April 2013 Congregational Letter
Over the past decade Vineyard Columbus has sent many disaster relief teams to different parts of the globe to respond to earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, and epidemics. In 2005-2006, three Vineyard Columbus medical teams went to Indonesia to respond to three different crises - first, a tsunami in January 2005, second, an earthquake six months later, and third, another earthquake in April 2006. These teams established a community health clinic and served in mobile health clinics at several refugee camps. They treated over a thousand people and partnered with other relief agencies to provide clean water as well as emergency food aid.
In same year, 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans. Vineyard Columbus responded by sending 170 volunteers and 17 teams to assist in the cleanup and rebuilding of that storm-ravaged city.
In 2010, a powerful earthquake struck the island nation of Haiti killing over 250,000 people. Vineyard Columbus' members stepped up again by donating $200,000 and by sending 8 medical teams over a 4-month period of time from January when the earthquake struck until April. The teams worked out of a mobile medical unit, with team members working 12-14 hour shifts without breaks for weeks on end. The need was extraordinary! Over 1 million people lost their homes. Some spent months living in the middle of roads without shelter of any kind. Many, who did not lose their lives, lost limbs. Millions were in need of food aid. Because of the rains and poor sanitation, Haiti experienced a cholera epidemic. Vineyard Columbus responded by sending 3 additional medical teams over a 2-month period. Medical and emergency professionals from our church treated over 750 cholera patients in 6 different locations throughout Haiti.
Our experience in Haiti was heartbreaking for many team members. Our International Ministries Pastor, Mark Batcheck, said:
On my last night in Haiti I took a final walk through the pediatric tent. Some of the kids were sleeping, but some of them were in such pain that they didn't sleep at all. One 7-year old had a wound on his leg and was in such pain that he wouldn't even hold my hand. This little boy seemed too exhausted to even cry. Next to him was a mom with a baby who was malnourished and tiny. A doctor was trying to get the mom to pick her baby up so that he could adjust the baby's IV, but you could tell that the mom was afraid, fearing that she would break this tiny little baby in half because her daughter was so skinny. The hardest thing was knowing that these stories were multiplied by the tens of thousands.
Because of the great need experienced by so many kids, Vineyard Columbus partnered with another church and the non-profit, Eyes Wide Open, to purchase property and construct an orphanage to care for 35 orphans. We sent multiple construction teams and two longer-term construction managers to oversee the construction.
Plans for the Future
In the last few years, the United States has suffered multiple natural disasters requiring immediate relief efforts by both skilled and unskilled workers. Just think of the tragic pictures from the tornadoes that hit Joplin, Missouri a couple of years ago, or the devastation wrought by Hurricane Sandy. As the leadership team of Vineyard Columbus prayed, we felt led to establish a more permanent core of relief volunteers, who would be ready and equipped to respond quickly and effectively to local, regional and national domestic disasters.
Our plan is to work in partnership with established domestic relief agencies (such as Samaritan's Purse and the Red Cross) that will, in most cases, provide the operational supervision for Vineyard Columbus volunteers and teams. But our teams would be ready for rapid deployment in a variety of situations including general disaster first-responders, medical response teams, support services such as mass feeding and sheltering, cleanup and debris removal, and the construction and rehabilitation of homes. In order to establish this core of relief volunteers, Vineyard Columbus is currently partnering together with the Red Cross for a series of training events. If you are interested in being trained as a general disaster first-responder, participating in mass feeding or sheltering, or cleanup from a disaster, there is an upcoming training class:
Disaster Response Volunteer Training - Part 1
Saturday, April 6, 9am-1:30pm
Fee: Free
Location: Vineyard Community Center Room CC.202
Registration Required
More more information contact Janara Walker at: janara.walker@vineyardcolumbus.org or 614-259-5369
Part of the future judgment on us as a church and on us as individuals will be based on how we responded to people in crises. Jesus said in Matthew 25:35-36:
For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.
I am so grateful to be part of a church that will be able to say to Jesus, "We did respond to the least of these brothers and sisters of yours and we did it for the sake of your Name."
- Rich
Here are a few links to our Celebrating God's Goodness blog detailing some of Vineyard Columbus' more recent disaster response work:
Haiti 2011 - http://www.vineyardcolumbus.org/celebrating/blog/for-the-least-of-these-haiti-2011/
Hurricane Sandy - http://www.vineyardcolumbus.org/celebrating/blog/i-dont-have-the-answers/