Dear Friends,

Two orphans at Mercy & Sharing Village are not well. Thanks for your support and prayers as our staff attends to their needs.

Steve Joseph continues to have leaking from the site of his hydrocephalus surgery last month. He has an infection in his brain and is receiving antibiotics. Our staff physician, Dr Agenor has found a neurosurgeon who can provide a consultation and hopefully treatment. We are hoping the surgeon can help the surgery site begin to heal and that Steve can have a shunt inserted in May. Steve’s condition is extremely critical and we are very concerned!

We have just learned that Freddy Hebron has a malformation which inhibits his breathing and he will need oxygen full time — perhaps for the rest of his life. Dr. Agenor is pursuing further testing to determine a treatment plan. We are also working to get portable oxygen for Freddy to have at Mercy & Sharing Village. We are very concerned because he is so frail, but he is a fighter!

Please share this with your friends and if you are connected to a prayer chain, please add Steve and Freddy!

Freddy Hebron is a two and a half month old little boy who was abandoned at the Government Hospital in Port au Prince at birth. Freddy has a birth defect which caused his lower limbs to form incorrectly. He came to join us at the orphanage in Williamson on March 14! On that day, Freddy had his first peaceful night’s sleep. He is safe with his Mercy & Sharing family and he has a very good chance of having an operation to fix his little legs.

Susie Krabacher

Many thanks to Medishare who provided hydrocephalus surgery for Steeve Joseph. He is a precious little boy who is six years old. Steve is a very active and intelligent boy who has been with Mercy & Sharing for four years and we are excited about his future! Read more about Medishare here »

Mercy & Sharing is honored that the First Lady of Haiti, Sophia Martelly, donated food to the orphanage at Mercy & Sharing Village. This gift was part of a larger effort on the part of the President and First Lady to assist the most vulnerable members of Haitian society. “The State has an obligation to supervise the children and provide to their physical well-being, mental andmaterial,” Mrs. Martelly declared.

The President and First Lady have consistently demonstrated their commitment to children, regardless of their background, and took this opportunity to convey a Merry Christmas to the orphans at Mercy & Sharing Village. Included in the gift were rice, canned fish, baby formula, and dry milk.

Mercy & Sharing is delighted to partner with President and Mrs. Martelly to improve the lives of orphaned and abandoned children. We continually look for ways to work together to helps these precious kids!

Thanks to ALL of you who offered financial support and prayers for Lee Pardee during his recent surgery. The surgeons successfully removed a large tumor that was near his carotid artery. I visited with Lee for a long time yesterday. He is in a nice hospital and is being very well cared for. We are also very thankful this hospital has agreed to provide free post-operative care for him. Lee has a very large incision from the tumor removal site, but there are no signs of infection.

When I walked in the room, he lifted himself up and started making happy sounds in spite of his autism and recent surgery! I am SO proud of the way he has responded and his cheery attitude. He is eating on his own. When I handed him a teddy bear, he hugged it closely! We hope he will be back to Mercy & Sharing Village in ten days. I learned that this little trooper had TWO heart attacks during the surgery and battled through it all!! The six doctors who performed the surgery ALL consider him to be a little miracle and a testament to your support and prayers!

Again, thank you for making a difference for Lee.

Susie Krabacher

By Jeff Leck, Member of Mercy & Sharing’s Board of Directors

I visited Haiti in July, 2012 and was reminded of the difficult conditions Mercy & Sharing faces every day. The oppressive heat, constant dust, overwhelming traffic, severe poverty, and incredibly crowded real estate in and around Port-au-Prince do not make for an appealing working environment. I have traveled to many places in the world and in terms of day-to-day logistics, Haiti is easily the most difficult. I think the government of Haiti, considering the tragedies and setbacks, is doing all it can do to stabilize the country and protect children. Yet, the task is enormous. Reflecting on the trip, I wanted to share with you some observations about the difficulty of caring for kids in Haiti:

Electricity. The power grid in Haiti is unreliable for sustained power needs such as refrigeration or night lighting. The constant power outages throughout Haiti mean Mercy & Sharing’s staff must care for children mostly without relying on electricity. While we do have generators, diesel fuel costs dictate limiting use of generator power to only the most essential needs.

Transportation. The roads in Haiti are worse than any I have observed (even in places such as Africa). The capital’s “roads” are essentially potholes joined with occasional pavement. Rocks and debris are constant. Traffic jams are ubiquitous. Mercy & Sharing’s staff cannot simply drive quickly across town to secure supplies or attend meetings. Every journey, however short, is an adventure with a very bumpy and convoluted ride. Further, virtually all the vehicles experience extreme wear and tear.

Sanitation. There is dust everywhere. Sewage management is rudimentary at best, open and flowing at worst. Garbage piles are part of the landscape. While the average Haitian no doubt has a stout constitution, it is very difficult to keep our children from exposure to disease and infections. I am proud of Mercy & Sharing’s efforts to provide clean water to students and orphans. At Mercy & Sharing Village, the kids take two showers each day and the facilities are spotless. I now have a better understanding of the priority we must place on sanitation for all of the children in our care.

