Haiti Relief Report
Report video posted
March 23
Our team is back, safe and rested. We aired the report video this past weekend at all our church services, and have now posted it on this blog. (View it by clicking on the button located on the sidebar. If you're reading this in an RSS reader, visit the blog page.)
Thank you, again, church. Your generosity is astounding.
Saturday, March 6 update
March 6
We are ready for church tomorrow morning!
Sitting in the tent/sanctuary sending this update while worship team is practicing and preparing around 3PM local time.
Earlier the floors were swept and mopped. The air circulation units put in place and operating. It is shaded and comfortable in here.
There are chairs and benches to seat 2,000 and enough room to add seats for at least another 1,000 when more benches are assembled.
This is going to be an amazing place tomorrow morning!
-Jim
Friday, March 5 update
March 5
Some updates on the tent:
The tent preparations are continuing. Additional stakes being installed due to soft ground conditions. The platform is done and the carpenter crew is working under shop lights to finish the speaker stands.
Electrical panel and wiring for the sound system as well as the circulating fans is also near completion.
Gravel has been brought in and more coming to avoid muddy conditions around tent perimeter.
It will be a busy day again tomorrow for tent crew, carpenters, electricians and all the helpers here. The chairs and benches will begin going in for Sunday's first service.
This tent has really arrived just in time. It was cloudy all day will some light showers and more may be on the way tonight and tomorrow.
One of the two thirty foot tents has been set up near the clinic. The other will be erected on the basketball court where food and other supplies are stored and distributed.
-Jim and Ben
We've updated the previous post with a photo of the fully erected tent.
The tent is up!
March 4
The tent is up. There is still a lot of adjustments to make in all the cable, ropes, and rigging but it looks like a giant tent. It rained last night but it wasn't much of a problem and it made for a somewhat cooler work day with some cloud cover.
Tomorrow the tent team will complete the final adjustments. The church staff is working steadily on all the plans for the layout and seating and all the first service logistics.
It is going to be an incredible celebration Sunday morning. it is nice being three hours ahead of you so we always know we have been covered in prayer.
Jim and Ben
Wednesday, March 3 update 2
March 3
The sun has just gone down and the tent team is still working. They just got the fifth and last main pole erected a few minutes ago. They are still fastening the seams of the sections together prior to the tent being raised. There also many support poles that will need to be tied down and we don't yet know if they will have enough light to complete before tomorrow morning.
We will not be able to upload a photo of the finished product until tomorrow but wanted everyone to know that all is going well.
-Jim and Ben
Wednesday, March 3 update
March 3
It 12:15PM here and we have one of the 36 foot main poles up. I was mistaken on earlier report. There are five of these 36 foot poles not four.
The poles will run along the centerline of the 150 foot section, hard to believe the length of this tent is half a football field!
Since the first pole is up it will be easier to raise the other four via pulley and manual winch. The first one was pulled up with a lot of manpower.
Once the poles are up the tent fabric will be fastened to metal hoops to travel up and down each post. The tent fabric will then be pulled up the pole to the top. Along this centerline the interior of the tent will be about 34 feet.
Ben will be able to send some photos of this later today. He is also taking a time-lapse photo of the raising of the tent.
-Jim and Ben
Tent onsite
March 2
The tent has been successfully transported to the church site. One of the 36' main-poles (there are 4 of them) has been welded and many secondary and border poles as well as the tent fabric are pre-staged around the platform for further assembly tomorrow.
Praise God!
The tents have arrived!
March 2
At the dock. Tent being loaded into trucks as this is being typed.
-Jim
Tuesday, March 2 update
March 2
Good news from Jim and Ben!
Just received phone call that the Mexican ship is pulling out so our ship can move onto dock.
I don't speak Creole but I heard Pastor Jay mention Mexicans and Mexico during morning prayer so we definitely prayed that ship out of here.
We will be heading out to pick up the tent in a few minutes soon as the trucks get here.
David Wine, the tent maker, and his team are ready. They have to site all marked out and plenty of workers ready to start getting this put up as soon as we get back.
Will send confirmation ASAP.
-Jim and Ben
Monday, March 1 update
March 1
Two updates today:
Another well attended morning prayer meeting at 6AM.
After breakfast informed we would be heading to port to pick tent and other supplies. A lot of excitement and preparation.
Left the church compound with two large trucks and smaller truck. Just a few minutes away we were informed that the ship that was to move out to make room for our ship has not yet left.
Keep praying, we don't know if the delay is logistical, corruption related or spiritual but we know that prayer affects all the above. Amen.
