Hurricane Ike’s Wednesday Update from Abe McIntyre
Damage from Ike in Grand Turks
Dave Spangler and I had a very safe but very heavy flight back home to Eleuthera today. We were able to bring in 700 pounds of rice and around 40 tarps for the relief efforts in Inagua and Haiti. We were also met with 500 lbs of water at the North Eleuthera Airport which we will be taking to Ragged Island tomorrow morning (Wednesday). This was Dave's second heaviest trip he has ever made but we are back safe and sound.
We are headed out in the morning at 8:00 a.m. to fly to Inagua, two hour trip, and will be accompanied by Rev. Bill Higgs, President of the BCMC, and Rev. Henry White who is from James Cistern, Eleuthera but had been serving on Inagua for the past four years but just completed his term. Our main goal of the trip will be to examine the damage that has been done, how best we can serve, what materials are needed and how to best set up for you, our volunteers, to come and serve. We will also be leaving Pastor White there so he can begin to organize our efforts. The community will be overjoyed that we are bringing him back! They just threw him a grand going away party right before Hurricane Hanna rolled through and so they take this as a sign that he wasn't meant to leave.
Material Update:
We have been in touch with Morton Salt Company and they are sailing down their material boat on this coming Saturday with needed materials and supplies. NEMA (Bahamian FEMA) has already set up for some materials to sail down with them but by tomorrow evening we will also have our list of construction materials and food supplies that we will need to have donated and put on the boat as well. This will allow our volunteer pilots to solely focus on volunteer transportation. If we are to send down supplies with Morton, all donations and supplies must be to them, Cape Canaveral, FL, no later than 4:00pm on Friday Sept. 12th, 2008. Because of our limited time frame it is my hope that our Florida East Coast / Orlando Area volunteers will be able gather and deliver the needed supplies that will be needed with haste and get them to Morton.
"WHAT IS NEEDED?"
We know that Plywood, 30 lb. Felt Paper, Shingles, 1 1/4" Shingle Nails, 1 1/2" Drip Edge and Large Tarps (at least 20' x 20') will be needed. It would also be wondeful to deliever small generators, but size and quantity is not known yet. Non-perishable food and water for our volunteers will be needed as well as cots to sleep on.
Beyond that we are not sure but will know specifics by tomorrow evening (Wednesday).
"How can we help?"
Pray...for safety, travel, strength, wisdom, faith and cooperation.
We are headed out in the morning at 8:00 a.m. to fly to Inagua, two hour trip, and will be accompanied by Rev. Bill Higgs, President of the BCMC, and Rev. Henry White who is from James Cistern, Eleuthera but had been serving on Inagua for the past four years but just completed his term. Our main goal of the trip will be to examine the damage that has been done, how best we can serve, what materials are needed and how to best set up for you, our volunteers, to come and serve. We will also be leaving Pastor White there so he can begin to organize our efforts. The community will be overjoyed that we are bringing him back! They just threw him a grand going away party right before Hurricane Hanna rolled through and so they take this as a sign that he wasn't meant to leave.
Material Update:
We have been in touch with Morton Salt Company and they are sailing down their material boat on this coming Saturday with needed materials and supplies. NEMA (Bahamian FEMA) has already set up for some materials to sail down with them but by tomorrow evening we will also have our list of construction materials and food supplies that we will need to have donated and put on the boat as well. This will allow our volunteer pilots to solely focus on volunteer transportation. If we are to send down supplies with Morton, all donations and supplies must be to them, Cape Canaveral, FL, no later than 4:00pm on Friday Sept. 12th, 2008. Because of our limited time frame it is my hope that our Florida East Coast / Orlando Area volunteers will be able gather and deliver the needed supplies that will be needed with haste and get them to Morton.
"WHAT IS NEEDED?"
We know that Plywood, 30 lb. Felt Paper, Shingles, 1 1/4" Shingle Nails, 1 1/2" Drip Edge and Large Tarps (at least 20' x 20') will be needed. It would also be wondeful to deliever small generators, but size and quantity is not known yet. Non-perishable food and water for our volunteers will be needed as well as cots to sleep on.