Reflecting on my overall visit, and especially the time I spent at the Mercy & Sharing Village, I continue to be amazed that Mercy & Sharing can help so many children with so few dollars. The promise Mercy & Sharing makes to orphans—to provide food, a home, 24/7 care, medicine, vaccinations,education, therapy, recreation and love—is monumental. It is no cliché to say—this is a labor of love.

In May we received a very welcome donation of shoes from Newton Running Company and Tumiani Ministries. Over 2000 pairs of shoes are now being worn by children and poverty stricken families in Haiti! The shoes have been distributed to the very grateful and needy children in Mercy & Sharing’s orphanage, the students at two Mercy & Sharing elementary schools (Mercy & Sharing Learning Academy and C.I.T.E. School) and all of our Haitian staff members received a pair of shoes. These shoes were a very needed and welcome gift. Many thanks to Newton Running and Tumiani Ministries!

UPDATE regarding the five new orphans at Mercy & Sharing Village:

The children are all now safely at our orphanage and we would like to take this opportunity to thank the diligent, rapid actions of IBESR (which is an acronym for “Institut du BienEtre Social et de Recherches” which serves as Haiti’s Social Services on behalf of children and families), who rushed to get paperwork and documentation prepared so that we could take these children into our safe and loving care. Without the efforts of IBESR we would not have been able to rescue these precious children.

IBESR works with very limited financial resources—but they are not limited in their willingness to go the extra mile to assist Mercy & Sharing with our mission of saving children who have been abandoned. Special thanks to IBESR, we could not do the good work we do without their support and partnership!!

As for the children, we are happy to report that our staff Medical Director is seeing to their care individually. He is in the process of carefully assessing the needs and health concerns of each individual child. He then implements a treatment plan that will include nutrient dense food and milk, medicine and attention. The children are receiving the loving care of our “Mothers” who are on duty 24 hours every day to see to the children.

Pray for these angels, they need all the support and love possible!

Susie Krabacher
President of Mercy & Sharing

Mercy & Sharing Village Cares for Haiti’s Orphaned, Abandoned, and Disabled Children

Arcahaie, Haiti – December 27, 2011 – It’s been almost two years since the January 12 earthquake in Haiti claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. The tiny country just 710 miles from our borders; Haiti seems to only cross our television screens during times of severe crisis. Haiti’s First Lady Sophia Martelly is using her position to emphasize some of the success stories in her country, highlighting the efforts of a Colorado-based nonprofit, Mercy & Sharing.

Today, Mrs. Martelly visited Mercy & Sharing Village, a 17-acre campus home to 127 orphans, approximately half of who have physical or mental disabilities. Mrs. Martelly was cheerfully greeted by a delegation of smiling children, who presented her with a bouquet of flowers before taking her on a tour to see the newly opened Rehabilitation and Therapy Center. She also visited the orphanage’s school and the computer-learning center.

“This is the first time I have seen such positive work being done for children,” Mrs. Martelly said, grinning at the smiling faces surrounding her. “This is such great work.”

Mrs. Martelly’s non-profit organization, Foundation Rose et Blanc, works to improve the social, health and economic conditions of Haitians. Children, who will grow to become Haiti’s future leaders, are a core part of those efforts. Mrs. Martelly’s humanitarian efforts have helped shine a spotlight on Haiti’s least fortunate and the focus of Mercy & Sharing: orphaned, abandoned and disabled children.

“For years, we have worked to provide essential services to disabled, abandoned and orphaned children in Haiti, focusing on health and education,” said Susan Krabacher, Founder and President of Mercy & Sharing. “After nearly 20 years in this work, I am encouraged by Mrs. Martelly’s passion and concern for Haiti’s children; I believe this government will help us transform the outlook for children who have for so long been left behind and forgotten”.

Following the tour of the Village, the First Lady, children and staff gathered in the Chapel to sit and talk with each other. Mrs. Martelly was clearly impressed and overwhelmed by the happy, energetic children all around her. “I will be back,” she said. “I cannot wait to come back!”

“As we look to expand care to more children throughout the country, we are collaborating with humanitarians like Mrs. Martelly and sharing our successful projects with others to leverage existing programs and begin new initiatives” said Mrs. Krabacher. “Working together, we have so much more opportunity to positively impact children’s lives.”

As Haiti rebuilds, many aid groups have moved on to other places in the world recently impacted by natural disasters. But work in Haiti is not finished; it is a place where change can only be made and measured over the long term. Groups like Mercy & Sharing understand this, and are committed to stay. Why? As Mrs. Krabacher notes, “When children have what they need to live today and dream about tomorrow – then there is always hope for a better Haiti”.

by John Cripe  |  Former Mercy & Sharing Board Member

I was in Haiti not too long ago—late August—and our Director of Development asked me to write a short blog about my trip. This is a chance, I think, to be able to tell others a little about the kids I was able to meet and some of the sites I came across. It’s an opportunity to try to describe some children in part of what’s known as the Third World—not as an objects of curiosity, but as individuals with feelings and values similar to our own, who strive to tell the people of the first-world about their lives and their hopes for a better future.