In the meantime more benches being assembled and painted. Carpenters gathering the lumber and supplies to build the platform. Rubble still being cleared from a neighboring house that fell on and broke part of the retaining wall.
The church here is making good use of the time even as we wait for the ship to come in.
Thanks for your prayers. Will update you as soon as we have more information.
-Jim and Ben
And:
Just took a break from mopping up water on the tent site.
A group from 82nd Airborne had come to the property to meet Pastor Jay and inspect the compound. Our military is partnering with World Vision to facilitate food distribution in Haiti. This particular squad deal with this region of the city.
They told Pastor Jay that this is the best site they have found and are hoping to get things organized for an ongoing food distribution. They were impressed by the organization, cleanliness as well as the presence of the medical clinic. (Probably didn't hurt that Pastor Jay told the Lt that his guys could use the pool on Saturdays :)
It was nice to tell our people in uniform how much we appreciate them and pray for them.
God is good, it is exciting to see God expanding the Kingdom through this local church before our very eyes. We expectant for even greater favor and strategic influence through the church.
Its true that we may not know exactly when the tent will come in, but we also do not know what blessings and divine appointments are coming!
-Jim and Ben
Sunday update
February 28
Attended open air service at 6:30 am. Over 2,000 in attendance. It had rained overnight but thankfully it had stopped and the cloud cover definitely helped provide some shade.
The service lasted for two hours with an amazing time of prayer and worship. The worship team and musicians here are very good.
Pastor Jay reminded the church that they will be back to their regular church schedule in the tent next Sunday.
Pastor Jerry gave a message about "Power Shift" relating that just as power was released in the earthquake. God was releasing power to His people to expand the Kingdom of God in Haiti. This is in reference to Paul's prayer in Ephesians 1 and the release of God's mighty power.
There was encouragement for the people to look for the opportunities and open doors released by the spiritual "power shift" in Haiti. To be expecting things to change.
After the message Pastor Jay gave an invitation to those that need Jesus in their life. About 20 people responded, came to the altar and were saved.
At the end of the service the clouds left and it got hot fast.
We are looking forward to updating you on the tent and are praying that it will get unloaded tomorrow.
We are healthy, energetic, safe, and we know it is a result of your prayers!
Thanks, Jim Goods.
Saturday update
February 27
We just got this report from Jim:
Latest update on tent is possible unloading to take place Monday.
At tent site things were very busy today. Additional benches are being made onsite. Lumber cut, sanded and painted. Metal being cut, welded and painted for the bench frames.
A carpenter from a US church arrived today to begin construction for the church platform.
We completed interviews with two staff members describing the tent city that sprung up on the soccer field after the earthquake. Alberto is a volunteer from a church in Florida and has been here for five weeks assisting with transportation and logistics. Jonas a local who lost his home and was living at the tent city on church property with his wife and son.
Also interviewed the Senior Associate Pastor, Passtor Eston who lost his 18 year-old son in quake.
Ben and I were already hot but we got dirty too. We helped clear concrete rubble, clear storage spaces and carry 90 lbs bags of cement mix. It was a blessing to be able to help, like being at a work day at one of our campuses!
Tomorrow morning will be open air services on the concrete pad. It will be exciting to be here but it will be nothing compared to when that tent goes up.
Will give a report tomorrow on Sunday service.
Jim.
We're working on setting up an RSS feed to subscribe to. In the meantime, keep following this page for more updates.
Interview with Pastor Jay Threadgill (audio)
February 26
Part 1:
Part 2:
Part 3:
Bonus interview with Dr. Jerry:
Report from Port stand:
Friday update
February 26
Here is the report from our team today:
Hi City Church,
This morning we were informed that the tent will be unloaded sometime tomorrow.
Today we taped the initial interview with Dr. Jay Threadgill, interviewed the church staff member that manages the medical clinic, and did some shots of the school in operation.
With Dr. Jerry's help, Ben (our videographer) has identified some staff pastors and church members that we may be able to record personal profiles on. There are some very incredible personal testimonies.
Ben will be sending additional photos and audio as soon as possible.
Another awesome morning prayer meeting. This one went about a half hour beyond the normal one hour. At 6:45 AM Pastor Jay asked the people to pray for Pastor Wendell's healing. There was a lengthy period of intense intercession with nearly 2,000 Haitian saints striding all over the cement foundation lifting up Pastor Wendell's name and asking for God's mercy and intervention. Amen to that!
So far it hasn't rained while we've been here and we should pray that it doesn't till the tent is up.
Jim.
