Gaspard, Jean Luke and Magrela) are all safe and are caring for the girls.

- RICOT LOUIS JUSTE AND FAMILY: Ricot (Pastor Nicolas' son), Mona (Pastor Nicolas' widow), and their immediate family are all safe. Their house in Delmas sustained major damage but they all managed to make it out. They spent the night in the courtyard outside their home. Ricot's wife, Christina, is here in Knoxville with us.

- EDDY JEUNE AND FAMILY: Eddy, Nicole, and their children are all safe and their house came through the quake ok.

- PASTOR MENES: He is safe and his house still standing, but his youngest daughter, Beremy, is unaccounted for. She was at school in the city at the time of the quake, and Pastor Menes is getting reports that the school building collapsed. He hasn't been able to make contact with her.

We haven't been able to make contact with anyone else at this point, or confirm the condition of other facilities (ie, Camatin, Belloc). The epicenter of the quake was located in an area very close to the homes of many of our other friends (Hippolite, Estemine, Evelyne, Jabey, among others). We continue to try to make contact constantly.

At first light this morning Ricot will be trying to make the journey to Coq Chante to try to get to the girls. Reports are that Port au Prince is virtually destroyed, and the road up the mountain sustained much damage -- so travel may prove impossible.

WHITE STONE FAMILY: PLEASE PRAY! We will be monitoring the developments throughout the day - trying to formulate a plan on what our next-steps will be.

We covet your prayers. Pray for everyone involved. Pray for God's mercy. Pray for provision and safety for those unaccounted for. Pray for miracles. JUST PRAY.

We will pass on more information as we get it.

Blessings,

Mark Zimmerman
White Stone Church