Beyond that we are not sure but will know specifics by tomorrow evening (Wednesday).
"How can we help?"
Pray...for safety, travel, strength, wisdom, faith and cooperation.
Donate funds for materials and volunteer needs. Click on the link to donate: http://www.bahamashabitat.org/wordpress/?page_id=81
Volunteer your time, these trips will probably start the begining of next week (subject to change).
+Remember that as we go down we will have to be Totally Self-Sufficient.
+We will be "Roughing It" while we are there, so begin to prepare yourself physically, mentally and spiritually.
Turks and Caicos
These islands took a huge hit as you can see from the pictures. I have no descriptions for them but a picture is worth a thousand words. Mrs. Elmena Bethel, VP of the BCMC, will be headed down by Thursday to open the doors for BMH to serve her home island. Please pray especially that old wounds can be healed and this experience can be used to further God's Kingdom here on Earth and that reconciliation can be rampant.
Ragged Island
As I mentioned in the begining of the email, we will be taking over 500 lbs of drinking water to Ragged Island on our way to Inagua. They did not have too much damage done to the island but their power lines were knocked out which has made it impossible for them to use their reverse osmosis water treatment plant. I hope that on one of our next trips down we will be able to drop off a generator that will be able to at least power their water plant. I was able to serve on this island last December '07 for two days and loved every minute of it. They are only about 60 miles from Cuba and are literally out in the middle of nowhere. An amazing community that we will be serving in the very near future.
Volunteer your time, these trips will probably start the begining of next week (subject to change).
+Remember that as we go down we will have to be Totally Self-Sufficient.
+We will be "Roughing It" while we are there, so begin to prepare yourself physically, mentally and spiritually.
Turks and Caicos
These islands took a huge hit as you can see from the pictures. I have no descriptions for them but a picture is worth a thousand words. Mrs. Elmena Bethel, VP of the BCMC, will be headed down by Thursday to open the doors for BMH to serve her home island. Please pray especially that old wounds can be healed and this experience can be used to further God's Kingdom here on Earth and that reconciliation can be rampant.
Ragged Island
As I mentioned in the begining of the email, we will be taking over 500 lbs of drinking water to Ragged Island on our way to Inagua. They did not have too much damage done to the island but their power lines were knocked out which has made it impossible for them to use their reverse osmosis water treatment plant. I hope that on one of our next trips down we will be able to drop off a generator that will be able to at least power their water plant. I was able to serve on this island last December '07 for two days and loved every minute of it. They are only about 60 miles from Cuba and are literally out in the middle of nowhere. An amazing community that we will be serving in the very near future.
Haiti
The BCMC has already started to receive donations for this desperate country and plan to continue to support them for the long haul. Pray Pray Pray for this country.
Thank you again for all your wonderful emails of encouragement and prayers...let us all push forward.
Peace and Love.
Abe
You may also mail Donation checks to Bahamas Habitat (Stateside Support 501(c)3):
Bahamas Habitat
103 Dumbarton Ct
Cary, North Carolina 27511-6305
NC Corporation No. C200721900211-1
FEIN: 87-0809313
Abraham (Abe) McIntyre
Executive Director Bahamas Methodist Habitat
Camp Symonette, James Cistern
Eleuthera, Bahamas
The BCMC has already started to receive donations for this desperate country and plan to continue to support them for the long haul. Pray Pray Pray for this country.
Thank you again for all your wonderful emails of encouragement and prayers...let us all push forward.
Peace and Love.
Abe
You may also mail Donation checks to Bahamas Habitat (Stateside Support 501(c)3):
Bahamas Habitat
103 Dumbarton Ct
Cary, North Carolina 27511-6305
NC Corporation No. C200721900211-1
FEIN: 87-0809313
Abraham (Abe) McIntyre
Executive Director Bahamas Methodist Habitat
Camp Symonette, James Cistern
Eleuthera, Bahamas
615-469-7974 USA
242-335-6210 Camp
242-422-9318 Cell
242-422-9318 Cell
More Photos from Grand Turks
posted by TN Conference UMC at 9:23 AM
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