Welcome to Edge Outreach’s story blog. So many people support us with prayer and financial aid but never hear the wonderful stories of our work. In he past we’ve been so busy doing our work that we haven’t taken the time to tell the stories.

Recent events in Haiti and miraculous responses to it have convinced us that we need to be telling our stories. This is where you will find them.

Sherry Stumph went to Haiti with Edge Outreach team 4 in February. I spoke to her by phone last week.

You were on the same team with Caleb Thomas, whom I interviewed last week. He said your job was mainly to follow up on previous installations and make sure everything was okay.

Right.

Did you find any problems with the previous installations?

No. We did some new installations and added some extra tanks to previous installations. The main thing we did was follow-up on the training.

You might not know this, but I went through Edge’s training on their water purification system and went on an installation trip in the Dominican Republic. So I’m familiar with the system. It’s a simple system, but not THAT simple. It takes some training to use it. In following up with the water specialists that were trained, how did you feel about their ability to operate and maintain the purification equipment?

I felt great about them and their ability to run the systems. And I love that the Edge system is sustainable, you know? They will be able to run it and maintain it on their own without us being there. I love that Edge didn’t just show up and drop of a bunch of bottled water and leave. I did wonder what would happen if the trained person got tired of maintaining the system, but the benefits are so obvious for their families and community that I don’t think that will happen.

You know, it was a big surprise to me when I realized that EVERYONE in Haiti drinks water that we would consider to be unclean. There isn’t good water anywhere, really.

The same was true in the Dominican Republic. I was surprised to find that wealthier people didn’t have cleaner water. They just drank bottled water. There was no expectation that the cities – even the large cities – would provide clean drinking water to the citizens. We did an installation in a hospital. Even the hospital did not have water that was safe to drink.

I know from my interview with Caleb that you guys flew into the Dominican Republic and took a bus into Haiti. What were your first impressions of Haiti?

Nothing could have prepared me for what we saw. You try to prepare yourself by watching the news and listening to the other teams. But it is just total devastation. The smells and the garbage in the street and the leveled buildings. And what is hard to accept is that the poverty has always been there. I think it’s easy for us to think that the earthquake caused their poverty. But they were already so poor. When we went through the Dominican Republic, I was struck by the poverty there. But when you cross the border and enter Haiti, you see poverty at levels that are unimaginable.

What would you say had the biggest emotional impact on you emotionally?

The suffering. The hungry children with bloated bellies. I had the strangest mixed emotions. I envied their simplicity. The villages in Haiti seem like happy places. But the sickness and hunger is so stark. And the orphanages are filled with such great suffering. There are so many children who are just not being cared for. The hardest thing was having to leave, knowing that those kids are still there. I came home to my house and my car and my easy life. But that is their life. They can’t leave. I felt good that we helped them have clean water, but to leave human beings in that state was very hard.

How would you say your trip to Haiti has changed you?

Well, it took me several weeks to adjust to life here when I got back. Going to Haiti was very much outside of my comfort zone. I work with children here and with at risk teenagers. I felt compelled to Go to Haiti. I felt like God was calling me there. So it was just a matter of being obedient to that call. I certainly had to rely on God there. Also I think I realize now that even a small group of people can make a huge difference in a place like Haiti. You don’t have to do everything. You just have to do what you can.

Did you experience aftershock earthquakes?

They were horrible for me. The earth groans and makes terrifying sounds. And they happened every night. Early in the trip, I just cried. It was so scary and unnerving.

What was the most meaningful work you did there? What did you do that seemed to have the most important impact?

I think building relationships with the people. The water purifiers are important. But if you don’t develop a rapport with the people, they don’t trust you and probably won’t care for the system. I think Edge does a great job of building relationships with the people there.

Do you want to go back?

I would go back. But honestly, not right now. I think I’m still recovering from the trip. But I’d like to go back on another Edge trip where we do water cleanliness training.

Is there a single image from Haiti that sticks in your mind more than others?

Yes, there was a little boy with a red shirt on. Caleb took his picture and it was on his interview on the water blog. He had blood coming out of his ears. He was so weak he couldn’t even hold my hand. I cupped my hand and he put his hand in mine and just held it there for about 45 minutes.

I would say that image is not going to leave me anytime soon.

Gordon Atkinson for Edge Outreach

Caleb Thomas is a construction engineer in Cincinnati. He went to Haiti with Edge Outreach’s team four. They were in Haiti February 13-20, 2010. I spoke with Caleb on the phone about his experiences in Haiti. NOTE: All the pictures are by Caleb Thomas. More pictures from Caleb’s trip are available as a slideshow in the sidebar.

