April 22, 2010 – 8:39am – Wednesday (Florida Time)- Titusville, FL – Report submitted by Joe Hurston (Air Mobile Joe)

Before I give a quick report on the good day we had yesterday, I would like to share a bit with you about Caanan II, the tent city very close to Ruuska Village in Haiti. I have received word that at any moment, government bulldozers could show up and level the tent city of 5600 residents with absolutely no warning. Actually, it usually takes place between 2:00 am – 4:00 am. This has happened several times already within the last few days with other tent cities. One tent city was leveled in the pre-dawn hours so that another tent city could be put in the exact same position. The residents were given NO notice; they had moments to grab their meager contents and move out of the way of the heavy equipment. These brutal tactics are being used every day. I heard one Foreign Government representative describe the tactics as “less than humane”. 

In tent cities, all over Haiti, babies are born! This baby was recently born in Cannan II and the medical team out of Ruuska Village was able to lend assistance. Folks, these are real people with real dreams and hopes and concerns. They have children with medical problems and education plans and hunger and thirst pains. They are exactly like us except their situation suddenly and forever changed on January 12th. Meanwhile, we, in America, sit, in our case, 759.6 nautical miles to the northwest. Many of us sit in comfortable (and by comparison “splendid” positions). We must not forget the suffering that is occurring in our very own backyard. The question that keeps coming to me is – “What would Jesus do?” 

As the team went throughout the “city”, residents were glad to show us their “homes”. The number one need each day is water. Every resident has a story as to how they secure the life-giving liquid every day. It’s rarely easy!! Yesterday, we did our “Post-Mission Inspection” of the aircraft. No major issues! We did standard, routine maintenance and stood amazed at how well the aircraft is flying. 

Remember little Peter, the Haitian boy that we flew out of Haiti on a Medical Visa on Tuesday? Well, Abby, the caregiving mom, brought him to see us at the hangar yesterday. He was a little apprehensive about the possibility of being put on the airplane, and I assured him that he was here in the U.S. for a while. He really likes the steady flow of food and drink and the comfortable bed. As we were visiting, a training helicopter set down very close to where we were. The noise was intense. Peter lit up like a Christmas tree and was just fascinated by the strange flying machine. You should have seen his face! After his surgery, you never know; he may become a helicopter pilot! Have a mountain of stuff to do and have to run.

God Bless!!

Air Mobile Joe