Hey Everyone
Just wanted to let you know that our Absolute people who are on the ground in Port au Prince, Haiti have confirmed that our friends at the orphanages we work with are in fact, all alive and accounted for. However, they have all suffered much loss as they have lost friends and family in the rubble around them, not to mention lack of proper shelter, etc.
Today, our Absolute members helped people who were still trying desperately to reach their family members who had been buried deep beneath the rubble. There is little hope of any survival at this point, but one can always hope for a miracle. We have two nurses from our Hero Holiday arm that have taken it upon themselves to get there and are now on the ground, helping out where they can.
Our hearts are grieving with all of our friends who have lost those closest to them. Frantzo, one of our Hero Holiday Dominican Republic translators has lost 5 members alone and yet he is beside our team, helping to dig through the rubble. This is what it is to be the hands and feet of compassion and we are honored to work alongside of so many Haitian people such as him.
There is great need for tarps, mosquito nets and basic needs of survival for thousands upon thousands of people. If you want to help us, you can go to our homepage and donate at www.absolute.org/donate.
We are also encouraging people to give to the Red Cross, World Vision and St. Joseph’s Home for Boys.
We will continue to keep you updated as we much as we are able to. Thanks for your support, encouragement and prayers.
If you have joined us on a Dominican Republic Hero Holiday, chances are you know who Pastor Garcia is and you are familiar with the Arroyo Seco school project. Many of us have memories of laughter and camaraderie as we worked together, brick by brick, cement shovel by cement shovel to help make a community’s dream come true: the dream of a school for their children and for their future. That dream has become a reality through the help of hundreds of Hero Holiday participants since 2006, and we are excited to announce that our school is now recognized by the Dominican government as a certified private school! As well, their entire community project is now a recognized Dominican foundation, another part of the success of working together.
There are over 100 students at the Arroyo Seco school, many of them able to go to school for the first time because of your hard work! The school is now running from junior kindergarten to grade 5, with students aged 3 to 15. Many of the older students have never had a chance to go to school before, so they are just as excited as the younger ones to have a chance to learn. Thanks to the generosity of some Canadian friends, our school now also has a computer lab, something that these students are completely new to but eager to learn on.
The best part about certification for the school is that they are now part of a standardized curriculum that requires consistent reporting and accountability - something that is lacking in many schools across this tiny nation. These students have many hopes and dreams and many of them are a result of education.
For those of you who were a part of the love, sweat and tears that went into the Arroyo Seco Community School project, this is your success.
Thank you! 