Caleb Thomas with children in Haiti

Caleb, what was the primary mission of team four?

Our main goals were to support the work that had been done. Tie up loose ends, finish training people in the use of our water system. We gave final exams to those we had trained earlier.

We had some trouble getting there. A long plane layover in Philadelphia. We got to the Dominican Republic and there were 200 people waiting for customs. But because of our Edge blue vests, we got rushed through customs quickly. They didn’t even go through our gear. That was amazing. We drove into Haiti on a bus. We got lost multiple times because street signs are missing. Even the landmarks that the bus drivers know are gone. The sites and smells were…overwhelming.

We split into two groups and spent a lot of time giving final exams to our water specialists.

When you say "Water Specialist," I’m assuming these are the people in Haiti who received the training for using the Edge water purification system.

Yes. The other teams had identified people who were very interested in the water system and were capable of running it. Typically they are pastors or city officials of some kind who are willing and able to manage the system. We followed up with those people to make sure they were comfortable with the system and capable of maintaining it.

What were your first impressions when you drove into Haiti? What are the things that stand out in your mind?

The scale of the devastation. You look in any direction, as far as you see, and there is devastation. It’s not like with a tornado or something where you can see a path of destruction. It’s just as far as you can see in any direction. I got a chance to ride in a helicopter, and you REALLY see it then. The smells were intense. But it was more than just the smell of death that hits you. It’s the utter hopelessness in the faces of so many people. The looks on their faces is something I won’t forget.

Did you do any new installations?

Yes, we did. Part of the challenge is being ready for the unexpected. You might show up somewhere and people hear about fresh water and show up asking for help. Of course we try to go and see if we can do anything.

I know you have to be flexible in a situation like this. Were there any other surprises or unexpected things that came along that you had to deal with?

Every day was a surprise. The communication was not always good – telephones, even cell phones. We’d plan something one day and then be unable to do it and have to change our plans. There was no big surprises, but just every day it was difficult to plan things and stay organized. We had to make a lot of last minute changes.

How has going to Haiti changed you?

My problems just don’t seem that big anymore. The day-to-day grind and problems at work, those things just don’t seem to bother me as much. The life and death struggle of the people in Haiti really puts all of that in perspective. I think I’m just beginning to sort out all the ways I’ve been changed by my trip to Haiti. I feel like I’ve been given a whole new perspective on life.

Do you want to go back?

Yes, I’d love to go back. I have to figure out how to get time off of work and all that, but yes, I would love to. I want to revisit the places we went and see if they are doing okay and managing well.

What do you think is the biggest need in Haiti right now?

Someone has to help them restructure the country. They don’t need tons of money thrown at them. They need someone to give them hope and something to work for. I think that’s the beauty of the work we did. We brought a water purification system, but we trained them to use it. So now it’s Haitians helping Haitians. They have the means to provide clean water for themselves. Somehow that’s what’s needed. Help to get started and restructure, but then they need to take ownership themselves.

Do you think the United States will stay engaged in Haiti long enough to help in this way?

I think so, because most of the people down there working were already working in Haiti. Edge was already working in Haiti and the Dominican Republic before the earthquake. But yes, some aid groups are already leaving. We Americans lose interest quickly, being the microwave society. But people who were already there were already invested, and I think they will remain.

Were there any aftershocks while you were there?

Yes, we experienced some that were 4.7 magnitude quakes. A lot of people still won’t sleep inside because of them. They’re pretty scary. You can hear and feel the deep rumbling in the ground. And you hear buildings cracking in the background.

Is there a single image that is burned into your mind?

Yeah, I took a picture of a man in a hospital. I think it stuck in my head because there was a red, white, and blue background behind him. I was so struck by him that I took a picture. He was sitting there in bandages on a corner of a hospital property. It was the look on his fact that struck me – the 1000 yard stare, as they say. And then going to orphanages and seeing so many children, many of them newly orphaned. There was such a deep look of sorrow in their eyes.

Gordon Atkinson for Edge Outreach

In July of 1999, Kelly Fleury was in Haiti attending the funeral of his brother, Dezman, who had worked for a rental care agency and had a passion for helping poor children in and around Leogane. At the funeral Kelly met a poor widow who was weeping because Dezman was the only person who had helped her and her children survive. Inspired by his brother, Kelly formed the Dezman Fleury Foundation that year. They began by building an orphanage. Slowly raising additional funds, they built a clinic and pharmacy, a school, and a bakery. The bakery was used as a business to teach a trade to the girls from the orphanage and to provide funds.

