Haiti: An Eyewitness Account
Jon Baker, who was one of our students when we directed college ministries, grew up spending summers in Haiti. He has many friends and family who still live there. In the photo you see his cousin with her head bandaged. The house is where she was when the earthquake hit. Below is an abbreviated version of her account:
My parents are safe. They had left Haiti on Monday for a very short trip to Florida with plans of returning today. This is a miracle in itself because it has been a long time since they left together, and this was our first time house sitting for them. I was staying at their home in Petionville during the day, and Denny with at least one of the kids at night.
I was at the house alone and started cooking dinner for Denny and Micah. The rest of the family were all at school for practice, and Denny was coaching too. I knew they were all outdoors. Thankfully! I left the kitchen to go to my dad's office to call my sister-in-law, Linda. As I was talking to her the terrible rumbling, violent, shaking started, throwing me on the floor across the room. Right away the ceiling, walls, rocks, boards came crashing down blocking the door.
I got hit with stuff to my right side, mainly with minor cuts, scrapes, bruises to my right arm, head, and back. I thought my arm was broken with all the swelling, and it appearing crooked. Very limited movement. I kept talking to my sister in law, who was not there. We got cut off right away, but it felt like my life line. Then realizing not...I began praying out loud. I kept my mind focused, knowing I needed to get out. Looking up I saw that my dad's iron window had broken loose at the top from the rock. I dug myself out and climbed up on stuff.
I basically stayed on the property. No where to go for help and so many screaming, people walking, singing on the streets. It was horrible. I couldn't leave, as I didn't want anyone coming thinking my parents or I were inside the house. I had no contact. Lost my phone. Found out nothing was working anyway. I did not make contact with Denny until 9 pm that night. He came with Micah. We hugged. Cried! It was so good to see them!
My parents home is demolished.
Friends had taken the rest of the kids and two other boys we usually take home, to our house on the mountain. We had no damage to our home. Just some things fell and broke. Our maid, Tali…please pray for her. She was here alone. Worried sick about us and her family. Made her way down the mountain to my parents’ home. She took one look at me and broke into a hysteria state. Calming her down, I was able to give her food out of my truck to take to her family. She was afraid to go see, as she felt the house had fallen. We have not heard from her. Please pray.
Sleeping is very difficult for everyone. Every noise, movement, we jump up. The aftershocks are very scary. The first two days we felt them often with some bigger ones. Last night I felt at least three with stuff rattling in our home. I don't think I slept at all. I wanted everyone out of the house, but Denny calmed me down. The kids are all great and working very hard to help. We are sleeping all of us in the living room with the front door wide open.
We have not had much sleep. Wednesday the kids and Denny worked on getting what they could out of the house. It is very dangerous. We also sought medical help for me. A mission team here said it was to the skull. My arm--nothing could be done, as so many were more injured than I, and no x-ray, but praise God, I am moving it more and more.
Today Denny went to go find water and diesel and see if a store is open to at least get milk. We are okay for now on food. I was able to salvage too from my parents’ home. We use our generator for a few hours a day…thus we can be on internet. After a few hours, our inverter crashes, and we have nothing. We have filtered water--some containers left, but have a friend that can filter water for us.
We may go down to the school today as they are using it for patients. Surgeries will be done in the chapel. The Haitian workers and their families have taken shelter on the campus. An orphanage lost their place and are living on campus. The b-ball court is used for the injured. They need translators and workers. So we want to go.
We have many friends, many people we know, who have either lost their lives or someone they know. Common buildings we go into collapsed, killing and trapping many people.
It is chaos. Pray for safety as the looting has started.