I was in Haiti for a variety of coordinating meetings with representatives from private businesses, aid organizations and some USAID project administrators. At one point I was able to venture out to visit Mercy & Sharing Village at Williamson—only 30 or 40 miles—but a long couple of hours away from the capital city.

Along the way, I noticed conditions had improved since my earlier trip in the spring. For example, rubble from last year’s punishing earthquake isn’t gone, but it’s now in piles. This is a notable improvement, but there is still much to be done.

There is plenty of trash. I think that while the average American very likely creates much more waste than the average Haitian could ever dream of, we are SO much more proficient at hiding our garbage in landfills. This is obviously not a skill mastered in Haiti quite yet—and neither is providing adequate housing or building basic infrastructure.

Expansive tent cities still cover the landscape – the magnitude of the homelessness crisis is close to overwhelming. In the year and a half after the earthquake millions of dollars have been spent/diverted to a variety of “shelter solutions”. From plywood huts to ubiquitous blue tents to vinyl sided igloos, housing ideas of all stripes have been spit forward as part of some grand plan to “re-imagine Haiti”. Well, so far, many lots are still vacant or buried under mountains of rubble and piles of plastic soda bottles—and most of the people still live in torn tents or improvised dwellings put together from corrugated tin and plastic sheeting. There are no walking paths, green spaces, tennis courts or sleek apartment buildings as envisioned by so many well-meaning but unrealistic urban planners. Imagine what the proposed solution of crowded plywood huts will look like in five years, or even less.

The facilities at Mercy & Sharing Village at Williamson, in contrast to what I’d seen on the drive there, felt like an oasis. Once behind the tall security walls that border the property I immediately felt a striking difference between the squalor I’d seen and the order I now experienced. No mounds of garbage here—instead there were gardens. No gray piles of rubble or signs of destruction, but rather brightly colored buildings and the sounds of construction.

I saw incredible progress being made on the new Rehabilitation and Therapy Center. Jeff* and his team were hard at work hammering and sawing. Exterior walls were up and framing for the roof was almost complete. This new project will allow children with special needs infinitely improved facilities, specifically designed for occupational therapy, specialized treatment and critical medical care. Once finished, a final step will be a ramp between buildings for wheelchair access, making the short trip so much easier for everyone.

Walking further, I entered the next closest building—where it was lunchtime for many of the kids. I saw children very (very) busy eating from full plates—heads down and pausing only briefly between bites to barely acknowledge my presence with a quick sideways glance before concentrating on their next forkful of food. It felt just like I was sharing a meal with my own kids.

In the next building I saw scores of boys—of all ages, heights and of varying physical abilities. All were immediately intrigued by my presence, and the next thing I knew they’d surrounded me, asking questions in French, Creole and English and pulling at my arm to show me an important toy or otherwise vying for attention. Lisa’s House (the girls building) was next, and while quite a bit more shy than the boys at first, the girls quickly overcame their reluctance and began competing for a few minutes of my time.

Some of the young children I hugged had special needs—some were unable to sit up, let alone walk. Over the course of my visit I heard kids talking about books they were reading, art projects they’d just completed, how much several of them disliked going to school (again, just like being home again) and from some of the older ones I heard them talk anxiously about the new vocational school and their career goals. To hear children planning for their futures is a real victory! Because they have food and shelter they can plan for tomorrow instead of worrying about today.

It was wonderful to see so many happy boys and girls, clean, well-dressed, fed and provided love and guidance from caring adults. It was reassuring to see again the good work and positive accomplishments of Nicole DeFay, Manager of Mercy & Sharing Village and all the dedicated staff who work there.

While I want to say my time at the orphanage was beautiful, and it was, as I think back I confess to feeling a little unfulfilled. I know the tactile experience some of the children felt from my brief visit was beneficial—and for others it was simply a chance to meet a new person who provided a little break in their day. I only wish there was more I could do for them…and orphans everywhere. It was a completely humbling experience, to say the least.

Through this quick blog I hope I’ve been able to share a bit of their voice—their excitement, energy, happiness and hope. Please know that all of this is made possible through your financial support—they have a positive future because of you.

* NOTE: A quick expression of thanks to a wonderful person, Jeff Swope. For those who don’t know him, he is on the Advisory Board of Mercy & Sharing and is the volunteer contractor who takes a vision and makes it a reality. It is thanks to Jeff that we were able to build our entire campus at Williamson—the school rooms, furniture, the church, the dorms and the brand new Rehabilitation and Therapy Center plus, well, pretty much everything. Jeff is the guy who obtains the correct prices for work so we don’t get our leg pulled. It’s Jeff who understands everything structural and technical and is the first to roll up his sleeves and get to work. Jeff and his able team of volunteers travel regularly to Haiti and continue to make possible the impossible. (Jeff is also a magnet for a lot of the boys—but privately I think it’s less about him being a great guy and more about his really excellent collection of tools.) Jeff, you are amazing—thanks for all you do!