Pictures from their website taken before the earthquake tell the story. The facilities were modest by some standards, but the children were clean and well cared for. The orphanage, school, bakery, and clinic are like many social service ministries in Haiti. They are mostly run by small groups who do the best they can without a lot of resources. What you notice in the pre-earthquake photos is how clean everything was. You also notice the faces of the children. They looked happy.

The earthquake on January 12th decimated the Fleury Foundation buildings, as it did so many others. As usual, the poorest of the poor were the hardest hit.

By January 15th, Edge had 3 teams planned to go to Haiti. We began carefully planning where to locate them and the water treatment centers we were going to build. We had no idea of the existence of the Dezman Fleury orphans.

When you go to a place like Haiti to do relief work, you have to have some boundaries or the sheer size of the disaster will overwhelm you. For the sake of sanity and reality, you have to know your mission and keep your eye on the ball. And yet, for the sake of Christ, you have to be flexible enough to respond to the serendipitous opportunities that present themselves. Somehow you have to stick to the mission and respond to the moment. I don’t know how people find that delicate balance between mission and opportunity, but the place where well-laid plans meet the Holy Spirit seems to be where most of the miracles are found.

There are hundreds of ongoing relief efforts in Haiti. Buried within those larger missions are thousands of small stories where human beings connect and bring compassion into a terrible situation.

This is one of those stories.

***

On February 16th, Mike Jones and other members of Edge’s relief team 3 were attending a meeting at the United Nations building near Leogone to discuss water needs with representatives from the U.N., UNICEF, and some other organizations. Through an interpreter, Mike found out that some people from an orphanage were living in a bakery next door to the U.N. Building and were without clean water.

The next day Mike went to investigate along with Bob Doligale and Stewart Haag. They discovered the children and staff from the Dezman Fleury Orphanage living around their decimated bakery. Their orphanage, clinic, and school were totally destroyed in the quake. The bakery had a caved-in roof, but at least it was near the U.N. building, so the children were safer there than out in open fields. They were living in tents and lean-to shelters. Twice a week, when a truck delivered water to the U.N., leftovers were given to the orphans. It was their only supply of water.

When Mike and the Edge team arrived, the Dezman Fleury Foundation staff was trying to repair an aging, hand-dug well. They had capped the well with concrete and were trying to put a hand pump on it. Unfortunately, a goat had fallen into the well and died before they could cap it. They had gotten the goat out of the well, but the water was obviously foul. To make matters worse, the mechanics of the pump, which are more complicated than most people know, were causing great difficulty. This was not a planned mission objective for the Edge team, but clearly they could not leave these people in need. The men on the team were familiar with the kind of pump system being used, so they went right to work. In short order they had the pump working. But the water was filthy. Mike and the others promised to come back the next day with purifying equipment. They gave the children and staff water enough to get them through the night and instructed them to use the well to fill an old tank that they had.

The kids worked all day and into the evening. By the next day they had filled a large tank by hand, one bucket at a time. The Edge team returned the following day and brought one of our chlorine gas purifiers and a filtering system. It took about 3 days to train them to use the system. When the Edge team left, the Dezman Fleury staff were able to use the system to provide themselves with clean, safe water.

The Dezmond Fleury Foundation staff and children are obviously still facing immense challenges. They will need to rebuild their orphanage and school. They are trying to put their lives back together. People can survive for periods of time with little food and temporary shelter. But clean water is an absolute necessity. As of February 20th, the orphans living in the ruins of the bakery do not have to worry about that.

Note: I wrote to Kelly Fleury, who confirmed that the Dezman Fleury orphans are still living around their ruined bakery, but that the clean water system is still working. They are safe for now.

It took us more than 10 years to build and all gone within less than a minute. It is hard to even think about it. Our desire is to rebuild. We need to collect money to start rebuilding. Please raise the awareness for us among friends and fanily members. I am confident that they will let their heart be broken with the things that break the heart of God.

Indeed, they are still living by the bakery. Pray for funds so we may start building. The rainy season is around the corner.

Many blessings:

Kelly

If you are interested in helping the Dezman Fleury Foundation in their rebuilding efforts, visit their website.