Thursday update
February 25
From our team today:
Made it down to the port today. Unable to enter due to security restrictions set up by US military. We can see several large ships standing by to offload. Still no confirmation when our ship will be moved for offloading. Things seems to change here hour by hour.
We will be shooting interview regarding the medical clinic operating on the church property about half an hour from now.
We are scheduled to video the school in operation tomorrow as well as footage of patient treatment.
Also plan to do interview with Pastor Jay tomorrow morning.
They are taking good care of us but have increased security measures; we now have four security guards with shotguns on duty around the clock. Might be due to school getting back in session.
Still no aftershocks but have been given firm instructions to leave our room immediately if any shaking. Most of our shaking has been from bumpy rides on bad roads :)
Really impressed with the good work the church has done down here. Outside of City Church and our network of churches, we haven't seen such a strong Kingdom/local church before.
Everyone is very excited for the tent to go up.
Jim.
Wednesday update
February 24
Unfortunately our team in Haiti has been unable to find a reliable or fast enough internet connection in order to send back video updates. However, here is what they've found out while there.
From Jim:
Over 90 percent of the population in Port Au Prince is still sleeping outside their homes, mainly in tents. They are in great fear as there have been several aftershock quakes including this past Mon night.
We toured the downtown area today. There is a significant amount of destruction and collapsed buildings. There is very little in the way of heavy equip avail and many bodies still buried in rubble.
Went to the site of Church on the Rock. Over 3/4 of the building collapsed. 30 members were on the third floor at a Bible study during the quake, all perished.
The local church here is making a difference in spite of the circumstances. They have restarted their school and are conducting feeding programs to local neighborhood. They fed almost 400 families on the day we arrived.
They have med teams coming with doctors rotating in and out. There are still many suffering from crude emergency amputations and consequent infections.
The church meets for prayer at 6am mon-fri. Wed morning there was about 2,000 present praying and worshipping at the tent site.
Latest tent update: ship is in harbor on standby to unload. Due to limited port facilities and backlog of freight waiting we have been told that the ship will not be able to dock till Friday and time of day unknown. Pray that the time will be early and confirmed by Port authorities.
We are coming up on the rainy season here. It will be an incredible blessing to have the tent erected before that happens. Pray for Haiti, any heavy tropical weather will be just adding anoth er disaster on top of this one.
Church on the Rock here is full of vision and life. Even though most members have lost family or friends, they have not lost their hope in Christ. (One of the senior assoc pastors lost his 18 yoa son (same age as my son Alex).
City Church has really picked good soil to sow into. The vision of Church on the Rock is threefold, Survival (quake and immed aftermath), Relief (Ongoing), and Rebuilding (the local church and the Kingdom of God.
Update from Team
February 23
We just got this update from our team:
Just an update. All connecting flights made and all luggage accounted for. We are in terminal waiting to board last leg in a couple hours. Fyi.
Haiti Update
February 16
Thank you to all who have given generously to Haiti in the aftermath of the recent devastating earthquake. The City Church has received donations totaling $121,000.
Using the funds that have come in, we purchased permanent tents for two local churches that we have a relationship with in Haiti: Fishers of Men International and Haiti Arise. The larger tent is 20,000 square feet and seats 6000 people; the smaller tent seats 850. These tents will be shelters at night, medical centers during the day, and meeting places for the church congregation.
The tents are being shipped by sea; they are scheduled to leave from Miami on Monday, February 22, and will arrive in Port-au-Prince several days later. Jim Goods and Ben Strickland from The City Church will be on hand to help with the setup of the tent. They leave Monday night at midnight and return Tuesday, Mar. 2.
Preparation for the cement foundation for the larger tent is underway, and installation of the tent could take place as soon as February 25-27th.
Check this page often for updates on the Haiti relief project, including a video blog from our team. Please keep praying for the churches in Haiti and for the tent project to be completed smoothly and quickly. Pray for protection and health for Jim and Ben during their trip.
Letter to The City Church from Dr. Jay, pastor of Fishers of Men International I'm writing to thank you and your congregation for your generous hearts towards us and our congregation here in Haiti. I've never met you, but somewhere by the Spirit of God we know each other. We lost our church, but your generosity has made a way with the tent, the blowers, and all the other blessings you have earmarked for us and Haiti. There are no words that can express my thanks to you. The emotion runs too deep to bring it to a vocabulary. I have teared up many times and have prayed for you and your church often since this ordeal has occurred.
I look forward to flying out and shaking your hands and giving you a hug. Until then know that you will always be in my prayers and my heart.
In His Love and Faithfulness,
Dr. Jay Threadgill