Keep up with updates from COGIC Charities and the Church Of God In Christ’s efforts to help Haiti on the COGIC Charities YouTube Channel.

www.youtube.com/cogiccharities

When disaster strikes, there is one group of professionals that are needed immediately.  Medical personnel.  When the Church Of God In Christ first assembled its special Haiti Mobilization Team, Dr. Elton Amos was one of the first men called.  Since January 12, he has been working to get the best possible medical professionals to Haiti.  We sat down with him for a few minutes to talk with him about his team and their goals.

COGIC.com: What did you hope to accomplish while in Haiti?      

Dr. Amos:       Just under two weeks ago COGIC launched a medical mission to Haiti with the purpose of providing urgent care, health services and surgical/medical follow-up for those who have been unable or incapable of obtaining medical care.  

COGIC.com: How many people went over with you?   

Dr. Amos:       Team I consists of 12 COGIC members, who met in Port au Prince to work, along with 2 Harvard Doctors, their staff assistant and one Haitian doctor who joined forces with us.

COGIC.com: Was this your first trip to Haiti? 

 Dr. Amos:       This was my first time in Haiti.  I came on a fact finding and developmental mission and stayed for 6 days.   

COGIC.com:             Can you share the progress of COGIC Global Health & Wellness in Haiti so far?          

Dr. Amos:       With the dedicated work of Disaster Relief Director Pullings, the COGIC (Haitian) National Headquarters was readied for the first wave of Medical Missionaries.  The 3000 seat cathedral, which suffered very minimal damage during the earthquake, was modified to become a medical and social center.  On the first day of clinic, over 400 persons arrived for health care. 

COGIC.com:             What has been you most inspirational story in Haiti?   

Dr. Amos:       Probably the story of a faithful COGIC woman, who’s husband served as a deacon for many years under Bishop Dautruche. She and her three children and husband escaped the crumbling home just in time.  Then her valiant and devoted husband rushed in to save his mother only to have the house and cinderblock walls cave in killing both him and his mother.  I couldn’t hold the back the tears as I attended to her small daughter while recalling how just less than an hour prior, this woman and her children were in the sanctuary worshipping God with all their might!  To worship in the face of great sorrow is the utmost show of faith in Him!

COGIC.com:             With the many diseases, how did you all protecting yourself while in Haiti? 

Dr. Amos:       All of us used masks on Sunday and universal precautions regarding body fluids.  Of course, insect repellent is a mainstay of the trip to Haiti.

COGIC.com   Is there anything else that you’d like to share? 

Dr. Amos:       When this tragedy occurred and food was dropped from helicopters, the despair, hopelessness and desperation of the people was evidenced by violence, lack of concern for the weak and brute domination.  However, what I saw over the past week was a warm, welcoming and civilized people, appreciative of foreigners coming to help.  I cannot tell you how often someone would come up to me or members of our party and state, “thank you for coming to help us in Haiti!”  The people have abandoned their unstable homes, preferring instead the community of the streets; sleeping in cares, front yards and in groups in tents and quickly built shelter/shack homes.  Despite no running water, loss of countless thousands of lives, and the irreparable state of nearly 80 percent of homes in some areas, the people share their food, dress as cleanly as possible, shine their shoes and braid and cut their hair.  The street markets are bustling with people who have nowhere to go.  Untreated broken limbs, skin gouges and head injuries abound; homeless children run the streets begging for a morsel of food.  The elderly are practically unseen and are presumably the primary victims of the midday quake.  Schools are closed, but on the third day of a National Day of Prayer it was evident that faith survived the quake:  The houses of prayer were so packed with worshipers that in every church we witnessed hundreds of people pressed around the walls and crowded into the church gates singing and praising their God.  As they sang in First Church Of God In Christ in Port au Prince, “The Devil meant it for bad, but God is going to turn it around!”

Pritchett in Haiti Helping Children

There were three men charged with setting up the COGIC Charities operations including: Pastor Horace Pritchett, Executive Director of COGIC Charities James Penton, Disaster Relief Specialist Pastor James Pullings .  The Ground Team in Haiti has been working hard for over three weeks in Haiti setting up medical facilities, seeing patients, providing care, assessing damage and trying to provide other forms of relief to the people.  One of the leads on the ground team, Pastor Horace Pritchett sat down with us to talk about his arrival and first thoughts of arriving at ground zero. 