Edge is currently funding ongoing operations in Haiti. Each water sanitizing unit and filtration system costs Edge about $2700. Your gifts might provide enough to allow us to bring extra purification units with us. Having margins and planning for unexpected blessings is our way of inviting the Holy Spirit to travel with us to Haiti.

Gordon Atkinson for Edge Outreach

Mark Hogg was in Haiti last week visiting the sites where Edge Water Relief teams have been working. Caleb Thomas and Stewart Haag, both relief team members, were with him. Mark has seen the great work done by our volunteer teams and met with our Haitian water partners and water specialists we’ve trained to continue the work.

"I’m meeting incredible people who are doing all they can to respond to a horrific situation. We all want to hope for the situation to become somehow manageable, but truthfully it’s hard to imagine. What can you do when you have neither the resources to tear down what’s left or build anything to replace it? Fear is high about more aftershocks and there have been three since I’ve been here. Tent communities are the new suburbia and this is the way it may be for a long time. Doing my best to encourage them, but the feeling of hopelessness is high."

Mark returned to Louisville on Sunday, February 28th.

March 6, next Saturday – "I Thirst" Gala at The Henry Clay!

The deadline to buy a ticket is Wednesday March 3. Click here to buy tickets.

This is the third year for our "I Thirst" Gala, and it’s become a major fundraising event for EDGE OUTREACH. It’ll be very special this year because we’re celebrating the tremendous support of the Louisville community which empowered EDGE to make a life saving difference in Haiti immediately after the earthquake. Hear the the stories, meet the volunteers who went to Haiti, and see the water technologies they used. It’s a fun and inspiring time for people who want to know more about EDGE. And for those who do, it’s a great occasion to enjoy being a part of the EDGE family. Don’t miss it!

Bob Browning, Kurtis Daniels, and Claudia Daniels were at Journey of Faith Church in Manhattan Beach, CA leading this water training conference. 51 highly motivated people registered for the training. Kurtis said it was the best training he’s ever had with a “group of total rookies.” The participants trained hard for a solid two days on the water purifier and health and hygiene. The church has ask EDGE to plan a water trip to Costa Rica for June 2010 and 24 people signed up during this training for the trip. Fantastic!

The Dezman Fleury Foundation is run by Kelly Fleury, a native of Haiti. Their mission is to care for forgotten children in and around Leogane, Haiti.

The Dezman Fleury Foundations mission is to enhance the lives of Haiti’s forgotten children and their families… The foundation pledges to care and protect abused and neglected children…  The foundation strives to provide a loving environment and basic education to all its children.

The pictures on the foundation website tell the story. Their facilities were certainly humble, but clean and well-tended. There was an orphanage, a school, a clinic, and a bakery, where kids from the orphanage could learn a trade and be prepared for life.

The earthquake destroyed all of this. The children were struggling to find shelter and without water. Edge Outreach had not planned on working with the orphanage. We didn’t even know it existed. Our team happened upon them. We couldn’t build them a new facility or erase the terrible damage. But we were able to work with their plumbing and get water to them.

The following is an email from Kelly Fleury:

Dear Mark,
Just a note to thank you for your help today. Your guys came and helped us to have purified water. Here at the orphanage, we have many issues that we are dealing with but good water is not one of them any more. Once again, I thank God for you. You make the children did their happy dance. Not only they installed the system, they assisted us in placing the handpump. We could not be happier. Please visit our website at:www.fleuryfoundation.org. If God puts in your heart to continue helping us, please don’t hesitate.
Blessings:
Kelly

Gordon Atkinson for Edge Outreach

Helicopter pilot Tom Eifler and dentist Patrick Keesee wanted to help in Haiti. The answer seemed simple enough. Why not fly down there together, let Patrick setup a dental clinic, while Tom flies supplies around for people providing aid and assistance?

So that’s what they did.

Patrick is staying in an orphanage, where he has setup a dental clinic. Tom’s primary mission is to help Edge Outreach in their various projects. With transportation in Haiti being difficult at best, you can imagine how wonderful it is to have a helicopter available!

If you are interested in Patrick and Tom’s story, check out their blog, which is updated frequently with lots of photos and videos of their work.

Louisville for Haiti Blog

Gordon Atkinson for Edge Outreach

Here are some wonderful photos from our time in Haiti.

View Full Album

Gordon Atkinson for Edge Outreach

Team two is safely back home, along with teams one and three. Our fourth team is on the ground in Haiti working right now. We thought you might like to see some photos from team two’s time in Haiti.

Gordon Atkinson for Edge Outreach