Arrival in Dominican Republic/Haiti

Our trip to the Dominican Republic was smooth and uneventful. We arrived after traveling all day at around 9 pm in DR. We stayed the night at Ralph and Madelyn's house. They live in a small flat that is typical of the DR. Lots of walls around the homes with razor wire and bars on all the windows and doors. The city is fairly clean, however. We took a bus the next day into Port au Prince. We really prayed and asked God to help us get our supplies over the border without any problems. We had heard that the government was charging organizations for supplies that were being brought in over the border. Even though we did not have large quantities of supplies we had antibiotics and lots of medical supplies. God arranged for us to not even have to go through customs on the way in. Normally you have to get off the bus, haul all your bags into the customs office and they go through everything. We did not have to even get off of the bus! We really believe that God covered us in that way. March 3, 2010 Arrived at Reggie's parents yesterday, set up our tents and had dinner, etc. We did not sleep inside even though the house was relatively undamaged as there is concern for more aftershocks. His parents have a makeshift room outside with tarps under some trees. We heard a church nearby singing worship songs last night which really encouraged us. We spent the day driving around the city, assessing whether we could find a clinic or tent city where we might be able to help. The connections that we had prior to coming were not working out, they just did not get back to us. We were unable to find anywhere that felt safe enough for us to help or even get out of the car to go and talk to people and assess their needs. The devastation, the garbage, the rubble, the overwhelming need! The streets are overflowing with all of the above, plus people, cars and motor scooters all vying for their place on the street! There are no traffic laws observed and it is up to you to make a way on the streets. Really crazy, at times cars, trucks, motor bikes three and four abreast going both directions. A red light is merely a suggestion, and don't stop if it is remotely clear or you won't get anywhere. That night, as we met and prayed, I was very discouraged. I really was concerned about the appropriate use of our resources, since I felt a great responsibility for the funds that others had given for us to bring there.Reggie reminded me of the word that God had spoken to us that morning as I read my devotional from Oswald Chambers. John 21:17 "Feed my sheep". God reminded us that if we loved Him, we should feed His sheep. I recognized that God was telling us to care for His people in this city. The work that they are doing is difficult and much of what they have has been destroyed. We were to continue to seek God for His leading and not worry about our ideas and thoughts of how it should look. We were to be "poured out" for Him!