Pastor Pritchett’s Questions

COGIC.com                  What day did you arrive?

Pastor Pritchett:        I arrived in the Dominican Republic on January 27, 2010.  Since the border closed at 5:30 pm, I arrived into Port au Prince, Haiti the following day January 28, 2010.

COGIC.com:                How many people where with you?

Pastor Pritchett:       There were 4 men with me on this trip.

COGIC.com                  How long did it take for you to get to Haiti?

Pastor Pritchett:        It took approximately 7 hours  by van to get from Santiago, DR to Port au Prince, Haiti.  This trip was perilous to say the least.

COGIC.com                   What is your goal while you are there?

Pastor Pritchett:        My goal while in Haiti was to:

1. Orient Elder James Pullings, the point person for COGIC, to Haiti

2. Check on the status of the   both COGIC and other pastors that I have met over the past 25 years.

3. provide necessary support and assistance to various orphanages and churches

COGIC.com                 What was your first thought as you entered into the city?

Pastor Pritchett:        My first thoughts were that of unbelief!  I have been traveling to Haiti for the past 25 years (including 7 trips last year).  While conditions there were always difficult NOTHING could have prepared me for the complete devastation as we moved through the various neighborhoods. 

COGIC.com: What has been your inspiring moment thus far?

Pastor Pritchett: One of the most inspiring moments thus far has been that of a 7 year old boy named Christopher.  During the earthquake, he reached in the the orphanage where he was staying to rescue his dog.  As he reached in to get the dog, a boulder fell and cut half of his hand off.  Although he sustained that injury, when I met him, he was in the yard playing: just happy to be alive. 

COGIC.com:     What are the evident needs of the people right now?

Pastor Pritchett:

• Clean drinking water
• Medical supplies
• Generators
• Tents
• Toiletries
• Pre-packaged food

 COGIC.com                 What is the worse thing that you saw in Haiti?

Pastor Pritchett:        I noticed that there was smoke coming from the end of the street.  I asked a pastor friend (who lost everything) where the smoke was coming from.  He told me that there was a van pushed to the side of the road with three dead bodies burning inside.

COGIC.com                   Explain the overall environment in Haiti right now.

Pastor Pritchett:        The overall environment of Haiti right now is that of chaos, fear, and desperation. 

COGIC.com                    Do you plan to go back, if so when?

Pastor Pritchett:        Yes. I plan to go back to Haiti as soon as commercial airlines are able to land at Port au Prince International Airport.

Some of the desperation that many feel in Haiti is being eased by groups like COGIC Charities who are working tirelessly to help provide immediate relief.  However, your help is needed.  COGIC Charities is able to function through financial contributions of people like you.  Consider going to the COGIC.com web site and make a donation today.  Whether it’s $5 or $50,000, every dollar is used to help COGIC Charities help Haiti.

IMMEDIATE RESPONSE NEEDED

Dear COGIC Global Health and Wellness supporter,

All of us have seen and heard of the tragedy that has befallen the people of Haiti.  The morbidity and mortality is visible daily on the news, in our papers and hourly on internet media.  Is there anyone in America that doesn’t know of the dire and urgent conditions that beg for attention just hours from our border… and for people that for the grace of God and the direction of a ship could have been us?  The Red Cross, social services agencies, governments from around the world and private individuals have “left their nets” to attend to the urgent matters of rescue, health and wellness needed in Haiti.  On their part, this is a great and appreciated humanitarian effort.  But for us, it is a call to something greater – a spiritual challenge: How can we say we love God whom we have never seen, but shut up our bowels of compassion for our brothers and sisters in Haiti whom we see daily?

Team Health, its time to go to Haiti!  Bishop Blake and the Church Of God In Christ have responded, and our Phase One Rescue Mission is underway.    Now it’s our turn! 

Physicians of all faculties, Nurses of all levels, Health Care Workers who have a passion to help, please contact me now to be a part of COGIC’s response. 

Email my assistant Elder Marcus Fenner and indicate your readiness at MarcusFenner@gmail.com. 

Please have a passport already; however, if you don’t have a passport, apply now.  The need will continue in Haiti for quite some time, and we will continue to show love and support where needed.

Travel and departure information and dates will be sent to you as soon as I hear from you regarding your readiness to participate.

Elton Amos, MD

Director, COGIC Global Health and Wellness