Belaying CRWRC's Earthquake Response in Haiti: nearly $10M

CRWRC Newsroom | May 11, 2010

After John Deckinga spent three months volunteering with CRWRC’s Haiti Earthquake Response, he had a pretty good idea how to characterize those in the pews back in North America. “They are belayers,” he said. 

To belay is a mountain climbing term that means “to secure (a person) by attaching to one end of a rope.” A belayer is someone who is willing to stand around, tied to a rope, waiting for something to happen so that he or she can protect the person climbing. While the connections between protecting mountain climbers and responding to an earthquake may seem difficult to see, there are actually quite a few similarities between a belayer and a CRWRC supporter.

For starters, both are essential before action can be taken. A mountain climber would not think of starting a dangerous climb without knowing that adequate safety measures, such as a belayer, were in place. Similarly, a relief agency such as CRWRC can not begin to respond to a disaster without strong support from people back home.

In the case of the Haiti earthquake, CRWRC knew it could count on its constituents to support the effort because of the history of support that CRWRC donors had given to the South Asia tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, and other recent disasters. Knowing that they could depend on you, CRWRC took action immediately trusting that adequate money would come in.

Their faith was not in vain. To date, nearly $10 million in support has poured in to CRWRC for their Haiti earthquake response. As a result, CRWRC has been able to work diligently in Haiti in partnership with ACT Alliance members, other CRC agencies in Port au Prince, and other non-government organizations and community groups.

This $10 million response reminds Deckinga of a mountain climbing belayer named Peter Schoening.

"In 1953 Peter Schoening was hiking with five companions along a treacherous ridge high on K2 in Pakistan when one of them slipped, colliding into the four others and knocking them off the mountain,” said Deckinga, “But Peter Schoening was paying attention. In a desperate measure—which to this day is still referred to as ‘The Belay’--he leaped in the opposite direction off the mountain, and with the counterweight of his body and his ice axe slammed into the face of the mountain he held on until his companions could scramble to safety. His companions were saved because he took belaying very seriously."

CRWRC is grateful to you for taking your role, as prayer and financial supporters of our ministry, equally seriously.  You responded quickly and selflessly to the needs of the people of Haiti.  Thank you.

CRWRC is also grateful for people like John Deckinga, who gave three months to join volunteer International Relief Managers George & Toni Fernhout in Haiti. CRWRC contacted Deckinga less than a week after the quake and asked him to assist them in researching the availability and prices for emergency supplies in the Dominican Republic.  He arrived in the DR on February 19 and began looking at options for purchasing hygiene supplies, kitchen utensils, food, and building materials.  All of this information he then provided to George and Toni Fernhout in Port au Prince, as well as Ken Little, CRWRC Senior Project Manager.

After reaching the conclusion that purchasing materials in Haiti would be more cost-effective than shipping them from the DR, Deckinga travelled to Port au Prince and stayed with Zachary Segaar-King from Christian Reformed World Missions. Deckinga also agreed to help tell the story of CRWRC relief efforts through photography.  Here are a few of his telling and touching photographs.

"The earth under Haiti moved for thirty-five terrifying seconds, killing hundreds of thousands, injuring many more and leaving countless others homeless.  We all saw the images on TV and the Internet, read the accounts and quickly became aware of that horrific event and its aftermath,” said Deckinga.  “Now months later, the news cycle has moved on to other events and tragedies elsewhere in the world, and the temptation is to let our attention wander from the aftermath in Haiti.  But the reality is the situation there, while improving, is far from resolved.  You and I need to keep alert, to stay ‘on belay’ for those people still ‘on the mountain.'"

His words are for all of us.  We need to stay informed, stay involved, and keep praying and giving.   The team in Haiti needs your belaying help over the next weeks, months and even years.  Thank you for your continued support.

To support CRWRC's ongoing eathquake response in Haiti, donate online:  US | Canada

Checks, marked "Haiti Earthquake 2010" can also be sent to:

CRWRC-US
2850 Kalamazoo Ave SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49560
Ph: 1-800-55-CRWRC

CRWRC-Canada
3475 Mainway
P.O. Box 5070 STN LCD 1
Burlington, Ontario, L7R 3Y8
Ph: 1-800-730-3490

~ Christina de Jong, CRWRC Communications